Dead quiet which is a big plus for a unit at this price point. Sonically, the unit sounds fairly neutral and sounds clear and "tight" in the bass and midrange compared to other equipment I have. Overall this is a meaningful upgrade over most stock headphone outputs (computer, phone). Probably a great option for your first headphone amp. Not a giant killer but if you have reasonable expectations for a device like this it will prove itself worthy. That said, it will distort at full volume and is only rated to 100mW output, so if you have demanding headphones, this is probably not for you. But it should do the job for probably 70% of modern headphones out there. I mean, if you are buying this to drive your Hifiman HE-6, it would be akin to buying a Ferrari then buying Crocs as your go to driving footwear.