Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › Multiple Amps in Series - Good Idea or Bad?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Multiple Amps in Series - Good Idea or Bad?

post #1 of 3
4/27/11 at 12:09pm
Thread Starter 

Hi everyone I'm new to posting on the forums. I've been reading from here and finally decided to register an account.

 

Question: I am looking to buy decent headphone amp (currently deciding between LDII, Woo Audio 3, or Heed Canamp - opinions on these would be muchly appreciated!). However I am also looking to somehow get a system with multiple output. I've seen decent 4-channel monitor/amps on Amazon for like $50 with good reviews.

 

Is it unheard of to hook a Woo Audio 3 to a multi-out amp in series? The reason I want to do this is because I have friends I want to invite over to listen to music with me on a quality amp. What kind of disadvantages (or advantages) would this kind of set-up yield and would you recommend a different method/product?

 

I am currently listening on AKG K702, for the most part I've heard that the LDII, Canamp, and WA3 are good contenders for these cans in a similar price range.

 

Thanks!

Reply
post #2 of 3
4/27/11 at 2:20pm

Amps in series are generally a really bad idea.  You'll increase the amount of background noise without really conferring any benefits to sound quality.

Reply
post #3 of 3
4/27/11 at 4:46pm

They are not necessarily bad. Most high end stereo systems use a pre-amp connected to an amp, and the pre amp really is another amp. It is generally not necessary for headphones because they need much lower voltage than speakers do. I think there would be nothing wrong in using a headphone amp as a preamp for a higher powered speaker amp, assuming both are quality amps.

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphone Amps (full-size)
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › Multiple Amps in Series - Good Idea or Bad?