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HE-500, LCD2, D5000, DT770, SR80, on a speaker amp (Emotiva mini-X A-100) Project
Oct 29, 2012 at 2:42 PM Post #16 of 3,819
davidvanderbilt said:
 
Thanks for the response. I was looking at the Matrix M-stage or the Bellari HA540. Something under 300 dollars hopefully. If i attempted the speaker tap option I would obviously insulate the solder points and exposed wire with heat-shrink tubing as well.
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You could go here if you save up $200 more dollars. http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/SA/SA31/SA31EN.htm
 
Oct 31, 2012 at 6:56 PM Post #18 of 3,819
Heya,
 
So my cable will arrive in 2 weeks.
 
In the mean time, I'm looking around to pick up something extra just to play with.
 
Anyone have thoughts on whether or not I need resistors or anything of the sort if I pair the HE-500 with a speaker tap cable and run something like the Emotiva mini-X a-100? It's 50wpc@8ohms, or 7ish watts into 50ohms, but the HE-500 is 38 ohms, so it's going to put quite a bit more into the lower resistance of the HE-500. Any thoughts on whether I should have resistors in place for this? Or is it still a low enough amount of power that the HE-500, and/or the amp itself are safe? I don't want to blow up the amp and I think it's more likely the amp would have a melt down when presented a higher load than the planar magnetic having an issue with too much power (since volume turned down would solve any "too much"). Thoughts?
 
Also, any other suggestions for speaker amps in the 30~50 wpc @ 8ohm range that are of interest for speaker tap -> headphone setups?
 
Very best,
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 9:31 AM Post #19 of 3,819
malveaux said:
Heya,

So my cable will arrive in 2 weeks.

In the mean time, I'm looking around to pick up something extra just to play with.

Anyone have thoughts on whether or not I need resistors or anything of the sort if I pair the HE-500 with a speaker tap cable and run something like the Emotiva mini-X a-100? It's 50wpc@8ohms, or 7ish watts into 50ohms, but the HE-500 is 38 ohms, so it's going to put quite a bit more into the lower resistance of the HE-500. Any thoughts on whether I should have resistors in place for this? Or is it still a low enough amount of power that the HE-500, and/or the amp itself are safe? I don't want to blow up the amp and I think it's more likely the amp would have a melt down when presented a higher load than the planar magnetic having an issue with too much power (since volume turned down would solve any "too much"). Thoughts?

Also, any other suggestions for speaker amps in the 30~50 wpc @ 8ohm range that are of interest for speaker tap -> headphone setups?

Very best,
Click to expand...
As long as it's not a transformer output tube amp, anything under 100w don't need resistors. If you are responsible to control the volume knob, I've used the resistors and then taken them back off with no ill effect with 125wpc. Darryl uses 200 wpc. I thought the resistors sort of dampened the dynamic response of the headphones on a SS amp. The key here is the volume control. You don't want to hit the headphones with full volume on fire up of the system.

The stated impedance isn't always the case. I've read 41.5 and 41.2 ohms through the HE-6 at the xlr pin out.
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 11:39 AM Post #20 of 3,819
Quote:
malveaux said:
Heya,
 
So my cable will arrive in 2 weeks.
 
In the mean time, I'm looking around to pick up something extra just to play with.
 
Anyone have thoughts on whether or not I need resistors or anything of the sort if I pair the HE-500 with a speaker tap cable and run something like the Emotiva mini-X a-100? It's 50wpc@8ohms, or 7ish watts into 50ohms, but the HE-500 is 38 ohms, so it's going to put quite a bit more into the lower resistance of the HE-500. Any thoughts on whether I should have resistors in place for this? Or is it still a low enough amount of power that the HE-500, and/or the amp itself are safe? I don't want to blow up the amp and I think it's more likely the amp would have a melt down when presented a higher load than the planar magnetic having an issue with too much power (since volume turned down would solve any "too much"). Thoughts?
 
Also, any other suggestions for speaker amps in the 30~50 wpc @ 8ohm range that are of interest for speaker tap -> headphone setups?
 
Very best,
Click to expand...

 
 
Here you go:  Only $200 and rated at 50wpc
 
 

http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/amplifiers/products/a100
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 2:42 PM Post #22 of 3,819
Heya,
 
Thanks guys. The Emotiva is the one I was looking at (in my post, you'll see it's listed as the one I'm looking at primarily). I like the volume and look and overall power of it and reviews of it's signature is something I'd like perhaps. I like the cost too. I will be buying one to try out with the HE500 and speaker taps. Also, great to hear I don't need resistors or anything. Looks like the Emotiva will output about 10ish watts or so into the HE500, so it will be more than what my Lyr was doing. Will be interesting to see how that affects things.
 
I'll update with the amp & cable with pics when everything gets here in about 2 weeks or so.
 
Very best,
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 2:50 PM Post #23 of 3,819
Quote:
malveaux said:
Heya,
 
Thanks guys. The Emotiva is the one I was looking at (in my post, you'll see it's listed as the one I'm looking at primarily). I like the volume and look and overall power of it and reviews of it's signature is something I'd like perhaps. I like the cost too. I will be buying one to try out with the HE500 and speaker taps. Also, great to hear I don't need resistors or anything. Looks like the Emotiva will output about 10ish watts or so into the HE500, so it will be more than what my Lyr was doing. Will be interesting to see how that affects things.
 
I'll update with the amp & cable with pics when everything gets here in about 2 weeks or so.
 
Very best,
Click to expand...

 
I have to save a screenshot of this thread....Mal actually getting advice for a change rather than giving it!
wink.gif
  Just be glad Prep and HC didn't talk you into the Evo monoblocks
wink_face.gif

 
Nov 1, 2012 at 3:30 PM Post #26 of 3,819
"  Just be glad Prep and HC didn't talk you into the Evo "monoblocks
 
Lol,
You are funny
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 3:30 PM Post #27 of 3,819
Heya,
 
Well, this is a HE-500 we're talking about, not a HE-6. I don't think the HE-500 would tolerate having that much power blasted into it. I think it may be pushing it just doing this even. I'm just curious to see what it will do on a speaker amp with a ton of power, compared to headphone amps. The HE-500 is relatively efficient for what it is, but I'm curious to see if it can benefit from a higher current basically. It just so happens that you can get more power for a planar magnetic from a speaker amp than a headphone amp, and at a lower price to boot. $220 for a good speaker amp that outputs 10 watts roughly into the HE-500 is quite different than the $450 Lyr or other amps that don't even output as much. The difference I'm looking to see is if there's a noise floor difference, or any kind of detriment using a speaker amp, compared to a headphone amp meant for such a headphone. I think it's well established that the HE-6 is great with a speaker amp. But the HE-500 is efficient enough that most folk looking at it are not also looking at speaker amps. So it got me curious to see if it makes a difference with it too, because really, if the HE-500 and a speaker amp do very well together, it makes for a relatively inexpensive way to enjoy a flagship level planar magnetic since the HE-500's cost dropped (and it's used cost is straight crazy, it's so good now), and the cost of a good speaker amp is half what a good headphone amp capable of pushing the HE-500 to it's limits costs.
 
It's new territory for me since I've got no experience with speaker amps connected to headphones. But it does open some fun doors. And if not, well, the Emotiva will not go to waste since I have several speaker setups that it can definitely be integrated into and be useful.
 
The cable I have commissioned is a 6 foot brained sheathed cable that will work with any Hifiman HE series headphone, that terminates to XLR. Then two adapters are made for it, both are female XLR. One terminates to 3.5mm and a 1/4th adapter for normal headphone amp use. The other terminates to speaker taps (banana plugs). So it will be a universally useful cable. And if all of this turns out as a bust, the cable itself is still a great cable that can be used by someone else with a HE-6, so I can sell it if it really doesn't satisfy my curiosity, and of course, the cable itself is still very useful since it's universal and I will likely keep it (but the adapter could be handed off if it doesn't work well).
 
Very best,
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 3:39 PM Post #29 of 3,819
Quote:
malveaux said:
Heya,
 
Well, this is a HE-500 we're talking about, not a HE-6. I don't think the HE-500 would tolerate having that much power blasted into it. I think it may be pushing it just doing this even. I'm just curious to see what it will do on a speaker amp with a ton of power, compared to headphone amps. The HE-500 is relatively efficient for what it is, but I'm curious to see if it can benefit from a higher current basically. It just so happens that you can get more power for a planar magnetic from a speaker amp than a headphone amp, and at a lower price to boot. $220 for a good speaker amp that outputs 10 watts roughly into the HE-500 is quite different than the $450 Lyr or other amps that don't even output as much. The difference I'm looking to see is if there's a noise floor difference, or any kind of detriment using a speaker amp, compared to a headphone amp meant for such a headphone. I think it's well established that the HE-6 is great with a speaker amp. But the HE-500 is efficient enough that most folk looking at it are not also looking at speaker amps. So it got me curious to see if it makes a difference with it too, because really, if the HE-500 and a speaker amp do very well together, it makes for a relatively inexpensive way to enjoy a flagship level planar magnetic since the HE-500's cost dropped (and it's used cost is straight crazy, it's so good now), and the cost of a good speaker amp is half what a good headphone amp capable of pushing the HE-500 to it's limits costs.
 
It's new territory for me since I've got no experience with speaker amps connected to headphones. But it does open some fun doors. And if not, well, the Emotiva will not go to waste since I have several speaker setups that it can definitely be integrated into and be useful.
 
The cable I have commissioned is a 6 foot brained sheathed cable that will work with any Hifiman HE series headphone, that terminates to XLR. Then two adapters are made for it, both are female XLR. One terminates to 3.5mm and a 1/4th adapter for normal headphone amp use. The other terminates to speaker taps (banana plugs). So it will be a universally useful cable. And if all of this turns out as a bust, the cable itself is still a great cable that can be used by someone else with a HE-6, so I can sell it if it really doesn't satisfy my curiosity, and of course, the cable itself is still very useful since it's universal and I will likely keep it (but the adapter could be handed off if it doesn't work well).
 
Very best,
Click to expand...

 
 
 
Cool,
 
Where did you get the adapters and cables from? 
 
Nov 1, 2012 at 4:03 PM Post #30 of 3,819
Yay! Finally someone sailing the same ship as me!
 
Subscribed!
 
Keep it going guys :)
 
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