[Sean H]

It's a question that has always been nagging me. Those familiar with the HTS-2000 know it has several banks of outlets with labels applied to them like CD, DVD Player, Preamp, Receiver, Amp, etc. Apparently some receptacles offer more powerful conditioning, like the "CD" or "DVD Player" (digital gear) receptacles for example, where the "Amp" receptacle is to have less filtering. I know a lot of people have claimed it's not good to plug a high power speaker amp into the HTS-2000 or similar types of power conditioners because of "current limiting" possibilities. My question is where does a headphone amp fall in regard to which receptacle to use? Headamps are basically preamps in a way so my inclination would be to use it with the "Preamp" receptacle but then again this is a small amplifier too, delivering current to a small pair of speakers- headphones. But we're only talking little more or even fractions of a watt. Perhaps using "Amp" or "Receiver" would be a better choice? Any opinions?

 

[Gallaine]

I use an HTS2000 in my headphone rig and always plugged the amp into the high-current outlet. The circuit diagram on the bottom of the powerstrip and the Monster Cable website only indicate that the high-current outlets are unswitched and filtered, but not whether they are more, or less, filtered than the other outlets.

In terms of power demand the Divergent website indicates that the maximum power request of the ASL MG Head OTL Mk. II is 21W -- a bit more than a fraction of a watt

. Still, that isn't much compared to the beefy Krell or Pass Labs monoblocs. I haven't really tried the other outlets for the Stax 006t headamp. Maybe I'll try it and see what happens. What I would expect to find, if anything at all, is a limiting of dynamics (though if the high-current outlets really are less filtered then perhaps there would be other differences).

 

[lan]

I've wondered about this on my PowerBar 1100 also. I don't think I could make a decision unless there was more info known how the receptacles actually differ. I have my headphone amp plugged into the Amp or receiver outlet.

I tried opening mine up but it got complicated so I stopped.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I've tried various headamps in virtually all of the unswitched outlets on the HTS2000 and for the life of me I cannot percieve any differences. If others have had different experiences, please post because I would not be averse to trying it again (if I knew what I was listneing for in advance, then maybe I could hear it - sometimes the mind skips over certain cues).

 

[Sean H]

Thanks for responses, guys. Seems I'm not the only one that's wondered this too. Like lan, I have been using the "Amp" or "Amp/Receiver" receptacles myself. I think I've tried "Preamp" but have to say, like Wayne is saying, I haven't noticed much of a difference. Maybe I would need to give it more time (using "Preamp" for example) to see if the differences become more apparent with time, then switch back to what I had been using. Sometimes these minor little differences or changes we hear aren't completely apparent at first but over time are revealed and then they can become important to us. I might do some searches over at Audio Asylum to see if this has been discussed.

 

[Hirsch]

The amp outlets are for making sure high-current amps get the power they need...but a headphone amp uses power at preamp levels, which are much lower. I use any outlet available. I do use the separate sections to keep analog circuitry separate from digital circuitry (old analog superstition...probably).

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch I do use the separate sections to keep analog circuitry separate from digital circuitry (old analog superstition...probably).

Would that be the CD / DVD receptacles from the rest or the audio ones from the video ones?

 

[markl]

I've always used the Amp or Receiver outlet. The only ones I'd avoid are CD or DVD outlets, those have separate filters for digital gear.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by lan Would that be the CD / DVD receptacles from the rest or the audio ones from the video ones?

If the video gear is receiving an analog signal, I treat it as analog. If the video gear is capable of decoding a digital video signal, then I would treat it as digital. Somewhere, the signal has to be converted to analog before it can be viewed or heard. Anything from the source through that point gets treated as digital.

 

[Anders]

Hirsch wrote:
Quote:

I do use the separate sections to keep analog circuitry separate from digital circuitry (old analog superstition...probably).

Probably not analog superstition. Often only one part of the powerline problem is discussed, to protect components from noise on the powerline and filter it off before it reaches the component. The other aspect is that components themselves generate noise and spread it on the powerline and pollute other components. Digital components are worst on this backway pollution. When measuring how power conditioners protects backwards, the German magazine Stereo used a PC and a screen to generate the noise.
So it is wize to try to protect amplifiers from digital sources and computers. How well the Monster conditioner does that is another matter (don't know).