[mattlach]

Yeah, this is a weird place for this post, but I couldn't figure out a better one for it. it IS a full size headphone amp, and i figured more ragnarok 2 users will be in there than anywhere else.

So, without further ado.

I gave in to temptation and bought a Ragnarok 2 at the new lower discounted price. The hope was to drop it in in my existing setup and have it work.

By existing setup, I mean:

Bifrost 2/64 --balanced--> Lokius --balanced--> OG Jotunheim.

Most listening was on headphones, but for speaker listening, I used the Jotunheims single ended pre-amp outs to a Parasound NewClassic 275 v2 and an SVS SB12NSD subwoofer.

I ad these plugged into one of those sensing power strips, so that when the amp was turned on (using the button on the front og the amp) it would also send power to the sub. Worked great, and avoided those "oops, listening to headphones loud at night with the subwoofer on" accidents that sleeping better halfs really love.

Now, this is not going to work with the Ragnarok 2.

For one, being a headphone amp and speaker amp in one, if I power the sub on with the amp, it's going to be on when I am listening to headphones.

The Ragnarok 2's output selection is also a bit quirky. Not quite sure why they designed it this way.

The output selection has three modes: (selected by pressing the middle button and toggling between them)
1.) Headphones only
2.) Speakers only
3.) Headphones + Speakers

So far so good.

The odd part is this. In "speakers only" mode, the pre-amp output is disabled.

Pre-amp output is - however - on when in "headphones only" mode.

In order to get speaker playback while using the pre-amp for the sub, I need to run the amp in "Headphones + Speakers" mode.

This is a little dangerous if you forget sensitive headphones plugged in, and decide to crank the music on the speakers. As the manual suggests "you may not hear your headphones blowing up". Good point. (this risk could have been minimized by allowing pre-amp output without enabling the headphones, but I digress)

The other problem is that it will always output a signal to my subwoofer when I am listening to headphones, so I need to make certain the subwoofer is tuned off, or incur the wrath of the sleeping people late at night...

I may only forget once, but boy am I going to get it that one time.

So, I'm sure there is a good way to resolve this (without needing something akin to a pilots pre-flight checklist just to listen to music) but I am struggling to think of one right now.

My subwoofer (SVS SB12-NSD) does not have speaker level inputs, only RCA. If it had speaker level inputs I could tap into the speaker outputs at at least be certain I only have sub output when the speakers are enabled.

I guess I could get some speaker level / RCA adapters (but I don't know if those are any good).

I'd appreciate any suggestions to help me not have to crawl in under my desk just because I don't want to hear the subwoofer while listening to headphones.

Appreciate any suggestions!

 

[MacMan31]

Thanks for this post. I'm sorry I don't have an answer for you. However I was thinking of getting one of these amps for the dual purpose of using headphone or speakers with the same amp. But if the subwoofer is being fed in "headphone only" mode that's a very big flaw in my book. Makes me really second guess my desire to buy one of these.

 

[mattlach]

Thanks for this post. I'm sorry I don't have an answer for you. However I was thinking of getting one of these amps for the dual purpose of using headphone or speakers with the same amp. But if the subwoofer is being fed in "headphone only" mode that's a very big flaw in my book. Makes me really second guess my desire to buy one of these.

It is certainly inconvenient, that is for sure.

You have to remember to unplug headphones (at least if they are sensitive) when listening to music, and also have to use some sort of switch to turn off the sub manually (unless you rig up some sort of speaker level sensing device to trigger a relay to turn the sub on and off.

I did some googling and found this:
https://motronix.co.il/product/asd-3-active-subwoofer-audio-signal-detecting-auto-power-on-off/

I imagine the amplified level inputs to it are likely very high resistance so they won't impact the speaker outputs at all. Then you'd have to provide it with a rather unusual 12vdc+ to 12vdc- dual regulated power supply (according to the manual, but 15vdc+/- in the picture??) to power it, and hook it up to a relay on the line level power such that it powers on the sub and powers it off again.

I think one of those Raspberry Pi plug-in relays would do the trick.

It's probably safe. Probably...

For the time being until I decide if I want to do that, I have ordered a couple of table top remote line power switches (one for the amp, one for the sub) and will attempt to just remember.

Which I am sure I will do 99.9% of the time. It's that 0.1% that will get ya though...


I do have to admit, after spending more money than I ever thought I would on an amp, it is a little frustrating to have to do stuff like this. It really ought to just work out of the box at this price.

It is a great amp though... Try finding anything else that compares at this price...

And because of that, I'm probably keeping it.

 

[mattlach]

Also another note on this amp.

The spec page says it is 3.875" tall, but in my measurement, it is about 1/4" taller than that....

Maybe that is without the feet?

This meant that it did not fit where I had intended it to go (under my monitor), and I had to make alternate plans.