I am using DAC-19 from Audio-GA and HDVA 600 to power Sennheiser HD800 and the set is pretty good. But Sometimes I don't like headphone hooked on head. I want to get the Klipsch RP-160M bookshelf speakers. Can I use the same DAC-19 from Audio-GA and HDVA 600 to power the Klipsch RP-160M?
RP-160M specs
Sensitivity 95 dB @ 2.83 V / 3.3' (1 m)
Power Handling Continuous: 100 W
Peak: 400 W
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms compatible
Crossover Frequency 1500 Hz
You have a lot of problems with that idea since headphone amps aren't always easily usable as speaker amps (and vice versa, although that one tends to be a little bit easier).
First problem - you won't get compatible cables. Speaker cables are thicker and, at best, you need to get a 22ga speaker and cram one end into the TRS or XLR plug/s to hook up to the HDVA600.
Second problem - Sennheiser doesn't even list all the specs on their amps. Power consumption is listed at 9watts, so assuming you even have 50% efficiency, that means around 2.5watts per channel. But at what impedance? Is that at 300ohms or 32ohms?
Third problem
- how will this particular headphone amp behave with an 8ohm load? This could be like hooking up a 2ohm car audio speaker or 4ohm Dynaudio to a low power, low current tube amp that is only stable at a nominal 8ohm load (and can't cope with speakers that dip down to 4ohms or lower on transients), you'll stress the circuit, and the waste heat eventually fries your amp.
You'd be better off with either of these options:
1. Getting powered nearfield speakers, like Focal-JMLab, Genelec, and KRK studio monitors. The amp is built into the cabinets so you just need a preamp output from the headphone amp. Also, they're nearfield, so they're measured and voiced for use at ~1m away (other speakers are only measured at 1m for sensitivity). Check the HDVA600 manual if its analogue outputs have preamp control or are just line pass throughs from the input.
2. Selling the HDVA600 and getting a Schiit Ragnarok or Cayin CS-55a, which are designed to drive both speakers and headphones well. Or, well, as well as they can - haven't tried the CS-55a with low sensitivity planars and low impedance cans. But otherwise it's fantastic with the HD600 and HD800.
