rumorconsumer
Head-Fier
I am currently using the Bryston BHA-1 as my headphone amplifier, paired with a Chord Hugo 2 DAC and Grado HP100 SE headphones, and I wanted to ask for your advice on the optimal connection path.
Currently, I have the Hugo 2 connected to the BHA-1 via single-ended RCA inputs, as the Hugo 2 does not provide a true balanced output. However, I am using the balanced 4-pin XLR headphone output on the BHA-1 to drive my Grados. Given that the original DAC signal is single-ended, I am wondering whether there is any meaningful benefit to continuing to use the balanced output, or whether I should switch to single-ended for the entire chain and use the ¼” single-ended headphone output on the BHA-1 instead.
Chord’s Perspective on Single-Ended vs. Balanced:
Chord Electronics has stated that single-ended is inherently more transparent than balanced, as it requires fewer conversion steps and avoids additional circuitry. They explain that their Pulse Array DACs are designed to operate as single-ended outputs, unlike conventional delta-sigma DACs that are often balanced to mitigate substrate noise. Because Chord’s FPGA-based Pulse Array architecture does not suffer from these noise issues, they argue that adding a balanced output stage would only add unnecessary conversion steps that could degrade sound quality rather than improve it. Be that as it may.
Given this, I want to make sure that my current setup is the most optimal for both transparency and performance.
My Questions:
1. Since the Hugo 2 is inherently single-ended, am I already optimizing the connection by using RCA inputs on the BHA-1?
2. Would there be any meaningful advantage to continuing to use the BHA-1’s balanced headphone output, given that the original source is single-ended? Or would I be better off using the ¼” single-ended headphone output to maintain a fully single-ended path?
3. Does the BHA-1 internally convert single-ended input to a balanced signal for amplification? If so, does this process introduce any audible benefits or drawbacks?
I would appreciate any insight you can provide on how the BHA-1 processes single-ended vs. balanced signals and whether I should optimize for a fully single-ended or partially balanced chain.
Currently, I have the Hugo 2 connected to the BHA-1 via single-ended RCA inputs, as the Hugo 2 does not provide a true balanced output. However, I am using the balanced 4-pin XLR headphone output on the BHA-1 to drive my Grados. Given that the original DAC signal is single-ended, I am wondering whether there is any meaningful benefit to continuing to use the balanced output, or whether I should switch to single-ended for the entire chain and use the ¼” single-ended headphone output on the BHA-1 instead.
Chord’s Perspective on Single-Ended vs. Balanced:
Chord Electronics has stated that single-ended is inherently more transparent than balanced, as it requires fewer conversion steps and avoids additional circuitry. They explain that their Pulse Array DACs are designed to operate as single-ended outputs, unlike conventional delta-sigma DACs that are often balanced to mitigate substrate noise. Because Chord’s FPGA-based Pulse Array architecture does not suffer from these noise issues, they argue that adding a balanced output stage would only add unnecessary conversion steps that could degrade sound quality rather than improve it. Be that as it may.
Given this, I want to make sure that my current setup is the most optimal for both transparency and performance.
My Questions:
1. Since the Hugo 2 is inherently single-ended, am I already optimizing the connection by using RCA inputs on the BHA-1?
2. Would there be any meaningful advantage to continuing to use the BHA-1’s balanced headphone output, given that the original source is single-ended? Or would I be better off using the ¼” single-ended headphone output to maintain a fully single-ended path?
3. Does the BHA-1 internally convert single-ended input to a balanced signal for amplification? If so, does this process introduce any audible benefits or drawbacks?
I would appreciate any insight you can provide on how the BHA-1 processes single-ended vs. balanced signals and whether I should optimize for a fully single-ended or partially balanced chain.