[That dude]

I'm thinking about buying an Audiolab 8200CDQ cause it will help keep spending to a minimum (not having to buy a DAC or Preamp), at least for my speaker set up. However, when switch over to my headphone set up, will keeping the preamp section on degrade the sound by passing the output thru 2 amplifications?
 
Also, since the CDQ only has 1 set of outputs, I need ideas on connecting it to both my power amp and my headphone amp, besides manually swapping the cables. Ideas

 

[Iniamyen]

If the topology of the circuit is reasonably well thought-out, then the headphone amplifier and line-out amplifier/buffer are probably well-isolated from each other, and their PSRR as well as the PSRR of the power supply(s) themselves are enough to drive both outputs without ill effects. There's no way to tell this for sure without measuring, though, since they probably don't publish their design (I didn't bother searching though.)
 
In short I wouldn't worry at all about it...

 

[That dude]

^Thanks man.
 
I realised that I could just connect my 8200CDQ to the pre in of my NAD, bypassing it's onboard pre-amp. It's sounding great. As for my headphone amp, I've tried disabling the pre amp on my player, but it sounds better turned on and set to 0db. So much for quality degradation... haha

 

[anetode]

Have you taken an opportunity to sample the "High-performance, direct-coupled, discrete Class A headphone amplifier" already in your 8200CDQ?