Double amping?

[charliex]

Are there any advantages (or drawbacks) to double amping? I am running the RCA interconnect from my Little Dot MK III to a Total Bithead Amp which is connected to my 5.5 gen 80 gb iPod via an iMod Super Cotton Dock Interconect. Headphones are naturally connected to the LD MK III.

 

[Nick 214]

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliex /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are there any advantages (or drawbacks) to double amping? I am running the RCA interconnect from my Little Dot MK III to a Total Bithead Amp which is connected to my 5.5 gen 80 gb iPod via an iMod Super Cotton Dock Interconect. Headphones are naturally connected to the LD MK III.

Wait...

You're going:

iPod->LOD->Bithead->LD??

 

[gz76]

When I read the title, I thought we were talking about bi-amping loudspeakers... I guess not!

 

[charliex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick 214 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wait... You're going: iPod->LOD->Bithead->LD??

I'm going:

iPod->Bithead->LD->headphones

 

[moonboy403]

Why would you wanna do that??

If I'm reading correctly, you're only using the bithead as a headphone amp and then you're amping the signal AGAIN using the little dot?

 

[Uncle Erik]

You could overload the second amp. They're designed to accept only a certain amount of input from a source - not the amount of power that comes from another amp. At best, you'll increase distortion. At worst, you could cook off something inside the second amp.

 

[Nocturnal310]

U can set the second amp on 90% and control the volume via 1st amp.

 

[deltaydeltax]

You're amplifying the noise and distortion from the first amplifier.

Why do this? Are each of the amps alone now enough power for you?

 

[jujulio]

Using two amp amounts to use an hybridation of the two, so maybe depending you musical tastes you would want to 'tune' your main amp by using a second one. (if you want a warmer sound, or more metallic), at least it's what i expect...but i didn't know about the dangers of this kind of solution regarding input voltage, glad i read it since i want to try it myself with my marantz receiver and my next head amp. ( so it's not the same as using a preamp and amp? I am confused :s)

 

[charliex]

Thanks for all your responses, but like jujulio I am now more confused than ever.
My reason for doing this (which now seems to defeat the purpose) is to utilize the iMod Super Cotton DOCK interconnect I have (at a a cost of $180) so that I can take the analog signal more directly off the Wolfson chip in these 5.5 generation iPod videos (and NOT out of the headphone output) before putting it through the headphone amp. The interconnect cable I have has a single rca jack to put into the amplifier (and the Total Bithead) accomodated that kind of interconnect).
Then I run the provided Little Dot cable from the single heaqdphone output of the Bithead into the 2 rear rca inputs on the LD amp.
Is this not correct and will it lead to issues?
Do I need to abandon the benifit of the iMod Super Cotton Dock Interconnect and simply run my ipod from the headphone out to the LD amp, or is there a dock to double rca cable that I can use to go into the LD amp?
Sorry, if this all seems confusing - just am looking for the best setup possible and hoping to get some advice on this issue. Than ks in advance.

 

[jellojoe]

You just need an RCA to female mini cable to connect the dock directly to the little dot's RCA jacks.

 

[XXII]

why are you using an imod dock with an ipod??

You need to get an Ipod dock to RCA connector and connect the ipod directly to your littledot.

Alternatively, follow jellojoe's advice.

 

[XXII]

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliex /img/forum/go_quote.gif .... My reason for doing this (which now seems to defeat the purpose) is to utilize the iMod Super Cotton DOCK interconnect I have (at a a cost of $180) so that I can take the analog signal more directly off the Wolfson chip in these 5.5 generation iPod videos...

You seem to be confused here. An imod dock will not allow you to take the analog signal directly off the Wolfson DAC...you also need to mod your ipod either yourself:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/app...ano-1g-269604/

or send it to red wine audio:

Red Wine Audio iMod

without doing this mod you are just taking the regular line out signal from the ipod.

 

[scootermafia]

Yeah, using an entire amp as an RCA to mini coupler is one of the most disturbing things I've ever heard of. The more circuitry you run your music through, the more potential there is to screw it up, and you could harm one of the amps by putting too much gain into it.

There is a simple answer to this though, you say your imod ends in a headphone jack...simply get a female minijack to rca cable, or else a female-female coupler and any fancy male minijack to rca cable.

Any benefit you get from this iMod cable that supposedly shortens signal paths and whatnot is negated by the 2nd headphone amp that the signal has to go through.

 

[charliex]

Sorry to tell you, but YES I am most definitely doing the iMod correctly. This has been setup and verified through Vinnie at RedWine Audio several months ago. There is absolutely no need to open and iMod a 5.5 gen iPod. In the new iMod for 5th generation iPods the analog signal is taken off the Wolfson chip and sent directly to the dock connector pins. Unlike the 4th generation iMod the high-end Black Gate Non-Polarized NX-Hi-Q coupling capacitors could not fit inside the 5/5.5 models so through ALO a special iMod Dock Cable was designed which puts the NX-Hi-Q capicitors directly in the dock plug. This way the iMod does NOT in any way alter the stock headphone output. If you read my description, you will see that I am using the ALO Super Cotton Dock Cable, and as stated earlier his has all been done in consulation and with verification from Vinnie Rossi at RedWineAudio.


Quote:

Originally Posted by XXII /img/forum/go_quote.gif You seem to be confused here. An imod dock will not allow you to take the analog signal directly off the Wolfson DAC...you also need to mod your ipod either yourself: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/app...ano-1g-269604/ or send it to red wine audio: Red Wine Audio iMod without doing this mod you are just taking the regular line out signal from the ipod.