[SH4RKY]

Just a query really...
 
Currently using a Headroom Desktop amp/dac...  and have just bought a Graham Slee Solo SRG II.
 
My PC is currently feeding the Headroom via an optical, I assume I could then use the headrooms output RCAs to feed the Solo?   This would be treating the Headroom as a DAC > Preamp > then the solo as the Amp, right?
 
Would this set up be ok for when I want to feed the Solo a Digital signal??   Ill give it a blast when it turns up, just wanted a heads up if I was about to blow something up
 
Thanks
Ian

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Just a query really...
 
Currently using a Headroom Desktop amp/dac...  and have just bought a Graham Slee Solo SRG II.
 
My PC is currently feeding the Headroom via an optical, I assume I could then use the headrooms output RCAs to feed the Solo?   This would be treating the Headroom as a DAC > Preamp > then the solo as the Amp, right?
 
Would this set up be ok for when I want to feed the Solo a Digital signal??   Ill give it a blast when it turns up, just wanted a heads up if I was about to blow something up
 
Thanks
Ian

I didn't understand your second question.   you want to feed your solo a digital signal also?  is it also a dac like the headroom?    

 

[SH4RKY]

The solo doesnt have a DAC, just 2 sets of analogue ins. 
 
So I mean when I want to use a digital signal could I use the DAC in the headroom and feed the output to the solo after the headroom has processed it etc. 
 
So the path would be:
 
PC (Xonar) > Optical > Headroom DAC - Preamp > RCA Interconnects > Solo > Cans
 

 

[plonter]

Quote:

The solo doesnt have a DAC, just 2 sets of analogue ins. 
 
So I mean when I want to use a digital signal could I use the DAC in the headroom and feed the output to the solo after the headroom has processed it etc. 
 
So the path would be:
 
PC (Xonar) > Optical > Headroom DAC - Preamp > RCA Interconnects > Solo > Cans
 

ofcourse you can,that's  the purpose of the headroom preamp function. you answered this yourself in your first post

     there is one thing that i can't help you with and that's because i don't know TBH, is the volume issue.   what volume should the pre-amp and amp be.  let's see what others will suggest.

 

[SH4RKY]

 
Your comment about the volumes intrigued me so I emailed a question to the lovely folk at headroom.  Reply clears things up nicely:

This setup will work perfectly and I assure you is quite safe.  Just be sure when hooking this all up that no music is playing and your volumes are all the way at zero.  To keep it safer, you should leave the "rear output" switch off until you are ready to start listening. 

Now you will have to do some volume adjusting on the Desktop amp to get the best performance out of the GS Solo.  I would probably start on medium gain at 9-10 o'clock.  If this doesn't give you enough volume, try cranking it past 12 o'clock.  If it still seems a little quiet, then go for high gain.  Otherwise this will be a great setup once it's all dialed in.  
 
Thanks for the input Plonter
 
 
Edit: Side note, so happy with the Headroom Desktop amp though...  its so feature rich that as my needs and wants have changed over the last 3-4 years its been able to take things in its stride.  Going from analogue sources to Digital and now acting as a preamp!  Plus i got it when exchange rates were good!!  

 

[plonter]

Thank you sh4arky for the info. so by what headroom say,the preamp volume should not matter so much.    usually when connecting some kind of source to an amp it is recommended that the source will be at max volume (or near max) to get a "line level" output (line out) and than you can control the volume with the amp itself.  I guess that in this case this shouln't matter,headroom should know what they are talking about.  
by the way,what headphones are you using in your system if i may ask?  just interested...
anyway,happy listening!

 

[SH4RKY]

Got a pair of AKG701s, Sony SA5000s and now a pair of Senn HD650s.  
 
 
Something else that interested me about the solo was that its recommended to be left on all the time.  So the caps etc dont discharge and cool down.  Wonder if this applies to other SS amps...

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Got a pair of AKG701s, Sony SA5000s and now a pair of Senn HD650s.  
 
 
Something else that interested me about the solo was that its recommended to be left on all the time.  So the caps etc dont discharge and cool down.  Wonder if this applies to other SS amps...

nice headphone inventory you got there mate..  i am not a big expert on amps and stuff but i recommend you NOT to leave your solo turned on all the time, the only thing that it does is reduce it's life. (and pump up your electricity bill)     many amps can stand being working for a lot of hours,including tube amps,but it is best to turn them on when not in use.