[Gurra1980]

I have borrowed a pro-ject head box MKII, headphoneamp. When i conected it to my iriver iHP-120 i noticed that it didn't matter if i went by headphone out or Line-out actually i can drive a pair of headphones directly out of my lineout just as well as from the headphone out

if the internal amp is activated in both line-out and headphone-out then what's the meaning of line-out.

Anyone that has any thoghts about this, then i would be gateful.

 

[3X0]

Both of the H120's line-outs (should) bypass the internal amp..

 

[wafflesomd]

The line-out (white) amp'd my headphones as well, though distorted at high volumes. There was also an increase in bass.

 

[Gurra1980]

Actually i CAN hear a difference in the sound from the headphone-out to AMP and the line-out to AMP when i compared for some time now, and the amp has been a little burned in. But then is my question, what is it that makes the sound in my headphone's go loude directly frome the line-out, if not the internal amp?

 

[Gurra1980]

Sorry for my bad spelling

 

[bigshot]

The headphones you are using are very efficient and can be run at line level. The volume control on the headphone out attenuates the signal, more than amplifying it.

See ya
Steve

 

[Gurra1980]

But even when i'm going through the line out to an external amp it is going to be two amps that is amping the sound, i didn't think this was the case with line out

Does it work like this on all portables line-out?

 

[artears]

You can control volume from line-out with iriver ihp-1xx series (maybe that's why you tihink that there is no difference). When I first realized this, I assumed that the line-out is not a real line-out and then I made a bit research. If I remember correctly, there was a similar discussion in XIN's forum and he mentioned after examining the dap, that this line-out is real and the volume change is done digitally, the analog out stays as it is.

The line-out signal is the signal you get after the internal dac without using the internal amp. The headphone out is amped internally.

 

[Gurra1980]

Ok, I don't really get this, what you are saying are that you can get sound from a source without the sound is amped? I thought it was the amp that made the sound hearable?

Am i wrong?

 

[Awk.Pine]

If you think about a home system, there is a source component, a preamp, an amplifier, and speakers. The source component pushes an analog current to the preamplifier at a set voltage (dependent on the component); the preamp varies that voltage (either by attenuation or amplification) to make the sound level listenable; then the amplifier takes that voltage level and adds tons of current to drive the speakers. The voltage exists from the source, but if you hook the speakers up to the source they will draw far more current than the source was designed to handle.

Headphones typically have a much higher resistance than speakers, and so require less current, so there's less of a chance of hurting the source by experimenting. Also, since we're all talking about 1/8th inch connections, I imagine that portable sources with line-outs are designed to not blow up when connected to a headphone rather than an amplifier, whereas a home component engineer may safely assume nobody will plug their bananna plugs into an RCA jack. Not so many worries here as with a home system.

Still, the bottom line is that every component is pushing out analog data, which by its analogous nature will produce sound when connected to a speaker. (Unless, of course, you're using a digital output. Then this only applies to the DAC.) But the source/preamp won't put out the kind of current a speaker was designed to produce sound with, and so won't sound as good as an amplifier that was.

Does that help any?

 

[brandonink2001]

Gurra, if I understand your question, yes, the sound has to not only be converted from digital bits to analog (DAC) but it has to then be amplified and output to speakers or headphones.

But nearly every digital audio player and integrated amp/stereo receiver has a built in amp that does that latter job. However, higher end systems usually allow you to bypass the built-in amp (and DAC) and use a separate component amp to more effectively drive the speaker/headphones you are listening to.

Finding the perfect combo of source, external amp, DAC, and interconnects is precisely the hobby which we are all engaged in. Oh yeah, that and listening to the actual music when time permits after all the tweaking.