[AT0MAC]

I have the NAD C165BEE pre-amp I also use as a headamp for my Denon AH-A100's.
The trouble is the A100 is more revealing than my Denon AH-D2000 was, so now I can hear there is some hiss/static in the C165...
 
Is there anyway to modify the C165 to get rid of that?
 
Im not into change either the phones or the amp, but making it an even better combo would be epic - the sound is amazing, its only in low level periods you notice a distant static.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

 

Im not into change either the phones or the amp,

Then we have reached a Mexican standoff. One of the most common complaints here is 'hissing' during soft passages and between songs - amp makers dedicate significant time and money to defeating the problem and you are using a piece of kit that was never designed specifically as a headphone amp.

 

[AT0MAC]

chen I said change, i meant replacing - modifying the internal headphone amp in the 165 would be very likeable, if anyone can sugest what and how 

 

[pp312]

 
Quote:

Then we have reached a Mexican standoff. One of the most common complaints here is 'hissing' during soft passages and between songs - amp makers dedicate significant time and money to defeating the problem and you are using a piece of kit that was never designed specifically as a headphone amp.

 Hang on, that doesn't sound right. The NAD is a quality piece of gear and as a pre-amp will have a dedicated, op amp based HP amp inside. I'm sure NAD knows how to design a HP amp as all their high end stuff uses dedicated amps, so either there's a fault in the pre-amp--maybe a resistor's gone feral--or a gross impedance mismatch. The OP seems to indicate that he doesn't hear the hiss on the Denon D2000, and since the D2000 is not treble-shy I'm immediately suspicious.
 
One thing I definitely wouldn't be doing is fiddling about trying to modify the headamp. I would call or email NAD and see if they have any suggestions. Maybe a change to the loading the A100 "sees" through a resistor network would solve the problem.