Onkyo TX-NR515 receiver as headphone amp?
Mar 12, 2014 at 1:29 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14
Airwolf

Airwolf

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I just picked up a set of AKG Q 701 cans for watching TV/Movies/Games on my home theater (my neighbor is a dick and cries to the HOA).  I have an Onkyo TX-NR515 7.2ch receiver that I plan on hooking the 701's up to.  I cannot find any specs on the headphone jack for the receiver.  Does anybody know if this thing will be able to drive the 701's with no problems or am I going to have to buy another headphone amp?
 
Here is a link to the Onkyo page for the receiver - http://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=TX-NR515&class=Receiver&source=prodClass
 
Mar 12, 2014 at 12:41 PM Post #2 of 14
Anybody?
 
Mar 12, 2014 at 2:52 PM Post #3 of 14
airwolf said:
  I just picked up a set of AKG Q 701 cans for watching TV/Movies/Games on my home theater (my neighbor is a dick and cries to the HOA).  I have an Onkyo TX-NR515 7.2ch receiver that I plan on hooking the 701's up to.  I cannot find any specs on the headphone jack for the receiver.  Does anybody know if this thing will be able to drive the 701's with no problems or am I going to have to buy another headphone amp?
 
Here is a link to the Onkyo page for the receiver - http://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=TX-NR515&class=Receiver&source=prodClass
Click to expand...

The Onkyo 515 receiver should have no problems driving the 62-Ohm AKG Q701 headphones.
 
Mar 12, 2014 at 6:26 PM Post #4 of 14
purpleangel said:
  The Onkyo 515 receiver should have no problems driving the 62-Ohm AKG Q701 headphones.
Click to expand...

 
Thanks for the reply.  I posted on the Onkyo forums asking for some specifications on the headphone jack, but I doubt I will get any response.
 
I will try the AKG's with the receiver and with my JDS O2.  I think you are right that it will have no problem...I just heard that the Q 701's are a little harder to drive and wanted to be sure I was doing them justice.
 
Mar 12, 2014 at 6:46 PM Post #5 of 14
airwolf said:
  Thanks for the reply.  I posted on the Onkyo forums asking for some specifications on the headphone jack, but I doubt I will get any response.
I will try the AKG's with the receiver and with my JDS O2.  I think you are right that it will have no problem...I just heard that the Q 701's are a little harder to drive and wanted to be sure I was doing them justice.
Click to expand...

The Onkyo uses the same amplifier that it uses to drive the speakers to drive the headphone jack, so power is not a problem.
So headphones up to 300-Ohm should not be a problem for the Onkyo.
But chances are the Onkyo's headphone jack has a high impedance, so it might give the Q701's a slightly bloated bass (louder, less detail).
Where as the O2 has a very low impedance (>1-Ohm), so the O2 might make the Q701 sound a bit better.
But plugging the Q701's straight into the Onkyo is easier then try to hook an external headphone amplifier to the Onkyo.
 
I'm guessing the receiver's headphone specs are not published by the receiver manufacturers because there is nothing to brag about.
 
Mar 12, 2014 at 7:58 PM Post #6 of 14
purpleangel said:
  The Onkyo uses the same amplifier that it uses to drive the speakers to drive the headphone jack, so power is not a problem.
So headphones up to 300-Ohm should not be a problem for the Onkyo.
But chances are the Onkyo's headphone jack has a high impedance, so it might give the Q701's a slightly bloated bass (louder, less detail).
Where as the O2 has a very low impedance (>1-Ohm), so the O2 might make the Q701 sound a bit better.
But plugging the Q701's straight into the Onkyo is easier then try to hook an external headphone amplifier to the Onkyo.
 
I'm guessing the receiver's headphone specs are not published by the receiver manufacturers because there is nothing to brag about.
Click to expand...

 
Thank you for the detailed response.  I will chime in when the headphones come in Friday with my findings.
 
Mar 15, 2014 at 5:47 PM Post #7 of 14
So I got the headphones and spent some time with them on both my JDS O2 and Onkyo TX-NR515 receiver.  The receiver can definitely drive them with no problems, as PurpleAngel said.  They were pretty flat when I first hooked them up and listened to some music on the receiver and found out that you cannot adjust the treble or bass on the receiver for headphones.  I am outputting to the receiver from an HTPC with a AMD Radeon HD 6570 via HDMI with audio being processed by the graphics card.  It didn't come with an equalizer, but after some digging, I found out that it uses a Realtek audio chipset and Realtek has an AMD HDMI audio driver on their website that can be used with the card.  I installed this and was able to EQ the headphones and now they sound fantastic.
 
If it weren't for this forum, I'd probably be using the same gawd-awful Sony wireless headphones, but now I can actually enjoy the sound coming from home entertainment center.
 
Jan 7, 2015 at 12:44 AM Post #8 of 14
After a few searches I have a related question. I have a vintage Onkyo amp with a great headphone output. I have been using hd600's with it to listen to lp's. Recently I went from the tape out RCA to 3.5mm line in on my Jds labs O2 amp and I found the sound to be less fatiguing. Just want to make sure this is ok. I keep the onkyo volume pretty low and use high gain on the o2. Is this a normal way to use a vintage receiver (in this case SS amp) to headphone amp to headphones?
 
Jan 7, 2015 at 2:21 AM Post #9 of 14
happytalk said:
After a few searches I have a related question. I have a vintage Onkyo amp with a great headphone output. I have been using hd600's with it to listen to lp's. Recently I went from the tape out RCA to 3.5mm line in on my Jds labs O2 amp and I found the sound to be less fatiguing. Just want to make sure this is ok. I keep the Onkyo volume pretty low and use high gain on the O2. Is this a normal way to use a vintage receiver (in this case SS amp) to headphone amp to headphones?
Click to expand...

 
You might consider just to bypass the Onkyo all together, connect the O2 straight to the Lp.
 
Jan 7, 2015 at 10:04 AM Post #10 of 14
Then I need to buy a phono stage. Which I thought it was doing. Sounds quite good the way it is. Just worried that I might damage the o2. Is that a possibility with the current way I use it?
 
Jan 7, 2015 at 10:09 AM Post #11 of 14
happytalk said:
Then I need to buy a phono stage. Which I thought it was doing. Sounds quite good the way it is. Just worried that I might damage the o2. Is that a possibility with the current way I use it?
Click to expand...

 
Can't see how it would damage anything.
 
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