[amcananey]

So....I seem to be piling up headphone amps at a prodigious pace. I've got 4 right now, with at least one or two more to come. I am running them of a Burson HA-160D, which I am very happy with. The Burson only has a single pair of RCA outputs. I'm trying to find a way hook up all of my amps to the Burson outputs, so that I don't have to fiddle around with disconnecting and reconnecting my interconnects each time I switch amps.
 
Ironically, the Burson is a pre-amp, meaning that it has multiple analog and digital inputs, but only a single set of RCA outputs. It occured to me that what I need is a sort of RCA switch, or the opposite of a pre-amp. In other words, something with only one input, but lots of outputs.
 
Is there any reason I can't use something like this, just in reverse? In other words, hook up the amps to the inputs, and the Burson output to the output sockets?
 
Regards,
Adam

 

[uelover]

Quote:

So....I seem to be piling up headphone amps at a prodigious pace. I've got 4 right now, with at least one or two more to come. I am running them of a Burson HA-160D, which I am very happy with. The Burson only has a single pair of RCA outputs. I'm trying to find a way hook up all of my amps to the Burson outputs, so that I don't have to fiddle around with disconnecting and reconnecting my interconnects each time I switch amps.
 
Ironically, the Burson is a pre-amp, meaning that it has multiple analog and digital inputs, but only a single set of RCA outputs. It occured to me that what I need is a sort of RCA switch, or the opposite of a pre-amp. In other words, something with only one input, but lots of outputs.
 
Is there any reason I can't use something like this, just in reverse? In other words, hook up the amps to the inputs, and the Burson output to the output sockets?
 
Regards,
Adam

The reason why you can't use the Decware Rotary Switch is because of how the internal circuit is designed.
 
Technically you can use a a source splitter, for example,
 

or
 

 
However, each time the source signal is split into 2 or more, the quality of the signal will degrade accordingly.
 
Thus, when one has multiple output devices and 1 input device (e.g., multiple DACs and one amp), it is easy to recommended for him to use a source selector to combine multiple source into one selector.
 
However, if one has multiple input devices but only 1 output device (e.g., multiple amps and one DAC), it is hard to recommend a source splitter to split a single source to multiple output.
 
Pre-amp merely means to increase the line voltage. There is no such thing as 'reversed pre-amp' because that basically means that you are killing the line signal level to zero.

 

[amcananey]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. To be clear, I'm not really looking to split the signal. I don't want to run multiple headphone amps simultaneously. Instead, I'm looking for something more akin to a switch. I want to use one amp at a time, but don't want to have to unplug the interconnects from my DAC each time. So I'm looking for a way to direct the full, unsplit signal from my DAC, to different amps, but only one at a time.
 
As for the "inverse pre-amp", I have to admit that was more of a joke. I was trying to come up with something funny in the thread title to try and get people to click on it...

 
Doesn't seem to have worked so well thus far, however...

 

[uelover]

Quote:

Thanks for taking the time to respond. To be clear, I'm not really looking to split the signal. I don't want to run multiple headphone amps simultaneously. Instead, I'm looking for something more akin to a switch. I want to use one amp at a time, but don't want to have to unplug the interconnects from my DAC each time. So I'm looking for a way to direct the full, unsplit signal from my DAC, to different amps, but only one at a time.

I know what you mean. I am in the same situation as you that's why I replied you immediately.
 
My DAC only has got one set of output but I will need to connect to both my speaker as well as my headamp which is an impossible feat.
 
Have been researching in the past 1 year to no avail.

 

[amcananey]

Your search is over. You can use the Decware RSB6 as I suggested. I contacted Decware and Steve Deckert personally responded to tell me that that is how he uses it himself. I just ordered one.
 
Regards,
Adam

 

[uelover]

Quote:

Your search is over. You can use the Decware RSB6 as I suggested. I contacted Decware and Steve Deckert personally responded to tell me that that is how he uses it himself. I just ordered one.
 
Regards,
Adam

Seems like the circuit links up only two points at every point of time. Since, current could flow in either direction, it will flow in the reverse way as long as a circuit is complete.
 
I have just sent my DAC for modification for an additional output. I will have two concurrent output at any point of time and there will be no degradation to the SQ.

 

[amcananey]

 
Quote:

Seems like the circuit links up only two points at every point of time. Since, current could flow in either direction, it will flow in the reverse way as long as a circuit is complete.
 
I have just sent my DAC for modification for an additional output. I will have two concurrent output at any point of time and there will be no degradation to the SQ.

Well, yes. But that is exactly what I was looking for, and why I was fairly confident that the Decware RSB6 would work for my purposes. I couldn't think of any reason why the internal design of the circuit should be a problem. Like I said, I'm not looking to use two output devices at the same time, I just want to be able to switch between them without having to disconnect and reconnect my interconnects. I'll only use one headphone amp at a time. Assuming this switch is of good quality (and all of the reviews seems to indicate that it is), then this seems like an excellend and fairly economical solution. Certainly cheaper than having my DAC modified.

 

[uelover]

Quote:

Well, yes. But that is exactly what I was looking for, and why I was fairly confident that the Decware RSB6 would work for my purposes. I couldn't think of any reason why the internal design of the circuit should be a problem. Like I said, I'm not looking to use two output devices at the same time, I just want to be able to switch between them without having to disconnect and reconnect my interconnects. I'll only use one headphone amp at a time. Assuming this switch is of good quality (and all of the reviews seems to indicate that it is), then this seems like an excellend and fairly economical solution. Certainly cheaper than having my DAC modified.

I had my DAC modified at 1/3 the cost of the Decware RSB6 prior to shipment.
 
I wouldn't need to have two output concurrently (since I can't possibly listen to them both at the same time). I asked the guy if he would build me such a switch but he refused because he doesn't like the idea of having another thing in between the dac and amp.
 
Oh well, so there I go, having modified my DAC

 

[amcananey]

Wow, I'm amazed you could have that done so cheaply. But since I already have my DAC, I would have to find someone willing to do the work, plus pay for shipment both ways. What DAC are you using?

 

[uelover]

It helps when my country is small =)
 
Basically it is just to drill two holes, add a pair of female RCA connectors and some resistors in the output path. The total cost doesn't really add up to much.
 
I am using the Eastern Electric Minimax DAC =)

 

[amcananey]

The cost itself is never really a big deal. But I would have to find someone willing to do the work at a reasonable price who also knew what they were doing. And pay for shipping both ways. I'm currently using the Burson HA-160D as my DAC, so it has pretty thick panels and would not be cheap to ship around.
 
Nice DAC! I've often longed for one myself. At that price for a dedicated DAC, however, I wish it had balanced outputs... Anyway, have fun!
 
 

 

[uelover]

Quote:

The cost itself is never really a big deal. But I would have to find someone willing to do the work at a reasonable price who also knew what they were doing. And pay for shipping both ways. I'm currently using the Burson HA-160D as my DAC, so it has pretty thick panels and would not be cheap to ship around.
 
Nice DAC! I've often longed for one myself. At that price for a dedicated DAC, however, I wish it had balanced outputs... Anyway, have fun!

 
Yup. I literally carried my DAC over to the guy to mod my DAC but shipping it would be a chore, just like how much the total price would add up had I ordered the Decware RSB6 from the US. Shipping won't be cheap.
 
I like the Burson 160D for its integrated solution. Would have gotten that instead had it not been overpriced over here because I do need a headphone amp as much as a DAC but yet I am constraint with desk space =)