[nanahachi]

I have a sony PCDP (cant remember the model number....ill edit later and add it in) from Japan that has remote (with LED, play/volume/playtype/etc controls) that i plug my headphones into (currently EX70, soon to be d66 eggos and eventually some Etys).

My question is:
Can a portable amp be used with the remote?
Perhaps like this:

PCDP -- Remote -- amp -- heaphones

Must/should one use the line-out jack of the PCDP when one uses an amp? I assume one can use it from the regular headphone out jack (where the remote also plugs into), but the line-out jack provides more power for the phones...

Any input here would be helpful.

What do most of you guys/gals do, esp with slimXs or the higher end sony/panasonic/etc units?

I do like to use the remote, so that I can leave the PCDP in my backpack, so that I have more space on the desk/table to study. However, if the amp really *should* be plugged into the line-out jack, i'll learn to leave my PCDP on the table.

Thanks!!

 

[ian]

I have Sony D-EJ955 and this is what I do:
Connect remote to headphone jack/remote socket. Connect Cosmic to line out. The remote works fine, and the line out works fine. They both work at the same time. I'm assuming this is what you are asking, right?
You don't want to plug the amp into the remote. You'll get much worse sound quality. Also, you won't be able to use the volume control on the remote - you'd have to use the volume control on the amp.
Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[mlchang]

I have a D-EJ1000 and do the same thing as ian. I plug the amp into the line-out jack and the remote into it's normal jack. You really should plug the amp into the line out so you can avoid the headphone out of the discman. My PCDP sounds bad through the headphone out, but okay through the line out. On the other hand if you like using the bass boost function of the discman you would have to plug into the headphone out, but then why bother getting a headphone amp to amplify the crappy sound?

Having the remote plugged in without headphones doesn't seem to affect the sound of the line-out at all.

Michael

 

[nanahachi]

very cool, thanks you guys!!

i dont even touch the megabass button, ever.

btw, mlchang , what amp are you using? any recommendations?

 

[sberger]

i use the d-925 and do the same thing as the other posters...and i use a cosmic as my amp. that, the battery pack, and the 925 fit beautifully in my work briefcase, and when used the my ety's 4-s, man what great portable system!

 

[mlchang]

For my portable setup I am using a JMT built CHA47 in a penguin mint tin. I recently had it modified by tangent. He socketed the op-amps and switched to OPA2227 chips from the OP2134A chips that were originally in it. Supposedly the OPA2227s are more tolerant of lower voltages. He also added a voltage splitter for better battery life. Also a few cosmetic changes were done. It sounds very good, but it doesn't have crossfeed.

It connects to my 1000 through one of those cheapy Headroom Straight Wire mini to mini cables. It drives my Grado SR-60s or a pair of closed Koss R100s which I've recently modified.

Anyway, it really is any excellent sounding thing for little money. I'm listening to it right now in fact. It has pretty well controlled bass. The highs are very crisp, but maybe a bit rolled off. The midrange is nice with vocals sounding pretty natural. Not that I've ever heard Fiona Apple sing directly to me to be able to judge what she sounds like "naturally." However, strings do sound like strings and trumpets sound like real trumpets.

On the other hand, I recently got a pretty tricked out META42 from tangent as well. I think you can see a picture of it on tangent's website. It's the custom META42 in a Hammond 1455. Now the META42 I have costs a lot more and has better parts and doesn't run off batteries, but I think it sounds significantly better in every single way. The bass is deep, taught, and just very, very solid. With this amp I can hear the "texture" in someone's voice and the character of the drumskins, etc. With the CHA47 things tend to get muddied up a bit and it's just not as "crisp" or as "fast." Subjective I know, hence the quotes. And from what I understand the META42 circuit is just a better design overall. If I were looking for a portable amp now, that's what I would be looking for. At the time I bought my CHA47, the META42 was still being designed...Also the META42 I have cost over double of my CHA47 even post modifications, so really I'm just talking out of my ass and comparing apples to oranges...

I also had an Airhead once, but didn't really like the way it sounded so much. Granted it was the first generation and it probably has been significantly improved since.

So if I were you, I would recommend a portable META42. You should be able to find eric343 or JMT around and get one of them to build you one. It doesn't have to cost as much as mine, you can make it affordable and I think it will still sound great. The CHA47 is supposed to be an inferior design, and it still sounds plenty good to me. So an affordable META42 should be awesome.

 

[Duncan]

You can use a portable amp with the headphone out of your PCDP, but as mentioned, the sound output would be a bit crappy...

One other thing of note, if you do use the headphone out with an amp, a BIG must is to remove all the batteries from the player, then whilst holding the stop button, insert the batteries...

If you don't do that, you're in for a nasty surprise

Also of note, if you're a bass-head, when you insert the jack-plug into the line out, it resets the bass-boost level of the player, if newer than 1998 vintage... which can be a pain, if you suddenly switch back to the headphone output... the bass-boost cannot be re-activated until the line out jack is removed.......

 

[nanahachi]

ooh ooh!! what kind of surprise???
but really, does pressing STOP and reinserting the batteries reset the PCDP somehow? whats the result of doing vs not doing this?

thanks again duncan

 

[Sol_Zhen]

"ooh ooh!! what kind of surprise???"

I don't know, but I'd venture to guess thast it's some sort of unpleasent "pop."

?

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally posted by nanahachi ooh ooh!! what kind of surprise??? but really, does pressing STOP and reinserting the batteries reset the PCDP somehow? whats the result of doing vs not doing this? thanks again duncan

Well, you know those track-access beeps we all love to hate? well, they get amplified when using an amplifier, and can get hideously loud!!

Pressing stop whilst inserting the batteries disables the beeps

(This as far as I know is only applicable to Sony players)