[sberger]

How do people hook up their headphone amps? i just bought a new preamp, and it only has one output, which i use normally to connect it to my stereo amp. which means when i want to use the ppx3, i have to switch ic's. is their an easier solution that i'm missing. would appreciate the help.

thanks.

 

[Jahvetti]

RCA-dividers could solve your problem.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahvetti /img/forum/go_quote.gif RCA-dividers could solve your problem.

Good advice .... here is what he means. Just use one per channel.


http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

 

[sberger]

thanks guys. what, if any, sound degradation might i expect?

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sberger /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks guys. what, if any, sound degradation might i expect?

None .... especially if you use the same IC for both connections. I dont hear any degradation when I have used this method. Anymore though I have SP add a loop out and pass the signal through to the next component from a second set of rca's installed on the amp. The only problem with the adapter is the weight of the adapter plus two IC's puts a good degree of stress on the amps rca jack. I always used some sort of support under the adapter to relieve the stress on the jack. I would recommend you find something to keep the adapter from sagging and stressing the rca jack.

 

[sberger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover /img/forum/go_quote.gif None .... especially if you use the same IC for both connections. I dont hear any degradation when I have used this method. Anymore though I have SP add a loop out and pass the signal through to the next component from a second set of rca's installed on the amp. The only problem with the adapter is the weight of the adapter plus two IC's puts a good degree of stress on the amps rca jack. I always used some sort of support under the adapter to relieve the stress on the jack. I would recommend you find something to keep the adapter from sagging and stressing the rca jack.

thanks. since you've already answered all my qustions

what would your recommend for a "support"?

and thanks again.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sberger /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks. since you've already answered all my qustions what would your recommend for a "support"? and thanks again.

I have tried everything from Dominoes to using twisties and string to support the cables. Just use your imagination with whatever you have available.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sberger /img/forum/go_quote.gif How do people hook up their headphone amps? i just bought a new preamp, and it only has one output, which i use normally to connect it to my stereo amp. which means when i want to use the ppx3, i have to switch ic's. is their an easier solution that i'm missing. would appreciate the help. thanks.

If your preamp has a "tape out" as well as the preamp out, that would be the place to hook up your headphone amp. You actually don't want to hook the PPX to a preamp out, if you can help it, since it the headphone amp does its own amplification, and the preamp would be redundant. A "tape out" isn't amplified, so the redundant electronics are avoided. If you're going to use a signal divider, the best place to put it would be at the output of your source (unless your source is a turntable that does not have a phono stage outside of the preamp), not the output of the preamp.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your preamp has a "tape out" as well as the preamp out, that would be the place to hook up your headphone amp. You actually don't want to hook the PPX to a preamp out, if you can help it, since it the headphone amp does its own amplification, and the preamp would be redundant. A "tape out" isn't amplified, so the redundant electronics are avoided. If you're going to use a signal divider, the best place to put it would be at the output of your source (unless your source is a turntable that does not have a phono stage outside of the preamp), not the output of the preamp.

He is right .... you use the splitter at the source in this case. I was thinking source and see I wrote amp. The ppx3 amp obviously doesnt have any rca outputs to use and you dont want to use the preamp going into your ppx3 and amplify things twice.

 

[sberger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover /img/forum/go_quote.gif He is right .... you use the splitter at the source in this case. I was thinking source and see I wrote amp. The ppx3 amp obviously doesnt have any rca outputs to use and you dont want to use the preamp going into your ppx3 and amplify things twice.

yeah, i kind of figured this. my preamp has 2 inputs, and one output. i typically have my phono pre going into one input, and a rotary switch box, that accomodates all my outher sources except my phono, into the other. since my vinyl rig is most important to me, i have that going straight to preamp to avoid as much degradation as possible. my amp is connected to the pre through the pre's out's. my dilemma is that i would like to get the ppx3 connected in a way that i could easily switch between vinyl rig, which is connected to my pre, and all other sources, which are connected to the switch box. is that possible?

 

[nikongod]

you can do what i think you are asking with another 2-way switch. but it adds significant complexity, and "screwup room" to the system.

unless you want to listen to a diferent source on the preamp (and i assume speakers) and the headphone amp, send your vinyl through the switch box with everything else, and then just split the signal to the preamp and the headphone amp after that.

KISS you know, keep it stupid simple.

 

[sberger]

thanks for your reply. i was thinking of adding my vinyl to the switch, but, as i said, wanted the purest signal possible. but i guess i can't have my cake and eat it to. so, vinyl goes to the switch box, and then i split at the switch out, right?

it's funny, because my preamp is a decware csp2, which is also being touted as a damn good headphone amp. i've used it as such, but truth be told, i really like my ppx3 better. i started doing what sacd lover suggested by using a 6gu7 in the gain position, and have asked mikhail to build me two 5687 adaptors, which should be arriving(hopefully) pretty soon. man, the hoops we jump through to get the sound that we want, huh?

anyway, thanks again for all your replies.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sberger /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for your reply. i was thinking of adding my vinyl to the switch, but, as i said, wanted the purest signal possible. but i guess i can't have my cake and eat it to. so, vinyl goes to the switch box, and then i split at the switch out, right? it's funny, because my preamp is a decware csp2, which is also being touted as a damn good headphone amp. i've used it as such, but truth be told, i really like my ppx3 better. i started doing what sacd lover suggested by using a 6gu7 in the gain position, and have asked mikhail to build me two 5687 adaptors, which should be arriving(hopefully) pretty soon. man, the hoops we jump through to get the sound that we want, huh? anyway, thanks again for all your replies.

6GU7 + 5687 =

 

[sberger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover /img/forum/go_quote.gif 6GU7 + 5687 =

yeah, i know. you're the reason im going through all of this. if i hadn't read your recommendations that make the ppx3 such a fantastic amp, i wouldn't be in this mess. good stuff.

 

[sberger]

just wanted to thank everyone again for helping me out with this. everything worked out as i wanted, perfectly. some of this stuff seems so simple, and yet it's really wonderful to come to a place like this, ask a few questions, and get some quick, straigtforward, friendly answers from some very knowlegeable folks.

so thanks.