sml1226
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2011
- Posts
- 857
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- 28
I just decided I should try this out on my Parasound HCA-750A power amp. It sounded absolutely horrendous with static, hiss, and crackles throughout the entire listening session. I removed the preamp from the chain (Parasound P/SP-1500 AV) and ran the source straight to the amp dropping the gain knobs accordingly. All of the hiss and static that was present regardless of input, regardless of volume, is now gone. And not only that, it doesn't show up when the gain knob on the power amp is all the way up. I find it odd that the preamp adds so much noise to these things where the speakers, even at high levels, are dead silent when not being fed a signal.
I have to say I am amazed at how using a better amp than the headphone output on an old Sony receiver or a Denon CD player has made these things. By these things, I'm talking about something as easy to drive as a MDR-V6. I'm curious how much changing the output impedance has changed this and how much is just the fact that this amp is miles ahead of the cheap little headphone output tacked onto the others were.
So, after I figure out a solution to my preamp problem I'm going to have to set something nicer than this ugly little jumble of jack and wires up.
If anyone has a suggestion as to the best way to set up a switch from the speakers to the phones so I can have both connected, that would be helpful. Currently I'm thinking of running the outputs through a 4PDT switch and just keeping it that simple, but if I'm going to have both connected, I should probably have some way of keeping the level that it was at for speakers from being enough to mutilate a pair of cans shouldn't I?
Then, since I'll actually have something to drive them, I'm going to need a new set of cans for regular at home stuff. That's not really on topic for this board though, so I will have to worry about that in another thread when I get around to it.
Anyway, if anybody has an idea for the switch box that would work better than a simple switch between them, or if you have a suggestion for a way around my preamp problem, I'd appreciate it.
I have to say I am amazed at how using a better amp than the headphone output on an old Sony receiver or a Denon CD player has made these things. By these things, I'm talking about something as easy to drive as a MDR-V6. I'm curious how much changing the output impedance has changed this and how much is just the fact that this amp is miles ahead of the cheap little headphone output tacked onto the others were.
So, after I figure out a solution to my preamp problem I'm going to have to set something nicer than this ugly little jumble of jack and wires up.
If anyone has a suggestion as to the best way to set up a switch from the speakers to the phones so I can have both connected, that would be helpful. Currently I'm thinking of running the outputs through a 4PDT switch and just keeping it that simple, but if I'm going to have both connected, I should probably have some way of keeping the level that it was at for speakers from being enough to mutilate a pair of cans shouldn't I?
Then, since I'll actually have something to drive them, I'm going to need a new set of cans for regular at home stuff. That's not really on topic for this board though, so I will have to worry about that in another thread when I get around to it.
Anyway, if anybody has an idea for the switch box that would work better than a simple switch between them, or if you have a suggestion for a way around my preamp problem, I'd appreciate it.
