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Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I have just bought a headphone setup: AKG K701 (which I like very much!), Marantz SA7001 cd-player and Heed CanAmp.
Now I think about expanding the setup already. I think I want a Compass, so I have few questions, to which I am sure you experts have answers:
1. Has anybody compared the CanAmp to the Compass using K701?
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No, not to my knowledge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
2. Which is the best way to connect the Compass to my Marantz - can I do it digitally when using the Compass only as a headphone amplifier?
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A digital signal from your Marantz player will have to be decoded by a DAC before it can be amplified by the headphone amp. So that means that you will either use an analog connection between the cd player and the Compass and let the DAC of the cd player do the DA conversion, or you could send the digital output of your cd player (either optical or coaxial) to the Compass DAC and let that DAC do the DA conversion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
3. Can I use the Compass DAC witk my Marantz and improve the sound and at the same time use the headphone amplifier? If yes, how do I connect?
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Yes, you can simply connect the digital output (coaxial or optical) from your cd player to the Compass DAC. Whether that's an improvement on the analog output of your cd player is hard to say beforehand, because no one has made that particular comparison yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
4. Is it correct, that used only as a headphone amplifier there is no need to buy the Moon and Sun OPAs as they are not in use in this capacity(and the Earth as well)?
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Yes, that is correct. Only the DAC of the Compass uses the OPAs, they wouldn't be necessary if you would go straight to the Compass amp and use only that. However, if you feel that you only need a headphone amp and not a DAC, it would be better to spend your money simply on a good amp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
5. Quite another matter: I hate talking about things and not know how to pronounce words correctly. Here in Denmark everybody says Grado with an a as in father. Is this correct or should it be a as in great or maybe even something else?
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As far as I know that is not correct. Although the Grado family originally comes from Italy, the way they pronounce their surname has been "Americanized", so it is actually pronounced with an "a" as in "ape" (and a stress on the first syllable).
For some more info on how the Compass works, you should also check the
Compass FAQ.