[mathchris]

It's a receiver! I'm a newbie & I have a few question on how this receiver relates to headphones. I want the receiver there because I have many sources.

Is there any impressive headphone sound modes on receivers now a days?

If so, will those modes translate thru the pre-outs?

If I have 7.1 pre-outs on the receiver, can I ensure only stereo signals will pass out of there into my headphone amp.

Do people always use the pre-outs or sometimes a md/tape output?

I ask because I'm about to buy a Pioneer receiver & a Little Dot 2 headphone amp. This is my entire setup with all sources & 5.1 speakers as well.

 

[felixkrull6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathchris It's a receiver! I'm a newbie & I have a few question on how this receiver relates to headphones. I want the receiver there because I have many sources. Is there any impressive headphone sound modes on receivers now a days? If so, will those modes translate thru the pre-outs? If I have 7.1 pre-outs on the receiver, can I ensure only stereo signals will pass out of there into my headphone amp. Do people always use the pre-outs or sometimes a md/tape output? I ask because I'm about to buy a Pioneer receiver & a Little Dot 2 headphone amp. This is my entire setup with all sources & 5.1 speakers as well.

Most sources have at least two different outputs. Do yourself a favor and leave out the receiver when connecting your source to the headphone amp, the only thing you're going to do is add clutter. I don't know what type of source you have or which pioneer receiver you're going to get but the dac in the cd player is probably going to be as good as your receiver unless there's some huge disparity in price.

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathchris It's a receiver! I'm a newbie & I have a few question on how this receiver relates to headphones. I want the receiver there because I have many sources..

You could more cheaply have a passive switch box such as the Niles Audio AXP-1 which takes up to 5 inputs and give a single output which can be used to feed a headphone amp or whatever, I have one and it works well. But since you have speakers as well....

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathchris Is there any impressive headphone sound modes on receivers now a days? ..

Dunno, depends on the receiver - I doubt that the receiver headphone socket would support it - check with the manufacturers manual for details. Personally these modes such as fake surround I find a bit gimmicky (ymmv)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathchris If so, will those modes translate thru the pre-outs? ..

Dunno, rather depends on the receiver, see above, kinda doubt it if you are taking the 2 front LR channels to feed a separate amp


Quote:

Originally Posted by mathchris If I have 7.1 pre-outs on the receiver, can I ensure only stereo signals will pass out of there into my headphone amp. ..

See above, probably though by taking the 2 front (L&R) outputs

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathchris Do people always use the pre-outs or sometimes a md/tape output? ..

So you would bypass the internal power amp of the receiver and send the 2 channel signal to a set of pre-amp outputs or use the tape outs, the tape outs would normally be line level i.e fixed at 1 or 2 Volts, the pre-outs would be variable as they are designed for a power amp which supplies fixed gain. Dunno if it would make that much difference, tape-out is probably simpler.