Using a speaker amp - headphone output or speaker taps?

[NotaLefty]

What is the general consensus on this? My amp is a Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10. Am I better off using the headphone output on the front, or buying speaker taps for the back? 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  What is the general consensus on this?

 

Short answer: none. Long answer: it depends on...

 

1. What circuit is on the amp - some amps have a small, CMOY-like circuit tapped to the amp's PSU but it's not a very good circuit; it may not even use the same power supply circuit like the speaker amp section does. My NAD304 kind of sucked with the HD600 and totally sucked on the Grado SR225; by comparison the HD600 was at least a lot better on the headphone output on my Marantz CD60 and the PM80.

 

2. What headphone you're using. Chances are many older integrated amps with headphone outputs have high output impedace, which is why my Grados sucked with all larger gear I owned but the HD600 at least did well with the older Marantz. Also, some speaker amp circuits may not necessarily do well with very high impedance loads - while they won't fry like if you use much lower impedance than what they were rated for, the THD might be higher. All Class D amps currently in production behave like this, and I think that's the main reason why we haven't seen a Class D headphone amp.
 
 
 

  My amp is a Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10. Am I better off using the headphone output on the front, or buying speaker taps for the back? 

 

Depends on what headphone you're using - you don't need to buy "speaker taps" (I assume you're referring to a converter box, which in some cases is just a way to plug in SE headphones into a speaker amp with separate NEG terminals on each channel) if you might be able to find cables that have bare wire (you can always gut your cable) or any plug that works with the speaker binding posts.

 

In any case check the built-in headphone amp first. If you can tell there's audible distortion, or you've tried dedicated headphone amps and they all sound much better, then that's when you (spend to) try the speaker outputs in the rear.

 

[guitargonaut]

My vote would be a Vinyl Flat Can Opener.  Even with the older equipment, the Can Opener sounds more detailed and open - or at least that has been my experience.