[radmanhs]

I have a headroom maxxed out home amp and I want to use it as a preamp in conjunction as a normal headphone amp.  I am a dummy when it comes to this stuff, so thats obviously why I came here.  From what I understand, I have to unplug the headphones to turn it into a preamp? Is that all there is to it? If so that is kinda inconvenient, unless if I could do something like lower the volume to 0 and it would switch to the preamp.  If you have to unplug the cable to switch it, is there a passthrough switch that you can buy somewhere so you dont have to pull the cable out every time and you just have to hit the switch to "disconnect" the headphones.

 

[needmoretoys]

If it's the one that I'm looking at here,
 
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0362/2465/files/MaxedOutHomeManual.pdf?4781
 
then it has RCA pre-amp out on the rear panel. Run those to your amp and just unplug your headphones when you want to use it as a pre-amp. That's what I have to do with my HeadAmp GS-1. I don't understand the difficulty of unplugging the headphones. Lowering the volume to 0 will not work, as the pre-amp volume control controls the volume of the pre-amp, amp, speaker system. You won't get any sound out of anything if you lower the volume to 0.
 
There are audio switches available, but I would not recommend using one if you have high quality headphones. I think that most of the switches are cheaply made and might degrade the audio quality of good headphones, amp, source. All the switches that I have seen switch between 2 or more sources. You would have to switch to the blank side to turn off the headphones. Here are some switches at Amazon.
 
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=3.5mm+audio+switch&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3A3.5mm+audio+switch

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  From what I understand, I have to unplug the headphones to turn it into a preamp? Is that all there is to it? If so that is kinda inconvenient, unless if I could do something like lower the volume to 0 and it would switch to the preamp.

 

The key component of a preamp circuit is the potentiometer. If you turn it to zero to switch to preamp mode, that basically disables what makes it a preamp in the first place. Even if the procedure is to switch it off and then back on, that's like Acura telling people to stop, kill the engine, push a button for SH-AWD and sport suspension settings, then start the engine again just to go from cushy sedan that goes over speed bumps smoothly to canyon carver - an even more inconvenient procedure than, say, just slowing down to push buttons (which even then isn't a manufacturer requirement, but a legal one - some places are so strict about "distracted driving" that glancing down at the center console is considered a traffic violation).
 
 

  If you have to unplug the cable to switch it, is there a passthrough switch that you can buy somewhere so you dont have to pull the cable out every time and you just have to hit the switch to "disconnect" the headphones.

 

That's not as simple as you think. You'll have to drill a spot on the chassis for the toggle switch, then wire it to the switch that normally gets its command from whether there is a load on the headphone output or not. You'll need to be an actual EE or get specific instructions from one just to do that.

 

Far easier if you just sell that and get an AudioGD.