Arcam Solo - Headphone Problems

[admin_exported]

Earlier in the year I bought an Arcam Solo and on the whole I am pleased with my purchase. The only con is the headphone facility; firstly you don't get high quality sound - very tinny & no bass - and secondly when you insert the headphone jack, it automatically cut's out the tone controls so unavailable to improve the sound. Worth noting if you are thinking of buying one and something the retailer who sold it to me, Bill Vee, in London omitted to tell me

You would imagine the automatic solution would be to buy a good quality headphone amp, but if you want to use the iPod docking station which comes with the Solo (and very good it is to) you have to use the tape-in socket, meaning the tape loop is not available, which I believe is essential if you want to add a headphone amp.

I just wondered if the team at WHF or other forum members could suggest options. I am prepared to invest a reasonable sum to find a solution.

Many thanks

 

[matengawhat]

I have the Arcam Solo Movie which i would have thought would be similar - i'm not happy with the headphone socket either - however i can alter the tone control so find this strange that its stops you of the solo. I am having to turn my zone 2 into a rec out just in the menu settings to use with my headphone amp this would be the tape out in your case.

regarding the headphone amp that only need to be connected to the tape out not in so shouldn't cause you a problem as you don't need to loop the whole thing just use the outputs - i also thought that it didn't matter which input you used for your Ipod although could be wrong on that

 

[matengawhat]

just read the instructions and it clearly state tone controls deactivated with heaphone sockets which is just weird.

I find arcam make strange decisions at times with their kit

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for your response.

A friend of mine lent me his headphone amp and you defintly had to use both the in & out on the tape loop.

Yes the iPod dock will work through any of the inputs, but you only get the tag info on the iPod illustrated on the Solo if you use the tape loop.

 

[matengawhat]

I'm very new to headphones amps - i am learnign as i go. mines currently sitting in customs - i don't think you have to but will need to experiment a bit when it arrives - will let you know asap - i'm hoping to get it for xmas but not sure how long will take to pass through customs and how easy it will be for me to pay the fees for pre xmas delivery

i am also hoping you don't have to loop it as i sold my spare interconnects on ebay recently - i only have one spare set now!!!! oops