Connecting a Headphone Amp - RCA Splitters?

[DNADave]

I have a basic CD player/amp/speakers domestic set-up but I use a Fiio E12A headphone amplifier portably which I also want to use at home. The E12A takes a 3.5mm line in signal, so I have ordered a QED performance 3.5mm jack to RCA phono cable for this purpose. My question is how best to connect the E12A. Ideally, I would like to connect it directly to the CD player but my player only has one set of RCA outputs and these are already linked to the home amp, as you would expect, and I don’t want to continually swap cables. Would the best SQ be achieved by fitting a pair of RCA splitters to the back of my CD player to take the extra cable or should I just attach the jack to phono cable to the Tape Out of my amp? Does the use of RCA splitters degrade the signal for SQ purposes? I don’t want to compromise the signal to my home amp. Would there be any great difference between the two options? My CD player is an Arcam CD72T, my home amp is a NAD C316 BEE and my headphones are KEF M500s.

Any advice/opinions would be very much appreciated.

 

[dalethorn]

I have a basic CD player/amp/speakers domestic set-up but I use a Fiio E12A headphone amplifier portably which I also want to use at home. The E12A takes a 3.5mm line in signal, so I have ordered a QED performance 3.5mm jack to RCA phono cable for this purpose. My question is how best to connect the E12A. Ideally, I would like to connect it directly to the CD player but my player only has one set of RCA outputs and these are already linked to the home amp, as you would expect, and I don’t want to continually swap cables. Would the best SQ be achieved by fitting a pair of RCA splitters to the back of my CD player to take the extra cable or should I just attach the jack to phono cable to the Tape Out of my amp? Does the use of RCA splitters degrade the signal for SQ purposes? I don’t want to compromise the signal to my home amp. Would there be any great difference between the two options? My CD player is an Arcam CD72T, my home amp is a NAD C316 BEE and my headphones are KEF M500s.

Any advice/opinions would be very much appreciated.

In the end, you'd have to experiment. Tape outs, line outs, line inputs are all very high impedance, so not likely you'd get signal degredation unless you picked up hum or other stray junk. Having a good splitter that's well-insulated will help. Gold contacts help, but if not gold, just keep them clean along with any jacks on the amps and CD players. When you experiment with a headphone connected, don't connect or disconnect any cables if the headphone is plugged in. Anytime you make any change, start with the volume all the way down. If you have more than one volume control inline at one time, usually the items with a true line out can be set at or near max, and the final volume control be the one you use.

 

[DNADave]

Thanks Dale, the QED cable arrived today and I have plumbed it into the amp's tape out. The sound through the E12A is very nice that way so I will try to resist further tinkering!