Fatman C arbon Edition 2 -No headphone Jack ?!

[admin_exported]

The Fatman Carbon 2 has NO headphone jack . Now, I have bought a carbon 2 and don't really want to return it if I can find a way of listening to it with my headphones.

How to I get round this annoying issue? I really should have noticed that it didn't have one when I reviewed all the different tube amps that I was interested in buying... but I didn't, so now I need to get around the issue.

Ideally I guess I need some kind of converter/splitter on the speaker out connectors that can be toggled between phones/speakers depending on what I am listening through.

Anyone help? Because I am tearing my hair out searching the net for a solution and I can't...WON'T believe that in this modern world that we live in I have to go without headphones (

TL Audio are based in Letchworth...only up the road from me... perhaps I'll call them and see if they'll hardwire in a headphone jack!

 

[Anonymous]

Is an option to run this amp into a second amp (speakers outs into Aux) and then use either the speakers or headphone jack in the second amp?

I have a spare Harmon Kardon AVI100 sitting around.

But wouldn't I lose the benefit of having a tube amp if I did this and be in a position where I might have well just wired it all through the AVI100 amp in the first place??

Oh the despair of it all )

 

[Anonymous]

And of course as far as I know, no headphone amp is usable because the only OUTPUTS from the Fatman are the speaker ports and no headphone amps can handle that scenario.

They all need to connect to some kind out aux output on the main amp.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh come on... SOMEONE must be able to help ))

 

[Anonymous]

you could always get a portable headphone amp - http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/231485.aspx - but maybe that defeats the object...

 

[Anonymous]

This will get you going

http://www.richersounds.com/product/amplifiers-receivers/btech/bt928/bte-techbt928#

Or if you want to spend more heres a few others

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/category.cfm/Category/257.

 

[Anonymous]

EF2A USB Headphone Amplifier

iBasso D10 Cobra

 

[Anonymous]

Guys, THANK you very much.

I'd really like the Hifiman to compliment the Carbon 2 but can't seem to find on in the UK. So looks like the CREEK OBH11 HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER is the one for me.

Final question I hope, are Superfi.co.uk reliable as asupplier?

Many thanks in advance to you all.

 

[Anonymous]

OK, so I fibbed...it wasn't my last question and I apologies if I am being stupid....

These amps (Project and Creek) seem to need to be connected to the Tape Out. The Carbon 2 has no tape out.

It has two standard RCA out sources (that I am currently using for CD player and Turntable). Can I highjack on of these to run the head amp?

 

[lonely boy]

OK Carlos - you will have to find an amp that you can bypass, so it must have a lineout connection. The Creek looks like it can do that, the HiFi man only has inputs so is no good.

Just connect your source to the headphone amp then connect lineout to your Carbon, but of course you won't be able to use your iPod with it though unless you buy a lineout cable and connect that to the headphone amp - that was an oversight by Fatman not to include a lineout. Also if you want to listen to more than one source you'll have to buy a switch box.

Hope that helps.

e

 

[Anonymous]

Superfi are a good retailer in my experience of them.

 

[Anonymous]

Lonely boy.... many thanks.

I have a switchbox.

I'll purchase the creek on-line now.

Correct me if I am wrong here (as the LAST thing I want to do is damage my new Creek amp or blow my Grado heads).

So, I take the CD player and the turntable and plug them into the switch box, then run the switchbox into the headphone amp and then the headphone amp into the Carbon.

If I am understanding this correctly, when I listen to this setup via headphones it'll be the headphone amp driving the system and if I listen through the speakers it'll be the carbon driving the system.

And to listen to the speakers via the Carbon I turn the headphone amp off/don't connect headphones?

You mentioned not being able to listen to the iPod via the headphones, I guess that will also count for any device that I run into the AUX on the Carbon as this will be bypassing the headphone amp. I was going to connect my PC (with 50K songs on) to the Carbon, But I think now I'll see if I can connect the PC to the switch box with a 3.5mm to RCA cable and run that through the headphone amp too, this way I won't miss not being able to listen to the iPod.

Again, apologies if I am asking dumb questions, but as stated I want to make sure I do this correctly.

 

[lonely boy]

No problem - yes you've got it spot on.

The headphone amp being on or having phones connected shouldn't stop the audio signal going to the Carbon unless you are using a pre amp out, eg - Sugden Headmaster.

Anyway - hope you enjoy your amp, that's the only way I can think of doing it.

e

 

[Anonymous]

Lovely job. I ordered the OBH-11 from Superfi so will hopefully see the head amp by the end of this coming week. IXOS 3.5mm to RCA cable ordered from ebay too.

The outcome of all of this is that the Carbon has effectively cost me an extra 90 odd quid because I've had to buy the amp, but I don't mind that so much as I had promised myself one along the way. I will also have a superfluous Van Damme Stereo 3.5mm Jack To Jack Cable 1m - Red that I bought anticipating using that to connect my PC to the Carbon, now obviously I will be using the IXOS.

I hope this set up doesn't disappoint.

Next stage it to get my hands on an Alpha 7SE CD player. I had one a few years ago and sold it like an idiot.

Thanks to everybody that helped me out. Much appreciated.