how do you connect a headphone amp

[smuggs]

im looking around april for a birthday present to get some new cans open back for around £150 mark. i would be using them though my arcam alpha9 but after scanning the headphone forum i like the idea of adding a headphone amp.

how do i connect one, im guessing through thought the record out on the back of the amp feeding the headphone amp with a interconnect , then plug the cans in. am i close.

as i would not want to spend more than £250 inc headphones is it possible to get a headphone amp for £100 that is worth the outlay in SQ over my built in one on my amp.

 

[smuggs]

the problem i would have is that i would want to listen to spotify,cdplayer and turntable so i could not just pop one in middle as a link if that makes sense.

 

[jaxwired]

My headphone amp is also my DAC so it's hooked up before my amp. For a dedicated headphone I'd imagine that taking the preamp outputs from your regular amp into the headphone amp would work best. Many amps have this feature.

 

[idc]

You either use a spare phono output on the main amp, except tape in and phono or if the headphone amp has it, you go from tape out on the main amp to in on the headphone amp and then out on the headphone amp to tape in on the main amp.

I cannot think of a headphone amp that would take preamp outputs (and so act as a power amp) as if any thing headphone amps also act as pre-amps.

 

[jaxwired]

Yeah, that makes more sense. I stand corrected.

 

[Anonymous]

Quite a few amps have a fixed output at line level. Otherwise a spare tape out will do the trick

 

[audioaffair]

Essentially you have three options:

1) Connect to the "TAPE OUT" on your amplifier (the signal from your source is still going through your amplifier - a convenient if not a purist approach)

2) Connect directly to the source (great if you only listen to one source, but impractical in plugging/unplugging if you want to use your main amp - unless your source has 2 sets of RCA output sockets)

3) Connect inbetween source and amplifier (providing the headphone amplifier on your shortlist has input and output sockets).

 

[BenLaw]

Hi Smuggs

AudioAffair are correct. Given you want to listen to a number of sources, 2 and 3 are really off the table. Just use the tape out on your amp: 1 pair of RCAs. It's a fixed level so all volume will be controlled by your headphone amp. You may need to mute your amp to stop playback through your speakers at the same time.

As for £100 headphone amps, I use the Pro-Ject HeadBox. It's smart and efficient, does a good job. I'm sure there are many other options out there.

 

[audioaffair]

How'd you get on Smuggs?