NO COMMUNICATION.

Gary Pressman

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Hello all and happy to be joining this site as i strive to build my perfect music system
Now can anyone help me. I have a Marantz CD -41 player that I have hooked up to a Cambridge Audio A1 Integrated amplifier. Both work fine seperately. .But not together. I am using headphones from the Marantz and not speakers.. On cans the Marantz plays fine but there is no communications to or from the amp at all...Tried numerous times but to no avail..Can anyone help me with this??
 

scene

Well-known member
Hello all and happy to be joining this site as i strive to build my perfect music system
Now can anyone help me. I have a Marantz CD -41 player that I have hooked up to a Cambridge Audio A1 Integrated amplifier. Both work fine seperately. .But not together. I am using headphones from the Marantz and not speakers.. On cans the Marantz plays fine but there is no communications to or from the amp at all...Tried numerous times but to no avail..Can anyone help me with this??

Two things to check:
1. Have you tried plumbing the CD player to a different pair of inputs on the back of the amp
2. Make sure you haven't got the Tape/MD button pressed - this could cause the input to be directed straight to the (configured) tape/MD out without going to speakers/headphone out.

Do you have speakers connected to the Amp, or that you can connect to the amp?
 
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scene

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Two things to check:
1. Have you tried plumbing the CD player to a different pair of inputs on the back of the amp
2. Make sure you haven't got the Tape/MD button pressed - this could cause the input to be directed straight to the (configured) tape/MD out without going to speakers/headphone out.

Do you have speakers connected to the Amp, or that you can connect to the amp?
Thinking about it:
Could you connect the CD player to another amp (maybe take it to a friend's house?) and see if it works with that, if the above fails?
 

Gray

Well-known member
Welcome Gary.
Are you connecting the 'analogue' output of the CD-41 to the A1's CD input with a twin RCA lead? (Not those other two 'remote' sockets on the CD-41))
You say that both components work separately, presumably you had the the analogue output of the CD-41 connected to something when you heard it?
 
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Gary Pressman

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Welcome Gary.
Are you connecting the 'analogue' output of the CD-41 to the A1's CD input with a twin RCA lead? (Not those other two 'remote' sockets on the CD-41))
You say that both components work separately, presumably you had the the analogue output of the CD-41 connected to something when you heard it?
Hi Yep tried that CD plays fine on its own through cans but amp is silent.Took it to shop and the amp was working fine through all outputs on a mobile phone.. RCA lead has been changed twice, no result..
 

Gary Pressman

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Thinking about it:
Could you connect the CD player to another amp (maybe take it to a friend's house?) and see if it works with that, if the above fails?
CD player works great with a PA mixing desk. Plumbed to different outputs on AMP but no result
Hi Yep tried that CD plays fine on its own through cans but amp is silent.Took it to shop and the amp was working fine through all outputs on a mobile phone.. RCA lead has been changed twice, no result..
Tried the TAPE/MD button on amp but no result..This is wierd..
 

Gary Pressman

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CD player works great with a PA mixing desk. Plumbed to different outputs on AMP but no result

Tried the TAPE/MD button on amp but no result..This is wierd..
Also havant tried speakers yet but the purpose of the rig is mainly to enjoy music through headphones.... I just feel there is something simple I am missing here..Is the Marantz dedicated to same brand only ?.. Must the cans be used through a tuner?
 

scene

Well-known member
Also havant tried speakers yet but the purpose of the rig is mainly to enjoy music through headphones.... I just feel there is something simple I am missing here..Is the Marantz dedicated to same brand only ?.. Must the cans be used through a tuner?
How are you connecting the headphones to the A1? I didn't think the A1 had a headphone socket.
 

Gray

Well-known member
As ever with these things Gary, it's just a process of elimination.
Let's look at what you've said:

The CDP works on its headphone output.
More importantly, via its analogue output, it plays out into a mixer's line input.
All (line) inputs of your amplifier are OK.
There's nothing wrong with the lead used for connection.

Try this:
Unplug your headphones
Plug another (line level) source into your amp - when you hear that source through the speakers connected to the amp, keep the volume low and immediately swap the source with the CD-41's output.
Given what you've said you WILL hear the CD-41, if not, there's an intermittent fault somewhere.

Rest assured the Marantz CDP does not require the same brand of amp.

You're not near South Essex by any chance are you?
 
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As ever with these things Gary, it's just a process of elimination.
Let's look at what you've said:

The CDP works on its headphone output.
More importantly, via its analogue output, it plays out into a mixer's line input.
All (line) inputs of your amplifier are OK.
There's nothing wrong with the lead used for connection.

Try this:
Plug another (line level) source into your amp - when you hear that source through the speakers connected to the amp, keep the volume low and immediately swap the source with the CD-41's output.
Given what you've said you WILL hear the CD-41, if not, there's an intermittent fault somewhere.

Rest assured the Marantz CDP does not require the same brand of amp.

You're not near South Essex by any chance are you?
He hasn't got speakers connected to the amp.
 
Scene is correct the A1 doesn't have a headphone socket so presumably the headphones are still plugged into the CD player. This would cut off any output from the CD player wouldn't it? So no output to amp.
Or perhaps I am missing something here.
More details needed on exactly how Gary has this set up are required
If he doesn't have speakers connected to amp how does he know there's no output from CD player?
Basically I cannot understand what he hopes to gain from putting an amp into the system when he's only able to listen to the headphone amp in the CD player
I also cannot understand his comment about no communication to or from the amp.
Communication is only one way, CD player too amp.
Does Gary think that changing volume on the amp is going to effect what he hears out of the headphones plugged into the CD player??
 
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Gray

Well-known member
You may have solved the mystery Al.
If that old Marantz mutes the line output with headphones plugged in - if he's still got them plugged in. None of my (Sony, Philips, Marantz) CDP's have ever muted line out with headphones in...but who knows what the CD-41 does?
 

scene

Well-known member
You may have solved the mystery Al.
If that old Marantz mutes the line output with headphones plugged in - if he's still got them plugged in. None of my (Sony, Philips, Marantz) CDP's have ever muted line out with headphones in...but who knows what the CD-41 does?
Agreed, Al may well have solved it, I'm not sure what the amp is actually doing, if it's got no speakers plugged in and the headphones are plugged into the CDP
 
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priam

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You need something for the amplifier to flow into. By plugging the CD player into the amp, you are bypassing the headphone output, and there is nothing for the amp to run the signals into. You can't expect to plug a source (CD PLAYER) into an amp, and expect to still hear from the source.

You may be better off looking at DACs with a headphone output such as the Schiit Magni 3 or, as a last resort, rca to 3.5 female.

TLDR, your amp was not made for headphones
 
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Gary Pressman

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Thanks to all your interest and help.. I wanted to create a rig that is headphone specific as I want to listen to Tchaikovskys 1812 without having SWAT teams banging on the door and neighbours running for their lives, hence headphones only.. Now the Marantz works fine with no AMP present but no volume, bass or Treble can be accessed as it is straight to headphone.. I attach to AMP with the correct cables and CD still plays in cans but the AMP is dead...However I am going to attach some speakers and try that. If that works fine and sounds great then a guess a walkman is required for headphones..I am loathe to get rid of quality gear and would much rather work this out... So,, CD player works fine with its own headphone socket .Plug in AMP and though lit up does not do anything..Took AMP back to shop, the counter guy put his mobile phone through it into external speakers and it worked fine.... Hope this helps..
 

Gary Pressman

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You need something for the amplifier to flow into. By plugging the CD player into the amp, you are bypassing the headphone output, and there is nothing for the amp to run the signals into. You can't expect to plug a source (CD PLAYER) into an amp, and expect to still hear from the source.

You may be better off looking at DACs with a headphone output such as the Schiit Magni 3 or, as a last resort, rca to 3.5 female.

TLDR, your amp was not made for headphones
I hear the source no problem at all..It is the amp that is silent..
 

Gary Pressman

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Scene is correct the A1 doesn't have a headphone socket so presumably the headphones are still plugged into the CD player. This would cut off any output from the CD player wouldn't it? So no output to amp.
Or perhaps I am missing something here.
More details needed on exactly how Gary has this set up are required
If he doesn't have speakers connected to amp how does he know there's no output from CD player?
Basically I cannot understand what he hopes to gain from putting an amp into the system when he's only able to listen to the headphone amp in the CD player
I also cannot understand his comment about no communication to or from the amp.
Communication is only one way, CD player too amp.
Does Gary think that changing volume on the amp is going to effect what he hears out of the headphones plugged into the CD player??
The output from the CD player to the headphones is fine with no AMP present. However plug in the AMP and CD player works fine still but no reply from the AMP. I do expect that by changing the volume on the AMP would effect what I hear in the headphones plugged into the CD player.. Am I doing this wrong..Is this AMP for speakers only? AMP works fine at shop with speakers and a mobile phone..
 
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Am I doing this wrong..Is this AMP for speakers only?
Gary, the amp has no headphone socket so the answer is yes! If the amp had a headphone socket then the answer would be no. The amp will not boost the power to the headphone socket in the Marantz CD player. The inputs on the rear of the amp are to boost the signal from the CD player to drive speakers.

If you exclusively want to use headphones then you will either need a dedicated headphone amp or an amp with a headphone socket. Or stay with your current set-up using the the CD player headphone socket. Hope this helps.

Examples:
Headphone amp: https://www.us.marantz.com/us/produ...ls.aspx?catid=hificomponents&productid=hddac1

Amp with headphone socket: https://www.us.marantz.com/us/produ...ls.aspx?CatId=hificomponents&ProductId=PM6006
 
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priam

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Exactly, no headphone jack, no headphone capability. It's not the source that is the problem, but you have no output stage. If the input is the CD player, then the amp is the processor, then you will need an output, which unfortunately can't also be your CD player. Your amp is made for speakers or something with RCA cables.

Your cheapest fix would be to get an rca to 3.5 female adapter.
 

Gray

Well-known member
.......All was indeed revealed!

Gary, have a look at this:
It's just what you need. Connect the analogue output of your CD-41 to the sockets marked 'in' on the back of it. Then plug your headphones into the front of it. (You may require a small to large plug adapter).
Gives you the volume control you require - and a bit of quality - at a reasonable price.

Just to be clear, so you know what would be happening in the above:
Your twin RCA lead would be carrying stereo audio from the CD-41 to the Magni, which would then be driving your headphones. The Magni's volume control determines the output level to its own socket - nothing on the Magni controls anything on the CD-41.

Your Cambridge A1 amp can be stored away out of sight.
(for future use.............with speakers :))
 
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Gary Pressman

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Mr Grey and all the other contributors to my question, I thank you all..Yep I guess I was expecting the signal to go from the CD to the AMP get processed then sent back to the CD and its headphone socket. Through your wisdom I now know that is not the case.. I shall therefore either get a headphone AMP or get a quality set of speakers.. Thanks for all your help..Expect my wrong speaker wiring or something like that next....
 
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Gary Pressman

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Gary, the amp has no headphone socket so the answer is yes! If the amp had a headphone socket then the answer would be no. The amp will not boost the power to the headphone socket in the Marantz CD player. The inputs on the rear of the amp are to boost the signal from the CD player to drive speakers.

If you exclusively want to use headphones then you will either need a dedicated headphone amp or an amp with a headphone socket. Or stay with your current set-up using the the CD player headphone socket. Hope this helps.

Examples:
Headphone amp: https://www.us.marantz.com/us/produ...ls.aspx?catid=hificomponents&productid=hddac1

Amp with headphone socket: https://www.us.marantz.com/us/produ...ls.aspx?CatId=hificomponents&ProductId=PM6006
Thank you.
 

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