advertisement


Headphone amp with pre out, or preamp with headphone socket

GF670

GF670

pfm Member
Perhaps a strange question, but does anyone have recommendations for a headphone amp with more than one input with a preamp out so that I can connect it directly to my power amp (Radford STA25)?

I currently have an NJC headphone amp, which works well in this respect, but it only has one input which means swapping cables to change source.

The headphones I use are HD650.

I suppose an alternative would be a normal preamplifier which happens to also have a good quality headphone output?
 
GF670 said:
Perhaps a strange question, but does anyone have recommendations for a headphone amp with more than one input with a preamp out so that I can connect it directly to my power amp (Radford STA25)?

I currently have an NJC headphone amp, which works well in this respect, but it only has one input which means swapping cables to change source.

The headphones I use are HD650.

I suppose an alternative would be a normal preamplifier which happens to also have a good quality headphone output?
Click to expand...

This can be implemented fairly easily if you have mainly digital sources and only one or two analogue.
A Quad Vena will give you this ... Vena 1 models come up occasionally on eBay for a reasonable price and are perfectly competent if you already have a phono stage. Quad 2 even more desirable and includes an MM input but would cost more.
RME also had an ADI-2 variant that would do a similar job but I believe is now discontinued.
All the above have decent headphone outputs as well as pre-amp outs.

I'm sure there are other solutions out there
 
Schiit Jotunheim works very well for me, used as headphone amp for Audeze, and seperately as a pre into power amp/speakers.
 
Thanks some options there that I hadn’t come across before. Just to add it’s two analogue sources I want to connect
 
If you can find one s/h (no longer made), a Myryad Z40 would seem to fit the bill,

www.hifichoice.com

Myryad Z40

Looking for a very flexible headphone amp for late-night listening? The Z40 might just be the model for you... Alongside the vinyl boom, the growth in headphone sales has been one of the big drivers for the audio industry in recent years. As well as headphones themselves, their supporting...
www.hifichoice.com www.hifichoice.com

Manual here:

There's one on the bay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13453118...d=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

I have one and it's a fine headphone amp.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
The one on the bay sold about 40 minutes after I posted the above!
 
Only one analogue input with an Atom HE & the OP needs 2 so I think it’s a non-starter.
Can’t honestly say I can hear a negative effect of the digitisation of the analogue in with the Atom, & I come from a heavily analogue biased mindset.
 
robs said:
The one on the bay sold about 40 minutes after I posted the above!
Click to expand...
As a consequence? :)I love mine (3 inputs, 1 output, timed standby default, 2 x 6.3mm jacks) and I use it with HD650, Focal Elear and Utopia. There's a Pathos in silver currently advertised here or the Wam which has multiple inputs etc and valves, for about half price. Don't think you'd go wrong there (the valves are tempting as is a good output voltage).
 
Why not get a nice preamp with a tape loop or fixed line level outputs then plug the headphone amplifier into the fixed line outputs. Thats how I run my NAC72, the tape out goes to the headphone amplifier so you get the input switching and access to the phono stage while the volume control on the preamp works independently to the volume control on the headphone amplifier giving you the greatest flexibility.

LPSpinner.
 
Mike Reed said:
As a consequence? :)I love mine (3 inputs, 1 output, timed standby default, 2 x 6.3mm jacks) and I use it with HD650, Focal Elear and Utopia. There's a Pathos in silver currently advertised here or the Wam which has multiple inputs etc and valves, for about half price. Don't think you'd go wrong there (the valves are tempting as is a good output voltage).
Click to expand...
The Pathos does look good but I think it only has a fixed level line out?
 
LPSpinner said:
Why not get a nice preamp with a tape loop or fixed line level outputs then plug the headphone amplifier into the fixed line outputs. Thats how I run my NAC72, the tape out goes to the headphone amplifier so you get the input switching and access to the phono stage while the volume control on the preamp works independently to the volume control on the headphone amplifier giving you the greatest flexibility.

LPSpinner.
Click to expand...
That’s something I’ve thought of - I had a buffer added to the line out of a Croft 25RS I previously owned so as to use it with the NJC amp and that worked well. A one box solution does appeal though. I guess the ideal would be a valve preamp with phono stage and headphone socket (and maybe even a remote control as well)!
 
LPSpinner said:
Why not get a nice preamp with a tape loop or fixed line level outputs then plug the headphone amplifier into the fixed line outputs
Click to expand...
GF670 said:
The Pathos does look good but I think it only has a fixed level line out?
Click to expand...
Now that's sth that could work for me instead of switching I/Cs from pre. to can amp on occasion rather than firing up the pre. However, my pre. is valved (EAR) and must go on for vinyl (onboard ph/stages) and occasionally for CD and tuner. It depends upon whether I'm having a can or speaker session. My TV is always plugged into my can amp for daily use. When I had Naim it was all relatively straightforward but their can-amp wasn't very good and the 552 paled against the EAR. As for the Superline.......! Not sure it'll be an improvement in my case, although in GF570's case I can see that being a worthwhile solution.

My Myryad doesn't have variable output (poorer s.q. with variable, normally) but I've obv. never had the need. Output from my pre to can amp is from tape out. Not sure why fxd level out is a prob. if going to your pre., though.
 
As an update, I've been playing around with configurations of equipment I already own, and have discovered that my Little Dot MkIII valve headphone amp, which I hadn't used for a while, works very well from the line out of my current Croft 25R. Saves hassle in terms of swapping cables, even if it does mean having to have three items switched on rather than two i.e. CD player -> preamp -> headphone amp rather than CD player -> headphone amp
 
GF670 said:
Perhaps a strange question, but does anyone have recommendations for a headphone amp with more than one input with a preamp out so that I can connect it directly to my power amp (Radford STA25)?
Click to expand...
A Radford SC24 Pre Amp, perfect match for your STA25.

s-l1600.jpg


pinkfishmedia.net

More Radford, SC24 Pre-Amp / SPA50 Power-Amp...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295715194870?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=0&customid=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295715200050?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=0&customid=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1 My very first forage...
pinkfishmedia.net pinkfishmedia.net

Excellent head phone amplifier built in as dual mono amplifier circuit boards plugged in to mother board.

Be lucky, hope you can find a good un.
 
Darmok said:
A Radford SC24 Pre Amp, perfect match for your STA25.

s-l1600.jpg


pinkfishmedia.net

More Radford, SC24 Pre-Amp / SPA50 Power-Amp...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295715194870?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=0&customid=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295715200050?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=0&customid=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1 My very first forage...
pinkfishmedia.net pinkfishmedia.net

Excellent head phone amplifier built in as dual mono amplifier circuit boards plugged in to mother board.

Be lucky, hope you can find a good un.
Click to expand...
That looks really good. It would be great if Radford Revival made preamps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top