Anybody here using a Yamaha CX-1000U with cans?

goatlocker

New Member
I already posted this question on another thread, but thought I ought to start one separately for this discussion. I'm starting to shop around for some HPs now to plug into a vintage Yamaha CX-1000U preamp. Has anyone here used this preamp to drive cans? I've never owned audiophile HPs before and I'm very tempted to try out a set of the Grado RS1e. These are 32ohms I think, and the spec sheet of my preamp claims the head phone jack is rated for 4.5V/100 ohms. Guess that ought to work out with no need for a silly HP amp. About .6 watts I think. Any thoughts on this combo? If I order the cans from Crutchfield, I would have 60 days to return them if I don't like them.
 
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If the 100 Ohm spec is output impedance, you'll need a silly old headphone amp. If you go with 32 Ohm phones, the output impedance of your preamp should be 2.5 Ohms or less to avoid FR aberrations. That's just a rule of thumb - if the phones Z drops lower than 32, it could still be an issue.
Good luck with your headphone search.
 
On another note, the headphone jack in the CX-1000 is shaky. Once you start plugging in and out habitually, it might go. I've have issues with mine, and the guy who I used in the past for servicing also said these jacks are suspect. They also cut output to the main outs when phones are plugged in, so if they act up, it's possible the main outs could be affected. Really shitty engineering which is odd as this preamp is fabulous and extremely well made. I need to replace mine at some point as it's shot, but at least the main outs aren't affected.
 
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