How to hook up headphone amp?

[RunOutGroove]

I recently came into some good headphones, Sennhieser HD600, which I figured would be much better with a separate headphone amp. I just got a Schiit Vali 1 amp to plug everything into and I stupidly thought that I could just plug it into another input on my Marantz 2270, but then I realized that I need an output, not an input for the thing. What I read online suggests splitting the pre-amp outputs to go to the headphone amp and to the power amp section of the receiver. The problem is that I already have them split with a Y cord to go into a subwoofer. I know that there is surely some easy way to hook up for both a subwoofer and this new headphone amp together... but I'm not sure what that is...?

 

[GChief]

You’ll need to run your source directly into it. I have my Aune T1 hooked up to the second output of my pre-amp. It can also be used as a pre-amp if your Marantz can be run as just an amp.

 

[RunOutGroove]

hey... I just thought of something... Since I've already using my preamp outs for my subwoofer. what about using the "record" outputs for a tape recorder? There are two of them available that I'm not using (I don't have a tape deck hooked up) That ought to work, no?

 

[JoeESP9]

Use the Tape out jacks to drive the headphone amplifier. The volume will be controlled by the headphone amplifier.

If your receiver allows for separating the pre and power sections use Y connectors to drive the subwoofer and the main amplifier from the preamp out jacks.

Wrote this while ROG was posting.

 

[RunOutGroove]

Use the Tape out jacks to drive the headphone amplifier. The volume will be controlled by the headphone amplifier.

If your receiver allows for separating the pre and power sections use Y connectors to drive the subwoofer and the main amplifier from the preamp out jacks.

Wrote this while ROG was posting.

Thanks... maybe I wasn't clear. I've already got my subwoofer hooked up as you say, which is why I didn't have it available to split for the headphone amp. Good to know that I can use those tape outs. I figured that this would be the case, but I wanted to make sure with those who really know this stuff...

 

[JoeESP9]

The tape outs are a better place to connect a headphone amplifier than the preamp outs. With mechanical input switching many preamp/amplifier/receiver(s) don't need to be on for a signal to be passed to the tape out connectors. Selecting an input is enough.

 

[mgosdin]

+1 On the Tape Out for you Headphone amp. I have the tape out on my Yamaha receiver split with one line to the tape deck and one to the Douk headphone amp. Works like a charm

Mark Gosdin

 

[RunOutGroove]

Ok... tested everything out... which was a bit of a PIA because I ran out of AC connections (the new headphone amp was one too many!) and had to hook up a new power strip (actually a Monster brand surge protector that I just found on CL for $20) but once I had everything hooked up and turned on, everything worked as it should. The new headphone amp with the new headphones sounds good!

 

[the skipper]

odds are you could split the preamp out again and still get good performance from everything. it's all in the output and input impedances

 

[swechsler]

I know you've already purchased the amp, but I'm not convinced that it'll be an improvement over the Marantz's headphone output. You should compare and see if you can really hear a difference. Maybe have someone else do the switching for you (make sure to match the volume levels) so you can do the test blind.

 

[the skipper]

I just noticed he has a 2270. I been happily running my Sennheiser 580's off my 2270's headphone jack for years.

 

[RunOutGroove]

I just noticed he has a 2270. I been happily running my Sennheiser 580's off my 2270's headphone jack for years.

Well... it's kind of an experiment. To be honest, I didn't hear a super dramatic difference between the two, but the Schiit amp did have a bit more sparkle (I could hear more overtones) to the sound and greater separation between instruments. Neither provided the sort of really wide sound-stage that I was hopping for, but that might have more to do with the design of the phones than the map (the phones that I'm using apparently aren't so well rated for imaging, but good on lots of other things).

My issue really is that I just don't have the experience with these this stuff to know stuff like what is the characteristic sound of a cheap headphone amp vs the built in one on an old receiver... so I had to check it out for myself.

As it happens, I'll be getting my 2270 serviced soon as it's sounding a bit noisy to me (just a bit, but enough to bug me) and likely having some new caps installed. I figure that this isn't likely to make the built in headphone amp pull ahead, but to make everything sound a level better... at least that's the hope.