Hooking Up Headphones

Early B.
Early B. Posts: 7,900
edited January 2005 in Electronics
I'm new to this headphone stuff, so please bear with me on these questions --

I have a pair of Grado SR80's and an integrated amp that does not have a headphone jack and no output jacks either. Is there any way to hook up the headphones to this amp?

How critical is the need for a headphone amp for 2-channel listening?

Thanks.
HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

"God grooves with tubes."
Post edited by Early B. on
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited January 2005
    you may could rig something up, I don't know.

    With good headphones, you need an amp to get the best sound. You don't need all that much power, but will need better than what a typical receiver or preamp provides...
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2005
    Early, I'm in the same boat, my MF A3CR has no headphone jack. Luckily my CD Player does. I'm still looking for a solution that will let me use a preamp out, but no luck yet...

    It amazes me how few CD Players have headphone jacks anymore--that sucks.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited January 2005
    I would not suggest hooking up your headphones to an amplifier speaker level output.

    Buy something with an output, or get something outboard. You would be suprised how alive your headphones become with a dedicated headphone amp, be that internal or external. This is most obvious with "hard to drive" headphones such as the HD580, for example.

    I need headphones or I could not survive.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited January 2005
    Thanks, fellas. Looks like headphones won't work for me on my main system.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2005
    Doro,
    I was looking for a "black box" solution that would knock down the preamp out signal to headphone levels---but can't find any such device. I'd like to be able to listen to other sources with the headphones (other than my CDP) thru the preamp, that way I have remote volume control...
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited January 2005
    Steve, you can connect most ANY Head Amp to your preamp, if you have an extra set of preouts on your pre.

    As far as remote volume control, that's more than doable also. You'll just need to find a good spot for the volume on the Head Amp, then use your remote pre as you always have.

    Just like hooking up a powered sub, set the gain on the sub (headamp), and control volume with your pre.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2005
    Russman, I hadn't thought of that! I've got second set of pre-outs on the back of my HCA-1500.

    When you say "head amp" are you referring to an inexpensive preamp that has a headphone jack? What could I use that would have a headphone jack?
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited January 2005
    On the cheap, check out the Creek OBH-11 and the ASL HB1 at Audioadvisor. You might want to look used also, the Creek shows up from time to time.

    http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/categorylisting.asp?hdnCat=Headphone+Amps&sel=1&CategoryID=33

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited January 2005
    Originally posted by steveinaz
    Russman, I hadn't thought of that! I've got second set of pre-outs on the back of my HCA-1500.

    When you say "head amp" are you referring to an inexpensive preamp that has a headphone jack? What could I use that would have a headphone jack?

    Interesting thought, can you use the "loop through" outputs for a headphone amp? If the amp is turned of, will there be a signal at the loop through outputs????
    Dodd - Battery Preamp
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    Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!

    "I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited January 2005
    You could use a tape loop out, but then you loose your remote capability for volume on the preamp, since it's a fixed output now.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2005
    Originally posted by hoosier21
    Interesting thought, can you use the "loop through" outputs for a headphone amp? If the amp is turned of, will there be a signal at the loop through outputs????

    Even when the HCA-1500 is powered down, you do get a signal from the looped pre-outs on the amp. I used these outputs when I had my SVS.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2005
    Originally posted by RuSsMaN
    On the cheap, check out the Creek OBH-11 and the ASL HB1 at Audioadvisor. You might want to look used also, the Creek shows up from time to time.

    http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/categorylisting.asp?hdnCat=Headphone+Amps&sel=1&CategoryID=33

    Cheers,
    Russ

    Thanks bud, I 'll keep my eyes peeled on Ebay...
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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