Headphone amp set up?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by talkingh, May 16, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. talkingh

    talkingh Vibes Controller Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    ok so about to upgrade from a Rega Brio to an Rega Elicit-r but the Elicit has no headphone output....i also have a chord Qutest coming too, so my question is, should the headphone come out of the back of the Rega...could i use the pre-amp output or record output lines for the headphone amp...prob go for a Schiit headphone amp
     
  2. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Pre-amp would be controlled by the Volume rheostat. It's used for bi-amping or connection to a subwoofer. You want a line level output. That should be the Record output used for a tape loop. You could also look at the Pro-Ject Head Box S2 for similar pricing. I just bought the Schiit Magni 3. It's on a 3 week back order. So you may want to consider the Pro-Ject if you can't wait.

    I would look at the connection. If you don't want to power the Rega during listening sessions, the Pro-Ject has a pass through. This would allow you to connect your source directly to the Head Box then to the Amp. The Shiit works differently. It has a pre-amp output, similar as described above. So connection without a tape loop is awkward. You would require an external switch to connect the Magni to bypass the Amp.

    I ended up adding the switch below. I have a tube amp and I didn't want to have it turned on if I was only going to use the pre-amp section. It works fine. But if I had to do it over, I think I would have just gone with the Pro-Ject to get rid of the other extra device and extra interconnects. With interconnects, I spent $100 to make a $100 device fit in with my system. The Pro-Ject would have just been the cost of an extra interconnect. The Magni is more compatible with computer system or other setups with powered speakers.
    Rek-O-Kut - Low Noise Stereo Phono/Aux Switch
     
    talkingh likes this.
  3. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    That would work only if you have one source. I have four connected to the amp, and then from the amp to the headphone amp, so - I have to run the integrated as a pre, with muted output, to run a HP amp, alas.

    Also, I do own the R-O-K switch, which I bought for connecting two TT's to one phono. Regrettably, at least with TT use, it's not as "low noise" as they would have you believe. I eventually abandoned that idea in disgust, and just bought another phono pre. It might be good enough for digital sources, though.
     
    talkingh likes this.
  4. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    Both the Elicit and Elicit-R have a pair of RCA outputs for record output link. The record output link is perfect for connecting a headphone amp. You should be able to send any input to the record outs and record output link. So pretend you're sending the inputs to a record deck and that'll be sent to the headphone amp. Perfect.

    For Schiit headphone amps I'd be looking at the Lyr 3. It's nice. I like it. I like hybrid amps. Hybrid tubes can take the edge off solid state and add some additional soundstage depth. I like that with headphones.

    Other headphone amp options I'd suggest would be the Cavalli options on Massdrop and Monoprice. I personally like the Cavalli sound more than the Schiit sound. But both are good. The Cavalli house sound just suits me better.
     
    signothetimes53 likes this.
  5. talkingh

    talkingh Vibes Controller Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    thanks man good advice,
    the reason i looked at the vallhalla 2 is that when i listen on the headphones through the record out of the rega into the valhalla the sources will be a bluesound node 2 going into a chord qutest then the the rega so no need for another dac....and from a rega rp8/apheta 2 to the rega amp to valhalla so wanna keep an all analogue signal from the turntable...surely paying the extra 150 bucks for the dac i wont use...the valhalla would be pretty similar???
     
  6. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    I'm assuming you'll want both the Chord DAC and Rega TT plugged into the back of the Elicit so you can hear them both over your speakers. Then when you want to listen to headphones you just select the input you want and hit the record button and that input should get sent to the headphone amp (the manual isn't 100% clear on that, but I assume that's how it works because similar amps work that way). Going through the amp like that the turntable will remain all analog through to the headphone amp. The only difference will be an additional length of interconnect and the additional input/output RCA jacks in the middle. If the cables are of good quality and the RCA jacks are good quality the difference shouldn't be audible compared to connecting the Chord DAC or Rega TT directly to the headphone amp.
     
    talkingh likes this.
  7. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I'm not sure you need to press the "record" button - not even sure if there is one on your amp. The "Rec out" is a fixed output that's always on. All you need to do is connect the headphone amp to it. To use headphones - select one of the sources on your integrated and press the "mute" button to silence the speakers. The rec out is not affected by the mute, so the signal will flow to the headphone amp.
     
    spacecoyote likes this.
  8. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    That depends on the receiver/preamp. My old Pioneer A-9 allowed me to listen to one source over speakers or headphone jack wile recording another source. I could play one source over the speakers and then play a second source over the tape deck and hear that second source by plugging headphones into the monitoring jack on the tape deck.
     
  9. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Agreed, older gear was built differently. But I believe the OP has a modrn Rega amp - no?
     
  10. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    True. But I try not to assume too much about gear I don't have experience with. Some new gear might have flexible record/out routing like some of the older gear did.
     
  11. talkingh

    talkingh Vibes Controller Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    yeah it does have those options
     
  12. husafreak

    husafreak Great F'n music that's difficult to listen to!

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    Yo Ham Sandwich, can you comment on the Lyr 3 VS the Mjolnir 2? I am jonesing to try a Schitt amp. I have a Cavalli LC. It is sweet but I've heard the Schitt are more ah, dynamic. I've looked at them both so it is mostly a sound impression I'm looking for.
     
  13. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    I can't comment on that amp comparison. I've only heard the Lyr 3 at a meet. I haven't heard the Mjolnir 2 at all.
     
  14. husafreak

    husafreak Great F'n music that's difficult to listen to!

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    Thanks. I may just give them a call. I like the balanced output on the Mjolnir. My Ether Flows have a 4 pin XLR plug for that. I like the big box. Not sure about the extra tube but I much prefer the look. The Lyr 3 seems to be getting the lions share of attention though.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2018
  15. husafreak

    husafreak Great F'n music that's difficult to listen to!

    Location:
    NorCal, Bay Area
    Back on topic. And i'm just repeating what has already been said here I guess. I run my Liquid carbon or Garage 1217 Ember II headphone amps from the tape out RCA jacks on the back of my Krell KSL preamp. So no matter what source I use the amps are receiving the signal. I plug in whichever amp I want. I have also used the main preamp RCA out but I prefer to bypass the preamp volume stage with the tape out which is a line level source. The newer preamp you are looking at has renamed the tape out to record out I guess. If you go for a Schitt headphone amp then you'll have to decide whether to get a DAC stage. I won't because I am happy with the Oppo UDP-205 CD player DAC but your Schitt would be more flexible if it has a DAC.
     
  16. talkingh

    talkingh Vibes Controller Thread Starter

    Location:
    London
    yeah im not bothered about the inbuilt dac....the chord would be of a much higher quality
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine