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Headphone amp connection

How best do you connect a headphone amp to your system? I have a Cary Xciter that serves as my headphone amp and in a pinch a backup system amp. I have a EAR 912 preamp, EAR 890 amp, Krell Kid iPod transport, CD player and a RTR. The 912 has two RCA outputs and two XLR outputs.(line 1&2 respectively). Do I use a piggy back on the tape out or can I connect the Cary to the preamp via a RCA output. In addition, the 912 connects to the 890 via XLR's on output 1 and via RCA's from output 2 to powered subs. Any thoughts or ideas are very welcomed.
drpat
5 responses Add your response
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Best connection would be via tape outs.
dms1
13 posts
 
Agree that it is best to use the tape outs. Your other option introduces the preamp's volume control into play.
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,503 posts
 
+3 to the suggestion to use the Tape Outs to your headphone amp. That is what I currently do with my Accuphase C200 preamp and my Burson HA540 headphone amp. I use one of the Tape outputs.
drpat OP
55 posts
 
Does the opinion change knowing that i have a RTR in place as well?
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Does the opinion change knowing that i have a RTR in place as well?
Depends on the output impedance of the tape outs of the 912, which doesn't appear to be specified, and the input impedance of the particular RTR, and the input impedance of the Xciter, which is 100K.

Given the high input impedance of the Xciter, without knowing two of the three variables my guess is that you will have good results splitting the tape outs of the 912 and connecting them to both destinations. In saying that, I'm also assuming that the lengths of the interconnects to the RTR and the Xciter would not be particularly long (e.g., around six feet or less for each cable).

Regards,
-- Al
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