2. amps-preamps
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Preamp to Headphone transformers?

In short, I have an excellent preamp (ARC Ref 6). Rated voltage is 2V RMS (balanced) to a 200 ohm load with a max of 70V RMS.   This is just way too much for headphones, but it wasn’t designed for them. 

Occasionally, I’d like to just plug a set of headphones (sennheiser HD650s or Focal Ether Flow C) in and keep the speakers off. Rather than reinvent the wheel (why replicate the circuity with a headphone amp) is there any product which I can just plug into my balanced outputs and then present a SE or balanced output for the headphones?

avlee

Showing 5 responses by avlee

avlee OP
84 posts
 
Using whatever output isn’t the issue. It’s the voltage, as far as I’m concerned. 

I also dont have amplifiers in the traditional sense. My preamp is hooked up to my speakers directly because my speakers have built in amps (like monitor speakers). 

Turning my speakers on and off isn’t an issue. I would want a device that will let me use my preamp output to drive headphones. For that, I assume I would need a transformer or something to shift the voltage down while giving me either SE or balanced plugs for the headphones. 
avlee OP
84 posts
 
Huh. Found something interesting...it’s a high impedance to low impedance transformer but designed for older radios to output to headphones. If nothing exists, I might be able to adapt it pretty easily to make a homemade rig.
avlee OP
84 posts
 
Thank you. I missed the k on the output impedance!

So that’s what been confusing me...my sennheisers are supposedly relatively high impedance at a whole 300ohms, but that’s not much compared to what the ref 6 is rated for.  I like the idea of the buffer stage that you discussed, because then I could just use the preamp to change volume. 

Hopefully something like that exists?
avlee OP
84 posts
 
Thank you very much for the info. 

Yeah, the minimum impedance on the old radio/headphones transformers was 600-20k, which is massive...and as you noted, the output voltage might be too weak. 

I’ll contact Mr. Tutay.  Much appreciated!
avlee OP
84 posts
 
Had a chat with Mr. Tutay, learned a lot. Bottom line, there’s no way to drive headphones off a preamp. As almarg noted, it’s just not the right instrument.

I guess I’ll have to get a headphone amp. 
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