Just connect your phones directly to the ASR amp. I guess it has gain controls on the front. So use those for volume control.
The Sound Signature of a Headphone Amp
Hi,
I’ve been looking at headphone amps and I’ve been getting advice to buy units at wildly different price points. I own an ASR Emitter 2 Exclusive amplifier and the sound signature of this amplifier is exceptional. I was told to run cables from the tape outs on my ASR into the headphone amp, which is no problem. So I’ve looked around at Cayin, Schiit, etc.. From my inquiry with the Schiit store in CA., it was confirmed that the signal that I would hear would primarily be that of my ASR power amp but that the headphone amp still has a footprint on the overall sound so the better the headphone amp, the better the results. What know one has been able to explain is how much of the signal comes from the power amp and what percentage comes from the headphone amp? Is there a headphone amp that gets out of the way totally, acting as just a headphone input with a volume control? Any clarification on this would be greatly helpful. Thanks!
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I don’t recommend doing this..Your basically using a preamp(asr)>power amp(asr)>into another pre amp(headphone amp)>power amp(headphone amp)...As the ASR does NOT have a built in DAC you must be using something as a source into the ASR?That is where I would run signal to a headphone amp... |
The tape out is a line level output that bypasses the amplifier and volume controls of your integrated amp. This should allow for input into a headphone amp. The headphone amp will control the volume for your headphones.
Headphone amps are like all other high end audio equipment. They each have unique sonic character and in general sound better the more you spend. Headphones also have very large differences in power requirements… just like main speakers. I have owner headphone amps from a hundred bucks through my current setup in which with high end 300B tubes cost over $6K… and worth every penny in sonic character. This has enormous current capacity, so any headphone is going to sound it’s best. It is a Woo WA5… you can see the system under my user ID, virtual system. Many good headphones are hard to drive. So, it is important to match the headphone amp with
I highly recommend looking at Woo headphone amps. They are incredibly musical and natural. |
@ghdprentice I was told by the ASR Amp Designer to use tape outs to connect to a headphone amp. The headphones themselves are low impedance and easy to drive. Probably similar in sound to the Focal Clear MG. There’s a headphone jack in the amp however I’ve been having problems with it and for low impedance headphones, I was advised to have a tech install a devider in the headphone output. I’ve just gotten to where I want to buy a headphone amp but the Woo amplifiers are beyond my budget. So I’m thinking the Schiit Mjolnir 3 as I’ve read that it punches well above its weight. But getting back to my original question, how much of the sonic footprint is the ASR and how much is the Schiit? |
@ghdprentice Thanks! My power amp is going to be hard to match. When I upgraded my streamer/renderer to an increase of around $3,500.00, the difference was noticeable but not to the degree I’d anticipated. I’m stuck in my head with the same scenario regarding this headphone amplifier. I’ve just started my interest in headphone listening because I’ve found myself having to continuously replace the mylar panels in my Quad 2905 ESL’s. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. |
Replacing Quad panel? That is terrible. They should not need replacing for at least a decade or so. Have you identified a cause?
You could slowly put together a headphone system, over time. I typically use my headphone system for an hour a day and my main system for two hours. Both of mine have the same sonic character by choice. You might look for a used high end headphone amp. |
@ghdprentice Yes, the problems been identified. My Quads were some of the first built in that factory in China. For whatever reason, they didn’t apply enough adhesive at the glue joints for that grid like structural piece inside the panels. So a glue joint breaks and then I have to replace the panel. I’ve replaced nearly all of the panels between both speakers. Quad should have done a recall but the good news is that the problem was corrected in the replacement panels. |
My Benchmark HPA4 is a headphone amp that will get out of the way. My Holo Serene is also similar. Holo Audio also sell a dedicated headphone amp. The 2 I mentioned are 2-channel preamps and headphone amps. I actually use a dedicated tube headphone amp now but the new phone I will get will use all 3 of my headphone amps. I also own a Schiit Mjolnir 3. It is a warm sounding preamp / headphone amp. I am not using it much.
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