32.5/SNAPS as headphone amp ??

Posted by: JamH on 31 January 2004

Hello,

I am getting a new pre-amp and I am wonderring if I can use my old 32.5/SNAPS as a stand-alone headphone amp i.e. drive it with the tape-out from the new pre-amp and use it to feed the headphones from the pre-amp output [i.e. the one which feeds the power-amp] and thus use the 32.5 as a volume control. [The headphones are Sennheiser and cost me about Euro/Dollar 20 a few years ago].

Has anyone tried this ? [If it does not work I am not too worried -- my CD player has a headphone output but it is not great quality].

James

Posted on: 01 February 2004 by bazz

It does work, I used Audio Technica ATH-911 phones for years that way from the second pre-out on a Hicap.

Solder an in-line headphone socket onto L+R+E of an old 4 pin pre-power lead, (trim the the red wire to avoid any possibility of 24v in yer lughole) plug the other end into Snaps and Bob's your uncle.

I don't think the impedance match is all that great but what the hey, sounded fine to me.

Posted on: 01 February 2004 by JamH

THanks for info ... I will try it when I get bthe new pre-amp.

Posted on: 01 February 2004 by prowla

I've been thinking about doing the same with a 62S.
There was a bit of a discussion a while back on PFM about this.
Someone there converted their 62's mute or balance switch into a headphone jack socket. The downside of that it that the kit is modded.
I was thinking of doing it the other way and making up a connector at the back to allow PSU input on some wires and headphone out on others.

Paul Rowlands

Posted on: 01 February 2004 by JamH

My problem is I don't have a headphone output [apart from the front of the CD] so I am looking at a minimal option .. i.e. use the pre-out of the 32.5 to feed headphones [with a suitable in-line connecter]. Feed the 32.5 from the tape-out of the new pre-amp [82] and use it [32.5] for the volume control.

I am not thinking of modifying the 32.5 internally -- I hardly ever use headphones but at the moment I don't have a headphone option for vinyl...

James

Posted on: 01 February 2004 by prowla

Hi, James
The "other way" I mentioned involves no modification to the preamp, but you have to make up a cable to convert the DIN to headphone.
My 62S has a 4-way DIN for audio out only, and a 5-way DIN with audio out + power in - I think I can just connect up a PSU to the 5-way DIN as normal, and then make up a 4-way DIN to headphone jack cable and plug it into the other socket. Should cost about a tenner.
(The 32 may have different connections, but the idea's there.)

Paul Rowlands

Posted on: 02 February 2004 by JamH

I will have to look around the back at the connections but I am using the 32.5/SNAPS with a NAP-250 so I don't think there is any power-supply voltage on the wires to/from the power-amp [but I will check]. My idea is to make a connection similar to the pre-out/power-in lead but with a DIN plug one end and a headphone socket the other. I am encouraged by the reports that the 32.5 will drive headphones and that this is not a stupid idea!! Thanks.