Anyone know about valve headphone amp fed from a NAC-N 272 - fixed or variable?

Posted by: rjstaines on 26 May 2016

I was thinking of getting a Stax valve energiser (aka headphone amp). I could run it from either the fixed or the variable output on my NAC-N272.

With the solid state STAX energisers you can wind the volume up to max and leave it there, feed it from the variable output of the preamp, sit back and use the 272's remote control (or Naim app) to control the volume in your ears.

However, can the same be done with a valve energiser... is a valve device happy to be left at full volume with the input signal controlling the volume at the headphones, or would running the valve energiser with the volume control at max cause problems (even though the input signal is low) ?

Anybody know about the electronics that's going on with volume control of valve devices ? (like would I blow the valves up or significantly reduce their life span?)

Thanks, Roger

Posted on: 26 May 2016 by cat345

Hi Roger,

If you listen through cabled headphones you will probably sit not too far away from the volume control of the Stax energiser so you may not need a remote control ? Valves are cheap and last a long time.

Posted on: 27 May 2016 by Richard Dane

Roger, as CAT345 says, you won't be so far from the Energiser (basically a pre-amp in its own right) and better to run through just the one volume control, so take a fixed output from the NAC-N272.

Posted on: 27 May 2016 by rjstaines

Thanks for the advice both. I'll do just that.

Posted on: 27 May 2016 by uem

Roger,

I can't answer your technical query, but:

I' ve been using different STAX valve amps for years, in the same way as you indicated, by using the NAIM "power output" with volume & balance control. On the NAIM NAC 82 up to the 552.

I had never a problem. OK - I was never listeing to more than 3 - 4 hours at the time,

Enjoy the best headphone combination I know : STAX & NAIM !!

Urs

Posted on: 27 May 2016 by uem

Roger,

....Just an afterthought.

IF indeed you would need some sort of extension, you may better off with placing the STAX amp close to the NAIM; use the variable output, and get STAX headphone extension cable. (Probably better - and cheaper ?? - than say a 2-3 meter (unblanced) line extension, even if you use the DIN connector)

Urs

(I’m sitting over 5 meters away from my HIFI Kit)