Headphone option.

BriAm posted:

Hi. I have a 72 -Olive/hi-cap CB /2x135's -CB amplifier set up and would like to add a headphone outlet. I have a 'spare' Nait2. Could I utilise this as a headphone amp? If so what are the input and outputs I require?

Many thanks

 

 

Can't answer your question fully, but you'll need something to plug the headphones into. The NAIT2 doesn't have a h.phone socket.

Your best bet is a dedicated headphone amp that you can plumb in to the system through the Tape in/out DIN on your NAC72.  What's your budget?  Which headphones are you looking to drive?

I use to use a Project Headbox connected to the tape output on a NAC82 should work on a 72.

There is one way of doing it, but it involves getting a pair of older Stax Electrostatics (e.g. SR3) designed to run from loudspeaker outputs.  Then you could connect the Nait to the 72's tape output socket.  Cumbersome, but it would work, and wouldn't be cheap.

Other options are to get a headphone amp (Naim Headline?) or get some newer Stax type electrostatics which come with their own little headphone am whichyou would connect to a tape out on your 72.

I recently bought a SH headline. I have it powered by a Flatcap 2X and love it!

Just had a quick look at 'a well known auction site', and they have Stax SR3 + energiser for £50!  So perhaps not so expensive after all.

Running from the loudspeaker outputs still requires a STAX adaptor unit to run the STAX headphones, and it's not really recommended to do that with Naim amps.  It's arguably also a bit of a waste of a NAIT2 - better to trade it for something like an SRM-006T and a set of SR-404 Signatures, which should cost about the same amount as you'll realise for a nice NAIT2.  Of course, that also assumes that the STAX sound is what you're after...

Richard Dane posted:

Running from the loudspeaker outputs still requires a STAX adaptor unit to run the STAX headphones, and it's not really recommended to do that with Naim amps.  It's arguably also a bit of a waste of a NAIT2 - better to trade it for something like an SRM-006T and a set of SR-404 Signatures, which should cost about the same amount as you'll realise for a nice NAIT2.  Of course, that also assumes that the STAX sound is what you're after...

Very true.  However I when I got my first bit of Naim kit (a Nait), I did run a pair of Stax SR3s using a speaker switching box.  My source at that time was LP12/Ittok/AR P77, speakers Spendor BC1s.  Sounded very good and the Nait is still providing sterling service with "the opposition" ( my youngest daughter's in-laws). 

You are a braver man than I then.

I have to admit that when I had a STAX SRD-7Pro and Lambda Pro Earspeaker set I never dared hook it up to the speaker outputs of a Naim amp - mainly because of the Naim amps need for a certain amount of inductance for storability, normally provided by the speaker cable.  Instead I had a dedicated Quad 606 for this job, which worked pretty well.

Many thanks for all of your advice. It seems my naïve question was in the hope I could somehow send tape out of the 72 into tape in on the Nait2 then connect headphones to either tape out or speaker outputs of the Nait2. Is this practical or impossible? Or simply foolish?

Your best bet is a dedicated headphone amp that you can plumb in to the system through the Tape in/out DIN on your NAC72. What's your budget? Which headphones are you looking to drive?

I'm sure I posted this, but it didn't appear.  Must have moved from the page without clicking on the 'post reply' bit.  (sigh)

When I was driving Stax SR3s from my Nait speaker outputs, I DID use the recommended length of NACA4 (well, it was a long time ago!) to connect the Nait to the Stax Energiser unit.  Can't recall how easy/difficult it was to connect NACA4 to the Stax energiser.  Richard is correct, but I think my solution was the safe one.  All depends on your budget and whether you really want to use your Nait for that purpose.  If so, you would need the appropriate DIN/DIN lead to connect your 72 tape socket any line input on the Nait.  Current Stax phones often come as a package including the energiser/headphone preamp.  e.g. the Stax SR2025II which I used to use.  Again, not cheap, but it's all down to you.  Personally I like Stax headphones, but YMMV.