Headphone connection solutions please

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 09 February 2018

Not often I post in here!

System in brief NDS/NAC52/Active SL2s etc

I have recently bought a great pair of Grado 325e 'phones to use with a new Astell + Kern MK70 DAP and I was wondering if I could find a simple way of connecting them to my main system without enormous cost. I have had problems connecting the AK via WiFi to my NAS archive so this is looking like the only way I could play my full res files at home via headphones when I wanted to.

I'm not in the market for a Naim headphone amp and PS solution-too expensive and too many more boxes.

Can anyone suggest how I might connect them? I was thinking something like a Chord Mojo but I am not entirely sure if this can be connected to the BNC Digital output from the NDS. Would it work this way? Does anyone make connecters that fit from BNC coax on the NDS to 3.5mm coax input on the Mojo? Would it sound OK? I'm not looking for the last word in performance here.

I guess the alternative is a dedicated cheap n cheerful headphone amp connected to the NAC 52. Suggestions? I don't think I could connect a Mojo somehow this way, or could I?

Cheers Bruce

Posted on: 09 February 2018 by Erich

Richard Dane posted:
Bruce, I would look for a dedicated headphone amp to connect to your Naim preamp. Plenty out there that sound good for not too much money; Creek, Rega etc.. you’ll need a tape interconnect - Naim or Chord would be my recommendation.

Definitely! I enjoy the Naim Headline in my main kit as well as the Chord H. I prefer the first one but the latter is portable so most of the time is on my night table.

Posted on: 10 February 2018 by Bruce Woodhouse

Well loos like I can fiddle around and make a power socket available so I have ordered an Arcam rHead and a suitable lead. I was not going to start demoing various headphone amps at this sort of level but the Arcam for £200 seemed a decent punt.

We shall see.

I have never really owned 'proper' HiFi headphones before (just in-ear types like Etymotics and now Klipsh x10) and I'm really enjoying these Grado 'phones with the Astell Kern DAP and also plugged into my office 'Qute. Nice different listening option. They don't bleed noise as much as I had feared so can even listen this way when my wife wants some peace and quiet.

Bruce

Posted on: 10 February 2018 by ChrisSU

It’s a shame you couldn’t get the A&K working over UPnP, is there no possibility of a fix for this? My Sony works flawlessly like this, and I can have it in my pocket in any room in the house with no extra hardware required.

Posted on: 10 February 2018 by Huge

Even my £200 Android 'phone can do that!

Posted on: 10 February 2018 by ChrisSU

Huge posted:
Even my £200 Android 'phone can do that!

Maybe not surprising, as my Sony player also runs Android. There are a number of iOS app that will do it too. No use to Bruce, though.

Posted on: 10 February 2018 by Bruce Woodhouse

ChrisSU posted:
It’s a shame you couldn’t get the A&K working over UPnP, is there no possibility of a fix for this? My Sony works flawlessly like this, and I can have it in my pocket in any room in the house with no extra hardware required.

I am trying to get some support from A+K but nil so far. It can see both NAS on my network but only connect to one. The one without the archive. I cannot work out why since both are totally accessible to all other devices.

i have also discovered it will not play 48.1.kHz files of which I seem to have a fair few. Tsk.