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Topic: Line-Out Question (Read 2680 times) previous topic - next topic
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Line-Out Question

I have a Perreaux Silhoutte SXH1 headphone amp that has one set of RCA inputs (L/R) and one set of RCA line outs (L/R). If I feed the line-in on the amp from the RCA line-out of a musicstreamer DAC, will the line-outs on the amp send out an unamplified signal? If that is the case, does the Perreaux amp need to be turned on? The reason I'm asking is that sometimes I may want to use my powered speakers instead of my headphones and I was concerned that connecting my powered speakers to an amp feed would cause problems. If I can use the Perreaux to passively send the signal to my speakers, I won't have to upgrade my soundcard to something like an M-Audio Audiophile 192 or use 'female to 2 males' RCA adapters on both channels of the outs from the musicstreamer DAC. I'm not sure how much degradation I would get using the adapters (and I might not be able to hear it given my ears and equipment), but my preference is to stay away from adapters.

Thanks!
PS...I know this was probably a pretty dumb question...
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Senn HD 650, Perreaux Sihoutte SXH1 amp
Dell XPS 8100 Realtek HD Audio SC w/ Tru Studio PC software (Creative/THX), Swann D1080 Mk II speakers
Denon AVR 3806, Denon DVD 1920, Revel Concerta F12 speakers
Monster HTS 3500 Mk II and various cables.

Line-Out Question

Reply #1 –
I don't know the answers, but it should be easy to experiment! 

... Hook-up one amp input channel directly to to the DAC, and feed the other channel through the headphone amp.  My guess is that there will be no difference.  (Don't try too hard to hear a difference.  If there is a gain, it'll probably be gain of at least 2X.)

Try it again with the headphone amp turned off.  I'd guess that there is a direct-passive connection, but there could be a buffer amplifier (an amplifier with a gain of one).  If there is a buffer amplifier, I would expect the quality to be good.  It's not hard to build a low-noise, low-distortion, flat-frequency-response, buffer amplifier.

I assume the line-outs are there for that exact use...  So that you can insert the headphone amp in-between a preamp and a power amp (or powered speakers/monitors).

Quote
...or use 'female to 2 males' RCA adapters on both channels of the outs from the musicstreamer DAC. I'm not sure how much degradation I would get using the adapters...
You won't get any degradation with a Y-adapter.  Fewer connections are "nicer," and fewer connections are more reliable, but as long as you have a solid connection, sound quality won't be affected.  Line-outputs typically have output impedance 1/10th or less of the input impedance, so one output can easily "drive" more than one input.    (You should NEVER use a Y-adapter to connect two outputs together, but connecting 2 inputs is not a problem!)

Line-Out Question

Reply #2 –
Quote from: sawdin on
I have a Perreaux Silhoutte SXH1 headphone amp that has one set of RCA inputs (L/R) and one set of RCA line outs (L/R). If I feed the line-in on the amp from the RCA line-out of a musicstreamer DAC, will the line-outs on the amp send out an unamplified signal?


Umm you have the equipment right there, right?. Why not try it out yourself and see what happens?

Line-Out Question

Reply #3 –
Doug,

Thanks for the reply.  I have not yet purchased the Musicstreamer USB DAC as I was trying to figure out if the configuration issues would work, otherwise I was going to look at the M-Audio Audiophile 192 soundcard that has a breakout cable w/ two separate sets of outs.

Regarding adapters, if I understand correctly, I could take an Audioquest 1 x Male RCA to 2 x Female RCA Y-Adapter and connect it to the one of the RCA outs from the Musicstreamer, and take another of the Audioquest adapters and connect it to the other RCA out on the music streamer, and then I could connect both my headphone amp and powered speakers via RCA cables, and experience little, if any, signal degradation?  Is that correct? 

Dino

PS...Of course, it could all be a moot point if headphone amp sends the signal on its merry way to the powered speakers w/out a problem.

Link of image for connector:
http://www.needledoctor.com/Audioquest-M22...p;category=1219

Line-Out Question

Reply #4 –
Quote
I have not yet purchased the Musicstreamer USB DAC as I was trying to figure out if the configuration issues would work...
I assume you have something with a line-out that you can experiment with...  A soundcard, or a DVD player, etc...

Quote
Regarding adapters, if I understand correctly, I could take an Audioquest 1 x Male RCA to 2 x Female RCA Y-Adapter and connect it to the one of the RCA outs from the Musicstreamer, and take another of the Audioquest adapters and connect it to the other RCA out on the music streamer, and then I could connect both my headphone amp and powered speakers via RCA cables, and experience little, if any, signal degradation? Is that correct?
Correct!  To re-phrase what I said before, it's OK to "split" a line-level signal...  But, the signal isn't really being split... It's just going two places... Something like you and your neighbor both tuning-in the same radio station.  When your neighbor turns-on his radio it doesn't affect your reception. 

But, you cannot "combine" signals without a mixer...  For example, if you used one of those adapters to connect the headphone amplifier to your DAC and to your DVD player, and that would be bad!!!!
 

Line-Out Question

Reply #5 –
Quote
I assume you have something with a line-out that you can experiment with...  A soundcard, or a DVD player, etc...

Yes, I have line out on my soundcard.  I can use the 3.5mm male to 2 x male RCA cord that is connected to the powered speakers and run that to the headphone amp and then use a regular set of RCA cables to go from the RCA outs on the headphone amp to the RCA inputs on the speakers.

Quote
But, you cannot "combine" signals without a mixer...  For example, if you used one of those adapters to connect the headphone amplifier to your DAC and to your DVD player, and that would be bad!!!!

I think I understand what you mean by not being able to combine signals from two different sources w/out a mixer, but I don't quite follow the example.  However, I don't have any plans to combine inputs from two different sources.

Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated.