speaker switch to power headphones? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Kaboom
03-30-2005, 09:01 AM
So i bought my grado SR-80s today after the crappy ass DJ sony's i've had for to years finally gave up on me and the left channel died.
i am MORE than happy with these headphones, i can even hear Petersen breathe and hum in "we get requests"!
HOWEVER, my very crappy panasonic reciever cant seem to power them properly, and i can't afford to buy the really sexy grado headphone amp. The shop i bought it at is offering me a speaker switcher for slightly over fifty bucks. the theory behind it is that since its using the reciever's output transistors rather than the crappy-ass headphone circuitry, it shouldnt have trouble driving them. however considering that the output is for 6 ohm (at least the speakers are marked 6 ohm), how will it like the 32ohm transducers? will it work properly? also considering that they are offering me to try it for free, i'm not too scared, but if its a crappy idea i could save meself the QUITE long trip there
Cheers!

vr6ofpain
03-30-2005, 11:25 PM
Interesting that you are having trouble driving some Grado's. You are aware that 32 ohms is pretty low for a headphone, meaning they are easy to drive. In fact, Grado's are known as being about the "best headphone, when driving without a headphone amp".

I have a pair of SR-80's, which I am actually listening to some Larry Young with as I type this, and you probably have realized how damn good they sound! :)

So far I have driven them with an old Sony Discman, a Kenwood receiver, an H/K receiver, an H/K CD player, a Marantz multi-disc player, and an Antique Sound Labs vacuum tube headphone amp. The SR-80's were driven extremely well by all. Though obviously they sound quite a bit better with the H/K CD player, than the discman.

Sorry I can't help you with the speaker switch powering them (I am actually confused, does it have a headphone jack, or were you gonna splice you headphones cord to connect via the speaker +/- inputs?). I was just saying that I am surprised your receiver is having an issue with them.


*for comparison sake:

Sennheiser HD-580, HD-600, HD-650 - 600 ohms
Koss portaPro - 72 ohms
(I really like my Koss' too, but my Grado's destroy them!)

Kaboom
03-31-2005, 03:44 AM
accodring to the guy at the shop, their low impedance makes it harder for the amp to drive them well because the headphone stage is designed to work at those higher resistances. I dont REALLY have a volume problem (though i consider having to turn the volume 3/4 up to get MODERATE listening volume is indeed a problem), the trouble is in the fact that at those higher volume levels, the amp is very close to start distorting, and the trebble has lost a lot of its subtleness to become shrill.
i know that's not the headphone's fault from being played too loud, because when i tested them in the shop they sounded perfectly homogenous at even louder levels.
the switch does indeed have a headphone jack. its has the imput from the reciever's speaker cables, and the it has two outups (a and b) plus headphones. headphones are always on (so you unplug them when u dont use them) and u can switch betwee neiter a nor b, a, or b).