I'm new here, thank you for allowing me to post. I have been using my HiFiman HE1000se with a MOJO2 to satisfaction but I also have a lovely SET tube amp that I think might bring some joy if I could hook up my headphones. The amp is a Gorden Rankin Bugle 45, 2W, SET. I do use a proper preamp (with no headphone jack) so I can adjust volume. Can I just wire up a 3.5mm socket to the output terminals of the SET?
You probably can, but read through the following article and then decide.
https://sound-au.com/project100.htm
I personally run a ZenLite headamp, idling at 0.7A, yes, that much, and producing 2 - 3 W when feeding 8 ohm speakers, and am always afraid that may blow up my precious headphones so am trying to run it at as low volume as possible.
Considering implementing something like this or building another lower power maybe tube headamp.
https://sound-au.com/project100.htm
I personally run a ZenLite headamp, idling at 0.7A, yes, that much, and producing 2 - 3 W when feeding 8 ohm speakers, and am always afraid that may blow up my precious headphones so am trying to run it at as low volume as possible.
Considering implementing something like this or building another lower power maybe tube headamp.
I saw the same stuff before I can to this particular forum. It seems like a simple voltage divider and that makes sense. I'm not sure what the effects of such a divider are...
I'd like to know more about purpose-built Tube headphone amps. I'd build one if there was a well regarded schematic out there 🙂.
I like to ask about others who have gone before. I too am afraid of doing something stupid, after all, there must be some big reason tube headphone amps are so rare..
🙂
I'd like to know more about purpose-built Tube headphone amps. I'd build one if there was a well regarded schematic out there 🙂.
I like to ask about others who have gone before. I too am afraid of doing something stupid, after all, there must be some big reason tube headphone amps are so rare..
🙂
I don't think they are that rare. I can give you a ton of such examples and am in the process of building a few myself.
Had a SRPP one with e88cc built a few years back but was only suitable for high Z headphones, so I built my ZenLite then.
Here are some:
https://wtfamps.com/papa-rusa-headphone-amplifier/
http://www.diyaudioblog.com/2012/01/
http://www.pmillett.com/ecc99_srpp_headphone_amp.htm
https://www.cascadetubes.com/older-pages/the-recovery/
https://headwizememorial.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/a-low-voltage-class-a-tube-headphone-amplifier/
and many more, so many that one can become dizzy just reading all the stuff.
Good luck
Had a SRPP one with e88cc built a few years back but was only suitable for high Z headphones, so I built my ZenLite then.
Here are some:
https://wtfamps.com/papa-rusa-headphone-amplifier/
http://www.diyaudioblog.com/2012/01/
http://www.pmillett.com/ecc99_srpp_headphone_amp.htm
https://www.cascadetubes.com/older-pages/the-recovery/
https://headwizememorial.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/a-low-voltage-class-a-tube-headphone-amplifier/
and many more, so many that one can become dizzy just reading all the stuff.
Good luck
Here is what I think is going on, I hope...
MOST headphones are of higher impedance than speakers. Even my own low impedance headphones are four times as much: 35 ohm! MOST headphone amps (including tube headphone amps) are designed with MOST headphones in mind and most headphones are above 100 Ohms! SO, I'm in a strange space - headphones closer to speaker impedance but in need of VERY little power.
It seems like a low power SET is a good candidate BUT I , like you, am worried I have not accounted for how much I must lower the output of my tiny SET tube amp to drive my speakers... I may yet try a voltage divider and one of the ones in the link you sent me seems OK * 8 Ohm over 2 Ohm... I'm just asking for an amen from someone who has tried this before 😎
MOST headphones are of higher impedance than speakers. Even my own low impedance headphones are four times as much: 35 ohm! MOST headphone amps (including tube headphone amps) are designed with MOST headphones in mind and most headphones are above 100 Ohms! SO, I'm in a strange space - headphones closer to speaker impedance but in need of VERY little power.
It seems like a low power SET is a good candidate BUT I , like you, am worried I have not accounted for how much I must lower the output of my tiny SET tube amp to drive my speakers... I may yet try a voltage divider and one of the ones in the link you sent me seems OK * 8 Ohm over 2 Ohm... I'm just asking for an amen from someone who has tried this before 😎
I got a response from a good friend saying the cited article is about solid state gear and indeed it does say within it that the assumed output resistance is zero.🤐
Dan says one needs to put 8 ohms across the output terminals of the Bugle 45 and around 100 ohms in-line with the headphone jack. Can anyone out there confirm that this has worked with them with a flea powered SET amp?
Dan says one needs to put 8 ohms across the output terminals of the Bugle 45 and around 100 ohms in-line with the headphone jack. Can anyone out there confirm that this has worked with them with a flea powered SET amp?
I am by no way an expert, but even if you get the resistance right there are more factors that come into play, noise, dampening , frequency response. I run those headphones off the Aegis tube amp
and the sound is excellent are quiet and the design allows you to switch impedance. I think a amp designed for headphones would put your headphones at less risk as well.
Bill
and the sound is excellent are quiet and the design allows you to switch impedance. I think a amp designed for headphones would put your headphones at less risk as well.
Bill