Headphone Amplifiers

[CluelessIdiot]

This has been an exhausting search with no answers. I hope those with more knowledge can help. I am looking at purchasing a Headphone Amplifier ( either Schiit Heresy or Asgard 3). One of the questions I can not seem to get an answer for is: Are the outputs on these models Fixed or Variable? I have two setups. The first is a turntable into a Phono Preamp, then to some Klipsch Sixes (powered speakers). That is pretty simple. Headphone amp goes in between the phono preamp and powered speakers. My second setup is where it gets confusing. I have a Dennon X650H Home Theater receiver that has a weak headphone jack. I would like to use a Headphone Amp with the receiver but no one has a solution to hook up an external Headphone amp. My thinking is the Headphone amp needs to be fixed so the volume on the X650H will be in control. I would not want two volume controls for the headphones. It seems to me, that would happen if the Headphone Amp was variable. Where would the Headphone Amp hook up to the receiver?

Thanks in advance,
CluelessIdiot

 

[lovinthehd]

Not a headphone guy but can't imagine a dedicated headphone amp being very useful if it did not have a volume control....but you might look into manuals to see if any units do have a choice of fixed/variable outputs (for reasons other than headphones).

 

[slipperybidness]

This has been an exhausting search with no answers. I hope those with more knowledge can help. I am looking at purchasing a Headphone Amplifier ( either Schiit Heresy or Asgard 3). One of the questions I can not seem to get an answer for is: Are the outputs on these models Fixed or Variable? I have two setups. The first is a turntable into a Phono Preamp, then to some Klipsch Sixes (powered speakers). That is pretty simple. Headphone amp goes in between the phono preamp and powered speakers. My second setup is where it gets confusing. I have a Dennon X650H Home Theater receiver that has a weak headphone jack. I would like to use a Headphone Amp with the receiver but no one has a solution to hook up an external Headphone amp. My thinking is the Headphone amp needs to be fixed so the volume on the X650H will be in control. I would not want two volume controls for the headphones. It seems to me, that would happen if the Headphone Amp was variable. Where would the Headphone Amp hook up to the receiver?

Thanks in advance,
CluelessIdiot

If you connect a headphone amp to the Denon, you would not connect it to the headphone out jack with variable volume. You would connect it to a line out / pre-amp out and use the headphone amp volume.

I think maybe your denon does not have a pre-amp out? Which means using the headphone out is far from ideal!