MikeH
Well-Known Member
yea --i don't know a ton about headphone amps or where in the chain it would have to go. also not sure if i can fit another box on my audio rack in my living room haha.
Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice
- Thread starter Joe Mac
- Start date
I used one at some point and I think it went TT -> pre-amp -> headphone amp -> amp -> speakers
The Kinki amps don’t have a headphone output. You could however, connect a headphone tap to the speaker outputs to run your headphones. That said, it would be overkill by a mile for the Meze 99 as they are super easy to drive.since i might embrace my Kinki side...been eyeing a used Kinki Studios EX-M1. And I could very well be an idiot, but is it possible at all to use headphones with it? Or would I need to buy something else to hook up to use headphones?
EX-M1 | Kinki Studio
www.kinki-studio.com
You can get really good results from the Meze with a $10 Apple dongle DAC. If you want a little more power the Earman Eagle (I own one) is a good option. There are many good dongle DACs in the $100 range that would be great to use with the Meze 99.
If you get the Kinki be sure to measure its dimensions with your rack. She’s thiccc front to back, almost was too deep for my console.
Overall though, would be exciting to hear your thoughts on it. Really have a love affair with mine, I had to play around with my loading/gain once it came in but now I’m at a sweet spot where everything sings
Overall though, would be exciting to hear your thoughts on it. Really have a love affair with mine, I had to play around with my loading/gain once it came in but now I’m at a sweet spot where everything sings
MikeH
Well-Known Member
oh yea--i wouldn't be using the kinki purely to listen to headphones with haha. but i have a 1 year old so can't blast records at night after he's asleep and have taken to using headphones on my main rig. my audiolab has built-in headphone amp so have just been using that at the moment. having the ability to listen to headphones would be nice but the main purpose would be to listen through my Ultradeck-->Sutherland 20/20-->Kinki-->Lintons. The idea is I'd move my Audiolab up to my second setup and sell my NAD 316BEE that I'm using there.
TrainFan73
Frothy
It depends on the headphone amp and your amp where it needs to go in the chain. Like my amp has pre outs and main ins so I could conceivable have it there.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
The Kinki only has inputs and speaker outputs it seems.
TrainFan73
Frothy
Then you would need one that works like a preamp and like @Ghost said need to worry about managing multiple volumes, but that’s not the biggest inconvenience in the would.
displayname
Well-Known Member
Correct. The kinki is not a feature rich unit. No dollar wasted. It’s made to do one thing, pump out two channel audio with clean, focused power.
The best way to bring in headphones would likely be through a dac with multiple outputs. For example, my Dac on my desk, and my Dac/streamer in my system both have RCA and XLR outputs. I could run XLR to the Kinki and RCA to a headphone amp.
Another (more expensive) option is to move to a dedicated line stage and separate power amp, assuming you select a line stage with multiple outputs.
In the Kinki eco-system this would include the EX-P7 line stage and the EX-M7 stereo power amp.
OR
Kinki does make a headphone amp with a preamp out. But I wouldn’t want my primary signal passing through an extra device.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Interesting…so I have an Ares II as my DAC which has XLR and RCA outputs but that only lets me listen to streaming/digital and not my TT I assume?
displayname
Well-Known Member
Correct. If you want multiple sources you’ll need a line stage to do that best. Or be willing to move cables. That sounds crazy, but I know a few people who are willing to move one set of cables because they couldn’t fund two sets (we’re not talking about BJC here, lol).
On the dac, you’ll also want to either test or check the specs to see if it splits signal when both are plugged in. This isn’t as common with modern hifi gear in my experience though.
I have the EX-M1+ which has a pre-out and HT Bypass. I have hooked up a headphone amp to the pre-out, but don’t listen to vinyl via my headphones often. So the headphone amp is usually just connected to my DAC.
displayname
Well-Known Member
This is much easier than anything I suggested. Just do this, lol
MikeH
Well-Known Member
except the M1+ is twice as expensive as the used M1 I was eying
.
displayname
Well-Known Member
Keep your ear to the ground. Used stuff comes and goes all the time. Hifi shark is a great resource when you have your heart set on something specific.except the M1+ is twice as expensive as the used M1 I was eying
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
Fact!
It's a very expensive site to find the best prices.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Yea I have been having a look at audiogon and hifishark. The ex-m1+ prices have been nowhere near this deal on the ex-m1. I need to consider how much I will use headphones longterm to listen to vinyl on this rig but a $1300-1500 difference is substantial.
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kvetcha
Well-Known Member
Buy a decent preamplifier for source switching. They don’t have to cost much.except the M1+ is twice as expensive as the used M1 I was eying
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Any recs?
kvetcha
Well-Known Member
I run a Schiit Saga S, but if you want to skip the volume control you could use something as simple as an RCA Source Selector: Amazon.com
As far as headphone amps go, I believe many will have a passive passthrough, so you wire them up before the power amp and they just send the signal along when headphones aren’t plugged in.