Headphones with Seymour Duncan tube preamp

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1/1/2000 7:08 PM

Tarrie

Headphones with Seymour Duncan tube preamp I have an old Seymour Duncan tube preamp that I want to use with headphones. The back "out" says "1 watt". I tried plugging in stereo headphones for the hell of it to see what would happen. Of course I only got sound in one ear, but the sound was weak and tinny. Can I do something to use headphones with this unit? How much power do you need to run your standard dynamic headphone set? I really need something to use with headphones so that I can practice at night. Hope someone can help me. Thanks.     Tarrie

 

1/3/2000 9:46 PM
adrian	Run it into a $5 yardsale stereo reciever with a headphone out. Turn down preamp volume first!     Ape.

 

1/4/2000 1:16 PM

Mike Burgundy

A fraction of that 1W is what you need. Good headphones can handle 1W peaks, but, trust me, you don't want that. Example: Sony MDRCD770: official handling capacity 1000mW, and sensitivity a whopping 106dB/mW. Ouch.   That 1W output is meant to power a speaker at low volumes, I think. I'm not familliar with this preamp, but I've seen it before (H&K, amongst others).   There should be an Ohms rating around there too. If so, you can always hook something up with a 3W 8Ohm resistor, and something of a headphone amplifier (you know the Headwise site?)

 

1/5/2000 4:16 AM

Tarrie

Thanks, Mike. I was wrong about the one watt. Must have seen that on some other preamp I was messing with. Regardless, I thought the preamp should have plenty of power to run headphones, but obviously something is not matched up correctly. Unfortunately, there is no info anywhere on the unit. How do I find that Headwise site? I really need something to plug headphones into. I'm not getting any practice!! AAAAARRRGGHHH!!!!!!!

 

1/5/2000 5:13 AM

Tarrie

OK, Mike. I found the Headwize site. Under the question "Can I plug my headphones directly into the output of my preamp?" the answer was something like "maybe". BUT ouputs of preamps are sometimes/usually high impedance, and there isn't enough current to power the headphones. So, what do I do, hook some resistors up in parallel? How would I hook up the 8 ohm resistor? Why 8 ohms? Thanks if you have any ideas.

 

1/5/2000 2:14 PM

Mike Burgundy

The resistor thing was for a speaker output (which, after all, expects to see a loudpeaker, or at least an 8-ohm load por something).   Since this is a regular preamp output, why not just build a simple headphone amp. Don't build one meant for guitar (that's your SD preamp), build one for line inputs (otherwise the signal output of the SD would be way too large, and too coloured).   On the other hand, you might want some colouration in there - youre missing a poweramp and speaker, after all. The straight preamp sound is usually rather brittle and harsh.   A nice simple speakersim might be ripped from a redbox (schems are on the net, don't remember where just now) or for example the sim bit of a VTwin (mail me). Oh, and the VTwin thing can handle headphones on its own.   Most speakersims have headphone outs, and might be had for not as much money as one might think (heard something about a Morley?)   Hope it helps

 

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