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Proprius As Headphone Amp |
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Bags
Regular Joined: 14 Apr 2018 Status: Offline Points: 80 |
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Thanks Ash.
My Proprius are due to arrive in a couple of weeks. Sounds like some DIY is in order before spending on a posher cable if I like what I hear.
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Bags
Regular Joined: 14 Apr 2018 Status: Offline Points: 80 |
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Graham.
As the Proprius has a label on it saying up to 32 ohms can I just check that I won't invalidate my warranty by using them with higher impedence headphones. Given your positive involvement in this thread I'm guessing that's not a problem.
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Graham Slee
Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16298 |
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With no load, the amps should sit there quite happily, and they'll drive down to 4 ohms, so anything in-between should be OK. If they do otherwise, then I'll have failed as a designer, and I'll have to pay for their repair and issue instructions not to do it in future, but my guess is they'll be fine.
As for connecting the grounds of two mono amplifiers, as required to connect headphones, which have a common return - well, it can cause stereo distortion. Stereo ground loop distortion is mainly unknown. You might expect things like that would be important, especially for stereo... and multichannel stuff, but closed minds seem to exist in the magical world of hi-fi. As John informs me, you will use 300-ohm phones; the current trying to go both ways is far less than you'd have on speakers - nearer to valve amplifier current, and stereo ground loop distortion was only discovered with the arrival of transistors - so might go completely unnoticed. One might ask if there's a spec for stereo ground loop distortion, and the answer is no, and because of that, it can't exist. Also, the star earth (discovered by Decca) rendered it inoperable but did it because star earths make rail decoupling impossible unless decoupled to each leg of the star, which voids the star earth, causing stereo ground loop distortion. Have fun! Graham
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That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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Ash
Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Location: Dorset Status: Offline Points: 4334 |
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Only excessive current flow and/or severe heat will damage electronic components or coil windings. I have used 120 Ohm and 300 Ohm loads with the Proprius with no issue. There are a few things to think about:
The nominal impedance of the attached load. (Ohms) The electrical sensitivity of the attached load (dB SPL per milliwatt) The dial position of the Proprius (higher positions can produce more noise so choose a position that makes the low-level hiss inaudible) Proximity of the drivers to the ears (the closer they are, the less power required and the easier it is to hear hiss). This is only relevant with earspeakers and speakers as most headphones have close proximity by design. Many headphones have removable cables so you can source/make a high quality 4-pin cable if you don't want to use them common ground with the negative terminals joined. But if impedances are high and current flows/oscillations are low, I'm not sure it will matter. I remember the HD800 was clear at 8 o'clock but the sensitivity is too high to use a much higher position without a high noise floor. At about 9 o'clock, noise was creeping in. To use a greater dial range there, a potential divider circuit would have to be implemented to adjust the impedance and tap off voltage. Edited by Ash - 07 Jul 2021 at 7:36pm |
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We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
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Bags
Regular Joined: 14 Apr 2018 Status: Offline Points: 80 |
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Thanks both.
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Ash
Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Location: Dorset Status: Offline Points: 4334 |
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After discussion with John C, because each monoblock has its own power supply, there is no guarantee that the negative terminal of each monoblock is at absolutely the same electrical potential. When there is a difference in potential, no matter how small, there is the possibility of DC offset or current flow between them or from one amp's + to the other amp's -, where Graham was talking about distortion being introduced. If impedance is quite high, it might not be audible.
If you don't mind cutting off the audio jack from the end of the headphone cable, which I believe is where the negative connections will usually join together, they can be separated from each other and connected to separate monoblocks. Not too much of a big deal if the headphone cable is removable and can be replaced with an official spare part.
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We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
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Graham Slee
Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16298 |
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Although this was a slightly different problem, the main point remains that grounds commoned at both input and output can result in a loop.
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That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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