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Amplifier? Switch?


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Hi there, I am looking for a piece of equipment that will do the job I need but don't know where to look.

I game alot and when I do I use my headphones, but also enjoy watching videos/movies/listening to music using my speakers.

I would like a decent amplifier that makes all and any sounds 'better' but also makes it easy to change my audio output with a physical flip of the switch.

I have a budget of anything under £200?

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

Luke

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Your needs are easily met. All that you need is an integrated amplifier with a headphone socket ( very common). When the headphones are not plugged in then the output to your speakers is active. When the headphones are plugged in the output to the speakers is cut off and the signal is routed to your headphones. Virtually all ( though not absolutely all) integrated amplifiers with a headphone socket work like this.

 

Your budget is limited and as you price in £ I assume that you live somewhere on our beautiful islands. I think that your best bet is going to be the used market. Right now as I write there is a vintage Yamaha CA-710 going on UK ebay. Buy-it- now price is £299 but it may auction for less.  I am a huge fan of Yamaha amps from this era ( 1970s) and my godson was bought one for his birthday earlier this year. Sounds fabulous into some recent Wharfedale Diamond 9s. Worth trying to find the extra £99 if you need to.

 

NB: I am assuming that you do not have any unusual speakers that require special considerations and are not expecting high sound levels in a space the size of an empty barn.

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19 hours ago, PAR said:

Your needs are easily met. All that you need is an integrated amplifier with a headphone socket ( very common). When the headphones are not plugged in then the output to your speakers is active. When the headphones are plugged in the output to the speakers is cut off and the signal is routed to your headphones. Virtually all ( though not absolutely all) integrated amplifiers with a headphone socket work like this.

Thank you but is there such equipment that I can leave my speakers AND headphones plugged in and change the output via a switch or button? So I don't have to plug my headphones in everytime I want to use them??

 

19 hours ago, PAR said:

NB: I am assuming that you do not have any unusual speakers that require special considerations and are not expecting high sound levels in a space the size of an empty barn.

At the moment I just have some cheap £60 "Trust GXT 38 120W 2.1 Subwoofer Speakers"

These also need a huge upgrade...

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14 minutes ago, Lukerty123 said:

Thank you but is there such equipment that I can leave my speakers AND headphones plugged in and change the output via a switch or button? So I don't have to plug my headphones in everytime I want to use them??

 

At the moment I just have some cheap £60 "Trust GXT 38 120W 2.1 Subwoofer Speakers"

These also need a huge upgrade...

Generally, but not always, the amps used for HP and speakers are different or there is some additional circuitry to reduce the power to the HPs. Your needs can easily be met if you look for individual amps sharing the signal or a pre amp that has switched outputs. Alternatively look for a speaker selector switch switch to put into the middle.

Forrest:

Win10 i9 9900KS/GTX1060 HQPlayer4>Win10 NAA

DSD>Pavel's DSC2.6>Bent Audio TAP>

Parasound JC1>"Naked" Quad ESL63/Tannoy PS350B subs<100Hz

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On 11/22/2019 at 11:40 AM, Lukerty123 said:

Thank you but is there such equipment that I can leave my speakers AND headphones plugged in and change the output via a switch or button? So I don't have to plug my headphones in everytime I want to use them??

Offhand I can't think of anything that will do exactly what you want.  You cannot just use a switch on the amp's output and connect speakers to one out socket and the headphones to another as the headphones will need attenuation. I do have a headphone amplifier that will switch but it is basically a studio piece of equipment that acts as a headphone amp and active monitor controller but it only has one single ended input and other inputs and outputs are balanced XLR.  Plus it is rather costly. 

 

If I think of anything I will post again but surely plugging/unplugging a pair of headphones from the front panel of an integrated amp cannot be too onerous? I cannot see much difference in physical effort between  inserting a jack plug compared to pressing a switch.

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I suggest that you consider powered speakers and a separate headphone amp/preamp combination.  I have Edifier 1280 series (current model is now R1280DB, includes a DAC) powered speakers and their quality is amazing for their very low cost: $130USD or perhaps 150GBP excl. VAT.  Micca PB42x are also excellent but have fewer features.  Then you could get a Schiit Magni 3+ or Magni 3 Heresy (available soon) for 110GBP incl. VAT, or an older, used HP amp for much less.  All of the Magni 3 amps, older and newest (currently out of stock in the UK), have preamp outputs.

 

 Look here: Schiit UK Headphone Amps.   Good luck!    

Mac Mini 2012 with 2.3 GHz i5 CPU and 16GB RAM running newest OS10.9x and Signalyst HQ Player software (occasionally JRMC), ethernet to Cisco SG100-08 GigE switch, ethernet to SOtM SMS100 Miniserver in audio room, sending via short 1/2 meter AQ Cinnamon USB to Oppo 105D, feeding balanced outputs to 2x Bel Canto S300 amps which vertically biamp ATC SCM20SL speakers, 2x Velodyne DD12+ subs. Each side is mounted vertically on 3-tiered Sound Anchor ADJ2 stands: ATC (top), amp (middle), sub (bottom), Mogami, Koala, Nordost, Mosaic cables, split at the preamp outputs with splitters. All transducers are thoroughly and lovingly time aligned for the listening position.

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On 11/18/2019 at 12:20 PM, Lukerty123 said:

Hi there, I am looking for a piece of equipment that will do the job I need but don't know where to look.

I game alot and when I do I use my headphones, but also enjoy watching videos/movies/listening to music using my speakers.

I would like a decent amplifier that makes all and any sounds 'better' but also makes it easy to change my audio output with a physical flip of the switch.

I have a budget of anything under £200?

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

Luke

This is what I use

Samsung gaming monitor

HDMI switch to PC and consoles for A/V

headphone out jack of the monitor to sound bar analog input

 

For  £200 you can't get more than a sound bar, and the audio is flipped by your HDMI switch. But as long as the headphone output of your gaming monitor is good,

this works well.

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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