12V trigger out

The BHKs are the first components I’ve had with this feature (Classe shunned it for some reason). What is the appropriate way to connect them? I’m assuming a mono 3.5mm plug will work and I will need one for each amp. Anything I’m missing? Will the amps go into standby mode when I use the “off” function of the remote?

speeddeacon said

I’m assuming a mono 3.5mm plug will work and I will need one for each amp. . . . Will the amps go into standby mode when I use the “off” function of the remote?


Yes, yes, and yes.

The BHK components are the first I’ve ever owned with the trigger feature and it is kind of cool. I set the delay so that the preamp is through its tube warmup cycle before it triggers the amp. IIRC the pre has a 40-second countdown so I have the amp trigger on 50 seconds. I don’t know that it would hurt anything if the amp went on before the pre was ready but this seemed like a sensible arrangement.

I do the same. My amp clicks in a few seconds after the pre. And it is a cool feature.

Ok cool. I’ll have to play around with the settings to have amps be last on and first off. I haven’t paid enough attention to the warm up cycle times yet.

Sure wish PS Audio would offer a 12V trigger for the DS. I use my DS as the pre and it would be nice to just put the pre into standby with the remote to do both pieces. I wore the logo off my BHK250 standby button turning it off and on so many times. Luckily I got a new button when I sent in my BHK250 recently, have to take more care this time.

Looks like there is no way to program the off function, only the on. Since the dawn of time I’ve always powered the amps down before anything else. Hopefully the timing is such that the they shut off simultaneously and won’t be any surges of signal getting through to the speakers.

That’s right, no way to program the off function. I’ve been using the trigger for several months now to put the amp in standby along with the BHK pre and so far have seen no ill effects. The amp might go to standby a fraction of a second before the pre but I won’t swear to that.

I also recall reading that when the amp goes to standby the outputs are muted. I take that to mean nothing nasty will go to the speakers, but someone correct me if I’m wrong about that.

I get a soft thud when I use the remote to put the BHK Pre in standby, which also puts the BHK amp into standby. Not loud enough to hurt anything but I wish it didn’t do that.

3.5mm (mono) cable fits firmly in my Audio Research LS28 preamp, but only about half way & very loosely at that, in my BHK300s. Not going to try using it this way or try to force it further in the BHK300s.

That’s strange. Did you a try a stereo plug?

No, but shouldn’t matter. 3.5mm is 3.55mm with either

Yes, I know. But it could be an issue with the plug, or the way the BHK inlet grabs it. In mine BHK, stereo plugs worked just fine. I have never tried mono ones.