Hiya all
Firstly, apologies, this is likely a really nooby thing to ask. I’m still kind of new to the analogue world having been primarily CD and then digital most of my life.
Just to give an outline of my setup layout (links to technical specs for relevant parts):
Primary source
Rega Planar 3 Record Deck going into
Trichord Dino Mk 3 Phono stage (only one dual RCA out)
Dino mk. 3
RCA out of Trichord into RCA input 1 on primaluna
Secondary source
Mac Mini
Native Instruments Komplete Audio USB interface
6.5mm headphone out into dual RCA input 2 on primaluna
Both feeding into
Primaluna Evo 100 Integrated amp
PrimaLuna Evo 100 Tube Integrated — PrimaLuna USA
Out to Buchardt S400 Mk3 speakers
I recently bought some ZMF Bokeh Closed and the Primaluna headphone output just doesn’t do them justice so I’m about to get a Cayin HA-3A dedicated headphone amp - Cayin HA-3A | Desktop Tube Headphone Amplifier
The Primaluna has a RCA tape out, is that what I should use to feed the Cayin?
OR, would it be better (and possible) to get a Y RCA splitter out of the Trichord Phono Stage so I could have a direct feed from that into the Cayin completely bypassing the integrated? Or does it require some kind of inline switch to achieve that? Is this when you face limitations of an integrated and a dedicated Pre-amp come into play?
Any opinions appreciated.
Many thanks
Simon
AS long as the HP amp has a volume control, you should use the tape out. You don’t want two volume controls in the signal path.
Ok cool.
But that would mean it’s getting both the colouration of the Integrated + the headphone amp.
If it were to receive the phono amp signal as the source, wouldn’t that be a far cleaner way to do it and there would still be only one volume in either signal path? I’m sure Paul did a video in the past where he mentioned about using a Y Splitter, but wasn’t sure if that was doable or if it needed an active switch?
It would only be getting the preamp portion of the integrated. Paul has contended that a preamp buffer stage can be an improvement over a direct source connection. Feel free to try it both ways with your Y-adapter splitting the phono preamp output. I designed Sumiko’s The PhonoAmp decades ago that had a switched capability so no Y-adapter was needed to feed either the preamp or power amp.
That’s exactly the kind of thing I wish mine was capable of, if only I knew what I knew now back when I was getting into all this.
You’re a pretty perfect person to answer all this, you must know your stuff!
Does the Y splitter idea make any sense or am I freeing that from some corrupted corner of my addling brain? It’s crude, but if I can keep the integrated tubes out of the feed into the headphone amp (which is also tubes) it would be something I’d love give a try. Or is your point that the PrimaLuna only uses tubes on the output stage and therefor the preamp part of the integrated serving the tape out won’t be coloured? Forgive me, I’ve never bothered to learn how these things work.
I did find the video I was thinking about that Paul did, although it’s for a pre-amp with only one phono out to serve both the power amp and a sub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7heQ8NUe940
I will definitely try it out of the tape out also, the PrimaLuna isn’t one of those massively tubey amps, so perhaps it won’t send the signal too gooey out of the headphones.
The PrimaLuna’s tape output is entirely passive and has only a set of hermetically-sealed relay contacts to pass through; therefore there will not be coloration. Also since its input impedance is very high at 100K ohms, it will not load your phono output. On that basis I will bet you won’t hear a difference, and i’vs never liked cable-based Y-adapters and instead recommend these.
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Well, you see, that’s the kind of thing that I just wasn’t aware of at all, that’s fantastic, thank you so much.
That sets aside my fears then, I will try the tape out as a first port of call.
So very helpful, really appreciate your time, you’ve answered everything I was confused about.
