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2 headphones at a time


gopi

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Hi,

I am not sure if this is right sub section for this and this is my first post a head case :) My requirement is following:

I need to be able to share my music with my gf. So, the main question here is, can I use a y splitter with any amplifier. Lets say with a pico?

Or do I need to go only for units with 2 headphone outs.

I need a single unit as my UAB DAC/Headphone amp for convenience of moving it around. I am ready to shell out around $1k for the unit apart from headphones. My choices with 2 headphone outs:

1. Meier Audio Opera/ Symphony - Symphony is really costly and for Opera I am getting only the 0,120 ohm versions. Shouldn't I need both h/p outs as 0 ohms

2. Benchmark Dac1 - Might be clinical and sterile for my tastes?

3. Headroom Desktop / Desktop Portable - Seems good

4. Audiotrak Dr. Dac2 - Its not in the same league as others?

5. Musical Fidelity X Can V8 - Dac is very ordinary?

I would love it if people say I can use a y splitter with Pico.

Also, headphone would mostly be a Denon AH D2000. I am not so inclined to go for 2 Denon's. But, if its bad to use a 2 different headphone models, then I will go for 2 Denons.

I am based out of India and have no chance to listen to any of these unfortunately.

I really appreciate your help here.

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more replies :)

I can add an attenuator. But, my worry will be if 2 different impedances can affect the amp/headphones or sound quality.

Splitting the source is an option I considered as well, but how can a laptop be connected to 2 different DAC's at the same time?

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1 dac, 2 amps
How many cups?

For fun I just plugged a couple HD580s into a Grado Y-splitter and then Grado 1/4-mini adapter and the Pico handled them easily. You should be fine with two Denons or very similar impedance/efficiency (or out of balanced equally with preferred listening levels) cans (as long as they're not crazy power hungry).

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

save the money...

if you two listen at different levels, keep it at the lower volume preference, because here's your chance to adapt your listening to lower levels which is always good for your ears. Doing it while listening with a partner helps much more than trying to listen under your own desired level because then you have no choice but to bear it and in the end your ears benefit.

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My housemate used to wear two headphones at the same time, so he could play video games + listen to music at the same time. He used earbuds for the music, and circumnaurals for the video game noises. He's seen here with the outer pair moved out of the way:

351015389_7cce07f3fb.jpg

I took this pic when I was testing out a 50mm prime, using my external flash bounced off the ceiling. I got sick of waiting for him to remove two pairs of headphones when I needed to talk to him, so I built him a rig based on one of my old DJ mixers so he only needs one pair of cans now.

...oh, you weren't talking about wearing two sets of 'phones at once? Neevermiiiiind.

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Three issues -- impedance mismatch, sensitivity mismatch, and different listening levels.

So potentially you'll have an impedance mismatch, so try to pick phones of similar impedance. There could still be variations at certain frequencies that peak or dip at the same time, making things worse for the amp, and exaggerate a frequency issue that wasn't there with just one. Unlikely, but potentially a problem.

Sensitivity issue -- same results, slightly different cause (albeit related).

Listening levels -- previously discussed and self explanatory, I would hope.

We actually had this problem when we were doing some listening tests with an EAR headphone amp. The Sennheisers were much less sensitive than the Grados, so the person listening to the Sennheisers was at a disadvantage at being able to hear differences, much less anything. I have a reputation for listening at an entire notch lower than anyone else, but the difference was too much even for me. So don't think that you can necessarily cancel out the third problem with a judicious choice of headphones.

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I would mainly like to use it with two Creative Aurvana Live! for movies (I won't use it with the ESW10)

But I also like to see if the 'recable makes it much better' thing is a ripoff or not (I think it is cheap and simple enough to experiment with it and in this way it is easier the compare if the SQ doesn't suffer). I think I will modifiy one to a 'bass-light' version. The question is which one should I buy: Grado, Kimber or something which is cheaper.

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