I have a Rossini DAC used in my main 2-channel setup. Across the room, I’m looking at getting an electrostatic headphone setup (probably Stax with a Blue Hawaii SE amp) to pair with my work laptop.
It really, really feels like a waste to need a separate DAC with this setup. In a perfect world, I could somehow plug the Rossini into both my 2-channel integrated amp and into the Blue Hawaii Energizer 20 ft away on the other side of the room.
Is this possible in any way, or should I just budget for a separate DAC?
You could use both the balanced XLR and the unbalanced RCA outputs of your Rossini DAC to drive 2 separate amps. Both outputs are driven independently in your Rossini.
The Blue Hawaii has 2 pair Single Ended RCA Inputs, so the balanced XLR outputs of the Rossini would go to your main 2-channel amp.
However, 20 ft of a RCA cable pair is not at all ideal, pricewise and for EMI ( Electromagnetic interference).
I would drive the Blue Hawaii with 20 ft XLR cables; that way EMI interference isn’t an issue. And drive the main 2-channel system with shorter RCA cables.
I’m doing something similar, though I drive a preamp from the Rossini with XLR cables; and since the preamp actually has 2 sets of XLR outputs I can drive both my Blue Hawaii and a power amp simultaneously. The former one indeed with 7m XLR cables, the latter one with 1m ones.
I do need the preamp both because of the number of sources I have, and because I require a balance control, to equalize the slight difference of sensitivity I have between my ears…
Thanks both - that’s a perfect solution. Didn’t know the Rossini could handle XLR & RCA outputs separately.
It does appear from looking at the tech specs that the Blue Hawaii has XLR inputs, so I’d probably do the long run with the XLRs and then keep my existing RCA interconnects for the 2 channel amp right next to the Rossini, as Paul suggests.
Yes, this works fine. I use SE to my power amp and balanced to my headphone amp. In my case the cable runs are the same length but my DIY Stax T2 is balanced-only which forces the issue. @all2ofme has a similar set-up but with a long balanced run to his headphone amp.
Worth making sure that you prefer things direct from the DAC, though, as another option could be to drive the Blue Hawaii from the outputs of the two-channel amp.
I’m still on the fence here. Both setups sound good in different ways. One day I’ll decide and give my cables a rest.
Really, really wish dCS would release a firmware update that would allow us to mute the single ended and balanced outputs independently. Right now mute mutes both outputs
I see. I never thought of doing that actually. Just my personal view, FWIW…
I understand leaving an amp (or everything) on in Standby Mode (which wouldn’t respond to an audio signal). But leaving an amp perpetually in full operation mode, especially if it is class A, will waste hundreds of kilowatt hours (possibly thousands, depending on the amp) of electricity, and send the corresponding GHG emissions into the air (and then the water)
For example, my amp:
600W x 24 hours = 14,000 Wh = 14 kWh x 365 days = 5,256 kWh of electricity/year
CO2e emissions of ConEd electrical grid (New York City) = ~0.6 lb CO2e/kWh
= 3,153 pounds (~1,430 kg) of additional CO2e in the air (and then the water) from my amp alone
If I use it only 5% of all hours in the year, 95% of the above could have been avoided
Well said. Me neither, the power amp goes on for listening sessions and off directly after. The only exception are the Vivaldi units because of the battery in them they are kept on standby. Amps I turn off, even the preamp which doesn’t have a standby.
I feel I need to take as much care as I can to keep my carbon footprint as low as possible for the sake of the planet and everything on it. I stream music but not with a clear conscience as the impact of these data centers is also quite large.
When I’m listening to speakers: I switch on my Class-A power amp.
When I’m listening to my Stax headphone: I switch on my BHSE (which, by the way, actually is a Class-A amp also).
No real need to make the output choice, in my case, on the preamp - or for folks driving directly from the DAC, on the latter.
Totally get it for folks running tubes or class A amps - on when listening , and off when not. For those using class AB amps, there is often an extend warm up time however.
Also having two independently mute-able outputs, would give us the ability run another amp to a second system.
