I have heard with high powered stereo components it is unwise to stack gear on top of each other due to EMI. Is this a concern with low powered headphone gear? The gear I would be stacking is JDS Labs Atom + Topping D10S. Also if stacking is okay, which unit should go on top?
-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Is it okay to stack components - Specifically Headphone amp + DAC?
- Thread starter romnation
- Start date
100% BS. It's more about heat dissipation rather than EMI. DACs normally run cooler than headphone amps therefore, the headphone amp should be placed on top of the DAC for better heat dissipation. It's important to have enough clearance in the form of the rubber feet between the stack as to not cause heat transfer from amp to DAC
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2019
- Messages
- 11,096
- Likes
- 14,753
Many people stack hpa and dac. Shouldn't matter which order but whichever gets warmest, put to the top.
Or, as you'll be plugging in and out of the Atom, put that at the bottom to weigh it down.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2019
- Messages
- 353
- Likes
- 434
Sometimes the rubber feet may not be tall enough. I use 1/2 inch thick acrylic bars for stacking
things that get hot for more airflow. The gear I have used this technique on is full 19" rack mount
stuff so YMMV. I thought it looked cool and it really worked well. I know stacks are considered cool
but mounting side by side may be ideal in some cases. Especially when both units get warm.
Be a rebel...resist the stacking lemmings!
things that get hot for more airflow. The gear I have used this technique on is full 19" rack mount
stuff so YMMV. I thought it looked cool and it really worked well. I know stacks are considered cool
but mounting side by side may be ideal in some cases. Especially when both units get warm.
Be a rebel...resist the stacking lemmings!
Bob-23
Senior Member
Apart from the heat which shoudn't be much of a problem neither in an headphone amp nor, even less, in a dac, the shielding of the units might be taken into consideration: is it in a metal case or in a plastic case. Metal cases are grounded (to signal ground) and thus short induced currents to ground. Plastic cases don't do that. Nonetheless, an amp or a dac in a plastic case may be sufficently shielded if it's constructed well and has e.g. a groundplane. (If you've still got noise after having put them them in a rack, a solution might be simply adding a ground plane between them, but i guess, it won't be necessary.)
I stack a Topping D50s on top of a JDS Atom Amp without any problems.
All things being equal I would stack the amp on top of the DAC, but that simply wouldn't work with my set up - nor I suspect with yours. The D10s is bigger than the D50s, but as @jimbob54's says above, the Atom benefits from a bit of weight on top.
Hipper
Addicted to Fun and Learning
The instructions should give you a guide as to what clearance is needed. And it is only about heat disipation.
Similar threads
- Poll