Is it really inadvisable to drive headphones with what are essentially preamp outputs? Here’s why I ask.
Until I got my headphone amp, I was driving my headphones with the analog out of an Airport Express, using iTunes to control the volume. It sounded OK. A frequent use case is to hook up an iPhone or Airport Express or such to a stereo system with a 3.5 to RCA adapter. Maybe not perfect but not obviously terrible at all.
I’ll grant you headphones are not designed to be driven such. But in practical terms, what’s the problem with driving headphones with a volume-controlled preamp out? Will there be a change in the frequency response or sound in a significant way? Could the headphones or preamp be damaged? Is the answer dependent on the characteristics of the headphones?
Thanks for your patience (if any) with this basic question.
Bob
Until I got my headphone amp, I was driving my headphones with the analog out of an Airport Express, using iTunes to control the volume. It sounded OK. A frequent use case is to hook up an iPhone or Airport Express or such to a stereo system with a 3.5 to RCA adapter. Maybe not perfect but not obviously terrible at all.
I’ll grant you headphones are not designed to be driven such. But in practical terms, what’s the problem with driving headphones with a volume-controlled preamp out? Will there be a change in the frequency response or sound in a significant way? Could the headphones or preamp be damaged? Is the answer dependent on the characteristics of the headphones?
Thanks for your patience (if any) with this basic question.
Bob