Bottlehead Forum
General Category => Technical topics => Topic started by: Douger on April 01, 2012, 07:06:30 AM
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Is it necessary to plug phones in first? Thanks!
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It isn't clear what product you are asking about. Bottlehead makes 2 dedicated headphone amps, one that is for headphones and speakers and a preamp that can be converted to headphones.
In all the cases I am aware of you should wait 10s after turn on to plug in the headphones. There is DC that leaks through the output capacitor that will go to ground through a resistor by 10 seconds.
Is that what you are asking?
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Yes, thank you. I have my Smack and want to turn it on while I run upstairs and grab the phones...
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That really is the best thing to do. Every tubed capacitor coupled circuit bleeds a little DC on startup. Expensive gear has a timing circuit and a muting relay that disposes of it. Bottlehead is much more affordable and I've been living with the startup routine for over 10 years now.
As a matter of fact, it is also the safest thing to do with even high powered solid state equipment. You start with the source, CD or tuner or phono stage, then the line stage then the final amplifier. On shutdown you simply reverse it. After the glow of the tubes is gone from my amps I shut off the rest of the system with one switch. Since the amps are dead, nothing can harm my speakers.
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Thanks again! I have been using the same routine for many years regarding the order, but the hp amp is usually in the middle but after the power amps are turned off. That Smack is awesome, along with my Paramounts...
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For a transformer coupled amplifier, there is no need to be concerned about this, just be sure the amplifier is the last item you switch on.
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Thanks!