Mainline - What happens when the power requested exceeds what can be provided?

[hpleung]

Hi,

I have tested my mainline on so many headphones. They sound absolutely phenomenal on the Focal Utopia, HD800, Z1R and the Arya. With the Susvara - it just lacks a little power for me (for anyone sane, I think the volume is sufficient).

One question though - On my Benchmark HP4, the Susvara often clips the amplifier - I think when the volume exceeds the power the HP4 can provide, it goes into protection mode and the headphone becomes silent for a second. On the mainline, I set the volume to the max and the headphone did not go into protection mode at all. Does it mean, there are still room for more volume? What is the behavior of the mainline, if the power requested exceeds what the Mainline can provide?


Thanks.

[Paul Birkeland]

The Mainline can be clipped, and will end up just not sounding so good when it runs out of steam.  There isn't any need for a protection circuit or anything like that though.

[Paul Joppa]

Tube amps in general, and especially SET amps with no feedback, go into what is called "soft clipping," which is to say that the distortion rises more slowly than with hard clipping as typically seen in solid-state amps. This makes the clipping less audible and less unpleasant for a given level of measured distortion.

[kGlerup]

You mention that the Headphone goes into protection.
Are you sure it is not the HP4 that goes into protection? That seems way more likely to me.

[hpleung]

Yes I meant the Benchmark HP4 (amp) goes into protection. And it looks like the Mainline does not do that.