[Dredster]

I have been using a Bent Audio TVC 102 in my home analog system for a few years now. I built the kit and have tweaked it to my max. I would like to convert it now to a headphone amp. Solid state is my only choice for this one since it will be going into a moble home. Do I need to add a pair of high quality op amps or can it do the job without them. Headphones will be Grado RS-1 with a 32 Ohm imp. Source will be Marantz SA-1 SACD player with a 2 volt output . No preamp. If I need the op amp where can I get one in kit form.  Thanks all

[John Chapman]

Hello!

You need a buffer for sure. The tx102's will not drive headphones (especially low imp like grado's) well at all. The place to look for SS headphone stuff is at the headroom site :

http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php

They sell lots of headphone amps you could just plug into the output of the tx102 and be listenning with no modding required. For DIY there is quite a bit of info (lots!) in the discussion area - like which buffer amps are popular. There is not much extra room inside a tx102 kit  but it'd be easy to tuck a small headphone board in there I think.

Please let us know how you make out!

Many Thansk!

John

[cjr888]

Hit up head-fi.org and talk to folks in the DIY section -- you can do something extremely simply or complex that would most likely fit directly in your enclosure...and on the cheap.  Several popular designs that tons of people over there have built.

[randytsuch]

This is available in a kit
http://headwize.com/projects/showfile.php?file=meier_prj.htm

although you would have to change a thing or two to use the tx102, changes should be minor.

Randy

[Dredster]

Thank you all for your help. John- that was not what I wanted to hear, I was hoping to do without the amp.  Now that I have to have one I looked over some of the suggestions from the members who gave advice.; Thank you all. The simplest solution I came up with is to buy a Grado RA-1 headphone amp and modify it myself. First bypass the cheap volume control and couple it to my TVC 102 KIT. If anyone has moded one of these units let me know what you found and what worked. I plan on sticking with the battery operated unit and should be able to use some of the remaining space inside my TVC 102 CASE. I suspect it is just a simple opamp inside but I have not received it yet. A wire diagram for it would also be helpful if anyone has one. This turned out to be the simplest solution for my specific need but I did look at all of your ideas.  Thanks& happy trails