[Rod_S]

Hi;

I find myself in need of getting a quality pair of headphones as for the 1st time in years I'm going to start playing guitar again. To cut down on the volume in my apartment I'm going to be using a headphone setup while playing most of the time. That got me thinking and curious about trying out listening to music via headphones in a quality setup and the BHA-1 came to mind.

I have a BDP-2 to play my music collection located on a NAS, the BDP-2 is connected to a Lexicon MC-12B running Bryston amps. How would I integrate a BHA-1 into this setup? This is uncharted territory for me. I'm unclear about what device actually connects to the BHA-1, well aside from the headphones as the output Is it the BDP-2 via one of it's remaining unused digital outs or is it somehow the Lexicon that connects to it?

Thanks,

Rod

[CanadianMaestro]

^ Rod,

Connect the analog output of your DAC/CD player/processor to the input of the BHA-1. The latter accepts only analog inputs, no digital inputs on BHA-1.

cheers

[Rod_S]

Ah ok thanks. So the BDP-2 can't be connected directly to it as it only has digital outs.

So with my Lexicon, it has numerous inputs but it's outputs are for feeding the power amps. It has a couple zone related outs but that's it. Are you saying the BHA-1 is designed to receive a signal from the power amp outs from receivers/SSP's?

[CanadianMaestro]

^ There's one fellow, Armagaeis I think, who fed his Bryston (power) amp output into his BHA-1. So I would think that your Lexicon output going into BHA-1 should be ok. What's the voltage output of the Lexicon analog outs?

The BCD-1 output is around 2.5V SE/5V bal and BHA-1 handles it fine, directly.

[Rod_S]

Not sure of the voltage. In order to use the BHA-1 I certainly wouldn't want to either 1) put a Y cable off my main L/R power-amp outs or 2) have to disconnect my power amps every time I wanted to use it. Both would be silly solutions. The Lexicon has both balanced and unbalanced outs and I assume they are in parallel so so not hear anything through my speakers I would have to mute the Lexicon but in doing so that would also mute the signal to the BHA-1 if I were to connect the unbalanced outs to the BHA-1 while maintaining my balanced outs to my amps.

Looks like the other viable option would be the zone or record outs, both are unbalanced and offer both variable and fixed outs.

[srb]

Looks like the other viable option would be the zone or record outs, both are unbalanced and offer both variable and fixed outs.

The MC-12B also has balanced Zone 2 outputs.  The two pairs of unbalanced Zone 2 outputs are fixed and variable; I assume the balanced Zone 2 outputs are variable.

Using the Zone 2 outputs would let you activate Zone 2 and deactivate the Main Zone for speaker muting.

Steve

[Rod_S]

I completely forgot about it also having balanced zone outs. I suspect you are right, they are most likely variable.

[srb]

..... I assume the balanced Zone 2 outputs are variable.

As the Main and Zone 2 volume adjustments are independent, I would also assume you could set and leave the Zone 2 volume at 0dB or other preferred output setting if you want to use the BHA-1 volume control and it should remember last setting.

Steve

[CanadianMaestro]

why not use the "record out" to BHA-1?

[srb]

why not use the "record out" to BHA-1?

No reason other than Zone 2 also gives the option of using a balanced XLR connection.

Steve

[Dloines]

Not to confuse things, but the BHA-1 is actually a very good pre-amp too, just another option you have....

[Rod_S]

I would have to look at the manual to see if the volume is independent between the different zones. I know the 3 zones are independent with respect to the input routing and whether they are powered on or not just not sure about volume. It would be cool if it was independent. Zone 2 would have the advantage over record out because of it's balanced outs. Even if the balanced outs are variable I don't think it would be a big deal to just mute the main zone before switching over to zone 2 and use the Lexicon volume. Without a remote for the BHA-1 it would make more sense to be controlling the volume from the Lexicon anyways because there can be a dramatic volume difference between different albums and it would be annoying to have to constantly get up and go over to the BHA-1 to adjust the volume.

[Rod_S]

Not to confuse things, but the BHA-1 is actually a very good pre-amp too, just another option you have....

Is that why it has the balanced outs on the back? I didn't understand the point of those if the main output is a pair of headphones connected to one of the front outputs.

[srb]

I would have to look at the manual to see if the volume is independent between the different zones. I know the 3 zones are independent with respect to the input routing and whether they are powered on or not just not sure about volume. It would be cool if it was independent.

Yes, the volume control is independent for Main, Zone 2 and Record Out zones.

(Page 2-3)
http://www.lexicon.com/tl_files/catalog//LuxuryCars/Lexicon/Manuals/Legacy/MC-12/prod_131_634545503547817145_MC-12_V5r4.pdf

Steve

[Rod_S]

Sweet, thanks