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Configuring the pcb as a headphone amplifier, Switch front – HP Aikido Stereo 9-Pin PCB User Manual

Page 9

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GlassWare Audio Design

8

High transconductance output tubes are best for driving headphones, for example, the

6DJ8, 6H30, 12BH7, and ECC99. A coupling capacitor of at least 33µF is required

when driving 300-ohm headphones; 330µF for 32-ohm headphones. Use a high-quality,

small-valued bypass capacitor in C2’s position. Capacitor C3 can be bypassed by placing

a small film capacitor across the leads of resistor R11.

Configuring the PCB as a Headphone Amplifier

The standard Aikido is a thoroughly single-ended affair, nothing pulls while something

else pushes. Unfortunately, wonderful as single-ended mode is sonically, it cannot

provide the larger voltage and current swings that a push-pull output stage can. Single-

ended stages can only deliver up to the idle current into a load, whereas class-A push-

pull stages can deliver up to twice the idle current; and class-AB output stages can

deliver many times the idle current. For a line stage, such big voltage and current swings

are seldom required; headphones, on the other hand, do demand a lot more power;

really, a 32-ohm load is brutally low impedance for any tube to drive. Unfortunately, a

heavy idle current is needed to ensure large voltage swings into low-impedance loads.

R4

R2

in

R8

R11

R3

R9

R1

C11

R5

R6

R7

C2

C12

B+

C1

out

R15

C6

C5

R10

R16

R12

R13

J8 (& J9)

C3

Rt C1

Rt C2

Lt C1

Lt C2

Right HP

Left HP

Right Line Output

Left Line Output

output

Headphones

Mute

Line

Switch Front

R14