Something I've noticed about cambridge amps

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I have the 340ASE amp and i think its great, and i sometimes use the headphone socket.

Only thing that annoys me is that i cannot turn it off using the remote, you have to press the power button on the amp. I know im lazy.
 
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I've got the Azur340se also, Bought it to replace the A1 I had due to having a better spec, headphone output and a remote.
I use the headphone connection with my HD555s, sounds fantastic. If only my speakers compared - new speakers though at some point soon - keeps being delayed though :(

It is odd that you can't turn it off with the remote though, but I do barely use the remote as it is, the amp is closer to me than the remote most of the time anyway :p
 
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I cannot believe we're having a debate about a headphone socket. To say that all decent amps come with a headphone socket is a load of cobblers, and to say that 'most' people game on headphones is just making up facts to suit a particular point of view. If someone's serious about their music and really want to use headphones then they'll buy a headphone amp for the occasion or buy alternative kit to suit their needs.

SEOT
 

C64

C64

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I am talking about pc use not dedicated music listening, you cant game late at night on speakers unless you live alone or something.
Anyway just my opinion that an amp recommended for hooking up to a pc should have headphone capability.
 
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C64

C64

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Cool that's fine by me if they want to be snobbish about it.
So someone buying a budget amp for hooking his pc up to is automatically going to shell out £300 for a headphone amp YEA RIGHT :D
There's no talking to some people they twist and quote things in to a context to suit their view.
Next time I see the one millionth cambridge A5 recommendation for hooking up a pc I'll be sure to point out they have no headphone socket, as many people want an amp so they CAN have speakers and headphones at the same time without reaching round the back of their pc to unplug and plug in headphones.
 
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C64

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It only takes a minute to see that 99% of amps have a headphone socket really.The fact that some do not and are good amps is an exception and nit picking really.
I am sure when I point out to someone that has been recommended an A1 / A5 amp they have no headphone socket they will be grateful of the information as they are probably buying so they can have speakers and headphones at the same time on their pc.
 
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Lets have a look at what you've said so far then:

C64 said:
Why do people recommend cambridge audio A5's so much I was shocked upon investigating further to find out the A1/A5's have no headphone socket
Probably because it's a decent amp.

C64 said:
I wonder how many people have bought one on recommendations from here only to be gutted when they find out there's no headphone socket.
Very few I'd guess as most people, like you, would check first before splashing the cash.

C64 said:
I see no reason to recommend an A1 or A5 purely on the basis that they have no headphone socket.
Why not? They're excellent amps, unless of course you want a headphone jack, which not everyone does. I've been using amps for years and cannot remember the last time I plugged headphones into one.

I'm struggling to see what your argument is? Where is anyone being 'snobish'? Where is anyone twisting what you say. All they're doing is pointing out that what you're saying is complete rubbish.
 
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James, lets stop arguing with him mate as he clearly can't see the point. Fine, for him it's essential for an amp to have a headphone socket - no argument with this, it's his opinion, but to say "any decent amp has a headphone socket" is just asking for it!

Oh, and my 8000s HAS got a headphone socket so nah nah nah nah nah! ;)
 

C64

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You still fail to grasp the point why is it so hard to understand ?
People recommend these amps to people who WANT AN AMP FOR THEIR PC SO THEY CAN PLUG IN SPEAKERS AND HEADPHONES AT THE SAME TIME .
okay are we clear now thank you.
 
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You still fail to grasp the point why is it so hard to understand ?
People recommend these amps to people who WANT AN AMP FOR THEIR PC SO THEY CAN PLUG IN SPEAKERS AND HEADPHONES AT THE SAME TIME .
okay are we clear now thank you.

Exactly. And exactly why I bought the Arcam Alpha 9. Bargain @£100 with a headphone amp to boot. Plus input switching and powering my speakers.
 
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C64, for you my friend, i highly recommend the cambridge audio azur 340A at £149 (or 340A SE as it has a front input for mp3/ipod but is £179). This amp has a headphone socket and is remote control.

Other people should just recommend C64 an amplifier FOR HIS NEEDS, which are clear. At the end of the day the A5 is a good amp for the price but does lack functionality and is also a design which must be at least ten years old.

Please C64 don't get too annoyed with the other posters on this thread but let us all know what you finally decided to buy. Good luck.


P.S. My Cambridge audio dacmagic 2 is excellent for connecting my pc as it has on optical, coaxial and analogue inputs so i currently have an optical cable running from my auzentech explosion (with upgraded dac's) to the dacmagic 2 and the mp3 files stored on my pc sound fantastic now.
 
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You still fail to grasp the point why is it so hard to understand ?
People recommend these amps to people who WANT AN AMP FOR THEIR PC SO THEY CAN PLUG IN SPEAKERS AND HEADPHONES AT THE SAME TIME .
okay are we clear now thank you.

You've been clear from the beginning, but I've never speced one to someone who said they needed to use headphones.

You're assuming that everyone wants to use headphones and doesn't have any connections on their PC they can use.

Just because you are in this position it doesn't mean that everyone else is, so how about putting the red crayon away?
 
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any decent amp has a headphone socket.

really ignorant statement I am afraid. It tends to work in reverse. As soon as you branch into high end hi-fi amplifiers, you will almost universally find no headphone socket. I am not saying the Cambridge amp is high-end btw, because it is probably the low end of mid-range in the big scheme of things. But still.

At the higher end, they do not like to dedicate any research and development or resources to a built in headphone socket. They concentrate solely on the single purpose of allowing the source material current to pass through them and provide a boost of power to it trying not to alter the source material at all ideally.

Buy a good headphone amplifier and connect to the tape outs of your stereo amplifier. This is the best way to provide current to your headphones anyway and get the most from them.
 
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