You can certainly use the HE into your Supernait, although you then have a redundant preamp. The HE is really intended to connect to just a power amp.
If you wanted to use headphones to listen to your turntable you would have to connect it to the HE, not the SN3. So you would need a separate phono stage. I would guess that wouldn’t sound as good when listening to it through loudspeakers.
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@ChrisSU i don’t understand. Would have to connect the turntable to the HE or just connect the headphones to the HE? You say “connect it” and I don’t understand what the “it” refers to. Thanks.
Sorry, I meant your turntable and CD player. To listen to them through headphones you would need to connect them to the Arom HE, not the Supernait. Also if you’re currently using the Supernait built in phono stage for your turntable, you wouldn’t be using this with the Atom so you would need to buy a separate phono amp.
If doing this, it makes sense to use an atom he as preamp ie everything connected to that, then the supernait as a power amp.
However there’s a perfectly useable headphone socket on the supernait already, it’s seems a lot to spend for the previously mentioned hour or 2 per week when you want to use headphones and assume you need a dedicated headphone amplifier.
@robert_h Would you still feel the same even if I increased it to 3-4 hours per week?
Can the SN3 built in headphone amp work with the Stellia or Utopia?
Thanks.
It looks to me like you should ignore all this discussion of the Atom HE. I think you probably have all you need bar the specific headphones. The HE was intended as a very capable headphone amp (plus streamer, plus DAC, plus pre-amp) that could drive a wide variety of headphones. It does this successfully, but if you don’t have difficult-to-drive, or insensitive headphones already, then it makes more sense to get headphones that works with what you have, which is already very capable.
I would suggest taking a look at relatively easy to drive headphones like the Sennheiser 800, but check out a variety and don’t get hung up on any one make. If you have trouble understanding (or finding!) the specs, then just listen to a wide variety using a SN3 as the amp. Probably no component is more subjective than headphones. Once you have settled in with your new headphones, and if you find you want to use them often, only then I think, should you consider going down the rabbit hole of better headphone amp, etc.
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@cephas thanks. I decided to stick with the SN3 and not consider the Atom HE. I decided to stick with Focal. Have you listened to the Stellia or Utopia? If so which might be a better match for using with my SN3? Thanks.
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As I said in an earlier post I now have the Stellia’s and they sound very very good on my SN3 (had to use a different 3 metre 1/4 inch connection cable into the SN3 but no problem at all).
The advantage of the Stellia is what your listening to on them does not affect other people and external noise does not affect what your listening to on them, which for me is the huge advantage of the Stellia over the Utopia’s or any other open back headphones.
The Stellia’s will be excellent with your SN3 Im very pleased with mine, you will not be disappointed if you buy them.
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Open or closed back. Choose which is preferred for your listening. If it doesn’t matter about sound leakage then Utopia is ‘better’. Also more expensive.
Bruce
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@MoonDrifter My husband does not like the color of the Stellia. We will be going with the Utopia into the SN3. We will need a new cable I assume?
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Yes, you will need to buy a 3 metre cable with a 1/4 inch jack plug connection to use the Utopia’s with your SN3, you can buy this extra cable from Focal.
The Utopia is a great choice. Some prefer the original version over the current model. The original model is supposed to be a touch brighter with a hint more detail. That’s the one I owned.
Also keep in mind that open headphones can leak sounds in and bleed sounds out. So not ideal if listening in a noisy room or with others close by. I listen to my open headphones in same room with family but they’re all listening to their headphones as well or having tv on in background. Tv does leak in a bit but not too bad. Open headphones tend to breathe better and have a more airier open soundstage but this isn’t always true. I never listened to Stellia long enough to see how they actually compare.
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