I wish I could select 2 analog sources at once for more versatility.

I got my studio monitors running on analog 1 and a headphone amp running on analog 2

I know I could run another way but right now using the unbalanced headphone
send on the avocet causes a ground loop in my current less than ideal situation.

Sure I could send a Aux and go that route but being able to select 2 or 3 sources at the same time seems like a good idea.


The headphone out should be balanced for such a pro piece?

I don't think that's even possible is it? Who makes a balanced headphone output, anywhere on an off the shelf piece of gear? Look at the headphone end, it's just like a TRS. 3 leads. I believe 1 goes to each side (2 total there), and one is most likely a ground.

What Nathan said. thumbsup
Seti, look at cheap or fancy power amps' and speakers' circuits for reference. The amp-transducer connection cannot be balanced, save for connection between a unique amp and dual voice coil driver, neither currently existent, where the voice coils are wired in-phase instead of out-of-phase--see JBL Differential-Drive woofers. -Sam

The language of your message is a bit confusing. I think I know what you want the box to do, but it is not clear. You want to run "two analog sources at once", which I think means more than one input INTO the Avocet. But that's not what I think you want. You want to run more than one OUTPUT at once out of the Avocet.

The Avocet uses a single active balanced amplifier and a relay that mutes each of the three output jacks so you can switch between three different speaker or headphone amps. You should contact Dave Hill about a modification that would unmute the outputs selectively instead of alternately. My guess is it can be done in software. But while you are waiting, see if a simple Y cord can solve your problem. Make up a Y Cord (one for each channel) with two XLR males and one female, and feed the headphone amp and the loudspeaker amp at the same time. If your speaker amp has a separate mute switch, then you have it made, otherwise, well, then you'd have to add an external mute switch, too, which kind of defeats all the work.

But this solution may work: You can use the headphone jack on the Avocet to feed your headphone amp, by the way, if the SNR does not deteriorate too much. Unbalanced source (TRS jack) to the balanced input of your headphone amp WILL work. You do not have to run a balanced source into a balanced amplifier, just be sure to send the ground of the headphone jack to pin 1 AND 3 of the external amp, and the tip or ring (depending on the channel) to pin 2. To maximize the SNR, run the headphone output of the Avocet "hot" and turn down the gain of your external headphone amp. Another gotcha, though, and it is sad to say, the headphone circuitry of the Avocet is not in the same league as that of the loudspeaker outputs and if you hear noise or hiss, then this solution may not work either. In my case, I also tried to feed an active headphone amp from the Avocet's headphone output, but I was unhappy with the hiss. I got around that by skipping the Avocet altogether and getting a Benchmark DAC to drive external headphones. Nothing is perfect, and Dave Hill is aware of the problem. A little nudge won't hurt.

There, you have a summary of the issues and possible solutions in a nutshell! Hope one of them will help.

I'm confused Seti ...

The Avocet has 3 Analog ins, and 3 Speaker outs. So you can run your mix vs. a digital file on Analog 1 and 2 IN.

And listen to 3 sets of monitors on 1,2,3 out ... plus the headphone out.