Using tape out for headphone amp

I recently decided to set-up a headphone rig and have mercy on my better half when I listen to music late at night. I bought Shure 440 phones and a T-Amp headphone amp. I have the T-Amp hooked to the tape out monitor outputs on the 950. I'm having a problem with waaay too much gain to the T-Amp in this configuration. I can only turn up the volume on the T-Amp 10-20% until I get major clipping. Below that it sounds pretty darn good. I'm trying some Harris -12db inline attenuators that do the job and choke the gain but I don't really like the way they sound. They make the T-Amp usuable but it sounds lifeless with them in the signal path. I'm wondering if it would be better to use the Zone output on the 950 instead of the tape out? Are the output voltages the same from the Zone and the tape out? Any ideas, advice, info, opinions would be appreciated.
Regards, Sam

I read about guy bragging of the T-amps with mid to large sized speakers, and they love the combo, I am willing to bet your just over driving the hell out of those HPs. Be careful you don't destroy them.

That could very well be. I will say this, the amp had a lot of noise and hum until I installed the attenuators. Then the noise and the hum pretty much disappeared which indicates too much gain to me.

Zone output has a separate volume control, while the tape output has no such control - probably better to use the zone out.

Have you tried driving the headphones straight from the tape output? It definitely sounds like you have too much power going to the headphones.

If my reasoning is correct, would'nt the volume control for the multi-zone output act as a gain control for the headphone amp starting with a zero level and increasing to wherever I want it? Does'nt it work the same as the main volume control with zero resulting in no output to the speakers. After all the multi-zone is there to feed a second amp which in my case would be my headphone amp. Thanks for everyone's help by responding to my thread.
Regards, Sam

Yes, the second zone volume control will provide gain control for the headphone amp. If you are over-driving the amp with the tape output, that would resolve the problem.

Thanks Gonk!!
I really don't have any excuse for not hooking it up this way to start with. When all else fails, read the manual. Actually I just didn't think of the multi-zone out, I've never had any reason to use it before now. DUUHH???
Best Regards, Sam

Everything works as it should using the multi-zone output. The little T-Amp sounds great now that the gain is down where it should be and its no longer being overdriven from the tape out output. Thanks for the help everyone.
Regards, Sam

Glad to hear you've got it working!