Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › Question About Balanced Operation & Orthodynamics
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Question About Balanced Operation & Orthodynamics

post #1 of 9
7/3/11 at 10:42am
Thread Starter 

So as I understand it, balanced operation delivers audio signals to both sides of dynamic drivers--which is what gives it an advantage over SE operation.

 

With orthodynamics like the HE-5, HE-5LE, HE-6, LCD-2s, the diaphragm is suspended between two walls of magnets.  Are both walls of magnets active in SE operation and wouldn't that effectively give it the same virtues of balanced operation?  

Reply
post #2 of 9
7/3/11 at 11:00am

Both walls of magnets are always used. 

 

Balanced operation does some neat things for reducing distortion in amplifiers without global feedback, but in the case of amplifiers with lots of global feedback (gainclones and other power op amps for example) the advantages beyond the simple "more power!!!" are questionable. 


Edited by nikongod - 7/3/11 at 11:01am
Reply
post #3 of 9
7/3/11 at 11:10am
Thread Starter 

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod View Post

Both walls of magnets are always used. 


Thanks.  

 

 


Edited by sphinxvc - 7/3/11 at 12:15pm
Reply
post #4 of 9
7/3/11 at 12:16pm
Thread Starter 

So I take this to mean that as far as two-wall orthodynamic transducers are concerned, balanced and SE are effectively the same.  Aside from the signal chain being balanced or SE, what occurs in the HPs is no different.


Edited by sphinxvc - 7/3/11 at 12:17pm
Reply
post #5 of 9
7/3/11 at 1:13pm


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by sphinxvc View Post

So I take this to mean that as far as two-wall orthodynamic transducers are concerned, balanced and SE are effectively the same.  Aside from the signal chain being balanced or SE, what occurs in the HPs is no different.


Right

 

Same thing for conventional dynamics.

Reply
post #6 of 9
7/3/11 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 

Wait, I must have missed something then--I thought conventional dynamics in a single ended setup would only have one side of the driver be fed a signal whereas in a balanced setup both sides of the driver would be fed a signal; so what happens to a dynamic driver depends on the setup driving them.  As opposed to orthodynamics where both sides of the diaphragm are always active because both walls of magnets are always active.  


Edited by sphinxvc - 7/3/11 at 1:49pm
Reply
post #7 of 9
7/3/11 at 2:40pm

It makes no difference to any dynamic or ortho driver whether they are fed signal from one end or both. The only thing that matters is the amplitude of the signal from one end of the voice coil to the other.

 

After levels are matched, any differences in sound are due to differences in distortion, output impedance, or bandwidth between the 2 configurations.

 

The way most amplifiers switch from SE to balanced causes the signal level on the SE output to be half of what it is on the balanced output. THIS is what causes the differences in volume when switching between the 2 outputs on most amps. It has nothing to do with half of the driver sitting idle.

Reply
post #8 of 9
7/3/11 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 

Hmm, I overlooked volume matching, that explanation makes sense and indirectly answers my question too, cheers.


Edited by sphinxvc - 7/3/11 at 3:00pm
Reply
post #9 of 9
7/3/11 at 3:09pm

To further elaborate on what Nikongod stated, in a true balanced source/amplifier/speaker combination, both the + and - speaker terminals are actively driven and there is no common ground shared between L & R channels of the headphone and amplifier nor is the ground shared within the amplifier.   Much like 2 individual monobloc amplifiers driving a set of speakers. 

 

Just by virtue of being a "balanced" system does not automatically result in stellar sound as one must also consider the ability of the phones (or speakers) to cleanly resolve the subtleties of complex harmonics and accuracy of phasing as well as the quality of the amplifier and upstream source and their ability to do the same. 

 

Given the ability of the system to address the above factors, one could reasonably expect to hear improvements in accuracy of imaging, solidity of soundstage and improvement in the ability of the system to resolve complex musical detail. 


Edited by HiFlight - 7/3/11 at 3:12pm
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphone Amps (full-size)
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › Question About Balanced Operation & Orthodynamics