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When does impedance become noticeable?

post #1 of 6
1/2/13 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 

I am completely new to this, I learned about impedance today. I was wondering when the difference between output impedance and the headphone impedance becomes noticeable. I have heard of the 1/8th rule but is it really that simple?

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post #2 of 6
1/2/13 at 8:08pm
Zout will interact with (attenuate) the load based on how reactive or stable the load is. If the load is a straight-line stable (like a planar magnetic) it will attenuate the signal more or less evenly, while a reactive load (like the HD 650) will result in uneven attenuation which means changes to the FR balance. In terms of what this means for the end-user, roughly 2 dB of change to FR is where you'll start noticing changes. The amplifier's handling of load impedance (voltage/current output) also matters here.

High Zout is not universally a bad thing, is basically the take-away.
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post #3 of 6
1/2/13 at 8:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HernandezNUFC View Post

I am completely new to this, I learned about impedance today. I was wondering when the difference between output impedance and the headphone impedance becomes noticeable. I have heard of the 1/8th rule but is it really that simple?

A good rule of thumb to make your life easy. 32 ohms is pretty much standard. You don't really need to worry about it too much. Anything above 32 and below 50, check the sensativity rating of the headphones. If the sensitivity is close to 110db then you will have slightly quieter sound coming but nothing that anyone would really cry about. Anything above 50 to 60 ohms, start thinking about getting an amp. 60+ Ohms get an amp. 

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post #4 of 6
1/2/13 at 8:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tjj226 Angel View Post

A good rule of thumb to make your life easy. 32 ohms is pretty much standard. You don't really need to worry about it too much. Anything above 32 and below 50, check the sensativity rating of the headphones. If the sensitivity is close to 110db then you will have slightly quieter sound coming but nothing that anyone would really cry about. Anything above 50 to 60 ohms, start thinking about getting an amp. 60+ Ohms get an amp. 

"Get an amp" over what? Nominal impedance is a bad indicator of "ease to drive" without more context.
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post #5 of 6
1/2/13 at 11:47pm

@HernandezNUFC

Check the thread : http://www.head-fi.org/t/607282/headphone-amp-impedance-matching-basics-you-need-to-know

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post #6 of 6
1/4/13 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks everybody.

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