Will listening to iems on high volume ruin them?

It will probably damage your hearing first.

All headphones have a maximum power, and maximum SPL.

 

You exceed max. power, the headphone will be damaged. 

 

You cannot exceed max. SPL though, it'll damage your hearing first.

My thoughts on this is depending on how good and how easy it is to drive your IEM, but generally you would ruin your ears before you will ruin a higher quality IEM's.  If they are cheap one then yes possible.  Just listen if they are crackling or distorting is usually what I would look for. 

 

This is just a thought, no ill will, but really be careful with listening to IEM with high volume as I know a lot friends who feel they can't hear that well by listening to IEM at high volume. One in particular do that with an Iphone 4s.  Strangely I find that more common with IEM than headphones.

Why do you like it at high volumes? and this question is pointless

1. we don't know what iems you have or if you have an amp etc...

2."loud" is different for everyone, your definition of sound is relative to everyone else's definition of loud.  

 

I worded that terribly.

It will damage a dynamic driver before a BA.

 

I would think it be the other way around.  Since the BA's armature is so much smaller than the dynamic, it would have to apply more force to compensate for its size in order to produce louder sounds compared to a dynamic which will move less violently to produce the same pressure.  

 

P = F / A : P = pressure, F = force, A = surface area

 

To produce a constant pressure, when the area is lower, the force will need to be increased => more violent action.  When area is larger, to produce the same constant pressure, force will be reduced.  

Edited by tinyman392 - 1/16/13 at 7:34pm

i'm wondering the same thing.

let's say plugging a IEM into a Fiio E10 amp, and turn the volume knob all the way up.

Will the driver blow up in the end?

Its an electronic device. As long as the power is within its limits (should be in the specs), it shouldn't be a problem. But how much power does an iPhone deliver at full volume is something I don't know.

Full volume off an iphone/ipod will be okay, however like someone mentioned I'd be worried about your ears. This can also all depend on the recording/volume level of the song. 

tinyman392:  I'm not sure but I have blown many loudspeakers, carspeakers and headphones in my day but never a BA earphone.  Isn't a dynamic driver much like a speaker?

 

Thought I read this somewhere that since the dynamic coils movement is more extreme in relation to how much juice you are driving (versus a BA), that too much juice will flex them out of their range...but that this was less susceptible with a BA because the movement is so minimal.

 

But I could be completely wrong on this....

 

It's true that if you power anything enough, it will blow, this includes every type of speaker, dynamic or BA.  However, in order for the BA to produce the same pressure as a dynamic, it will have to produce more force to make up for the small size.  The dynamic won't have to produce as much force since it has a larger area.  So the dynamic driver's movement will actually be less extreme than the BA as the BA needs to produce enough force to make up for smaller area.  It's basic physics really.  

 

Now, the reason why dynamics will more likely than not break over a BA might be because of the coil.  The coil actually has to compress and uncompress regardless of what level you play at.  As time goes by, it begins to resist movement less and eventually break.  Playing at louder volumes can cause this worsen quicker though.  Think about taking a stiff spring, compressing it, then stretching it back out.  Repeat this process and see what happens to the spring.  The BA doesn't have this compression, but has to move more violently than the dynamic to produce similar volume levels (pressure).

some people listen to headphones waaaaay too loud.

ive let one or 2 of my friends sample some of my iems. i watch as they proceed to max out the volume until i can hear my iems from across the room and they stand there trying to look unimpressed as they get their eardrums completely blasted to hell.

they're looking for the bass to hit them in the chest like it does in a car... but it never does

basically if you're worried about damaging the headphones. you are probably one of these "tough guys" that listens waaaay too loud.
Edited by rock&rollfrenchfries - 1/17/13 at 4:07pm