[iftachl]

That's...not what is supposed to happen. Gain is adjusted by the switches on the device's nether-regions. I hear a difference (quality, not volume) in high vs low

Same with mine, I think your observation is correct

 

[Etx1]

So I have noticed something with this amp. I guess I'm still trying to understand what Low-z and Hi-z really do. With my Sennheiser HD600 the volume and sound is the same whether I'm on low or Hi-Z. But with my DCA Aeon Noire they are noticeably louder on Low-Z compared to Hi-Z. But I don't think it makes a difference in how they sound. On Hi-Z I just need to turn up the volume more with the Aeon Noire.

I find the same as yourself on the 109's, if it is not my imagination on high they seem to sound lower volume and probably smoother. Tried to turn the volume up to compensate but still I find a slight difference especially on the high notes. The volume definitely varies on mine.

 

[ardilla]

So I have noticed something with this amp. I guess I'm still trying to understand what Low-z and Hi-z really do. With my Sennheiser HD600 the volume and sound is the same whether I'm on low or Hi-Z. But with my DCA Aeon Noire they are noticeably louder on Low-Z compared to Hi-Z. But I don't think it makes a difference in how they sound. On Hi-Z I just need to turn up the volume more with the Aeon Noire.

Impedance switches works differently on different headphones. I've experienced the same with other amps.

 

[MacMan31]

That's...not what is supposed to happen. Gain is adjusted by the switches on the device's nether-regions. I hear a difference (quality, not volume) in high vs low

So what is supposed to happen? The gain switches on the bottom are set to high. Also I'm using the Aron Noire in the 1/4" output and not XLR. My Sennheiser and ZMF Bokeh are both using XLR cable.

 

[Hypops]

So I have noticed something with this amp. I guess I'm still trying to understand what Low-z and Hi-z really do. With my Sennheiser HD600 the volume and sound is the same whether I'm on low or Hi-Z. But with my DCA Aeon Noire they are noticeably louder on Low-Z compared to Hi-Z. But I don't think it makes a difference in how they sound. On Hi-Z I just need to turn up the volume more with the Aeon Noire.

It's because those two pairs of headphones have very different impedance values. Low-z on the Singxer is <1 Ohm output impedance and high-z is ~10 Ohms output impedance. The HD 600 has an impedance of 300-600 Ohms, so switching to 10 Ohms on the amp won't do a thing relative to the high impedance of the HD 600. The impedance of the Aeon Noire is ~13 Ohms, so when you switch to high-z you're only getting a difference of about 3 Ohms, hence the drop in the amp's output. Many folks suggest you aim for a 1:10 ratio of your amp's output impedance to your headphone's input impedance. Other folks have different guidelines they follow. But pretty much all of them would say that a 10 Ohm output for 13 Ohm cans is a bad idea.

As an aside, the output impedance of one piece of gear to the input impedance of the next piece of gear in your chain should also follow a similar ratio of input to output impedances.

That's...not what is supposed to happen. Gain is adjusted by the switches on the device's nether-regions. I hear a difference (quality, not volume) in high vs low

It depends on the headphone. If I use a 9 Ohm set of IEMs and flip the Singxer to high-z (10 Ohms), the volume will drop noticeably. There's no mystery to this. It's a (very) bad impedance match. And depending on how uneven the impedance values are for your headphones across the frequency spectrum, you will get drops in some frequencies more than others.

 

[MacMan31]

It's because those two pairs of headphones have very different impedance values. Low-z on the Singxer is <1 Ohm output impedance and high-z is ~10 Ohms output impedance. The HD 600 has an impedance of 300-600 Ohms, so switching to 10 Ohms on the amp won't do a thing relative to the high impedance of the HD 600. The impedance of the Aeon Noire is ~13 Ohms, so when you switch to high-z you're only getting a difference of about 3 Ohms. Many folks suggest you aim for a 1:10 ratio of your amp's output impedance to your headphone's input impedance. Other folks have different guidelines they follow. But pretty much all of them would say that a 10 Ohm output for 13 Ohm cans is a bad idea.


It depends on the headphone. If I use a 9 Ohm set of IEMs and flip the Singxer to high-z (10 Ohms), the volume will drop noticeably. There's no mystery to this. It's a bad impedance match.

So basically the Aron Noire is better amped on Low-z and not Hi-Z.

 

[Hypops]

So basically the Aron Noire is better amped on Low-z and not Hi-Z.

Yes. There aren't many reasons to use the high-z setting. Some headphones might prefer it, but for everything else, I'd leave it on low-z.

 

[MacMan31]

Yes. There aren't many reasons to use the high-z setting. Some headphones might prefer it, but for everything else, I'd leave it on low-z.

Okay cool. Thanks. I’m comparing the SA-1 with the Schiit Midgard.

 

[iftachl]

Okay cool. Thanks. I’m comparing the SA-1 with the Schiit Midgard.

That is a very cool setup!!

 

[iftachl]

Yes. There aren't many reasons to use the high-z setting. Some headphones might prefer it, but for everything else, I'd leave it on low-z.

But will be the dynamic impact on making this change?

 

[MacMan31]

That is a very cool setup!!

Yeah I just recently got the Schiit Gungnir DAC. I wouldn’t mind another open back headphone though.

 

[iftachl]

Yeah I just recently got the Schiit Gungnir DAC. I wouldn’t mind another open back headphone though.

What did you have in mind?

 

[MacMan31]

What did you have in mind?

I would like another ZMF or perhaps a HIFIMAN Arya.

 

[Hypops]

But will be the dynamic impact on making this change?

Changing between impedance settings can affect frequency response, depending on the headphone.

 

[Plieb]

I probably mentioned this previously but i do think the SA1 sounds tighter with a bit more focus and detail when left on.
Even a few hours after being initially turned on it is still not at its best. Of course its a subtle change but noticeable especially on a more relaxed sounding headphone such as the ndh30.
Have done this many times with the same observations.