[Joshatdot]

I am looking for some low ohm, say 16ohms for my sisters birthday. I got her a Sony PCDP/mp3 and I am going to make some Billboard Top 100 CD-R's from the years she was in high school to bring back some memories.

The Sony is a D-NE300, and has pretty low mW output, I think 6+6 mW? @ 16ohm.

I was thinking JVC HA-FX33's (Marhmallow), and I am not sure on Koss Plug/Sparkplug, KEB20 or KEB24's. These are all IEM's, what about Supra-aural 's?

 

[rodbac]

What are you limiting your search to 16 ohm phones for??

If you think it's because that unit will have trouble driving them, ohms are only part of the equation.

You don't have to worry about looking at the ohms if you're merely trying to find an efficient set.

 

[MaZa]

Up your requirements to 32ohms, maybe even 50ohms, and you have a lot of choices. MP3 players can drive them easily if they are efficient type.

 

[rodbac]

Just ask around here for an "easy to drive" set of phones.

The Koss usual suspects, the Senn HD25s, among others are, what, 60-70ohms and are among the easiest drives you can get.

 

[kanamin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodbac /img/forum/go_quote.gif What are you limiting your search to 16 ohm phones for?? If you think it's because that unit will have trouble driving them, ohms are only part of the equation. You don't have to worry about looking at the ohms if you're merely trying to find an efficient set.

This isn't completely relevant but... I heard 16 ohms is actually harder to drive because it needs more current, but then if the driver is small (like in earbuds/IEMs) it reduces the current needed to drive them, something to that nature? (if the syntax looks bad, I've been awake for ~30 hours. I stayed up doing work and now I'm waiting so I can pick up some parts and then go to sleep). With motors, using larger wire but fewer turns of it requires more current and has a lower impedance, and vice versa, but if the armature is smaller, then the constant dictating the current/ohm ratio is decreased, and the concept must be close because speakers are magnets/coils too, right? Wow this must sound like a rant, my apologies, I am really really tired

 

[rodbac]

Quote:

I heard 16 ohms is actually harder to drive because it needs more current

More current, but less power.

 

[kanamin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodbac /img/forum/go_quote.gif More current, but less power.

power as in watts? I mean miliwatts? Ah, so the voltage remains constant?

 

[ericj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodbac /img/forum/go_quote.gif More current, but less power.

What the heck do you mean, boy?

Yes, 16-ohm cans require less VOLTAGE to make a loud noise than higher-Z cans.

But because they're so low impedance, they sink more current from the source. this can distort the waveform because the source can run out of current before it's done with a pulse.

Thus, 16-ohm and 600-ohm cans are both "hard to drive" in some sense. The 16-ohm cans will be really loud and sound like garbage, and the 600-ohm cans will be really quiet and sound just fine.

Also, it's common for portable devices to have a capacitor filtered output, frequently with as little as 100uf blocking the DC offset. 16 ohms out of 100uf will give you a corner frequency above 100hz, resulting in severe bass attenuation.

 

[rodbac]

Quote:

What the heck do you mean, boy?

You answered your own question, "boy".

I was pointing out that low ohms doesn't necessarily give you an easy to drive phone.

Thanks for expounding.

 

[Joshatdot]

I just thought 16 ohm would be louder/ez'er to push with such little power 6+6mW

 

[XM inno Fanatic]

Question from a earphone newb....would a low impedance earphone give you more battery time on a portable device as opposed to a higher impedance earphone?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XM inno Fanatic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Question from a earphone newb....would a low impedance earphone give you more battery time on a portable device as opposed to a higher impedance earphone?

Actually, a low-impedance headphone will give you less battery time on a portable device than a higher-impedance headphone (with the volume control setting exactly equal). This is because lower-impedance headphones actually draw more current from the portable player's internal power supply (and thus the power source).

In addition, higher-efficiency (in dB @ 1mW) headphones will give you more battery time on a portable device as opposed to lower-efficiency headphones (assuming that the impedance ratings are equal).

 

[XM inno Fanatic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, a low-impedance headphone will give you less battery time on a portable device than a higher-impedance headphone (with the volume control setting exactly equal). This is because lower-impedance headphones actually draw more current from the portable player's internal power supply (and thus the power source). In addition, higher-efficiency (in dB @ 1mW) headphones will give you more battery time on a portable device as opposed to lower-efficiency headphones (assuming that the impedance ratings are equal).

Thanks Eagle for the info! My non-technical guess would have had it the other way. Really learning a lot here from you folks!

 

[mastercheif]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle_Driver /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, a low-impedance headphone will give you less battery time on a portable device than a higher-impedance headphone (with the volume control setting exactly equal). This is because lower-impedance headphones actually draw more current from the portable player's internal power supply (and thus the power source). In addition, higher-efficiency (in dB @ 1mW) headphones will give you more battery time on a portable device as opposed to lower-efficiency headphones (assuming that the impedance ratings are equal).

Well, that is only one part of the equation. You also have to take in account that the Higher Impendance Headphones will need to be played at a louder level in order to reach a optimal listing level.

 

[XM inno Fanatic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastercheif /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, that is only one part of the equation. You also have to take in account that the Higher Impendance Headphones will need to be played at a louder level in order to reach a optimal listing level.

OK, given that...if one turns up the volume using the higher impedance phones to the same db level to listen as the lower impedance phones.....which will give better battery time...the lower or higher impedance phones?