bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
We'll let him ask for clarification if he is interested. No need for you to do your Gargamel impression.
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Hiss sounds like an impedance problem, not a DAC problem.
I've been told that impedance problems with IEMs manifest as hiss sometimes and can be corrected with the proper amp. Perhaps it's sensitivity instead. But that might be wrong. I don't have IEMs.
I choose cans that don’t require amping. It’s just another layer of complexity and one more thing to carry. If he wasn’t amping IEMs that needed amping he would get that result, and it wouldn’t be the fault of the player itself, no?
I used different headphones (HD650, and indeed a pair of in ears, but quite standard ones from Sennheiser), and also tried it connected to a normal speaker-amp. As far as I remember it hissed in every scenario. If I had to guess I'd sooner think of some - internal - interference problem.Maybe the post I was replying to uses IEMs.
Yep. But grounding problems and interference are separate from fidelity. I’m sure if you grounded it properly, the output would sound fine. The problem isn’t the quality of the DAC, it’s the design of the phone itself.
It’s the same with impedance/sensitivity issues. The problem isn’t fidelity, it’s that you’re using the wrong transducers with the wrong amp.
No, it affects fidelity.
DACs and amps don't matter if:
- Impedance is low enough (headphones/IEMs only - speakers is a whole other mess)
- Noise floor is low enough
- Power is sufficient
- FR is flat enough (this is generally the "easiest")
- Grounding/shielding is sufficient to suppress EMI
And the problem is that with some of these, you trade some to get the other. For example, noise floor is often traded for power: that's why some amps have an adjustable gain.
With that many exclusionary clauses, hard to lump them all in as 'all DACs and amps are the same'. That being said, plenty of DACs and amps which satisfy this combination.
Problem is, whether you like to admit it or not, these do affect fidelity and probably affect fidelity the most!
If I may, what is your background? You kinda sound like sales, actually!