[lerio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is another reason for high impedance headphones being more popular in the past - tube amplifiers. They were much more present in the studios in mid-twenty century.

Once again studio, but why they build headphone for home use with high impedance

 

[majkel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lerio /img/forum/go_quote.gif Once again studio, but why they build headphone for home use with high impedance

Probably to fit better desktop tube headphone amplifiers. I see no other reasons. For SS amps it mostly doesn't matter. If it matters then the amplifier's design needs correction IMHO.

 

[lerio]

You'll agree with me that at least 90 % of people who buy high priced headphone don't even know a tube amp exist, so look strange to me

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Probably to fit better desktop tube headphone amplifiers. I see no other reasons. For SS amps it mostly doesn't matter. If it matters then the amplifier's design needs correction IMHO.

 

[MaZa]

I say that there is no actual universal reason why some headphone makers prefer high impedance and others low. Perhaps it just fits them and their production ways better than other style, who knows.

Perhaps im wrong, perhaps im not. But then again, does it really matter?

 

[lerio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif I say that there is no actual universal reason why some headphone makers prefer high impedance and others low. Perhaps it just fits them and their production ways better than other style, who knows. Perhaps im wrong, perhaps im not. But then again, does it really matter?

No

It's just that i suspect you're right and it's strange that many people buy high impedance for bad reason (commercial reason of constructor) rather then for listening reason

 

[dmk005]

This question is a very good one since impedance is not usually a term thrown around related to quality or audio-fidelity. I sense a trend when reading these boards that many of the regulars here are ordering higher impedance cans and they are judging them as superior to the lower impedance cans but there are no explanations as to why the impedance has made a difference. I have been warned by several product designers and distributors to be careful not to follow head-fi user fads. Would this trend be evidence of a non-technically supported head-fi fad? As a community, I am sure we want to not be seen as fadish or fickle but this is how we are viewed by some.

Why does it matter (outside of the community reputation pov)? I want to make sure any equipment I purchase now will have the right characteristics to cover the industry direction, if at all possible. My Corda Opera is barely powerful enough to power my 250 Ohm DT 880's how the heck will it support a supposedly superior 600 Ohm version? Now if this is all just a fad, maybe I am less likely to care of how much headroom I have using my current lower impedance cans.

So, someone needs to step up and be the bull**** detector and help us less experienced and even novice audio enthusiasts.

 

[nikongod]

its ALL about voicing. the end result has virtually NOTHING to do with impedance.

if a manufacturer wanted to make a headphone that sounded like the grado RS-1 with a 300 ohm driver, they could. a senheisser hd650 sound in a 32 ohm impedance-not a problem for a dedicated designer. the questions and comments of amplification do come up, and IMHO its a smaller point. i have found VERY few amps in any price bracket what absolutely struggled with any heapdhone period.

as far as beyerdynamic, and that they give you choices with their custom program: the 32, 80, 250, and 600 ohm drivers are TOTALLY different drivers, and have a different sound. while they have certain family traits, they are not the same. sorry.

on that note: there is a STRONG tendency to "voice" 600 ohm drivers a certain way: namely decently flat for studio use. while a manufacturer who wanted to could build a 600 ohm driver with a bass hump that makes the hd650 sound relatively flat

could they dont. the 600 ohm headphone market is a small niche in a small fringe of audio listening, the vast majority of people who buy 600 ohm headphones dont want anything but what is available: flattish frequency response.

 

[jellojoe]

According to Wikipedia, higher impedance headphones (the load) have a higher damping factor which in turn leads to better control of the driver, particularly the bass frequencies. I don't understand either, I'm just regurgitating.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmk005 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Corda Opera is barely powerful enough to power my 250 Ohm DT 880's - how the heck will it support a supposedly superior 600 Ohm version?

I can't believe what you're saying. Maybe the fact that you have to turn the volume knob unusually high has lead you to this opinion. But it's just a matter of gain -- the Opera can even drive the K 1000 when fed with a strong enough input signal.

There's no direct relation between impedance and sound quality with headphones. But in the real world chances are that higher-ohm headphones offer better results with a broad variety of home amps -- particularly if you take tube amps into consideration. Higher load impedance makes less sensitive to (high) serial resistance. This prevents the frequency response from being distorted (accentuated bass resonance!). For reasons unknown to me the accompanying loss of electrical damping (and the damping factor itself) seems to have virtually no meaning with headphones (see e.g. ER-4, where a 5-ohm driver sounds best with 22- (P) or 100-ohm (S) serial resistors).

Moreover lower current (a result of high voice-coil impedance) may lead to lower harmonic distortion in the amp. Provided that it's capable of delivering high enough voltage -- implied with mains-supplied home amps.
.

 

[F107plus5]

When I first arrived at this evil place I was simply looking for some phones that matched the sound of my speakers. I found them in the form of MS2i. When I needed something that was more laid-back to fill-in what the MS2i wouldn't do for big classical, I gravitated toward HD600. Did I worry about how many ohms we were talking about?....naw.

Do I care now?....Yup.

Where does the average Head-Fi lurker and joiner settle at Head-Fi?....Yup!

 

[dmk005]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't believe what you're saying. Maybe the fact that you have to turn the volume knob unusually high has lead you to this opinion. But it's just a matter of gain -- the Opera can even drive the K 1000 when fed with a strong enough input signal..

Go ahead lay it on me cause I believe what I am saying.

I am saying that when measured objectively, my Opera, while being fed by my new Mac Mini remains at the 75 to 100% of gain to reach peaks of 90db with most pop/rock music and barely reaches 72 db peaks with classical music at full volume. This is with all the mac internals cranked up max. Perhaps I have a bum Opera. Here is my measurement approach using my 250 ohm DT880s, will this amp be able to handle the 600 ohm 990's if I order them? :

 

[JaZZ]

Are you sure that the gain is set to high?

BTW: Have you tried a CDP via Toslink and line input?
.

 

[jcx]

Meier Opera tech specs:
"Gain switch. Maximum gain factors -5 / +8 dB."

which is simply too low, especially with the claimed 13 V output

8 dB Voltage Gain = 2.5

13/2.5 = 5.1 V input V required to drive the amp to full speced output V

typically desktop CD players max out at 2.0 Vrms, DAPs 1 Vrms or less

 

[lerio]

Well i had same doubt about gain, i asked Jan about that saying that with Total Bithead i needed to use High gain to listen bootleg with poor volume, he said gain on the Bithead is 10 dB and on the Aria/Opera is 8
dB. The difference of 2 dB is really very small. If you get enough power with the Bithead then I expect you will also get enough power on the Aria/Opera

Then i asked if i can customize gain or Led colour he said he don't do any customization anymore for various reason.

Hope i'll have enough power with Cantate

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Meier Opera tech specs: "Gain switch. Maximum gain factors -5 / +8 dB." which is simply too low, especially with the claimed 13 V output 8 dB Voltage Gain = 2.5 13/2.5 = 5.1 V input V required to drive the amp to full speced output V typically desktop CD players max out at 2.0 Vrms, DAPs 1 Vrms or less

 

[SR-71Panorama]

I'm no expert here, all I know is Sennheiser seems to like high impedance, with Grado preferring the opposite. So as I see it, decide what sound you're after and then join whatever camp provides it. In my case, I chose Sennheiser. Done.