[Spyro]

As we know, the 32 ohm and 60 ohm headphones can be difficult to drive out of portables at the louder volumes. For those of us that don't care to get an amp, what are the best sounding 16 ohm headphones/plugs/buds? Thanks much.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

Spyro
The E2c

 

[dragonlong]

I recommend the Sony E888 gold version.

 

[Spyro]

Thanks, many more replies welcome but I have a technical follow up question. If the fewer ohms, the more efficient, and with portables getting weaker and weaker due to extended battery life, why aren't there a wider array of high quality 16 ohm headphones out there? Also, is it only the plugs and buds that are made with 16 ohms and "normal size" headphones must be built with higher ohms? Thanks. Sorry if dumb question.

 

[bootman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spyro Thanks, many more replies welcome but I have a technical follow up question. If the fewer ohms, the more efficient, and with portables getting weaker and weaker due to extended battery life, why aren't there a wider array of high quality 16 ohm headphones out there? Also, is it only the plugs and buds that are made with 16 ohms and "normal size" headphones must be built with higher ohms? Thanks. Sorry if dumb question.

Its a little more complicated than that.

If headphone outputs were designed with 16ohm phones in mind then yes, we would see more of them.
The thing is that they are designed with 32-40 ohms in mind.
It is not a coincidence that this is what most portable phones are.
Now take a 16 ohm phone and plug it into that circuit and
it will sound a bit louder at the same volume setting, but it will be
drawing 2x the current at the same time so in reality it will
(all things being equal) drain the battery at a faster rate.

 

[Entropic]

Spryo,

This isn't a simple linear relationship!!! The further away you get from the impedance of the actual driving unit (e.g. IPod) the MORE power it drains.

To get the most battery life from a portable source you would need to get headphones with the *same* impedance as the portable. (Hence the term IMPEDANCE MATCHING)

Entropic

Quote:

Originally posted by Spyro Thanks, many more replies welcome but I have a technical follow up question. If the fewer ohms, the more efficient, and with portables getting weaker and weaker due to extended battery life, why aren't there a wider array of high quality 16 ohm headphones out there? Also, is it only the plugs and buds that are made with 16 ohms and "normal size" headphones must be built with higher ohms? Thanks. Sorry if dumb question.

 

[Duncan]

Sony quote their amps at 16ohms to make them look more powerful imho...

I haven't yet heard a 32ohm 'phone that doesn't go loud on a modern portable... just look for an earbud with a high sensitivity, and away you go

(to me sensitivity is more important than impedance in the 80ohm or less category)

 

[Davie]

bootman & entropic,

Thanks. That's very enlightening.

Can this affect sound quality? I've been using the 16ohm Sennheiser PMX60s out of my portable, and they sound a bit "pumped up."

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally posted by Davie I've been using the 16ohm Sennheiser PMX60s out of my portable, and they sound a bit "pumped up." [/B]

Hey. Are you the first Head-fier who's heard the PMX60s?

What do they sound like? The PX100s drivers? (you're the guy who has almost the complete Koss porta pro, kcs line and the PX100/200 weren't you not?)

 

[JahJahBinks]

Quote:

Originally posted by dragonlong I recommend the Sony E888 gold version.

I second that.

 

[Davie]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lisa Hey. Are you the first Head-fier who's heard the PMX60s? What do they sound like? The PX100s drivers? (you're the guy who has almost the complete Koss porta pro, kcs line and the PX100/200 weren't you not?)

Hey, Lisa.

I seem to be the only one with these so far (and yeah, I'm the guy with the ever-expanding portable can collection.) I've started a thread with my initial impressions. I doubt if these use the PX100 drivers. At any rate they sound nothing like the PX100s. However, they seem to be about equally easily driven as the PX100s, even though one is rated at 32 ohms and the other at 16.

btw, not to highjack the thread but I remember that you had trouble finding the Philips HP170 in europe recently, but it seems they may be selling there as the HP150 and that there are other similar model numbers (200, 250, etc.). FYI