[ihatelolcats]

i bought some cheapo earbuds to use with my cellphone for internet radio, the problem is they are too loud even at 0 volume. this is what i got:
Driver Unit 14.2 mm
Impedance 32 ohms
Sensitivity 96 +/- 3 dB / 1mW (S.P. L at 1 k Hz)
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Rated Power 3mW
Maximum Power 10mW
Maximum Voltage 1.23V
Cord Length 48" (1225 mm)
Ported? Yes

what should i look for to make sure my next purchase will be quieter than these? lower rated power? suggestions welcome. i don't want to spend a lot because i figure i will lose or break them sooner rather than later. thanks in advance

 

[kimvictor]

Ah! There is something wrong. The iems you've got are fairly hard to drive. 96db sensitivity is very low for an iem. 32ohm is typical. Most iems are much easier to driver(meaning they will be louder) than the iem you have. Can you try your phone with any other earphones? I think it could be your phone that has too much power.

 

[zamorin]

I got the HiSoundAudio PAA-1Pro ear buds for a review and these are the best ear buds I've ever tried.

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

I got the HiSoundAudio PAA-1Pro ear buds for a review and these are the best ear buds I've ever tried.

Ok. The op asked for a quieter iem than his cheap iem, but with sensitivity of 106db, PAA-1Pro is louder than the cheap earbuds he has. Please do read what the op asked for.

 

[zamorin]

If it's too loud at 0 volume then something is wrong with either the ear bud or the source. I'm opining purely on the basis of SQ plus I don't see many forumers giving advice here.

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

If it's too loud at 0 volume then something is wrong with either the ear bud or the source. I'm opining purely on the basis of SQ plus I don't see many forumers giving advice here.

Well, I did give him advice.
 
I told him that something is probably wrong and that he should try another iem with his phone.

 

[zamorin]

and I told him the same thing

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

and I told him the same thing

Yeah. But your first post made me thing that this was a scam or something. No mean to start an argument. Let's just try to help the op.

 

[zamorin]

Quote:

Well, I did give him advice.
 
I told him that something is probably wrong and that he should try another iem with his phone.

 
OK.
 
ihatelolcats,
 
what model of ear buds did you buy anyway?

 

[ihatelolcats]

these
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082303&p_id=9927&seq=1&format=2

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

these
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082303&p_id=9927&seq=1&format=2

They are actually half decent iems. Unless your phone or your iems are broken, it shouldn't be too loud.

 

[zamorin]

I agree with Kimvictor. Those monoprice and good value iems. I thought you had/ were looking at ear buds.

 

[ihatelolcats]

ah sorry for the semantic error. i knew they were iems but i had it stuck in my mind that they were earbuds because that's how they are labeled on monoprice.
ok, well the problem stands. i guess the phone is broken by design (no dsp at all). what metric should i look at if i want a quieter set?

 

[zamorin]

You can check out this link, it's been the most informative audio guide for me and it is laid out in a format that is very easy to understand:
 
http://mellowworksstudio.com/tutnav

 

[Tanjent]

oops