[gloom]

The only problem between my new Sony D-25S and me now is this: even when the volume is set at 0, it's much too loud for my taste, both with my Sennheiser HD580 and my Sony V6. The line out is too loud as well.

I started poking around with Google, and found a couple of interesting things:

Core sound attenuator cable

Microphone Madness attenuator cable

They're obviously intended to be used with microphones, but they look like they might be usable for headphones as well. There are a couple of problems, though.

The first is that both product pages say the mic needs its own power source (ie it cannot be powered by the jack it's plugged into, if one of these cables is in between). I know absolutely nothing about electronics, but wouldn't this mean that a headphone (which also draws power from the jack) wouldn't work with it?

The second problem is the price: $35 and $30 respectively seems like quite a bit, for what seems to be a simple resistor and a foot of cable between a couple of cheap gold plated connectors.

As I said, I'm helpless when it comes to DIY (I've never been within a mile of soldering equipment, as far as I know), so a pre-made solution of some kind is what I'm hoping for.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

>>The only problem between my new Sony D-25S and me now is this: even when the volume is set at 0, it's much too loud for my taste, both with my Sennheiser HD580 and my Sony V6.

 

[88Sound]

Just listened to some Grado's (32ohm) from my D-25S headphone jack set at zero, and there is some sound, but it is quite low for me. The Microphone power that the cable info is referring to is for condensor mics. They either have to have their own battery (self powered) or use phantom power, which is voltage supplied from the mixing console (or other device) that travels through the mic cord to the mic. A mic that requires phanton power will not work with that cord....not a concern for you.

Funny.....when my headphone amp is set at zero it's OFF. You might want to check an electronics store (Radio Shack) and see if they sell a volume control in a cord for headphones, I think I may have seen something like that there and it would me MUCH less than $30.

 

[Russ Arcuri]

I have a pair of Aiwa HP-CN5 noise-cancelling headphones, that came with a little adapter which attenuates the sound quite a bit if it's installed. It's intended for use on older airplanes that have fixed-volume headphone jacks -- if the volume is too loud without the adapter, you can insert the adapter between the headphones and the airplane jack and the sound is attenuated. I think this would be exactly what you're looking for.

You could pick up a pair of these headphones ($50 at Best Buy), use the attenuator attachment with your D-25S, and sell the Aiwas for around $40 as "new" but lacking that one adapter. I was thinking of selling mine, but haven't decided whether to keep the attenuator cable -- it seems like it could be useful to me sometime in the future, even if I never use the headphones again.

 

[gloom]

That really is the case, Joe Bloggs. I'm baffled, but there it is. Extraordinarily dynamic stuff is ok, but stuff at a more constant volume is louder than I'm comfortable with listening to for more than a bit.

It was suggested to me elsewhere that Radio Shack would have an inline volume control (probably a wussy little thing like what's embedded in the Senn MX500). That should be a fair bit less than one of these mic cables. I'm going to have a look

. Then that sweet, sweet sound can be mine for more than 10 minutes before pain sets in!

 

[redshifter]

in-line headphone volume control from radio shack: $4.99. i have one; sometimes need it for the line-out on my cdp. doesn't seem to degrade the sound much, and you can increase the current for your v6 phones by turning up the source, then lowering the volume on the in-line control.

 

[meithkiller]

A couple other options are getting one of the Ety 4P to 4S adapter cables, should knock the volume down a little for not too much money. Also Sennheiser has an inline volume control that is a lot better quality than the rat shack one (I've had both).

-Keith