[Uncledan]

When we say the headphone is low impedance headphones, how do we defind it? I know some example:

HD 600 is low
Grado is high

how about the following list?

Beyer DT 880
A-T W100
A-T A1000
A-T W1000
AKG K1000

Since I may plan to get a Audio Valve RKV MkII, but I don't know do I need a Impedanzer.

Anyany, tell me how you think

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally posted by Uncledan HD 600 is low Grado is high

Isn't this reversed?

 

[Duncan]

Yes, Grado is low impedance, and Senn (HD580 & HD600 is high)

ATs are generally low, AKG K1000 is high iirc, and Beyer DT880... Sorry, I don't know

 

[blessingx]

Yeah, I'm curious too if there's a specific number where it crosses over? 120?

 

[PeterR]

The Grados are 32 ohm, the Sennheisers 300, so the Grados are low impedance.
This is a gradual thing and whether a particular phone will work well with a particular amp depends on the specific case.
The Beyers are 250 ohms so fairly high impedance.
And what's an impedanzer???

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally posted by PeterR And what's an impedanzer???

wasn't that something that was used for making low impedance cans higher (like the ETY 4P to 4S adapter)??

I think so, as that can make cans sound more refined...

not 110% sure though

 

[PeterR]

Wasn't the Ety adapter just a 70ish ohm resistor in series?

 

[greenhorn]

Quote:

Originally posted by PeterR And what's an impedanzer???

http://home.t-online.de/home/meier-audio/

Click on "amplifiers", then look at the bottom of the page.

 

[john_jcb]

Quote:

Originally posted by PeterR The Grados are 32 ohm, the Sennheisers 300, so the Grados are low impedance. This is a gradual thing and whether a particular phone will work well with a particular amp depends on the specific case. The Beyers are 250 ohms so fairly high impedance. And what's an impedanzer???

The Impedanzer was designed for the RKV Mk II headphone amp. The amp is designed to drive headphones greater than 100 Ohms. This device is for use with low impedence headphones and the RKV Mk II. It increases the load on the amplifier so that it falls within the design parameters.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by blessingx Yeah, I'm curious too if there's a specific number where it crosses over? 120?

You mean kind of like a medium impedance? I guess 120 would be about there. It's all relative to each other.

 

[Uncledan]

yes, you guys are right, Grado is low and HD600 is high. High impedance mean the headphone does need a amp to power it up.

 

[JaZZ]

The impedanzer is a transformer serving to enable the RKV to drive low-impedance headphones (whereas the ER4P-->S adapter consists of two 75-ohm resistors).

How about this:

< 80 ohm = low
80-175 ohm = medium
> 175 ohm = high

 

[PeterR]

I see.
Regarding Uncledan's original question, I think the answer is on Meier's website:

The RKV Mk II is very well suited to drive headphones with a impedance above 100 Ohm.
For low impedance headphones the additional use of the impedanzer is adviced.

So as far as that amp is concerned, <100 Ohm is low impedance.

 

[MagusG]

Deleted

 

[Wmcmanus]

The RKV will actually drive low impedance (<100 Ohm) phones without the Impedanzer but in doing so it will burn through tubes very quickly and may cause other damage. There have been several threads that have touched on this.

The Impedanzer has 4 settings. 8 - 16 - 32 - 64 Ohms.

The K-1000s, HD600s and DT880s are very high impedance and do not require use of the Impedanzer. Phones like the CD3000, W100, Grado HP-2 use the 32 Ohm setting on the Impedanzer. I'm not sure about the Ety's but if they are 75 Ohm, you would use the 64 Ohm setting.