[Acidicfriend]

I just got a pair of IEMs with before being a strictly headphones type of person, I ordered a portable tube amp and was wondering if it's only really suited to the headphones, or would I find some benefit to using them on the in ear's as well? Thanks

 

[tomb]

Sorry to say this, but generally speaking, no. Tube amps are probably not a good match for IEMs. This is for two reasons:

1. Tube amps, except the very expensive ones, tend to be more noisy than solid-state amps. With IEMs, the listening is sometimes even more intimate and detailed than headphones. More noise from the amp is contraindicated.
2. Impedance mismatches. Pure tube amps (not hybrids) are usually of two types - either transformer-coupled or output transformer-less (OTL). Both imply higher impedance output. OTL amps generally work best with 300 ohm headphones or higher. Even a tube amp with output transformers may be optimized for 32 ohms or higher. When many IEMs are only 16 ohms, this is not an optimum impedance match.

There are always exceptions. If what you purchased sounds good to you with the IEMS, use it and be happy.

 

[Acidicfriend]

Sorry to say this, but generally speaking, no. Tube amps are probably not a good match for IEMs. This is for two reasons:

1. Tube amps, except the very expensive ones, tend to be more noisy than solid-state amps. With IEMs, the listening is sometimes even more intimate and detailed than headphones. More noise from the amp is contraindicated.
2. Impedance mismatches. Pure tube amps (not hybrids) are usually of two types - either transformer-coupled or output transformer-less (OTL). Both imply higher impedance output. OTL amps generally work best with 300 ohm headphones or higher. Even a tube amp with output transformers may be optimized for 32 ohms or higher. When many IEMs are only 16 ohms, this is not an optimum impedance match.

There are always exceptions. If what you purchased sounds good to you with the IEMS, use it and be happy.

I see, well i have the ibasso sr1 headphones at a rather low 22ohms, is it all about how hard the phones are to drive to enjoy the tube amps? If so, i gotta get the senheiser 600s again

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I see, well i have the ibasso sr1 headphones at a rather low 22ohms, is it all about how hard the phones are to drive to enjoy the tube amps? If so, i gotta get the senheiser 600s again

No. A tube amp can have a lot of power or not a lot. It's just that if you have to avoid high output impedance that will likely trim the bass but still leave it wobbly or do the opposite and make it bloated, you have to go with a transformer-coupled amp, and a good one since that alone doesn't guarantee that it has a low output impedance. OTL amps are a cost effective way of delivering a lot of power into a high impedance load when normally the peak power is somewhere between 32ohms to 120ohms, but without an output trasformer, the output impedance is high, even on the Schiit Valhalla2. That said cost effective is relative - the WooAudio WA6 is only $100 more than the WA3 and doesn't get picky with whatever you hook up to it.

Depending on what amp it was you bought the SR1 might work with it if subjectively you like the result.

With the IEMs chances are even if the output impedance or the coloring of the tube gainstage if it's actually a hybrid amp works on your IEM the noise might actually be audible given the very high sensitivity of the IEMs.

 

[yong_shun]

Impedance mismatch might be an issue to be considered.

 

[afreekindazone]

Too much noise, unless you have something less sensitive like the SE5U or any pair over 50 ohms. Impedance shall be a serious issue as well, except for iems using a single dynamic driver or having a linear impedance curve such as the CA Fibae line up

 

[PaganDL]

Hi @Acidicfriend,

As @ProtegeManiac pointed out, it all depends on your tube amp.
Which, by the way, would be good to know then more accurate advice can be given instead of speculation.

While the SR 1, which I also have, has low impedence, it works well with the tube amps I have though there is one tube amp I haven't tried it on so I can't comment on how that particular one synergises with the SR 1 but overall unless an amp, regardless whether it is tube or solid state, has ridiculously high gain, sensitivity, which contributes to noise, etc, then said headphone will likely be unusuable.

This is especially true with IEMs, especially sensitive ones.
Once again regardless of amp type, which is why most prefer headphones overall with head amps, especially headphones with high impedance which help reduce excessive noise, etc.

Overall, regardless of head gear, It is actually more complicated than simply impedance &/or noise but that is as simple as I can make it without being too technical & sadly nor do I have the time for what would likely to a lecture spanning at least a few pages.

Hope this makes sense.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[AngryTank]

So I don’t see anything in PayPal that I can do to confirm that I have received it but I did realize that I paid using the wrong PayPal despite you having sent the invoice to my angrytitankilla@gmail.com, so it might be glitched, if you want I can send you the money F&F if you refund the money only if you feel comfortable though.

 

[Geezuz183]

I see what happened with conversation, this message was posted in a different thread.. instead of private. I pm'd you my phone number, to make things easier.