JazzHands
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2008
- Posts
- 35
- Likes
- 10
Hi guys,
I've read several threads on HF now concerning impedance and I'm still none the wiser, I think.
So far, this is what I'm understanding, and I've written it down to remind myself as follows:
What I don't understand is how this realistically relates to headphones and earphones. If my understanding is correct, a pair of 16 ohms earphones should require more power from a portable player but will produce a more powerful sound; and a 32 ohms pair draws less power but produces a weaker sound.
The problem is, I have a pair of 32 and 16 ohms earphones from the same manufacturer (though I borrowed one pair from a friend for a test) and at the same volume with an iPod I can't tell any difference in volume between one and the other. Sound quality, I can absolutely tell the difference. Loudness, not at all.
A friend of mine has a degree in audio engineering and even he admited that impedance has always confused him.
I really want to understand it to the point that I could explain it to someone like I could explain every other aspect of headphones, and I feel I'm missing a massive piece of knowledge by not truly understanding impedance.
Please help?
I've read several threads on HF now concerning impedance and I'm still none the wiser, I think.
So far, this is what I'm understanding, and I've written it down to remind myself as follows:
Is this correct?A lower impedance means a headphone draws more power and produces a more powerful sound.
A higher impedance means a headphone draws less power and produces a less powerful sound.
The higher the impedance, the lower the loudness.
The lower the impedance, the higher the loudness.
What I don't understand is how this realistically relates to headphones and earphones. If my understanding is correct, a pair of 16 ohms earphones should require more power from a portable player but will produce a more powerful sound; and a 32 ohms pair draws less power but produces a weaker sound.
The problem is, I have a pair of 32 and 16 ohms earphones from the same manufacturer (though I borrowed one pair from a friend for a test) and at the same volume with an iPod I can't tell any difference in volume between one and the other. Sound quality, I can absolutely tell the difference. Loudness, not at all.
A friend of mine has a degree in audio engineering and even he admited that impedance has always confused him.
I really want to understand it to the point that I could explain it to someone like I could explain every other aspect of headphones, and I feel I'm missing a massive piece of knowledge by not truly understanding impedance.
Please help?