[Sherndog]

Hey all. My sennheiser hd439's aren't getting loud enough. Sound is great, but nothing I plug then into gets loud enough.. I mainly use my galaxy s3 and play flac. I think its the device, so any way to make the output louder? Same thing when I plug it into my ipod touch, zune, walkmen, etc.

Thanks

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Hey all. My sennheiser hd439's aren't getting loud enough. Sound is great, but nothing I plug then into gets loud enough.. I mainly use my galaxy s3 and play flac. I think its the device, so any way to make the output louder? Same thing when I plug it into my ipod touch, zune, walkmen, etc.
Thanks

 
Heya,
 
Hrm. Are you slightly deaf by chance? No kidding there.
 
If your zune and ipod can't get the HD439 loud enough, I don't even know what to tell you, as the HD439 should be ear splitting off near any device.
 
Pick up a $20 Fiio E6. It'll get loud.
 
Very best,

 

[MetaLicca]

I know with a lot of higher end headphones, just a portable player like those isn't always enough to power the headphones on their own, and they require an amp. I'm not sure if that would be the case with the 439's though, since they're not as high end as others. 

 

[Sherndog]

Maybe I am going (slightly) deaf, as I've been rocking out to music quite a lot more since I got the senns.

 

[machoboy]

Hmm they're only 32 ohms with 112 db sensitivity. That should get loud on almost anything. Careful with headphone volume. It can seem quiet when in reality your ears are experiencing sound pressure levels equivalent to a car audio system dialed to 10.

 

[5370H55V]

Are you in Europe by any chance? EU devices have a volume limit on them.

 

[Sherndog]

No. Im not sure. Maybe my ears are secretly dying. I'm not sure

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

I know with a lot of higher end headphones, just a portable player like those isn't always enough to power the headphones on their own, and they require an amp. I'm not sure if that would be the case with the 439's though, since they're not as high end as others. 

 
Heya,
 
This method of thinking is not going to be good advice. It has nothing to do with high-end or entry level equipment. There are entry and upper entry level equipment with high impedance and low sensitivities which require massive amounts of amplification to drive to dynamics. There are also high-ends that are extremely efficient and will work without an amplifier. Quality/tier of headphone has nothing to do with this.
 
It's a simple algorithm of impedance, sensitivity, current and voltage. The HD439, regardless of it's price tag and tier status, is low impedance, high sensitivity, and therefore needs very little voltage and only a minor bit of current; which all portable devices can support well.
 
Leave "high end" out of it.
 
Very best,

 

[Tangster]

Find a friend who listens to music as sensible volumes. Ask them to listen to your headphones at the volume you listen to them at. If your friend says it's too quiet, your headphone either need more power or are damaged. Obviously if they wince and tell you to turn it down...better book an appointment with the audiologist.

 

[SONIC BOOM]

Quote:

No. Im not sure. Maybe my ears are secretly dying. I'm not sure

that would be my bet

 

[keltren]

In order of likelyhood:
- your ears are on their way out
- your headphones and/or S3 are broken (=> check on another device, friends mobe)
- all your flacs are somehow ripped to an extremely low volume (very unlikely...) or the S3 has issues playing flac (=> google it)
 
I can drive my LCD-2's off of my motorola at a volume that while not earsplitting would give me ringing ears within 15min...