[shgen]

Hello!

I recently bought a Microsoft Surface 2, wonderful device but it has one little drawback. I often listen to podcasts on really low volume or just have the IEMs in my ears at all times, even when not playing any sounds, and I can hear a slight but constant static noise when the headphone jack of the device is activated. Would it be possible to hide the static by buying an IEM with high impedance and/or low sensitivity? The Surface seem pretty powerful and I rarely listen to a volume higher than 8 out of 100.
 
Recommendations? I have pretty small ear canals and I like the sound profile of my ATH-CKM500s. Ultimate Ears 600vi were clear but way too sharp treble for my taste. Dynamic driver over balanced armature for me? Budget wise I'd be able to go to around 80-100$ at maximum, less would be better.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[tomb]

  Hello!

I recently bought a Microsoft Surface 2, wonderful device but it has one little drawback. I often listen to podcasts on really low volume or just have the IEMs in my ears at all times, even when not playing any sounds, and I can hear a slight but constant static noise when the headphone jack of the device is activated. Would it be possible to hide the static by buying an IEM with high impedance and/or low sensitivity? The Surface seem pretty powerful and I rarely listen to a volume higher than 8 out of 100.
 
Recommendations? I have pretty small ear canals and I like the sound profile of my ATH-CKM500s. Ultimate Ears 600vi were clear but way too sharp treble for my taste. Dynamic driver over balanced armature for me? Budget wise I'd be able to go to around 80-100$ at maximum, less would be better.
 
Thanks in advance!

There is obviously a substandard headphone jack in the MS Surface 2 in terms of noise.  This is not uncommon, really - substandard audio in devices such as these are given the short shrift, under the assumption that everyone is just going to connect something cheap to it anyway.  It sounds like you're the exception, rather than the rule, and had the gall to connect some reasonably high-quality IEMs to the device.  The result is probably what you're hearing.
 
Just a guess - I could be wrong, but I've seen it before ...

 

[shgen]

I guess that's the reason, the question is what's the solution? I have a pair of Nuforce NE-600X (32 ohm) as well and the static is less heard/noticable with these than with my ATH-CKM500s (16 ohm), strengthens the theory I guess. So what would be a good pair of high impedance / low sensitivity IEMs to try out? Have found the Etymotic Kids 3 (300 ohm) and the SoundMagic PL-50 (55 ohm) as a couple of candidates. The Etys are long and narrow but would they fit my ears, also a question mark regarding the build quality. The PL-50s on the other hand are said to be suitable for smaller ears but would 55 ohms kill the static and they're BA's, too sharp for my taste? Other suggestions anyone?

 

[shgen]

  I guess that's the reason, the question is what's the solution? I have a pair of Nuforce NE-600X (32 ohm) as well and the static is less heard/noticable with these than with my ATH-CKM500s (16 ohm), strengthens the theory I guess. So what would be a good pair of high impedance / low sensitivity IEMs to try out? Have found the Etymotic Kids 3 (300 ohm) and the SoundMagic PL-50 (55 ohm) as a couple of candidates. The Etys are long and narrow but would they fit my ears, also a question mark regarding the build quality. The PL-50s on the other hand are said to be suitable for smaller ears but would 55 ohms kill the static and they're BA's, too sharp for my taste? Other suggestions anyone?

 
I went ahead and ordered a pair of Etymotic Kids 3 - they did solve the problem and cleared up most of the static noise. The Etys didn't fit my ears very well though so I purchased a Fiio E07K DAC/AMP which I had been thinking about for a while anyways and I can confirm it also works as a charm with the Surface 2.

 

[171161]

I am going to bring this thread back to the top because I am in the exact same situation. My retina MBP, cell phone, and old windows desktops where I work, etc all produce quite a bit of hiss and sci-fi like electrical hiss noises with various <$100 IEMs and Grado SR225i. The windows desktops are the noisiest of the 3 and it is quite irritating and the sound changes even more when I roll the mouse wheel.
 
...I have heard that the Hifiman RE-262 (~150 ohms) are a great choice, but they are no longer manufactured.

 

[171161]

What is a close alternative to the Hifiman RE262?
 
Both in sound signature and impedance?