[Party]

[size=medium][size=medium]Ok well I was about to run off and buy a DT 770 pro 80ohms as many people on here were saying it was better than the 250ohms, in terms of sound quality bass etc… But I now see things like this from beyerdynamic websites: [/size][size=9pt]Higher impedance = better sound = higher power requirements [/size][size=9pt](found here: http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/service/faqs/kopfhoerer.html#fo1928)[/size][size=9pt].[/size][size=medium]and wonder if not the 250ohms is the best (when equip with a good sufficient amp). From what I can gather is that with higher Impedance the speaker will require more power but at the same time it will produce deep bass/clear sound, with less distortion? (In simple terms). Or are there many other factors at play and everyone here is still right that a properly amped DT 770 pro 80 is better (deeper bass etc…) than a properly amped 250?[/size][/size]

 

[maverickronin]

The different DT770 models all sound different, and more impedance doesn't always mean better.  Mostly for the 770s, its about how much bass you want.
 

 

[Party]

Thanks for the link! and info!

 

[Catharsis]

I think the Beyerdynamic people are off their rockers over there with that marketing claim.
 
Listen to maverickronin, he knows the issue.
 
Check out the "DT880 600ohm BS" thread here for a lengthy discussion on ze matter.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/506963/dt880-600ohm-bs

 

[xnor]

"higher impedance = better sound" and "higher impedance = higher power requirements" is pure BS

 

[darknessproz]

Well, the higher impedance = higher power requirements doesn't sound like BS to me?

 

[BIG POPPA]

6 eggs one way/ half dozen another. High resistance have their strengths, so do low resistance. Up to the ears attached.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

Well, the higher impedance = higher power requirements doesn't sound like BS to me?

It isn't BS if everything else stays equal.  In the real world though, everything else never stays equal.  There are many other other factors that determine the efficiency of a headphone and they vary widely.  Judging the power requirements of a headphone based only on the impedance is like comparing the horsepower of a Corvette to a freight train and concluding the freight train will win a drag race.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Well, the higher impedance = higher power requirements doesn't sound like BS to me?

 
No, it's BS.
 
If low-impedance means that something is easily driven, then you should have no problem driving an Apogee Scintilla from an iPod.  It has an impedance of 1 Ohm, which is really low and easily driven, right?
 
Then why does the Scintilla have a reputation for - literally - melting lesser amps?  It is such a difficult load that an amp not up to the task will overheat and sometimes melt itself.  Have a look at what Nelson Pass and his forum's members have to say about amping the Scintilla.

 

[darknessproz]

But when comparing the 3 different models of the same impedance headphones, am i wrong to say that the 600Ohm version would be harder to drive than the 32 Ohm version? Sorry if its a stupid question, i'm just a 16year old who could barely pass physics in school. 

 

[maverickronin]

In the case of the Beyers you're talking about, they all seem to be rated at the same efficiency despite the differing impedance.  The short answer is that on most amps the lower impedance models will probably give you more volume at a given setting.  That doesn't say anything about the quality of the sound though.  The low impedance model may ask for more current (amps) than your amp can deliver, resulting in distortion.  The higher impedance model will require more voltage to achieve a given volume but many cheap amps distort when they are pushed to deliver maximum voltage.  Each can be difficult to drive in its own way.
 
In practice though, the 600 ohm Beyers are efficient enough that they will run fine from most any desktop amp and quite a few portable amps, even if you want ear bleeding volume.  I've had the DT990/600s and currently have the DT770/600s and got all the volume I needed (at good quality) from my Total Bithead which runs from 4 AAAs (6 volts), but I listen rather softly.  A portable amp that uses a 9V battery like a basic cmoy should give you all the volume you need even if you listen loudly, as should any decent desktop amp.
 
I'd just go for the 600s if you plan to use them with any sort of amp, but if not (or you're just worried about maximum volume) the 250s should be fine as well.  I'm not really sure why the 32s exist.  FWIR they seem to need a lot of current to sound their best and amps capable of delivering it usually have enough voltage to run the 250s or 600s as well.  They should give you absolute maximum volume though.

 

[xnor]

^ Well explained.
 
I don't know who wrote that on the beyerdynamic website, maybe some marketing guy, but they're confusing power with voltage.

 

[darknessproz]

Thanks for clearing it up for me. My, this forum is expensive, but pretty educational. 
 
Quote:

In the case of the Beyers you're talking about, they all seem to be rated at the same efficiency despite the differing impedance.  The short answer is that on most amps the lower impedance models will probably give you more volume at a given setting.  That doesn't say anything about the quality of the sound though.  The low impedance model may ask for more current (amps) than your amp can deliver, resulting in distortion.  The higher impedance model will require more voltage to achieve a given volume but many cheap amps distort when they are pushed to deliver maximum voltage.  Each can be difficult to drive in its own way.
 
In practice though, the 600 ohm Beyers are efficient enough that they will run fine from most any desktop amp and quite a few portable amps, even if you want ear bleeding volume.  I've had the DT990/600s and currently have the DT770/600s and got all the volume I needed (at good quality) from my Total Bithead which runs from 4 AAAs (6 volts), but I listen rather softly.  A portable amp that uses a 9V battery like a basic cmoy should give you all the volume you need even if you listen loudly, as should any decent desktop amp.
 
I'd just go for the 600s if you plan to use them with any sort of amp, but if not (or you're just worried about maximum volume) the 250s should be fine as well.  I'm not really sure why the 32s exist.  FWIR they seem to need a lot of current to sound their best and amps capable of delivering it usually have enough voltage to run the 250s or 600s as well.  They should give you absolute maximum volume though.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

^ Well explained.
 

Thanks
 
Quote:

Thanks for clearing it up for me. My, this forum is expensive, but pretty educational.

No problem.  Everyone's got to start somewhere.  I was pretty new to most of this audio specific stuff a year or so ago, though I had a decent grasp of basic electrical theory before then.  If you want to get the most for your money there's no choice but to dive in and learn everything you can so you're able to make good decisions.  Read up on technical issues like this at your own pace so you can absorb the fundamentals and above all, don't be afraid to ask questions.  That's my take on it anyway.  Some people say it takes the fun out of it, but I prefer to research almost all of my major purchases quite thoroughly.

 

[Uncle Erik]

But when comparing the 3 different models of the same impedance headphones, am i wrong to say that the 600Ohm version would be harder to drive than the 32 Ohm version? Sorry if its a stupid question, i'm just a 16year old who could barely pass physics in school. 

It all depends on the output impedance of your amp. You want headphones with a higher impedance than the output impedance - the greater the difference, the higher the damping factor. That tells you how much control the amp has over the driver.

You wouldn't want to run the 32 Ohm version from an OTL tube amp with an output impedance of something like 80 Ohms. Things will get weird, especially in the bass. But the 32 Ohm version would be fine from a solid state amp with a 1 Ohm output impedance. The 600 Ohm version would work on either amp.