[PinchyCM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by P The D Interesting article. I can't wait to start testing things out for myself. I am currently breaking in every headphone I have and have just bought and am going to start testing both the headphones and my sources with them after that. I am so excited, just like a giddy little girl. About my last post. Am I right that impedence doesn't have as much to do with quality as it does with quantity and the amp has more to do with quality and being able to deliver it with quantity?

Haha, testing it is the only way you'll learn! That's how I did it!

But in terms of impedance, it doesn't necessarily have to do with quality. But generally speaking, the best headphones require some kind of amp because of their impedance. The lack of generally results in low volume, and poor frequency response...or at least not to their potential. It'll sound good compared to other phones of lesser quality, but they can sound SO much better with a good amp. Amps also vary in quality as well, but when you pair them up with high end headphones.... the better the amp, the better the sound!

 

[PTheD]

what is the cheapest portable headphone amp, besides the bostaroo that is manufactured and not a DIY project by a rocket scientist, you know good old main stream capitalist electronics?

 

[PinchyCM]

Well, a lot of guys here support the DIY crowd...

But there are a few places and guys who make them professionally. Take a look at Meier Audio, Headroom, Headsave, Shellbrook, etc...

 

[PTheD]

The only reason I question weather or not a headphones impedence has anything to do with the quality, is that the only differance between the Etymotic ER-4P and ER-4S & ER-4B is a resistor or two that changes the responce of the headphones. I suppose it is both, the resistors responce to electric current changes the headphones responce, but theoreticly in physics terms, if the resistors where identical in responce to electronic voltage and amperage but of diffirent ohm ratings then the headphones would only be harder to drive. But that doesn't hold true because there are people on this forum and other places that just through togeather a cord with a 75 ohm resistor on it and they say it is the same thing as the Etymotic conversion cable this leaves me confused. Must be something in diffirent ohm loads that canges every amplifiers responce the same way and not the headphones?

 

[PTheD]

Thank you for the list, nothing against DIY, but to start out with I like a website to see what the main streem croud puts forth, you know what I mean? You have to know about a Viper or a Corvette on the showroom floor before you can mod the thing or strip it and make it your dream machine, even more than the manufacturers could do.

 

[PinchyCM]

To tell you the truth, I honestly don't know. I'd really like to. (I too have a set of Er4ps) I can dig around and try to find out!

But I see where you're coming from. I'm in the same position as you. I'm just startin out!

 

[PTheD]

On the Porta Corda MKII website it says that maximum aplification is 17dB. I am assuming that is 17dB from whatever your portable device could put out on a given set of cans. I don't understand how they can put an exact dB rating on it? How do they know what portable player you habe and how much voltage it puts out? Wouldn't the MKIIs output be independent of the portable players output? It just takes the signal does a little procesing and shoves it out at whater voltage it is capable of, resulting in a better and stronger signal. Why did they put maximum dB increase and not voltage out?

 

[PTheD]

This was at the bottom of the MKII website. I don't understand how changing the resistor changes responce, especialy since i would think each resistors propertys would be what would change responce not the resistor itself, like i said i thought that just had to do with impedence and thats it.

"Another accessoire is a 120 Ohm adapter (gold-plated) that can be used to optimize the effective output impedance of the amp with respect to the headphone used. Some headphones sound better at a low output impedance, others were designed to sound optimal at an increased output impedance."

 

[PTheD]

MKII website gives "supply voltages" of 6, 9 and 28 volts. 28 is from an AC powersource, 9 is internal supply voltage (battery i think), and 6 is i have not clue? Is that the output of the headphone jack, if it is at what ohm rating is that?

 

[Kevin143]

Quote:

Originally Posted by P The D Thank you for the list, nothing against DIY, but to start out with I like a website to see what the main streem croud puts forth, you know what I mean? You have to know about a Viper or a Corvette on the showroom floor before you can mod the thing or strip it and make it your dream machine, even more than the manufacturers could do.

Not a bad rationale, but the analogy doesn't quite hold up. There is no such thing as a mainstream headphone amplifer, it's a very niche market to begin with. I would check out Headroom's Airhead and Total Airhead if you insist on non-DIY, but I believe the Airhead is about $100. You can get a CMOY for 40 or a MINT for 80 or a PIMETA for the same price as a Total Airhead from a DIY'er

 

[PTheD]

I realise that the anology is not perfect, in fact flawed to say the least, but a creative mind can grasp the point. Big Brother is darn good at putting togeather a pretty looking package even if it performs like crap, & I happen to like good looking stuff.

How do the CMoys; Pimetas & Mints compare to an Airhead or a Total Airhead?

 

[PTheD]

Also, I measured the RMS voltage output of the Logitech Z-5300 & the iPod, interesting to see how the voltage outputs are diffirent for diffirent frequencys. The Audigy 2 ZS is much better than the Logitechs as far as straight response curve.