[Soaa-]

Keep in mind the HD 555 are open headphones, so they have better sound but they leak sound in and out.

 

[tazdavid98]

Dear all,
 
I was wondering why my iPod/iPhone cannot correctly drive my HD448 (low volume level at maximum). Impedance is 32ohms and any portable device should be able to drive that.
 
Am I missing something here?? Does anyone have an explanation?
 
Thanks

 

[MDR30]

Tough luck.
 
iPods/iPhones have low maximum output (Apple doesn't even dare to declare how few measly mWs these poor things produce) for several reasons. They want to make them thin and light, thus their batteries are underdimensioned, and as not to run out too soon they limit the loudness. People have sued Apple for hearing damages after playing too loud (incidents on noisy flights have occurred), and so to avoid huge punitive damages they have, again, limited the iPods' output power. And in Europe the French have forbidden every mp3-player that produces more than 100 dB, an initiative that is also followed by EU. These are reasons enough for Apple to "stay low".
 
And the ones who suffer are we, who care about high quality sound reproduction and appreciate music with good dynamics ("loud" listening is hardly the point). The solution? Get yourself a player with sufficient output power (Cowon, maybe Clip+) or a portable amp. If you want to learn more about this - iPods' low output, how to match headphones and players - search this web site's portable player forum.
 
Sorry about your situation, but that's how a multi national corporation like Apple works. They think only about their business, want to control the market (selling music on iTunes, making people believe that iPod is the "superior" choice) and don't listen to people who may have different needs. I quickly got rid of my iPod Nano and am now very happy with players that are designed to play music, not presenting flashy interfaces or narrowing my choices inside and outside the player.
 
There may be some good quality, high efficient headphones out there that even the iPods manage to drive, but I have no personal experience in this area. I choose my headphones first, then my player.
 
Good luck!
 
 

 

[zmd]

Thread resurection time.
I was just wondering in the past weeks if the wobbly cups of my HD448 are normal. I don't think they were like this when they were new, I started noticing that they move around and wiggle where the earpiece supports go into the headband. Is this normal for you HD448 owners or have I worn down my own set? I've never expected them to be very sturdy, but still, this is not a good sign.

 

[Soaa-]

No worries. There's a hinge there, so that the headphones can align to your head and ears better.

 

[zmd]

 
I'm worried about the circled part here, not the hinge. That goes from side to side too, it should only go up and down. I guess they've just adjusted to my head.

 

[Soaa-]

Ohh. Yeah, the build isn't super top notch on these cans, so there's a bit of play. You can't expect too much from thin plastic parts.
 
My HD 428 also moves a bit there. Don't worry, your cans aren't broken or anything. : D

 

[tazdavid98]

alright, thanks MDR30 for the reply, 
 
the worst of all in that story is I'm French... suffering from the 100dB limit
 
Anyway, I'm going this afternoon to buy the E7, portable amp. Everything should be fine with that
 

 

[johan851]

 
Quote:

I was wondering why my iPod/iPhone cannot correctly drive my HD448 (low volume level at maximum). Impedance is 32ohms and any portable device should be able to drive that.  
Am I missing something here?? Does anyone have an explanation?

 
Power through a high impedance headphone is going to be dependent on the voltage swing of the amplifier for good power.  That's why 600ohm headphones are tough to drive from a portable source - they have a low supply voltage.  Low impedance headphones depend on high current drive for power.  They require more current as the impedance gets lower, and portable devices are typically also bad at supplying lots of current. 

 

[tazdavid98]

Just want to share my new config with you:
 
iPhone 3G -> Fiio LOD L3 -> Fiio E7 -> Senn HD448
 
and it sounds really... great! Very impressed how it sounds clear!
 
My iPhone had troubles to drive my HD448 but now, it's fixed!

 

[tazdavid98]

Anybody knows how to remove the earpads of the HD448 ?

 

[zmd]

Just grab the foam firmly and pull inwards, both away from the speakers and towards the center of the pads. They're held by little plastic clips and can be removed and put back easily.

 

[xfinrodx]

I just did your mod, zmd, and I approve greatly.  I use HD428's primarily for video games, with a splash of music here and there.  I actually opted to mesh the center holes and leave the outer two open.  This sounded right to my less-than-flawless ears, with a little extra boom.  Should serve the games well, but it does drop a bit of the pleasing flat response of the 428's.
 
Instead of pulling on the foam, which concerned me greatly, I simply used a 1.4mm flat head screwdriver and gently pried the foam surround free of the clips.  Once you get halfway around, it simply slides out.  Felt far less violent to me!
 
(I apologize if week-old threads are like week-old bread; stale.  Just found it and was inspired.  Thought I'd join up and post!)

 

[Soaa-]

It's cool; glad you enjoy the mod.
 
I reverted mine to stock because I like flat response, and the bass that resulted from the mod sounded distorted to my ears.

 

[zmd]

I'm still undecided between stock and mod 448, because the mod sounds great on the go (extra bass cancels lack of isolation in that area) but not so great at home, on the more revealing Xonar DS, which makes the extra mid-bass unbearable. My ears suggest that the overall bass profile of these headphones stays the same when modded, but as the lowest  freqs become just right, the 80-140 Hz range becomes too much and they sound like some kind of.. PX100?