Prmedc
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2012
- Posts
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So I've just recently started to investigate high(er) end headphones over the last month or so. I decided to plug my UE TF10 into my Onkyo C-7030 headphone output and see what they sounded like with the direct CD connection.
Unfortunately, this produced an "underwater" sound on every type of music. I used my small portables (Sennheiser PX200-II) and the sound improved but was still indistinct compared to the same (FLAC) music from a cell phone output. The TF10's usually blow the Sennheisers away making it more unusual. I recalled some articles I had read on output impedance and determined that the output impedance of the CD player headphone was around 340 ohms. Which would explain my decreased sound quality.
I have a 250 ohm DT990 on order along with the Onkyo TX-8050 which will be used to primarily drive some Paradigm monitors. I'd also like to use the 8050 to drive my DT990 for now. I can't determine the output impedance of the 8050 headphone jack but I'm assuming it went to the same party as the C-7030. From what I've read the output impedance would still be too high for nearly any "hi-fi" headphones.
Will the Onkyo output impedance work while driving a small headphone amp (think FiiO) which would basically just be used to fix the impedance problem? Or do I need to forget that route and simply get an amp with RCA line inputs? I would like to be able to use the 8050 with my headphones since I can stream FLAC, online radio, and listen to the CD player out of the one output.
I'd also be open to modding the output circut if possible - I have some experience with SMD mods from my other hobby, amateur radio.
Thanks for any help.
Prmedc
Unfortunately, this produced an "underwater" sound on every type of music. I used my small portables (Sennheiser PX200-II) and the sound improved but was still indistinct compared to the same (FLAC) music from a cell phone output. The TF10's usually blow the Sennheisers away making it more unusual. I recalled some articles I had read on output impedance and determined that the output impedance of the CD player headphone was around 340 ohms. Which would explain my decreased sound quality.
I have a 250 ohm DT990 on order along with the Onkyo TX-8050 which will be used to primarily drive some Paradigm monitors. I'd also like to use the 8050 to drive my DT990 for now. I can't determine the output impedance of the 8050 headphone jack but I'm assuming it went to the same party as the C-7030. From what I've read the output impedance would still be too high for nearly any "hi-fi" headphones.
Will the Onkyo output impedance work while driving a small headphone amp (think FiiO) which would basically just be used to fix the impedance problem? Or do I need to forget that route and simply get an amp with RCA line inputs? I would like to be able to use the 8050 with my headphones since I can stream FLAC, online radio, and listen to the CD player out of the one output.
I'd also be open to modding the output circut if possible - I have some experience with SMD mods from my other hobby, amateur radio.
Thanks for any help.
Prmedc