[kova4a]

That 115db sensitivity means nothing. The mh1/c is definitely not as efficient as its specs might lead people to think. For instance, the meelec a161p has 110db rated sensitivity and at the volume level the mh1/c needs to have average loudness, the a161p is blowing off your ears. There are a lot of iems with a lot higher impedance and lower sensitivity that are more efficient than the mh1/c even though if you judge the sonys by their specs they should not even  be average - they should be very easy to drive. And the funny thing is that they are designed for android devices and not apple devices and most of these android devices don't have enough power for the mh1/c to show its true potential even if they drive it to decent loudness.

 

[luisdent]

You're correct, that is not all that matters, but it is a general idea of the sensitivity.  But that's not critically important, the point is that they aren't "quiet" earphones.  They're at least average.
 
Just to back this up, "I" just had someone else test the mh1 with an ipod and the test songs he listed here.  I didn't tell them what I was doing, and I just asked them to put the earphones in and listen to the song.  I asked them to turn it up until it was at a comfortable volume and then i asked them to turn it up until they thought it was too loud and wouldn't want to go any further.
 
They turned it up to between 35-40% for comfortable to comfortable/loud and then about 60-65% for too loud.  And he's maxing the ipod?  That's not an mh1 problem, not even close.  I'm sorry, but you cannot call that quiet.  Just because someone is listening to deafeningly loud music and wants more power, you can't say that it's the iem not being loud enough in general.  It is loud enough in general if you are listening at even beyond reasonable volumes.  If you're listening to music beyond beyond reasonable volumes than get something louder and start putting money into a savings account for your hearing aid. 

 

[gnarlsagan]

Just tried this with my rockboxed ipod classic and MH1. With a somewhat lower than average volume track, about 50% is where I'd likely listen. Around 70% is too loud, but I might possibly listen at this volume to quietly mastered tracks in a noisy environment for a short time. At 75% the volume is definitely much too loud, and anything beyond that is actually painful, like an air horn going off in my ear. To reiterate this is actually with a less loud track. Most modern tracks will be louder, and I'd lower the volume by 10% or more.

Conclusion: the MH1 can be driven to well past hearing damaging levels on the ipod classic.
My guess would be at least 110dB at max (which I didn't attempt for obvious reasons). Either the above poster's hearing or MH1 is damaged. I'd recommend trying a second pair.

 

[daviscup1980]

Hello guys,
 
I had the MH1 compared to my dunu dn-12, fischer audio consonance, hisoundaudio wooduo 2 (on ipod, i phone, and laptop), and maintained the same volume level for all, and the MH1 was definately not as loud as these 3, it was just way to soft.
And yes i know that it has a smooth sound, but so does the Dunu, and it was so powerless to hear

 

[ClieOS]

  I had the MH1 compared to my dunu dn-12, fischer audio consonance, hisoundaudio wooduo 2 (on ipod, i phone, and laptop), and maintained the same volume level for all, and the MH1 was definately not as loud as these 3, it was just way to soft.
 

 
That's normal. Just increase the volume.

 

[daviscup1980]

but even at max volume the mh1 sounds ike 60/70% of the other in ears!

 

[luisdent]

but even at max volume the mh1 sounds ike 60/70% of the other in ears!

So? It is still loud enough in general. Every iem is a different volume at a given output. Just because you have a few louder iems doesn't mean the mh1 is "really quiet".

 

[yalper]

I listen my mh1c at max 8/10 volume of my player and cell phone (it's not an iphone). mh1c is not my loudest iem but it is loud enough for my needs.

 

[luisdent]

O.k. So, I've found a way to strip the mh1 wires every time perfectly...
 

 

 
What a PIA.  It's like doing surgery.  Anyway, I then found a way to pretty easily melt the coating by waving my butane lighter back and forth very carefully a little distance away from the cables so they never ignite, but you can see the coating melt away....
 

 
But here's the problem.  I can't get the mh1 wires to take any solder at all.  They just repel the solder.  My other cable tins just fine, but these, even without the coating, don't want to take solder.  They also don't want to join to the other wire even if I try to just solder them together anyway.
 
All I can think of is that there is still some coating, but the wire looks bare and any further and it starts to blacken like i'm burning it.  Anyone that's done this have any ideas how to get them to take solder.  I'm getting excited.  I feel like if I can figure out this very last step these will come out awesome...

 

[sfwalcer]

  O.k. So, I've found a way to strip the mh1 wires every time perfectly...
 

 

 
What a PIA.  It's like doing surgery.  Anyway, I then found a way to pretty easily melt the coating by waving my butane lighter back and forth very carefully a little distance away from the cables so they never ignite, but you can see the coating melt away....
 

 
But here's the problem.  I can't get the mh1 wires to take any solder at all.  They just repel the solder.  My other cable tins just fine, but these, even without the coating, don't want to take solder.  They also don't want to join to the other wire even if I try to just solder them together anyway.
 
All I can think of is that there is still some coating, but the wire looks bare and any further and it starts to blacken like i'm burning it.  Anyone that's done this have any ideas how to get them to take solder.  I'm getting excited.  I feel like if I can figure out this very last step these will come out awesome...

^ So excited for you as well!!! Hope you figure it all out real soon.
 
Great work meng.

 

 

[luisdent]

 
O.k. So, I've found a way to strip the mh1 wires every time perfectly...







What a PIA.  It's like doing surgery.  Anyway, I then found a way to pretty easily melt the coating by waving my butane lighter back and forth very carefully a little distance away from the cables so they never ignite, but you can see the coating melt away....




But here's the problem.  I can't get the mh1 wires to take any solder at all.  They just repel the solder.  My other cable tins just fine, but these, even without the coating, don't want to take solder.  They also don't want to join to the other wire even if I try to just solder them together anyway.

All I can think of is that there is still some coating, but the wire looks bare and any further and it starts to blacken like i'm burning it.  Anyone that's done this have any ideas how to get them to take solder.  I'm getting excited.  I feel like if I can figure out this very last step these will come out awesome...

^ So excited for you as well!!! Hope you figure it all out real soon.

Great work meng.  

Ha. Me too.

I tried dipping them in alcohol and even nail polish remover deluxe. Same problem.

 

[Sparky191]

Is there an alternative to solder?

 

[luisdent]

Not

Is there an alternative to solder?

not that i'm aware of. But you would still need to remove the coating or it won't conduct between the wires.,, :-/

 

[Sparky191]

I was thinking of those clips which kinda crimp wires together. I've seen auto electricians do this. But the one I saw would be too bulky and unsuitable for this. But maybe theres something similar?

 

[luisdent]

Aaaaaaaah!!!