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Hey guys, I've been reading through head-fi for quite a while now and have just recently decided to create an account. I am by no means an audiophile but I do tend to become picky on the headphones I use (for the sound quality and comfort as well as and most importantly durability)
 
I've broken my fair share of headphones in the past, one of which was a relatively pricey (at least for me ) Pioneer headphones. They broke quite fast as I was expecting them to last at least a year.
 
Recently, the Sennheiser brand had caught my attention. My friend has a Sennheiser 201s from over 2 years ago and they are still rock solid save for some wear here and there. Honestly they sound amazing for the price, well balanced and suite my tastes well.
 
However, the downside about the 201s was that it wasn't loud enough. Sure it was great when you're at home, relaxing in your quiet corner of the world but when you use the headphones for commuting/public purposes, they just won't do. The volume output is just too weak :| (BTW the audio source is just my phone, but other headphones do just fine??)
 
Before I go on, please don't flame when you see something wrong in the following paragraphs. I'm a total noob at headphone's technical stuff.
 
Alright, so I did a little research about why the 201s sound weak, and turns out only a handful of people has this problem? The one I tried at my local store sounded the same as my friends pair, great sound quality yet lacks in the volume department.
 
I've looked at the specs of different headphones and found that the 201s have 24 ohms of Impedance (what's this? sorry, i really have no clue) and the over-ear skullcandys have 32 - 50 ohms Impedance range, while the Senn. HD 280 have 60+ ohms.
 
At Sennheiser's website, the HD 280s is suppose to be compatible to almost any audio source, at least that's how I understood it, and I know for a fact that the HD 201's volume is below average.
 
Sooooo, my question is, does the Impedance have anything to do with the loudness of headphones? Also, which Sennheiser headphones should I get for non professional use such as commuting and personal entertainment?
 
Thank you in advance!

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Plug those headphones into something other than your phone and you would have found the issue.
 
Impedance plays a part. But your source plays the bigger part when we're talking about phones.
 
What's your budget? And are you willing to buy a portable amplifier (include in budget if willing)? Music preferences? Sound preferences? Give a lot more information on what you want to hear.
 
Very best,

 

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Sadly I was only able to try the 201s with my phone. However, my friend did mention that whenever he uses the 201s with his PC (for mixes and home DJing) they sound really great.
 
Thanks for enlightening my about the real reason for the lack of volume!
 
My budget would be anything under 120 USD, (I'm from the Philippines BTW, so the prices may be a bit higher due to import taxes)
 
As for an amplifier, I would definitely prefer to not have them. I have a very wide taste for music, I listen to anything from all acoustic guitar covers to heavy rock music. I also listen to a good amount of hiphop songs and some dubstep from time to time. However I am not a basshead, but a little bit of bass is preferred as long as they're not overwhelming.
 
Although I am not tied down to buying Sennheiser brands, I would prefer it.
 
Thanks!

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Sadly I was only able to try the 201s with my phone. However, my friend did mention that whenever he uses the 201s with his PC (for mixes and home DJing) they sound really great.
 
Thanks for enlightening my about the real reason for the lack of volume!
 
My budget would be anything under 120 USD, (I'm from the Philippines BTW, so the prices may be a bit higher due to import taxes)
 
As for an amplifier, I would definitely prefer to not have them. I have a very wide taste for music, I listen to anything from all acoustic guitar covers to heavy rock music. I also listen to a good amount of hiphop songs and some dubstep from time to time. However I am not a basshead, but a little bit of bass is preferred as long as they're not overwhelming.
 
Although I am not tied down to buying Sennheiser brands, I would prefer it.
 
Thanks!

Heya,
 
HP541

Well under budget.
 
Very best,