Hi there, I've had a keen interest in music for years now but for some reason this is the first time I have really thought about, and subsequently become enamoured with the idea of, taking my music experience into high-end audio (phile), listening in terms of sound and listening. Its fasinating and I cant believe its taking me this long to seriously think about it and take such a dormant and fairly unrealised interest further and into new realms; its like taking something you're familiar with in 2-D and suddenly finding it and exploring it in 3-D. Love it! Safe to say, I think the transition to audiophie is nearly complete. Anyway, lyrical waxing over, and down to my reason for this post.
Basically, my idea was to aquire a DAP/PVP and a top quality set of portable headphones (which after a bit of exploration into the market quickly became an IEM), as I needed an update in such kit (nothing since an old MD player!) and was planning on starting up at the gym again and had this nice idea in my head of getting fit whilst requainting myself with and expanding my music collection and palette. Attracted to this idea as I was and being the thorough and enthusiastic person I am about things that really get me, I really researched/read up on and digested the market for both items all the while forming my idea of what I was after (using the community and facilities at head-fi included). Eventually, I settled upon the sony NWZ-A829K, which I pre-ordered off play.com, and the SA6 IEM, which I ordered and have recieved off hi-fiheadphones.co.uk. I still havn't gotten my dap yet- its listed as temp out of stock but I suspect they may still be awaiting the product from sony as it was listed as this as soon as it was meant to be in stock on the day of release- and I am now really starting to gain a understanding of my iem's (and also my own ear anatomy) hwr I have come across a point commonly reiterated on these forums that I didnt come across before ordering- that sony daps are great for powering low impedance iems but poor at driving high impedance iems, hissing badly as a consequence. My SA6's are, unless my understanding of quanitfying impedance is back to front, high impedance iem's with an impedance of 50 ohms. Therefore, naturally, this possibility is deflating my anticipation a little and has been slightly wounding as I was rather proud of selecting, with the info I had gleaned about the dap market prior to ordering, the best dap available with no obvious deal-breaking flaws but conversely tons of prasie and commendments. I realise everyone's idea of 'perfection' in something is gona differ, but every dap out there, if this is true, now sony included, cant seem to shake having a potential purchase deterring drawback or two, at least to me, that arent just little irritants but actually things quite major that could tarnish your music experience with said product. I know these little things are all in all fabulous demonstrations of manufacturing finesse, that I could never begin to imagine creating, but, all the same, from the spoilt consumer perspective, I cant help but be irritated by this- its like watching preofessional footballers play but knowing they can play better, theres more in them.
Anyway, onto my queries....
Firstly, I have had a quick scan of wikipedias page on it but it looked too 'specifically' complex, can someone explain to me electrical impedance and then how that relates to the dap/headphones situation? If possible, I would appreciate someone with the knowledge explaining the science of it etc cos I am interested to understand it properly. Cheers.
Secondly, can anyone categorically affirm that sony daps are poor with high impedance iem's such as my sa6 and that the combo will hiss?
Soz for long post
Thanks in advance!!
