flibottf
100+ Head-Fier
I had a lot of hiss with my iRiver H120 / super.fi EB. Since I switch to my creative Zen Vision:M the hiss is gone... Complete silence out of it.... I guess the problem lies within the source and not the headphones.....
Originally Posted by flibottf I guess the problem lies within the source and not the headphones..... |
TimmyMac: If I'm looking at this right... most of the current goes through the little cross resistor then? And the phones only see a small amount of current? |
lipidicman: Right so I have 16ohm CX300 on a shuffle. Resistance figures so the impedance is unchanged? |
audiomagnate: The MA-01 is rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms. |
As is the radioshack in-line volume control. These are resistive voltage dividers. The other way to do this is just to add a series resistor, as the etymotic P to S cable does. In fact, the easiest way to build your own ety impedance adapter is to buy the RS volume control, pop open the volume dial, take out the potentiometer, solder in two resistors, and hot glue it shut. |
Originally Posted by j-curve /img/forum/go_quote.gif Modern headphones are too sensitive. How sensitive should they be? Some people find that previous favourites like the HD580 (at 102 dB/V) are hard to drive with portable players but I've had more frustration due to the opposite problem, i.e. background hiss from headphones which are too sensitive. Even the HD215 (which is only rated at 112 dB/V) throws out continuous noise from most soundcards and some headphone amplifiers too. For the sources I use, 95-105 dB/V seems to be a reasonable range of sensitivity and 100 dB/V would be optimum. [Note: Sensitivity (dB/V) shouldn't be confused with efficiency (dB/mW). This thread might help.] Now look at some of the crazy specifications for headphones in the marketplace today. Full-size cans run up to 123 dB/V, earbuds and canal phones even higher. An inline volume control is one way to eliminate background hiss. Here's another, simpler method. Recommended values depending on the reduction (insertion loss) desired, all resistors in Ohms:- For -10 dB, R1=15, R2=22 For -15 dB, R1=6.8, R2=27 For -20 dB, R1=3.3, R2=27 For -25 dB, R1=1.8, R2=27 For -30 dB, R1=1.0, R2=33 NB: Consider using a 1/2 Watt resistor for R2 as it may dissipate some heat when the volume is cranked. Input impedance is about 30 Ohms with headphones connected. I built mine into an extension cable. Sorry, no macro setting on the digital camera. [Aside from busting hiss, sound quality will be improved in some cases. e.g. If you're using a portable player with a digital volume control which truncates bits, you'll hear how bad it sounds at low volume settings. That's not the fault of the headphones(!), however it is indirectly caused by the headphones because they are too sensitive.] |
Originally Posted by wualta /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isn't this the same kind of inline attenuator that all sorts of folks complain drastically changes the sound quality when it comes already attached to the headphones? |
Originally Posted by PetCed /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe this is something for us to make |
Originally Posted by j-curve /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wish someone would. |
Originally Posted by j-curve If you mean R2 plus headphones without R1 then no, that's a different beast altogether, with a high output impedance. |