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- Aug 5, 2012
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Hi all,
for my most portable setup I use an AK120 with SE846's. I think the combination sounds absolutely stunning, and in such a compact configuration.
I have seen a few people mention that the 3ohm output impedance of the AK120 means that it should be paired with earphones with about 27ohms impedance - some kind of 8X rule (hand waving? Snake oil?). In particular i have seen it said that the AK120 is no good for IEM's that have a lower impedance.
Now, my SE486 IEM's have an impedance of 9ohms, and so I have seen people claim that they won't sound good with the AK120. They do sound good to me, and really thats all that matters, however, as an audiophile (what a curse!) I am worried that I might be missing something (LOL).
So
Q1) What problems should I be able to hear when pairing 9ohm IEM's with 3ohms output impedance?
Q2) If I invest in the RWAK120 modification to drop the output impedance to 1ohm, what improvements ought i be able to hear?
Thanks for any input on this fascinating subject.
for my most portable setup I use an AK120 with SE846's. I think the combination sounds absolutely stunning, and in such a compact configuration.
I have seen a few people mention that the 3ohm output impedance of the AK120 means that it should be paired with earphones with about 27ohms impedance - some kind of 8X rule (hand waving? Snake oil?). In particular i have seen it said that the AK120 is no good for IEM's that have a lower impedance.
Now, my SE486 IEM's have an impedance of 9ohms, and so I have seen people claim that they won't sound good with the AK120. They do sound good to me, and really thats all that matters, however, as an audiophile (what a curse!) I am worried that I might be missing something (LOL).
So
Q1) What problems should I be able to hear when pairing 9ohm IEM's with 3ohms output impedance?
Q2) If I invest in the RWAK120 modification to drop the output impedance to 1ohm, what improvements ought i be able to hear?
Thanks for any input on this fascinating subject.