What the $^&# heck is it?.........iFi iEMatch!
Sep 6, 2019 at 12:39 PM Post #498 of 618
Please see here: https://support.ifi-audio.com/kb/faq.php?id=460

iEMatch should lower that output impedance, but still we'll ask internally.

Ok thanks, I'd appreciate confirmation from your tech team (and if the Ear Buddy could do the job for me as well).

I was also wondering if there was a formula for calculating how much the devices would decrease the effective output impedance, given a known output impedance of any particular source.
 
Sep 18, 2019 at 10:38 AM Post #500 of 618
Hi, did you get a chance to ask your tech team about my set-up?

Yup, several days ago and today the answer was provided. In principle it should work, but it would have to be tried. The output impedance of our EarBuddy and iEMatch is largely independent source impedance (max < 20%).
 
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Sep 18, 2019 at 8:40 PM Post #501 of 618
Yup, several days ago and today the answer was provided. In principle it should work, but it would have to be tried. The output impedance of our EarBuddy and iEMatch is largely independent source impedance (max < 20%).

Thanks, but I'm not sure what you mean by "max < 20%" though? I wouldn't want to order the Ear Buddy and then find out it doesn't actually significantly reduce the output impedance of my system.
 
Sep 19, 2019 at 4:16 PM Post #502 of 618
I wouldn't want to order the Ear Buddy and then find out it doesn't actually significantly reduce the output impedance of my system.

Our return policy is generous, even if we're talking something as affordable as EarBuddy. If you don't like it after purchase, you'll be fully refunded!

We'll ask about that 20% though.
 
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Sep 26, 2019 at 12:00 PM Post #504 of 618
I just got the IFI IEmatch 3.5 in the mail, and I can say it is way better than the Earbuddy. The Earbuddy added more bass and reduced the treble in my Hidizs MS4, probably because of its output impedance. The Hidizs MS4 has an impedance rating of 12 Ohms itself. Upon trying the IFI IEMatch, in High, there is still a bit of boosted bass, but on Ultra setting, the sound is way cleaner, and makes the treble sparkle more. This may be because of the Ultra setting having just 1 ohm. So, I'll be using the IEMatch from now on :) I really enjoy the sound of the Hidizs MS4.

Not to say, this helps me use the MS4 with lots of USB-C dongles that has a very high volume at just 1 or 2%, giving me more volume range control.
 
Sep 26, 2019 at 4:17 PM Post #506 of 618
Any answer from your tech team on this figure?

Not yet. Might take a while, they're busy with upcoming stuff in our pipeline!

I just got the IFI IEmatch 3.5 in the mail, and I can say it is way better than the Earbuddy. The Earbuddy added more bass and reduced the treble in my Hidizs MS4, probably because of its output impedance. The Hidizs MS4 has an impedance rating of 12 Ohms itself. Upon trying the IFI IEMatch, in High, there is still a bit of boosted bass, but on Ultra setting, the sound is way cleaner, and makes the treble sparkle more. This may be because of the Ultra setting having just 1 ohm. So, I'll be using the IEMatch from now on :) I really enjoy the sound of the Hidizs MS4.

Not to say, this helps me use the MS4 with lots of USB-C dongles that has a very high volume at just 1 or 2%, giving me more volume range control.

Cool, enjoy!
 
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Sep 26, 2019 at 5:39 PM Post #507 of 618
Not yet. Might take a while, they're busy with upcoming stuff in our pipeline!

The fact that I asked my original question over three weeks ago (and had to chase you up on it several times), and your staff are still 'too busy' (working on unreleased products no less) to give a full, straight answer to it does not encourage trust in what you say your product can do, nor bode well for future customer service...
 
Sep 27, 2019 at 4:11 PM Post #508 of 618
The fact that I asked my original question over three weeks ago (and had to chase you up on it several times), and your staff are still 'too busy' (working on unreleased products no less) to give a full, straight answer to it does not encourage trust in what you say your product can do, nor bode well for future customer service...

We understand you, but at times some questions simply take longer regardless of how complicated they are. Yours wasn't ignored but passed to our HQ and now we wait for clarification.
 
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Sep 28, 2019 at 6:30 PM Post #510 of 618
We understand you, but at times some questions simply take longer regardless of how complicated they are. Yours wasn't ignored but passed to our HQ and now we wait for clarification.

By my calculations, the output impedance of the Ear Buddy when connected to my AVR (with its 500 ohm impedance) would be 3.38 ohms. Is this correct? I used the formula 1/Z = 1/Z1 + 1/(Z2 + Z3), where Z is the output impedance of the Ear Buddy attached to my AVR; Z1 and Z2 are the smaller and larger of the two resistors in the Ear Buddy (measured at Audio Science Review to be 3.4 ohms and 15.3 ohms respectively, see here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...asurements-of-ifi-ear-buddy-and-iematch.4707/); and Z3 is my AVR's output impedance at the headphone jack (500 ohms).
 
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