[Rawrbington]

macbook hp outs were designed for 600 ohm loads or something?

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

It was simply not designed for a very low impedance headphone. Neither are many expensive tube amps either. The apple headphones are 32 ohms, and most IEMs are 16 ohms.
I am aware sensitivity is not the same as impedance, but you implied the high sensitivity resulted in you hearing distortion, when its really the low impedance that is causing it.

So it can't drive low impedances without distortion, and it won't have the voltage swing necessary for high impedances? I would define that as a pretty bad amp (to be expected in a laptop).

 

[hodgjy]

Exactly.
 
Quote:

So it can't drive low impedances without distortion, and it won't have the voltage swing necessary for high impedances? I would define that as a pretty bad amp (to be expected in a laptop).

 

 

[Rawrbington]

headphone jack of no trades?

 

[hodgjy]

 
Quote:

headphone jack of no trades?

 

 

[Chris J]

 
Quote:

So it can't drive low impedances without distortion, and it won't have the voltage swing necessary for high impedances? I would define that as a pretty bad amp (to be expected in a laptop).

It doesn't have enough current for low impedance loads,
It doesn't have enough voltage for high impedance loads
It doesn't have enough power for low efficiency loads.
 
 
in other words, it can't drive any load!
LOL!

 

[Anaxilus]

In absolute terms

Price/Performance

 
 

 

[Eisenhower]

Quote:

So it can't drive low impedances without distortion, and it won't have the voltage swing necessary for high impedances? I would define that as a pretty bad amp (to be expected in a laptop).

Who said anything about low voltage swing? It drives my hd600's well enough. Obviously a dedicated headphone amp is better. Given the design limitations, the macbook headphone jack is excusable.
 

 

[Eisenhower]

Quote:

So it can't drive low impedances without distortion, and it won't have the voltage swing necessary for high impedances? I would define that as a pretty bad amp (to be expected in a laptop).

He who must not be named has done extensive measurements of the new macbook air headphone amp
 
 
"While there are some significant concerns, overall the Air mostly lived up to Apple’s reputation for better audio and outperformed typical laptop headphone outputs I’ve tested."

 

[Chris J]

 
Thanks for the link to the "Evil One's" review.
Bottom line is use high efficiency headphones or a good low output impedance headphone amp, and maybe a good DAC for good measure.

 

[Satellite_6]

Objective 2 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Objective 2 

Really?  Not sure if you are trollin a bit.  It's too similar to the Benchmark DAC1 sig but slightly less refined for me but for the price and performance goal I think it does was it was designed to do.  I prefer my Leckerton for better transparency, resolution and more natural tone overall but the O2 can't be considered bad at all in my book.  Probably in the top 3-4 portable amps I've heard.
 

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Objective 2 

Very funny!
I'm thinking you are taking a dig at Head-Fi!