Headphones

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Can you explain this impedance stuff as I’m your mother? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by MijacOnAir1@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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Quite confused as to why it matters on your headphones, variables, what to choose and what are the pros/cons and supported devices (I.e., phones, laptops, etc). 😅

Big thanks in advance

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[–] blargh4@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The signal carries the music from your ipod to your headphones but because of physics, there are factors that make it harder for the signal to reach the headphones easily. That's impedance. The resistance that makes it harder for ⚡ to get from 💻 to 🎧. If the impedance is higher then it's harder for the signal to get to your headphones, so you need something to help boost the signal like a more powerful amplifier.

This isn’t really right.

Headphones can be hard/easy to drive regardless of impedance. The new Moondrop Para is like 8 ohms and is among the least efficient headphones on the market (many planars are low impedance and relatively hard to drive). The wired input of most ANC headphones is probably in the kilo-ohms. Sensitivity/efficiency is the key here, since it tells you how much power you need. Impedance tells you whether an inefficient headphone wants that power more in voltage, or on current. Different amps can be better suited to one or the other.

[–] voratwin@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I'm glad you took the time to correct it. Fourms like these need more ppl like you mate. I am actually aware, though, of the science but I wanted to explain it the way op asked (like his mother) lol so I did my best in that regard (albeit I acknowledge that answers like mine can ultimately be potentially misleading). I was so tempted to say "scratch that, lemmie explain this properly" but I had to remi lnd myself to stay in "mom" mode 😂. Ridiculous explanations like mine helped me out when I was just starting out but explanations like yours helped me get it right and understand it properly. I genuinely appreciate your response ✌️✌️👍