I'm asking about headphones but assume the principle applies o speaker systems too.
So... if an amp has a near zero output impedance can a headphone be 'overdamped'? I have an O2 with the agdr 'booster board' output section which has a near-zero output impedance (the stock O2 is just over 0.5Ω.)
I use my amp with both 45Ω Etymotic ER4XRs and 250Ω Beyer Amirons.
Saw a discussion elsewhere claiming that overdamping reduces bass performance, especially in the midbass region, and was wondering if putting the 0.5Ω output resistors back in might help the Ety's. This would result in a damping factor of about 90 for the Ety's and 500 for the Beyers. The Beyers have a robust low end but the Ety's (even the XR version) sound a bit 'thin' sometimes. But I have also read that Sennheiser designs their pro and 'audiophile' headphones for a zero-ohm output impedance source.
Thoughts?
So... if an amp has a near zero output impedance can a headphone be 'overdamped'? I have an O2 with the agdr 'booster board' output section which has a near-zero output impedance (the stock O2 is just over 0.5Ω.)
I use my amp with both 45Ω Etymotic ER4XRs and 250Ω Beyer Amirons.
Saw a discussion elsewhere claiming that overdamping reduces bass performance, especially in the midbass region, and was wondering if putting the 0.5Ω output resistors back in might help the Ety's. This would result in a damping factor of about 90 for the Ety's and 500 for the Beyers. The Beyers have a robust low end but the Ety's (even the XR version) sound a bit 'thin' sometimes. But I have also read that Sennheiser designs their pro and 'audiophile' headphones for a zero-ohm output impedance source.
Thoughts?
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My understanding is that speakers and headphones are specified while being driven form hard voltage sources (Zo near zero ohms). So if you drive them through a non near zero source impedance, then you mileage may vary.
I know dudes who are hard heads for great DF, because that is the theory they hold on. I believs their hearing is tuned towards such spectrum >>> recording, mastering, reproduction.
Myself is more aimed towards artist and story of song, and even though I like the high DF induced almighty-ness of "what has been recorded cannot be un-recorded" (,as in calmness of strongly built ship in sea", I still choose low DF systems above high DF systems.
As I cannot afford a lot of equipment I choose low DF class A stuff and behave within "local mass properties religion" sacred writings, that state the fact of music being a crazy ocean of waves that you cannot command easily.
Yet if I could afford having a simply engageable low output impedance system, I would definitely use it when listening to a song I am familiar with to sense the control eIement I believe in.
I hope moi post makes a little sense to you. It is about waves and control. About what you prefer. Let your mind equal your soul and choose what you sense to suit you better.
Myself is more aimed towards artist and story of song, and even though I like the high DF induced almighty-ness of "what has been recorded cannot be un-recorded" (,as in calmness of strongly built ship in sea", I still choose low DF systems above high DF systems.
As I cannot afford a lot of equipment I choose low DF class A stuff and behave within "local mass properties religion" sacred writings, that state the fact of music being a crazy ocean of waves that you cannot command easily.
Yet if I could afford having a simply engageable low output impedance system, I would definitely use it when listening to a song I am familiar with to sense the control eIement I believe in.
I hope moi post makes a little sense to you. It is about waves and control. About what you prefer. Let your mind equal your soul and choose what you sense to suit you better.
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You won't hear the difference, but this is a super cheap experiment. Resistors are 12 cents each and male/female cables are about free around any headphone user. Splice in and try.
You won't overdamp anything that way when Zo runs toward zero, the drivers themselves will limit that. Changing the damping should be about where you want your bass response to be, and not about how close to a Voltage source you are using. However there is one thing to be aware of, that changes of impedance such as the rise at the top end, and any due to other resonances can also be affected by the resistor technique. Sometimes the rise at the top end is helpful, but other means of EQ could also be used.
Much more simpler.
Each speaker being electro-mechanical system have at least one mechanical resonanse due to suspension stiffness and diaphragm weight.
This resonanse can be higher or lower, wider or narrower, but it will be mostly anyway.
The one way to reduce its influence to the sounding - is to damp it by very small output impedance of the amplifier and connecting wires/connectors.
All talk about damping/underdamping/overdamping also very simple. One have a speakers with more resonanse sounding and hear them with pleasant, while other have speakers with harsh resonanse sounding and prefer them to be damped.
So there are no universal answer "to overdamp/underdamp, or not". Each of us are different, have different hearing and different setups, different music and taste.
Use them as you like.
They are really one-armature driver headphones and have really lowered low freqs due to lack of membrane area. This is the reason of armature multidriver headphones like UE TripleFi or Shure 530 was created.
Put them deeper, lower in-ear freespace and lower dissipating area will help your diaphragms to perceive radiated energy.
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The damping is inherent to the mechanical construction.
Most phones have a resonant peak near 100Hz, where the impedance is several times higher than the rated value.
they are all designed for a low impedance drive to have a linear FR like loudspeakers.
If you insert a serial resistor of the same value as the rated impedance, all frequencies will be attenuated by 6dB except at the resonance, where there is hardly any attenuation and also highs are boosted but not as much.
You could over-damp it only with a negative output impedance
Most phones have a resonant peak near 100Hz, where the impedance is several times higher than the rated value.
they are all designed for a low impedance drive to have a linear FR like loudspeakers.
If you insert a serial resistor of the same value as the rated impedance, all frequencies will be attenuated by 6dB except at the resonance, where there is hardly any attenuation and also highs are boosted but not as much.
You could over-damp it only with a negative output impedance