which is best impedance for headphones?

[rob wots]

hi fellow 11R fans,
i searched for this and even though there are a few threads about headphones i couldn't find the answer. does anyone know the best impedance for headphones for the 11R?
thanks in advance :)

[zedhed]

Most,if not all headphones will be impedance matched to any headphone output jack.

If it's quality you're after, then you'll need to rephrase your question.

[Darryl Ramm]

The Eleven Rack may not drive some of the higher impedance headphones that well e.g. My Sennheiser HD600s (~300 ohm) sound much better if driven by a proper headphone amplifier connected to line-out. Less of an issue with my lower-end lower impedance Sennheiser headphones. But as said, impedance alone does not a good headphone make.

[Lachrae]

I am glad I came across this thread.

I have a pair of HD 280 Pro, I didn't really expect them to be an issue with the eleven rack. But this is good info to know if I decided to get some more higher-end headphones that have higher impedance. Although at that point I would prolly do just what Darryl above mentioned, and get a decent headphone amp, and come off of the line outs.

[rob wots]

thanks for the reply's, although to be honest i'm none the wiser... :)
yes i agree impedance isn't the only determining factor when it comes to quality but surely some ohms will work better with the 11R phones output than others?
i'm keeping things as compact as i can so i don't want a headphone amp.
my old dt100's are 400 ohm and are on the quiet side with the 11R. they're tatty and need replacing (lasted 16 years though) i'd like to stick with beyerdynamic and go for their 770 pro but just that headphone alone there's a choice of impedance, 32, 80 and 250 ohm does anyone know which impedance suits the 11R phones output best? i thought the lower the ohms the more they'd distort at high volume, and the higher the ohm the more power you needed to drive them. have i got it wrong?
i'll be using them mostly for recording guitars and vocals, don't know if that makes any difference?

[Lachrae]

Originally Posted by rob wots

i thought the lower the ohms the more they'd distort at high volume, and the higher the ohm the more power you needed to drive them. have i got it wrong?

This is my understanding of it as well, but that doesn't mean I am right.

[abzic]

I have the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro (64ohms) and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro (250ohms). As expected the DT 880 Pro is more quiet but perfectly okay with 11 Rack. If I was to keep just one it would be the DT 880 Pro, it also costs twice as much as the HD 280 Pro, that says something too.

[rob wots]

Originally Posted by Lachrae

This is my understanding of it as well, but that doesn't mean I am right.

lol...we're a right pair of boffins :)
are your HD 280 pro 64 ohms like abzics? and if they are do you get any distortion at higher volumes?

[rob wots]

Originally Posted by abzic

I have the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro (64ohms) and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro (250ohms). As expected the DT 880 Pro is more quiet but perfectly okay with 11 Rack. If I was to keep just one it would be the DT 880 Pro, it also costs twice as much as the HD 280 Pro, that says something too.

thanks, that's good to know that the 250's are ok with it. do your 64 ohm HD 280 pro's distort at all at high volume? if not then the 80 ohm 770's i've been looking at should be fine too :)

[abzic]

I haven't noticed any distortion at normal listening levels. I will try pushing the volume tonight and report back.