[chych]

Does it work? I mean, I cannot hear a change in sound with any of my cans when I switch it... I am asking this because I have the Beyerdynamic 831s and they benefit from higher impedances... but I cannot hear a difference going from 10 ohms to 600 ohms with the switch... can anyone else relate?

 

[dhwilkin]

No difference w/ my Senn. 580s, either.

 

[joelongwood]

I just listened to both the MS-Pros and the HD-600s. This is what I heard:
With the MS-Pros (32 ohms) I flipped the switch to "hi" and there was a slight, but definite, thinning of the sound. The bass was still there, but did not seems to go as deep. Vocals thinned out and lost some of their body......and the MS-Pros don't give much body to vocals in the first place.

With the HD-600s (300 ohm?), I flipped the switch down to "lo" and I encountered the same experience. Bass lessened and the sound was generally thinner.

In summary, there was not a huge difference, but it was definitely a difference. I liked the sound best in the position the switch was supposed to be in for each 'phone.

Geez, maybe my hearing isn't that bad after all........my wife is always complaining I don't hear her!

 

[mbriant]

I've tried it with Senn 580's, Grado 325's, AKG 501's and Sony 7506's.

Can't tell a difference. I really want to and I'm really trying to, but nope.

Once it a while it seems like at the moment the switch is flipped, there's a miniscule improvement in clarity or sharpness, but a second later, I'm no longer noticing it. I religiously put the switch where it's supposed to be with each headphone change however.

Just in case.

Has anyone looked inside to see if there are any wires coming off that toggle switch?

 

[joelongwood]

When I flip the switch, the change is definitely noticeable. Just focus on one aspect of the music (a bass line, a vocal, ANYTHING!) And, yes, after awhile you tend to not be aware of it, but once the switch is flipped back...............Geeez.........somebody else please hear a difference. I'm beginning to get a complex.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood When I flip the switch, the change is definitely noticeable. Just focus on one aspect of the music (a bass line, a vocal, ANYTHING!) And, yes, after awhile you tend to not be aware of it, but once the switch is flipped back...............Geeez.........somebody else please hear a difference. I'm beginning to get a complex.

joelongwood,

When you should start developing a complex is if you open the MG Head up and find that the switch has no wires affixed to it!

 

[mbriant]

OK. With some major concentration, using Grado 325's, there does seem to be a very, very, marginal change which I can notice when switching from the wrong setting to the correct setting. It sounds like a tiny increase in amplitude....possibly a clarity improvement.

I don't notice the change at all when switching from the correct setting to the wrong setting.

This would make a perfect blind listening test project.

Sit with your back to the amp, headphones on and playing your favourite, best known music....and get someone else to move the switch. Be sure that you don't know whether the switch is up or down at the start of the session.

Have that person keep track of your observations after each switch back and forth.

Repeat the process several times.

And try to stay calm and relaxed so it doesn't ruin your judgement.

I'd do it, but i live alone.

 

[nick danger]

Silly me, when I was auditioning the MG Head, I listened with my Senn 580s and AKG 501s almost exclusively in the low impedance range. At the end of auditioning I thought let's see what this impedance switch is for. In the high impedance range the sound was noticeably bassier/ maybe muddier/ fuller?. I didn't want to throw another variable into my evaluation of the amp so I left it in the low position. I'll go back and listen again because I think I really missed something.

Joe, I think your hearing may be OK because my wife says I can't hear her either. But then again I'm going to the ENT doctor next week.

 

[chych]

Heh, there definetely are wires connected to it... I mean, keep the switch stuck in the middle... and you hear the click if you switch slowly...

Anyways, I retried it with my 831s with the suggestions mentioned and found... EXTREMELY slight changes...
The bass overall is SLIGHTLY, and ever so slightly lower on low than high...
Same with the highs, VERY slightly lower in volume at high impedance...
And something is happening on the mids but it is so subtle I cannot tell exactly what, but something is happening.

These are nowhere near the results attained by Jan when he did his impedance switching on the Beyers...

 

[Tim D]

What is the output impedance in high mode on the MG Head...600? If that is true I'd think the differences would be apparent.

As for wheter or not it is slight it does make a difference that can make or break my enjoyment of Beyers. Once your brain starts to figure out what the changes are it becomes more and more apparent. Theres a big difference to me between my higher impedance Audiosource jack and the JMT C/H/A low impedance high current amp, but I'd be willing to bet most my friends wouldn't notice any difference at first! The difference probably is slight...but when the Beyers are often described as being sometimes slightly bright/harsh...it can make the biggest difference.

I never noticed large impedance effects when I had the SennHD600, so I realize I might have a strong bias because the jack I listened from mainly was higher impedance. When swapping jacks to lower impedance onces with the Senns I never noticed a big difference if any, but now I wonder if I would have noticed a big enough difference now to have made the Senns a much more enjoyable phone to me.

Anyhow there is no question in my mind that the Beyers sound so much better out of a high impedance jack, while Grado's just kick butt at low impedance.

 

[SumB]

I definitely heard a slight thinning of the sound on my Grado's when using the high impedance swtich. There was no difference on inefficient headphones.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

When you should start developing a complex is if you open the MG Head up and find that the switch has no wires affixed to it

LOL!!!, jude................I'm definitely NOT opening that baby up......ignorance is bliss!!!

 

[Wing]

I can't really hear a difference with my HD 600 but I have confirmed with my multimeter that the switch indeed does switch impedances. I believe there was a duplicate thread on headwize on this. When I get a chance to listen to the 831 on my MG Head I'll see if that makes a difference.

 

[Videoshielded]

Using HD580's and a family member to blind test me on the switch, I can get it right with a decent CD every time.

My tubes may make a difference -- I've abandoned the stock in favor of a NOS combo that is much more musical and revealing (IMHO).

With a "pop" cd I have more trouble telling which is which.

The difference for me is primarily in the detail, and the richness of the sound.

 

[joelongwood]

Thank you, Videoshielded. At least I know I'm not going crazy......I KNOW I'm hearing a discernible difference.