Advice about Headphones Optimizers

My ”new” CDP, Sony CDP-XE500 plays too loud to my earphones, som I’m thinking to get a device called Headphones Optimizer.

Now do you know anything about these? I didn’t even know they were available! I have found two of these, maybe there are even some more around. I’d loved to hear what you guys think, who has some experience about these. It must not be the highest quality of sound, but at least something that works properly.

Ear Buddy Headphones Optimizer and Travel Kit
by iFi Audio
and
iFi Audio iEMatch

 

Their website description is pretty much nonsense. It is only an "attenuator", a minimal non-powered circuit which only reduces the volume in one pretty large amount (16db) and does nothing else. No "optimization". At least the tech note on their website makes that clear, if hidden.

If you need something to reduce the volume, which could be useful sometimes, get a "headphone volume control cable". It does the same thing except it is adjustable with its adjustable volume control. $2 on ebay, $5 or $10 in stores.

 

Another option is to just turn down the volume, unless even the lowest volume is too loud. Some players, like the iPod Classic, have the ability to limit the maximum volume so that will play no louder than that even if you turn it up all the way. Just don't adjust it while you are wearing your headphones (it can allow the volume to become extremely loud).

An adjustment I've had to do with my player involves excessive, to my ears, bass due to my headphones (Koss PortaPros). I use my player's equalizer to reduce the bass to an acceptable level. It is a way to compensate for the way that headphones color the sound.

 

Can give you give me a link or something, othervise I have no use for your opinion.

The iFi Audio iEMatch has gotten prety decent reviews. What do you have to tell the opposite?

 

Did you read at all, what I wrote? I’m using a CDP for listening to the music. Do I make myself clear? I dunno what the hell you are talking about …

 

Specifications for the Sony XE-500 list a digital volume control. Does yours have that fitted? No need to be rude to anybody.

 

Alright. I agree you. Yes it has, but the sound is still too loud, there fore I have to get something to lover down it. Here is a good review for one of those:
iFI Audio iEMatch Review - Headfonics.com

Can’t see what is the matter with the bad word here! Please, read the review, before you are saying anything else. I don’t think this subject is so well known even here.

 

I wouldn't.

 

It’s quite funny. I’ve asked this question on two other places and there are not a single person who knows anything about the subject.
But I don’t give up so easily. I have even mailed to an expert who I know personally. Not sure about the answer, though. Then I will ask from a dedicated earphone forums as well. Maybe I get lucky some day.

Just wonder how rare this subject really is, when nobody seems to know anything about it!
BTW. Isn’t this company from US? Can’t find any information about it.

You might want to read this, if you want to learn something?
iFI Audio iEMatch Review - Headfonics.com

 

My headphones work perfectly, so there is nothing I need to learn, Mr. Attitude.

 

I shouldn't but I will.

In My Oh So Very Humble Opinion These Things Are Scams. It's a $2 fixed attenuator, the puffery is scammish.

I am really disappointed to even find that a few legitimate retailers, bhphoto and adorama and buydig, and beachcamera (this one doesn't surprise me) are selling it. For $49. Incredible.

There are six five star reviews of this on bhphoto, the only six reviews there, and it is obvious In My Humble Opinion that all six reviews are fake reviews.
iFi AUDIO iEMatch Micro Headphone Matcher 306012 B&H Photo Video

One of the reviews there claims how much better this $49 thing made his $10 earbuds sound. Another review mentions using this with his Schitt.

I will notify one of my contacts there on Monday to remove the pos.

 

It's not just a simple attenuator. A simple attenuator would be a quality single resistor in series. A 50 ohm resistor like that would decrease the volume but would also raise the output impedance that the headphone sees by 50 ohms. A 50 ohm output impedance isn't desirable, especially for IEMs. I have a headphone amp that has two headphone jacks. One jack is intended for use with higher efficiency headphones and has a 50 ohm resistor to lower the volume. And yes, that jack has a 50 ohm output impedance. Maybe something like the iEMatch would be a better option for that amp when using high efficiency headphones.

The iFi iEMatch device is using a more complicated circuit than just a single resistor to do the attenuation. The iEMatch does the attenuation while keeping the output impedance below 2.5 ohms or below 1 ohm. That's the advantage of using this iEMatch thing over a basic attenuator.

Quality RCA line level attenuators can be $25 or more. I don't consider $50 for the iEMatch to be out of line. It's high, but not outrageously high.

 

Now we are going foreward! Thank you so much, Ham Sandwich. This brand has pretty good reputetation, so why should they do something to ruin it?

BTW. What headphone amp you could recommend with this way of two different contacts for earphones? Or any such thing which does not cost a fortune. Maybe this would be the route to take in the future.
I am really scared that most of our members are almost half death by now … Using earphones with a way too loud sound! Then think all the kids! They don’t understand this kind of stuff, they are listening anything they get.

Besides, I found something that might serve me right.
Förlängningskabel med volymkontroll - 3,5 mm-kablar | Kjell.com

 

I apologize. I thought you were talking about audio players in general, not CD players (I overlooked the "CDP" acronym).

 

I've got a Sony CDP XE500.

It has a volume control. It's on the remore control. I don't understand what the problem is.

 

The OP said the volume control didn't go low enough. They must have changed since the good old days, when you could decrease the volume to zero.

 

And amazingly snotty too. Jeeze...

 

My Sony 333ES goes from 0 to headache inducing on my Sennheiser HD650s with the slightest movement. It is one of the reasons I bought an AMP to get more volume control. I know I listen at less volume then some others when they max out and still want more and I never get above 50 on the same AMP, but when the slightest nudge goes from nothing to too loud it is unusable as a headphone jack.

 

No worries! Everybody makes mistakes. Let’s move on.

 

You are quite right, but it is NOT enough for me. I don’t want to listen to so loud all the time. It only takes the volume down -20 dB and it’s not enough for me. I am using AKG 240 and 550 models.
I don’t know what do you guys listen, but I believe that very many of people has a major problem with their hearing. Seriously.
If you have good hearing the sound is a way too strong using my Sony CDP XE500.

Perhaps you all are using a fancy gear that minimates this proeblem? Othervice, I feel sorry for you. It’s not ment to sound this loud with sensitive headphones.

 

Press Line Out Level on the Sony CDP-XE500 remote. Then use the +/- to adjust the headphone volume. S’what it says in your user manual.

Good CD player and the headphone output is very respectable.

 

That is exactly the thing that I recommend for several different purposes, and it would work for your purpose here. $2 USD or less on ebay from China, including shipping, and they ship anywhere on Earth and maybe beyond. Here is one example but search "headphone volume control cable" to find other sellers of the same thing which probably all come from the same China factory.

headphone volume control cable | eBay
then change the sort to Lowest Price.

 

Those cheap inline volume potentiometers are not going to be good for audio quality. They're going to have a number of problems. Channel balance will be poor with those cheap potentiometers. Crosstalk will be increased because those cheap potentiometers don't isolate the two channels very well. The variable resistor in the path is going to present some strange loads to both the headphone amp and the headphones. The headphones will see a high output impedance that will change their tonal balance. The amp will see high impedance headphones. Many amps (especially portable) are not designed to drive very high impedance headphones.

Plug in that cheap volume control cable and I predict the soundstage will shrink and imaging will be less precise. Along with a general degradation of sound quality. I wouldn't use one of those cables even for portable listening while mowing the lawn.

 

Here's a page on DIY Audio Heaven that explains how these sorts of passive headphone attenuators work. I assume the iFi Audio version is similar in design, but more complex due to it also having a switch to select two attentuation levels along with it also being able to handle balanced audio with balanced headphone amps and balanced headphones.

DIY Audio Heaven: Headphone attenuation adapter

If you don't want to make the DIY version yourself, you can get one premade by Garage1217.

 

I use these for many things - needledrops or tapedrops into my Zoom H1, recording from the board at a live show to the H1, line or board into video camera, and even as a headphone volume control (most rarely). There's no crosstalk, perfect balance, no audible degradation. It's a $2 purchase. ($1 on occasion including now.) It works or it doesn't, and it works for me. The worst problem is it's a featherweight and I expect it to break at any time in my rough handling. The one I use most, jammed into one camera bag, has not broken but I have several more in reserve. This is the one, the first one, that gets abused and keeps going: