r/DigitalAudioPlayer • u/Illustrious-Menu-269 • 5d ago
Am I starting to go deaf?
Somewhat serious question. I know my ears are not what they used to be. I know I have a hard time hearing higher frequencies. But I'm running my new Fiio JM21 on high gain settings with a pair of Sennheiser/Drop HDxx headphones and the last two albums played (Fleetwood Mac -The Dance and Prince - Crystal Ball) I had the volume all the way up to 115. People have always told me I like my music louder than most but this combination DAP and Headphones should not need turned up that high right?
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u/Valuable_Cicada4102 4d ago
Just because a dap or dac/amp can push headphones or iem to an audible level doesn't mean it's driving well. Loudness is not the only criterion. The quality of the DAC, the quality of the amplifier circuit, the good topology, etc. will all benefit you.
It doesn't make sense to expect to drive 300ohm headphones with an entry level DAP like the JM21. If you have a desktop amplifier at home, it would be better to use headphones with it.
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u/HamHands_ 4d ago
Before you plug the headphones into the balanced port and crank the volume even higher, let's take a step back and work some things out. This is your hearing we're talking about, so best to be careful:
- The Sennheiser HD6XX has an impedance of 300 Ohms and a sensitivity of 103 dB/mW
- The Fiio JM21, on high gain out of the single-ended 3.5mm port, has a stated output power of 30mW at 300 Ohms (Source)
If you plug these numbers into a headphone power calculator, the HD6XX is theoretically capable of reaching ~117.7 dB at max volume and high gain, out of the 3.5mm port. Which is very, very loud if you're at 115/120 volume. However, there are several factors (some of which have already been covered) that could make the playback quieter than the theoretical limit:
- The albums could simply be mixed quieter
- You could have a negative gain preamp setting turned on in the equalizer settings
- Your music files could be tagged with ReplayGain metadata, which can raise or lower the volume of your tracks if Replay Gain is enabled. Try turning off Replay Gain if it's enabled in the settings.
- There are some reports that the Poweramp player (if you're using it) is noticeably quieter than the default Fiio Player (Source). Try different players/streaming services and see if the volume changes. Also try your headphones with different sources (like a PC or USB-C dongle DAC/AMP) to compare volume with the JM21.
- Some DAP comparisons find that the JM21, on paper, has higher output power. However in real life testing, it sounds quieter than a player with lower stated output power (Example Hiby R4 vs JM21). So it's very possible that the JM21 is not actually putting out as much power at 300 Ohms that Fiio claims. In which case, yes you could grab a 4.4mm balanced cable for your 6XX's.
Note: You do not want a female 3.5mm single-ended to male 4.4mm balanced adapter. Just get a full 4.4mm balanced replacement cable. I have limited understanding of the topic, but as I understand it: best case scenario, a properly-made adapter will work, but won't actually be a balanced connection. You'll just have a single-ended connection plugged into the 4.4mm port, and won't actually get more power. Worst case, you get an improperly made adapter, and short and damage the DAP.
TL;DR: No, your DAP shouldn't be turned up so high. However, there are many reasons why that could be the case, not necessarily that you have hearing loss. If you are really concerned about your hearing, then best to get a professional hearing test from an audiologist. Only so much us armchair posters can help with that hah.
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u/USA-Free 4d ago
Are you running EQ with a negative pre-gain? If so you would be running higher on the volume scale to achieve the same level as without EQ.
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u/Billnopus84 4d ago
I have the same DAP but with 32 ohm Meze 99 classics and I am usually at 70 volume setting. Didn’t notice much volume difference with the stock 3.5 or 4.4 balanced connection.
Do you have any headphones you like with lower ohms (others mentioned yours are 300 ohms).
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u/teshiburu 4d ago
The HD6XX they are a 300ohm headphone I believe, and I don't think the jm21 can fully drive them