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Topic: headphones - quality loss when splitting? (Read 7043 times) previous topic - next topic
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headphones - quality loss when splitting?

ok, my missus bought me an amazing electronic drum kit for my b'day  - and i just got hold of some Roland RH-200 headphones which in my opinion are the mutz nutz (but i spose they should be for the $$$)

anyway, i wan't to be able to plug my other set of headphones in also, but when i run it through the splitter setup, the quality is drastically reduced...

standard setup #1: RH-200 (3.5mm stereo /w 6.35mm supplied adapter) -> V-Drums - sound quality superb!

splitter setup #2: RH-200 (3.5mm) + Other Headphones (3.5mm) -> 2-1 splitter (3.5mm all round) -> aftermarket 3.5mm-6.35mm adapter -> V-Drums - sound quality pap!

the splitter is just a radioshack one and the aftermarket 3.5mm-6.35mm adapter was just one i found in a box somewhere, so the quality of these two components may not be up to much...

my question is, if i get a good quality (gold plated and all that jazz) twin 3.5mm - 6.35mm splitter, will the sound quality be what its supposed to be, or do you always loose quality by splitting?



EDIT: basically, will a good quality version of this (if i can find one) do the trick?

headphones - quality loss when splitting?

Reply #1 –
Your problem is the classic placebo effect "volume is noise".

When you split your signal, each path takes more or less half the signal, depending on the impedance.  That means volume will be approx 50% less, and so you'll have the impression of worse sound.

headphones - quality loss when splitting?

Reply #2 –
Quote
Your problem is the classic placebo effect "volume is noise".

When you split your signal, each path takes more or less half the signal, depending on the impedance.  That means volume will be approx 50% less, and so you'll have the impression of worse sound.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=369268"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

How is that the case? They will be connected in parallel, not in series, that would be mad wouldn't it? Perhaps you mean for a given wattage? Even then the impedance load should be harder shouldn't it? Maybe with a perfect amplifier you wouldn't expect a significant change in sound.

headphones - quality loss when splitting?

Reply #3 –
From what I experienced, using a splitter cuts the current feed to each device.

Since power = voltage x current, we get less watts to each device (given an imperfect output device - it will not feed unlimited current... - if you add a headphone amp or preamp it should, though)

Since sound production efficiency is in Watts / dB, you globally get a lower volume.

headphones - quality loss when splitting?

Reply #4 –
Quote
From what I experienced, using a splitter cuts the current feed to each device.

Since power = voltage x current, we get less watts to each device (given an imperfect output device - it will not feed unlimited current... - if you add a headphone amp or preamp it should, though)

Since sound production efficiency is in Watts / dB, you globally get a lower volume.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=369370"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Most headphone outputs are very low output impedance, this means that voltage will change very little when you halve the load impedance. If the headphone output has a very high output impedance, then it will be appreciably affected, but this is not the norm.

The sound quality problem(s) claimed by said person could be due to simply driving the headphone output beyond it's linear power limitations(trying to draw more current then the circuit can provide). In this case, it's just a matter of high quantities of harmonic distortion. Personally, I would measure the output to see if any obvious issues are present, but I do not know if the poster can feasibly do this.

-Chris

headphones - quality loss when splitting?

Reply #5 –
Quote
EDIT: basically, will a good quality version of this (if i can find one) do the trick?


[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]



Unless your original adapter is defective(very poor connection internally), you will not correct your problem(s) by using another adapter.

Get something like this to correct the problem:

[a href="http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHHA400]http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHHA400[/url]

-Chris

headphones - quality loss when splitting?

Reply #6 –
Quote
Your problem is the classic placebo effect "volume is noise".

When you split your signal, each path takes more or less half the signal, depending on the impedance.  That means volume will be approx 50% less, and so you'll have the impression of worse sound.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=369268"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

If the impedances differ considerably, the lower impedance will tend towards a short circuit to the higher one, so the split may be far from 50/50, plus it'll vary with frequency in a complex fashion. Even if they are nominally similar impedances it will still vary with frequency and this may be part of the reason for the drop in perceived quality. Separate amps is the only real answer, as suggested elsewhere.