Sennheiser HD-280

[M.C.J.]

Could a portable CD player (specifically Sony D-NF400) power these
headphones properly? -- Thanks, Mike

[Robert Morein]

The 580 can't be powered by portable devices.
I don't know about the 280.

"M.C.J." > wrote in message
link.net...
> Could a portable CD player (specifically Sony D-NF400) power these
> headphones properly? -- Thanks, Mike

[Margaret von B.]

"M.C.J." > wrote in message
link.net...
> Could a portable CD player (specifically Sony D-NF400) power these
> headphones properly? -- Thanks, Mike

Yes.

Cheers,

Margaret

[John Brock]

In article >,
Robert Morein > wrote:

>"M.C.J." > wrote in message
link.net...
>> Could a portable CD player (specifically Sony D-NF400) power these
>> headphones properly? -- Thanks, Mike

>The 580 can't be powered by portable devices.
>I don't know about the 280.

What exactly is the difference? I mean between the headphone jacks
on portable and non-portable devices. Why would certain headphones
not work properly with certain headphone jacks? I'm sure the answer
has to do with power, but a slightly more technical explanation
would be appreciated.
--
John Brock

[[email protected]]

The only physical difference is whether you have 1/8" or 1/4" headphone
outputs. You can get adapters for a few bucks, so the size of the
output jack really isn't an issue.

The problem with the Sennheiser 580 (and some other home and studio
headphones) is that they need more power than most portables can
provide to drive the headphones and produce decent sound.

Anyway, IMHO, using headphones as big as the 580's with a small
portable player is a bit silly and ruins the whole idea of convenience
and portability. With my portables, I've always used earbuds. I leave
my headphones at home.

A possible compromise would be something like the Sennheiser PX series,
which fold for carrying and are designed for portable use.

Anyone interested in using the 580's with a portable should try before
they buy, IMHO. You might also want to consider a headphone amplifier
to go between the portable and the 580's, to boost the signal a bit.

"John Brock" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Robert Morein > wrote:
>
>>"M.C.J." > wrote in message
link.net...
>>> Could a portable CD player (specifically Sony D-NF400) power these
>>> headphones properly? -- Thanks, Mike
>
>>The 580 can't be powered by portable devices.
>>I don't know about the 280.
>
> What exactly is the difference? I mean between the headphone jacks
> on portable and non-portable devices. Why would certain headphones
> not work properly with certain headphone jacks? I'm sure the answer
> has to do with power, but a slightly more technical explanation
> would be appreciated.

It's my understanding that the HD-280 competes directly with the Sony 7506
(MDR-V6) in almost every respect. If you are willing to carry them with
you, I'm sure the 280 will do the job.

Norm Strong

[Arny Krueger]

"John Brock" > wrote in message

> In article >,
> Robert Morein > wrote:
>
>> "M.C.J." > wrote in message
>> link.net...
>>> Could a portable CD player (specifically Sony D-NF400) power these
>>> headphones properly? -- Thanks, Mike

>> The 580 can't be powered by portable devices.

Depends on the portable device and the listener's tastes.

>> I don't know about the 280.

> What exactly is the difference? I mean between the headphone jacks
> on portable and non-portable devices.

Portable devices tend to be more limited in terms of maximum output voltage.
Usually, the headphone amplifier runs directly from whatever battery is in
the machine.

MP3 players running off a AA or AAA cell are probably the worst - for pretty
obvious reasons. There's only 1.56 volts to drive the headphones with.

A device like a Nomad Jukebox that runs off a 3.6 volt lithium cell has the
potential to drive its headphone jack louder. However, there may be other
sources of limitation, such as regulatory issues in certain areas.

> Why would certain headphones not work properly with certain headphone
jacks?

Some headphones take a lot more voltage to get loud enough. The 580's are
high-impedance phones that might take a little more voltage to get as loud
as lower-impedance headphones.