Headphones too loud. Should I try less sensitive headphones?

[seedragon]

My headphones are too loud. I'm concluding that I should buy less sensitive headphones to solve this problem, but I don't want to buy new cans if I don't need to. I'd appreciate some help with validating my chain of reasoning before I purchase anything.

Here's my signal chain:

MacBook Pro >> (USB) >> Burson Conductor 3XP >> (XLR} >> Focal Clear​

At a 01 volume level, the lowest level the Burson goes before it outputs nothing, the Clear's volume is too high to listen comfortably for more than 30 minutes.

Today, I address that issue by using a digital volume control app on my MBP called SoundSource. I reduce volume to 60% to listen comfortably. But I recently learned that lowering volume digitally reduces the signal's dynamic range and increases its noise floor. I'd like to avoid signal degradation where I can to help me feel like I'm getting the most out of my equipment.

I also tried keeping digital volume at 100% while changing the Burson's pre-amp gain to "Low", but that changes the sound characteristics in a way I don't like: bass loosens up and mids lose detail. Burson confirmed I heard a real difference between the "High" and "Low" settings. I'd like to keep pre-amp gain "High" because it sounds best to me.

If I don't want to reduce volume digitally, and I don't want to change pre-amp gain to "Low", is my only option for attenuating volume without degrading the signal's quality to purchase less sensitive headphones? Or do I have other options?

 

[NTK]

If you can DIY, you can follow the instructions here to build yourself a headphone attenuation adapter, courtesy of @solderdude.

Headphone attenuation adapter

home back to headphones published: Jun-29-2015, updated: Apr-16-2023 Passive Headphone Attenuator 5 reasons to use an attenuator in the headphone cable. Some headphone amplifiers may have way to …

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

They are also available here (the topmost category, 20 dB attenuation, select the 4-pin male-to-female XLR balanced attenuation cable) :

Garage1217 DIY Amplifier Build Parts And Extras

 

[Jimbob54]

If you have a single ended cable for the Clear , try that instead. Probably still not enough .

 

[ZolaIII]

First your headphone amp has three gain settings so adjust it to mid as those are mid sensitive headphones. Don't over drive them! They can't do that (for their THD most part) and end result is crackling noise.

Focal Clear Professional Review

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of Focal Clear Pro headphone. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $1499. As our British friends say, the Clear Pro "looks the part." It a unique and luxurious design. Comfort was very good although the cups are on the smaller...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Edit: In low gain mode your headphone amp will perform the best and probably has still more than enough power than way. Use it with 32 bit DAC output to lower the impact of digital volume, use unbalanced output you lose less performance than what you gain with balanced - 6 dB.

 

[seedragon]

First your headphone amp has three gain settings so adjust it to mid as those are mid sensitive headphones. Don't over drive them! They can't do that (for their THD most part) and end result is crackling noise.

Focal Clear Professional Review

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of Focal Clear Pro headphone. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $1499. As our British friends say, the Clear Pro "looks the part." It a unique and luxurious design. Comfort was very good although the cups are on the smaller...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Thanks. My Conductor 3XP has two gain settings: High and Low. Are you seeing Mid mentioned in a manual somewhere? I'm running the latest firmware, AFAIK.

 

[seedragon]

If you can DIY, you can follow the instructions here to build yourself a headphone attenuation adapter, courtesy of @solderdude.

Headphone attenuation adapter

home back to headphones published: Jun-29-2015, updated: Apr-16-2023 Passive Headphone Attenuator 5 reasons to use an attenuator in the headphone cable. Some headphone amplifiers may have way to …

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

They are also available here (the topmost category, 20 dB attenuation, select the 4-pin male-to-female XLR balanced attenuation cable) :

Garage1217 DIY Amplifier Build Parts And Extras

This is interesting. I'll take a look. Thanks for the tip.

 

[DVDdoug]

I think something is "wrong" with the Burson. But I have no idea if your unit has a defect or if that's just the way it's made.

Have you tried just plugging-into the Mac's headphone output? The sound quality is likely better than human hearing and my only concern would be if doesn't go loud enough.

But I recently learned that lowering volume digitally reduces the signal's dynamic range and increases its noise floor. I'd like to avoid signal degradation where I can to help me feel like I'm getting the most out of my equipment.

If you "recently learned" that, it means you're not hearing noise. And it's not exactly true... The noise in the headphone amp remains the same and signal goes down so the signal-to-noise ratio gets worse. It not a problem unless you re-amplify to the point where you can hear the noise. (For completeness - There is also digital quantization noise and again, it stays the same while the digital signal level goes down. But the analog noise is worse and it usually takes a crazy amount of re-amplification before you'll hear it.)

A headphone attenuator will reduce the signal and noise together, making any noise less audible (assuming it's audible to begin with).

I don't like: bass loosens up and mids lose detail. Burson confirmed I heard a real difference between the "High" and "Low" settings. I'd like to keep pre-amp gain "High" because it sounds best to me.

There's no reason for the volume control to affect frequency response. The "frequency response" of your ears DOES change with loudness. When you turn-down the volume it sounds like you've turned-down the bass even more. It could be that, or your imagination. Imagined differences are more common than you might think!
[/QUOTE]

 

[seedragon]

If you have a single ended cable for the Clear , try that instead. Probably still not enough .

My single-ended cable indeed attenuates volume enough that I can keep digital volume at 100%, gain at "High" and turn the volume up to 10 without being uncomfortable.

I think it sounds different—transients seem less punchy with the single-ended cable—but I'll have to do more A/B testing.

That was an easy and inexpensive way to address my problem. Thanks!

 

[ZolaIII]

Thanks. My Conductor 3XP has two gain settings: High and Low. Are you seeing Mid mentioned in a manual somewhere? I'm running the latest firmware, AFAIK.

It's two it seams.

 

[jkim]

I think it sounds different—transients seem less punchy with the single-ended cable—but I'll have to do more A/B testing.

UNLESS there's something wrong with your setup, you should not hear a difference b/w balanced and unbalanced headphone outputs with volume matched

 

[unpluggged]

lowering volume digitally reduces the signal's dynamic range

Just as any other type of volume control does effectively.

and increases its noise floor

It does not.

BTW, your Conductor uses digital volume control, too.

My single-ended cable indeed attenuates volume enough that I can keep digital volume at 100%, gain at "High"

A cable that attenuates the signal is broken. High gain setting is intended for lower-sensitivity headphones so it is not a correct setting for your case.

P.S. I would not buy a product from a manufacturer that recommends burning it in.