How can a paranoid man be sure that his DAC/AMP won’t blow up his IEMs?

[StupidSquared]

I want a DAC/AMP combo (or standalone DAC + Amp) for my IEMs where I can be sure that I (or someone else in my household) can’t accidentally press a button and immediately explode both my ears and my gear. I tried doing a bit of Googling to no avail. I heard that some DAC/Amps have a very loud pop when turning on or switching modes that can damage your hearing, which scares me even more!!!

I’d like a DAC/AMP with electrical protection features so that my gear doesn’t blow up, and ideally also hearing protection features. Coming from AirPods, they had a feature where you could limit volume to 70dB — I would like something similar to this to protect my hearing.

 

[respice finem]

I can only tell my own experience: Not one of the DAC/HPA I've ever owned did loud pops.
If it did, I would get one that doesn't. Volume limit? I know when it's too loud, and lower the volume.
Some modern DAC/HPA detect the impedance of the HP and adjust accordingly.

If I couldn't trust my stuff, I would start playback before having the IEM in my ears, at low volume, and then start it again when all is well.

 

[solderdude]

I want a DAC/AMP combo (or standalone DAC + Amp) for my IEMs where I can be sure that I (or someone else in my household) can’t accidentally press a button and immediately explode both my ears and my gear. I tried doing a bit of Googling to no avail. I heard that some DAC/Amps have a very loud pop when turning on or switching modes that can damage your hearing, which scares me even more!!!

I’d like a DAC/AMP with electrical protection features so that my gear doesn’t blow up, and ideally also hearing protection features. Coming from AirPods, they had a feature where you could limit volume to 70dB — I would like something similar to this to protect my hearing.

iEMatch+

Do your earphones suffer from pop and hiss? Sound quality just not quite ‘there’ at normal listening levels?. Then, You need the iEMatch+, use iEMatch+. It works with all 3.5mm balanced devices. Switch between single-ended or balanced operation to suit your needs.

ifi-audio.com

This will limit the output level.

When you are handy with a soldering iron you can make one yourself.

Headphone attenuation adapter

home back to articles back to headphone related published: Jun-29-2015, updated: Apr-16-2023 Passive Headphone Attenuator 5 reasons to use an attenuator in the headphone cable. Some headphone amp…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

 

[Curvature]

I want a DAC/AMP combo (or standalone DAC + Amp) for my IEMs where I can be sure that I (or someone else in my household) can’t accidentally press a button and immediately explode both my ears and my gear. I tried doing a bit of Googling to no avail. I heard that some DAC/Amps have a very loud pop when turning on or switching modes that can damage your hearing, which scares me even more!!!

I’d like a DAC/AMP with electrical protection features so that my gear doesn’t blow up, and ideally also hearing protection features. Coming from AirPods, they had a feature where you could limit volume to 70dB — I would like something similar to this to protect my hearing.

RME ADI series have limits you can program as well as a dedicated output and keep settings per output in memory.

You can also use an in-line resistor. I believe iFi makes one.

 

[StupidSquared]

iEMatch+

Do your earphones suffer from pop and hiss? Sound quality just not quite ‘there’ at normal listening levels?. Then, You need the iEMatch+, use iEMatch+. It works with all 3.5mm balanced devices. Switch between single-ended or balanced operation to suit your needs.

ifi-audio.com

This will limit the output level.

When you are handy with a soldering iron you can make one yourself.

Headphone attenuation adapter

home back to articles back to headphone related published: Jun-29-2015, updated: Apr-16-2023 Passive Headphone Attenuator 5 reasons to use an attenuator in the headphone cable. Some headphone amp…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Thank you! This one’s looking like one of the best options so far. I stumbled across it earlier, but it seemed like snake oil at first to me

RME ADI series have limits you can program as well as a dedicated output and keep settings per output in memory.

You can also use an in-line resistor. I believe iFi makes one.

Thank you! After thorough checking, I can verify that these DACs have a price. Indeed, those are some of the prices that I have seen in my life. These DACs are valued at an MSRP.

 

[StupidSquared]

I can only tell my own experience: Not one of the DAC/HPA I've ever owned did loud pops.
If it did, I would get one that doesn't. Volume limit? I know when it's too loud, and lower the volume.
Some modern DAC/HPA detect the impedance of the HP and adjust accordingly.

If I couldn't trust my stuff, I would start playback before having the IEM in my ears, at low volume, and then start it again when all is well.

Well, the threshold of pain (~110dB?) is way above the threshold of hearing damage (85dB iirc?) which makes it hard to tell when something is too loud. And mere mortals are pretty bad at consciously(*) telling the difference in sound levels which is why I am worried.

 

[respice finem]

Apart from extremes (gunshots etc.), a short impulse will not damage hearing. That said, hearing too loud for too long is harmful, yes.
If you don't trust your own judgement, you can get a DAC/HPA which lets you set limits etc., like the already mentioned RME.
A nice "bonus" of the RME is adaptive loudness and several crossfeed modes.

 

[solderdude]

Well, the threshold of pain (~110dB?) is way above the threshold of hearing damage (85dB iirc?) which makes it hard to tell when something is too loud. And mere mortals are pretty bad at consciously(*) telling the difference in sound levels which is why I am worried.

don't confuse average noise level exposure limit values to short term music peak levels.

'Music: how loud is loud? (video)'

Apr 13, 2021

Here is a much needed video on the topic of how loud we really listen to music. And issues related to hearing damage, etc. It is an argument that seems to come up twice a day since I started testing headphones. Here, I review the literature on true dynamic range of music and considerations regarding measurements, noise standards, etc.

AES E-LIBRARY
Dynamic-Range Issues in the Modern Digital Audio Environment
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/online/browse.cfm?elib=7948

Dynamic Range: How Quiet is Quiet? ...

• amirm
• Replies: 277
• Forum: Audio Science Review Video Channel

• 

power levels & impedance

home back to articles back to technical explanations published: Dec-11-2013, last update: Nov-15-2025 Power levels, efficiency, impedance, voltages, current, sound pressure… Can you make head…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

 

[somebodyelse]

Short of things actually failing in the wild, it's hard to know whether any protection features will work as advertised. We saw this with the original Topping L30, since recalled and fixed. The paranoid man would make (or have made) an external protection box and test against potential failure modes and volume levels, as so far as I know there isn't such a box on sale. The RME will be cheaper than having such a protection box designed and built.

 

[Purité Audio]

Some dacs/amps Eversolo for example have the facility to place an upper limit on the volume in normal operation.
Keith

 

[unpluggged]

RME ADI series have limits you can program

They do not. The remote software has such option, but it doesn't prevent one from turning up the volume on the device itself.

 

[staticV3]

I’d like a DAC/AMP with electrical protection features so that my gear doesn’t blow up

Consider the Topping DX1.

In Low gain, it maxes out at 0.8Vrms, which while still loud with IEMs, should not endanger your hearing.

Then maybe a dab of hot glue, or a small rubber stopper inserted into the gain switch so that it cannot be flicked to High.

Alternatively, just go with an EU (0.5V) or US (1.0V) Apple Headphone adapter.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

By its very nature, paranoia cannot be dispelled by ratiocination

 

[respice finem]

By its very nature, paranoia cannot be dispelled by ratiocination

Yes, but - only because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get me

 

[Curvature]

They do not. The remote software has such option, but it doesn't prevent one from turning up the volume on the device itself.

My mistake. There is a "lock volume" feature however.

 

[Curupira]

+1 vote for a IEM dimensioned source. If you're only going to use IEMs, you don't need full-fledged dac/amp, just use a power/voltage limited dongle like the Apple dongle and call it a day.

AFAIK, the EU version will only output up to 1V, that should yield you the safe average volume you want, unless you're using extreme iems (either very sensitive or insensitive).

... Or just use the aforementioned attenuator. I have had a ifi iem match before for a coupled 6XX Zen Can and Dac that didn't had low gain and that I bought for an absolute bargain. The attenuator is expensive for what it is, though.

 

[Curupira]

When you are handy with a soldering iron you can make one yourself.

Headphone attenuation adapter

home back to articles back to headphone related published: Jun-29-2015, updated: Apr-16-2023 Passive Headphone Attenuator 5 reasons to use an attenuator in the headphone cable. Some headphone amp…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Great article. I had completely missed this article by you in the past, and had always wondered what the fluff inside ifi's IEM match was when compared to in-line resistance plugs that people use to change their iems frequency response.

 

[Deleted member 43957]

Xanax

 

[unpluggged]

AFAIK, the EU version will only output up to 1V

Only 0.5 V, the US version is 1 V. And by default, the volume is further attenuated (don't recall the specific value, but have seen reports it was at −6 dB, so 0.25 V) unless your host sets hardware volume over the UAC driver and not in software.

 

[staticV3]

Only 0.5 V, the US version is 1 V. And by default, the volume is further attenuated (don't recall the specific value, but have seen reports it was at −6 dB, so 0.25 V) unless your host sets hardware volume over the UAC driver and not in software.

I feel like a broken record at this point but here goes:

The Apple dongle has a base gain/output voltage of 1.0Vrms

Both Apple dongle versions default to -20dB UAC2 hardware volume.

If your OS does not natively support UAC2 Hardware volume control (e.g. Android or Windows 7 w/o custom drivers), then you'll be stuck with this 20dB reduction unless you can inject UAC2 control, using programs like USB Audio Player Pro.

The EU Apple dongle has an additional -6dB attenuation built-in, which can only be disabled by an Apple OS.

So:

EU Dongle

	w/ UAC2 Control	w/o UAC2 Control
Apple OS	1.0V	doesn't exist
non-Apple OS	0.5V	0.05V

US Dongle

	w/ UAC2 Control	w/o UAC2 Control
Apple OS	1.0V	doesn't exist
non-Apple OS	1.0V	0.1V

Additionally:

-Google have announced they will fix the lack of UAC2 volume control in upcoming Android versions (not necessarily implementing full UAC2 volume control capabilities, but at the very least forcing 100% UAC2 on startup so that the -20dB default value no longer matters)

-not all Apple OSs will unlock the EU's -6dB limiter, there's some shenanigans going on with iOS. MacOS and iPadOS can do it though.