Question about "balanced" outputs

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

Sorry if this has been asked multiple times before, but I am wondering...

I just got a "balanced cable" so I can connect my headphones to the Balanced output of my HP amplifier.

According to specs, the output power is about thrice what it is with 6.35mm jack (240mW@300Ohm versus 72mW@300Ohm for 6.35)

So I expected to get undecent volume at same setting (about 70%).

But what I got is... NOTHING. Volume is exactly the same with XLR 4 pins and Jack 6.35mm.

Is this normal ? Can the difference only be heard at full volume ? Or is the 70% volume setting not the same on 6.35mm and on Balaced 4-Pin XLR ?

If you'd have an answer I'd be a taker

Regards.

 

[staticV3]

Depends on the Amp's gain structure.
Which one do you have?

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

Noticed that on both AUNE S6 (not pro unfortunately) and on Fiio m11 Pro DAP.

I'll try it on AUNE X7s which should have 1000mW@300Ohm as output.

Regards.

TRIED ON AUNE X7s : whole other story Much more power indeed at same level !

 

[danadam]

According to specs, the output power is about thrice what it is with 6.35mm jack (240mW@300Ohm versus 72mW@300Ohm for 6.35)

So I expected to get undecent volume at same setting (about 70%).

Not sure what you mean by "undecent volume". Just from the numbers it should be about 5 dB louder, which is noticeable but not extremely different. See pink noise example in attachment.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

Sorry for late reply. By "undecent" I meant, "really much louder".

I mean when you move from 250mW to 1W, you should hear a differecne that is not a small one, don't you ?

But anyways, the difference is there indeed. So good to have it

 

[danadam]

I mean when you move from 250mW to 1W, you should hear a differecne that is not a small one, don't you ?

It's usually accepted that doubling the perceived loudness requires 10 dB change. For power, 10 dB happens to be 10x. You would need a change from 250 mW to 2.5 W to perceive it is twice as loud. A change from 250 mW to 1 W is only 6 dB, so it's a little more than the example from before.

 

[Trell]

It's usually accepted that doubling the perceived loudness requires 10 dB change. For power, 10 dB happens to be 10x. You would need a change from 250 mW to 2.5 W to perceive it is twice as loud. A change from 250 mW to 1 W is only 6 dB, so it's a little more than the example from before.

I wonder how many 300 Ohm headphones can survive 1 W, very few is my guess.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

OK. Thanks a lot for your answers.

So the math is a little more complicated than what I thought. I thought that if the output power was doubled, the sound would be significantly louder, but that is not true. It will be louder, but not significantly.

And indeed, I was not planning to listen with max volume On the AUNE X7S which can deliver about 1.7W under 32Ohm, I think that with unefficient Dan Clark AEON I would have to listen to a lot less than half the volume knob. Well, I have to go at least clode to it to get sound level that I like, which means not really loud... I'll give it a "sufficient". On the S6, I have to crank that up to 70%.

But that gives dsome margin