Is the audio amp in the MacBook Pro 13 Retina (2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz8GB 1600MHz memory128GB PCIe-based flash storage) Powerful enough to get a good result with my Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones
MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)
Not sure I've got your exact model specs but in general.
According to this the output of the headphone driver is:s
"Maximum output voltage: 2 VRMS (+8.24 dBu)
Output impedance: < 24 Ω"
Your Sennheisers have an impedance of 300 Ω which will be a terrible mismatch. You will not be happy. Volume will be quite low.
From:
"For your application I think the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II would be the best bet as they are low impedance and *very* efficient (120dB).
If you want something like the HD 600 I would use a small USB headphone amp. like the CEntrance DACport - though there others at various prices"
So just checked out that DACport, looks amazing but it's going to cost you as much as the HD600s!
They look like they're Class A. I was a sound recordist in Chicago a long time ago and made my own Class A headphone amps for my Koss Pro 4AAs.(OMG!! they're still sold!! and they have a lifetime warranty! I thought I just saw them??)
http://www.cnet.com/news/back-to-the-future-koss-pro4aa-headphones/
Excellent thanks for your help. I'm an editor not a soundie so get into nots trying to figure this stuff out. So many people have said an amp just increases the volume and has not effect on the headphones.
Yah, we did a lot of mixes of live heavy metal bands! Isolation was important.
"an amp just increases the volume"
Uuuhhhhh yup, that would be true, but if the volume is so low you can't hear what's being said then that's a problem.
Also I would think the headphones would have no guts since they'd be driven at such a mismatch.
Hi there,
The short answer is yes it is fine.
In theory, the Ideal amplifier should have zero impedance, and the ideal headphone should have infinite impedance.
This however is impossible in the real world, so we tend to stick with the 1/8 rule:-
Your headphones are 300Ω impedance (HD600), thus the maximum impedance of your amplifier should be is 300Ω/8 = 37.5Ω.
The specs spudnuty posted suggest the mac headphone port impedance is <24Ω. Thus the HD600 easy meets the 1/8th rule.
As for 'amplification', I have the 2.7GHz, 13" Macbook Pro Retina (early 2015), and a pair of HD600 too.
At full volume, I can only listen to them for about 10 seconds... At a guess, I would say it's about 120 dB(SPL), Its PAINFULLY LOUD!
The truth is, the built in sound is surprisingly good!
Cheers,
SuperkidMCSD.
I use Sennheiser 650s which have the same impedance and they sound amazing. I tried a $100 USB amp/dac combo but couldn't hear a difference between the two. And half volume is enough to comfortably listen to them on the MacBook Pro Retina 15".
It sounds silly but your DAC/amp in the MacBook might be good enough for you if you have the right headphones.
Try this link for a quick opinion but let your ears decide.
I have found that low impedance headphones sound better on iDevices and computers. Yes, there is a rule of thumb about impedance but realistically you may not hear it.
I have a MacBook Retina and I do hear a big difference when I listen to a desktop DAC and AMP instead of my built in DAC/amp. But I also have an Audioengine D3 DAC/amp and the MacBook sounds very close to it in sound quality. But I am listening to 32ohm headphones which do not need high power.
I recommend trying out headphones first and pick the sound that you like and can afford. Then try them with a portable DAC/amp. You may not need the extra DAC/amp.
Thanks Spunuty the pro4aa look like solid may be a bit heavy for me. I remember using the first mac when I started uni.
Do I need a headphone amp or is MacBook pro amp good enough
