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K-3 Headphone Impedance (was Pro Set Elite)

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rich kennedy

K-3 Headphone Impedance (was Pro Set Elite)

Is it important to chose a headphone impedance close to what the K3 would like to see? For example, Don recommended the Yamaha CM500 which, according to the website, has a headphone impedance of 120 ohms; other headphone impedances seem to run from around 32 ohms (the Yamaha RH2C) to several hundreds of ohms. Is headphone impedance a critical factor in choosing your headphones? Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT
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Message: 30
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:03:19 -0400
From: Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Pro Set Elite w/ K3
To: Shane <[hidden email]>
Cc: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Big5

Shane,

It is my firm belief that the audio response should be controlled by the
transceiver, and not by the headphones or speakers (which should be
wide-range).

The more recent K3s (SN 3626 and above) contain the upgraded DSP board
which has the audio Low Pass filter to roll off the AF response above 4
kHz installed.

If you have an earlier K3, you can do the DSP board swap, or install the
Low Pass Filter board to your existing K3 DSP board.

You will find less expensive alternatives to the Heil headset in
computer headsets and in the much acclaimed (here on this reflector)
Yamaha CM500. I just purchased the CM500 from Sweetwater Sound for
$29.95 With free shipping) - it was a demo unit at half the normal
price. Heil products are overpriced for the function provided IMHO.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 8/11/2011 11:40 PM, Shane wrote:

> The boom is something I could really do without as I'm happy w/ my
> mic. I'm much more interested in the headphones themselves. I've been
> reading DX books and it would seem that most headphones are designed
> for high fidelity listening between 50 and 20,000 Hz. CW it says runs
> from 250 - 1000 Hz and SSB from 300 - 3000. It goes on to say that
> most transceivers generate white noise beyond 10000 and can be very
> tiring for a listener.
>
> So I was wondering if these Heil headphones are more meant for this
> type of application taking into account the above.
>
>

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Jim Brown-10

Re: K-3 Headphone Impedance (was Pro Set Elite)

On 8/14/2011 6:16 PM, rich kennedy wrote:
> Is headphone impedance a critical factor in choosing your headphones? Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT

NO! The more important number is the "voltage sensitivity," which is
usually expressed in dBSPL (acoustic loudness) for a standard driving
voltage. Any decent headphones will work fine electrically with the K3
unless you happen to have VERY SERIOUS hearing loss (like some of my
friends). I'm 69 years old and have moderate hearing loss, and I've yet
to see decent phones that aren't loud enough.

73, Jim K9YC
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Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: K-3 Headphone Impedance (was Pro Set Elite)

The one place impedance might be important is with regard to frequency
response. Some of the early K3 headphone circuits has smaller value
coupling capacitors than the current production. With low impedance
(< 16 Ohms) headphones the low value coupling capacitors resulted in
a low frequency roll off that bothers some operators.

I like the CM-500 and the *old* Heil Pro Set with 200 Ohm headsets for
that reason. However, the my Heil is gone ... the mic housing broke
and Heil would not sell repair parts (more specifically they wanted
as much for the repair parts as it would have cost to buy a new
Pro Set HC-5!). I bought two x CM-500 for less than one Pro Set.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 8/14/2011 9:52 PM, Jim Brown wrote:

> On 8/14/2011 6:16 PM, rich kennedy wrote:
>> Is headphone impedance a critical factor in choosing your headphones? Thanks, 73, Rich, K3VAT
>
> NO! The more important number is the "voltage sensitivity," which is
> usually expressed in dBSPL (acoustic loudness) for a standard driving
> voltage. Any decent headphones will work fine electrically with the K3
> unless you happen to have VERY SERIOUS hearing loss (like some of my
> friends). I'm 69 years old and have moderate hearing loss, and I've yet
> to see decent phones that aren't loud enough.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>