Does Using an Audio Jack Splitter Lower Quallity?

[Inkz]

It seems like in theory it would with adding more resistance/ lowering the signal. If you were just using 2 pairs of regular head phones with you and a friend can you tell the difference?

[Verne]

As long as the cables are in good condition and not some cheap black market couldbeanythings the only effect would be lower volume, not quality degradation.

[SSL]

I'm sure it'll be fine unless both you and your friend are audiophile snobs, at which point there's no helping you.

[Oktyabr]

It seems like in theory it would with adding more resistance/ lowering the signal. If you were just using 2 pairs of regular head phones with you and a friend can you tell the difference?

Technically two pairs of headphones ran off a splitter would be presenting their resistance to the circuit in parallel.  The voltage on the circuit remains the same but the current is divided.  In most cases you probably wouldn't hear too much of a difference but keep an eye on how hot the amp is getting.  And no, I don't think I'd be trying this with full size headphones off a phone or anything.

[SSL]

Technically two pairs of headphones ran off a splitter would be presenting their resistance to the circuit in parallel.  The voltage on the circuit remains the same but the current is divided.  In most cases you probably wouldn't hear too much of a difference but keep an eye on how hot the amp is getting.  And no, I don't think I'd be trying this with full size headphones off a phone or anything.

 

This is why pro/studio headphones are usually high impedance.

[Oktyabr]

This is why pro/studio headphones are usually high impedance.

True story.

[SSL]

True story.

 

? Seriously. Higher impedance, less current, more headphones plugged into the same piece of equipment.

[Oktyabr]

? Seriously. Higher impedance, less current, more headphones plugged into the same piece of equipment.

Yup.  I know Ohm's Law.  Although I think super high impedance "pro" headphones are likely more of an artifact from the days when studio gear was powered by tubes, like everything else.  These days most studio head units run a separate amp on each output, usually opamps, so I'm not sure it's that critical even there anymore.  I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU, SSL!  lol

[SSL]

Yup.  I know Ohm's Law.  Although I think super high impedance "pro" headphones are likely more of an artifact from the days when studio gear was powered by tubes, like everything else.  These days most studio head units run a separate amp on each output, usually opamps, so I'm not sure it's that critical even there anymore.  I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU, SSL!  lol

 

I needed to make sure, deviant thought isn't permitted here. Plus, I'm insecure.

[Oktyabr]

No deviant thought?  I won't tell anyone if you don't.

[Lutkeveld]

It won't affect SQ. Just make sure your soundcard supports the parallel impedance. If you have a card that supports 32+ ohms, its not recommended to use two 32 ohm headphones via a splitter (16 ohm load)

[creatip123]

It won't affect SQ. Just make sure your soundcard supports the parallel impedance. If you have a card that supports 32+ ohms, its not recommended to use two 32 ohm headphones via a splitter (16 ohm load)

 

To add (for the others), this is somewhat against what soundcard producers want people to believe, which is the lower the impedance the better, the higher the impedance, the more 'evil' it is.

 

To take that sentence raw, one would think a 4x 32 ohms headphones paralleled (giving 8 ohms load) is very good, and a 4x 16 ohms IEM paralleled is even better. In reality, 4x paralleled devices will need 2x the power of 1 device, provided the 4 devices are the exact same thing. (CMMIW, my physic math is a bit rusty)

[Oddball]

it would actually half the impedance (not resistance as we are dealing with AC not DC) not double it.

 

And it would lower quality if the amp has a significant output impedance as the impedance of two headphones is half of one headphone the damping factor is also halved which leads to "poor bass control" or "flappy bass" as well as *insert audiophile buzzword here to describe shitty bass*.

 

Its important to remember to 1/8th rule with damping factor. Meaning the source impedance must be 1/8th or lower of the load impedance for good damping factor. 

 

Quick note about impedance vs resistance.

 

Resistance is a simple number, such as 10, which indicates the DC load of a circuit.

 

Impedance is a complex number, like 10 + 2i, which indicates both the DC load (resistance) and the AC load by capacitors and inductors (reactance). The nominal impedance of your headphones is called impedance and not resistance for this reason. Its also why if you try to use a multimeter to measure the impedance you won't get the nominal value as most meters only measure resistance not impedance.