iFi Audio iEMatch

I just saw this on iFi Audio's facebook feed. Is this something I could put between a Mojo and my Andromedas to kill the hiss and give me an output z of 2.5 ohms?

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Many headphones, and in particular IEMs, are high-sensitivity in nature. This, coupled with the relative high-power of modern Smartphones, (dedicated headphone amplifiers are even more powerful), means that listening enjoyment is heavily compromised as ‘loudness/hiss’ becomes excessive. This makes listening fatigue an all too common issue.

The solution: Source > iEMatch > Headphones.

By inserting the iEMatch® in between the Smartphone/Source and the Headphones, the result is sound quality that has greater warmth, resolution and dynamic contrast.

1. Reduced background noise/hiss
2. Improved dynamic range
3. Optimised volume control

Features/Technologies

• Ultra (-24dB)/High (-12dB) sensitivity adjustment

• TRRS-Balanced® connection for Single-Ended and Balanced operation

• 6N Copper/Silver matrix signal cabling with FINAL 6063-T5 aluminium-magnesium alloy shell

• Gold-plated circuit board with premium components (eg MELF resistors)

• Gold-plated 3.5mm male/female connectors

• Input impedance > 16 Ohm

• Output impedance > 2.5 Ohms (High-sensitivity)
> 1 Ohm (Ultra-sensitivity)

The retail price of the iEMatch® is US$49 (ex-tax) or €59 (incl VAT).

 

If that's 3.5mm TRRS I'm ordering one.

 

Ooh I like this. Thanks for sharing!

 

I'm trying one of these out tonight with the Andromeda <- Vi DAC

 

Currently running the Andromeda out of the Krell Klone which was previously not possible due to noise floor bleeding into quiet passages. They are dead silent on the "high" sensitivity setting with this amplifier. There is no need for the "Ultra" with this combo. I currently do not have any amplifiers that have a higher noise floor with the Andromeda.

My main goal was the be able to use my A/C powered amplifiers with the Andromeda so I do not have to deal with recharging the Pico Power every few days. When the Pico Power drops power - it pops pretty hard and I don't want to kill the Andromeda armatures. The Pico Power killed a set of Carbo Tenores this way - lucky they were "cheap" to replace.

I don't currently notice any sonic degradation with my current chain.

 

Cool, good stuff. Did it shift the frequency response at all?

 

It does not seem to be doing that. The Klone is low-z out and the Andros are still sounding like slamming little bass monsters on it. It is not too fair to give a completely honest comparison since I am only using the iEMatch on amplifiers that I previously would not listen with due to noise floor.

I unfortunately do not have any low power amplifiers that are noisy. That will probably be a good test for the iEMatch.

 

I am kind of considering this to use between my UHA-6S and Andromeda and UERM. I've considered sending the leck back to have the gain lowered, but am hesitant to gimp it for more demanding headphones.

 

I'm thinking of getting one for using my IEMs off my power amplifier

How much resistance do you need for -24 dB I wonder... penon audio does have 150 ohm adapters for a fraction of the price.

 

those adapters affect the output impedance. With a 150 ohm adapter, you're getting 150 ohm OI.

 

Just received my iEMatch, and I'm able to use my 30W class A amp to power the TFZ 5S without even needing to use the "ultra sensitive" setting. Color me impressed.

Note that the TFZ 5S was a bit too sensitive even for the Magni 1 - it was too loud even with the volume pot just hanging around the bit where the channels become balanced.

 

Just got my IEMatch. It doesn't seem like it's meant to be used with amps that have higher OI. Any idea why they made the input impedance on the IEMatch 16 ohms? That's a fairly low impedance load for an amp to drive, isnt it?

 

It's adequate for portable gears, I guess

I don't think it was designed to handle the dissipation beefier desktop headphone amps (let alone power amps) would induce, so they went with what can be commonly found in the portable market.

 

It looks like my iEMatch was slowly dying. I was wondering why my IEM's weren't giving me chills anymore, and if there was distortion in some recordings or I was imagining it. I only thought to try my IEMs without the adapter today, and everything is smooth, expansive, and detailed again. I've opened a support ticket with iFi to try to get this resolved.

 

The strain relief and thin wire on the IEMatch certainly doesn't help. I'd only use it in a home setting when I get my Andros.

 

That sucks man. I haven't noticed anything different with mine yet, only improvements when I A/B between connections. I'll have to listen more closely now to see if anything happens.

The strain reliefs and cable aren't that bad on mine. It actually feels pretty sturdy to me when I bend and pull at it. It's probably gotten a few weeks worth of abuse going out and about, getting bent and pulled in a million different places... so far it still looks like it did the day I got it.

 

Anyone feel the iematch does something negative to the sound? Aside from taking out background hiss....I just feel it does something to the air of the sound and also decay and nuance extensions. It sounds slightly like a singer singing with a stuffy nose. Has me perplexed as i feel much more longer length of decay and air when using both sony zx2 and geekout v2+ infinity on their own with andros then with the iematch. Output impedance aside....just the sound is more compressed and dull.

 

As I understand it adding the iematch can negatively impact some multiple BA driver IEMs, impacting their frequency response by adding the impedance adapter. The Ando's have 5 BA's each side, so that could be what you're hearing. Cheers

 

I'm with @zerodeefex and @Cellist88 that the iEMatch does something negative to the sound, even when used with a low OI source. With the Neco v5, the iEMatch didn't seem to decrease bass by much with either the 1 or 2.5 ohm settings and the Andros. Instead of decreasing bass, the iEMatch also seemed to make the bass more muddy and the mids less clear. Contrary to what iFi claims, the iEMatch actually decreases dynamic range. As mentioned by you guys before, the IEMatch also kills the air. I'd rather deal with the hissing and then extra bass than with what I lose using the iEMatch.

I think the concept would have worked much better if the iEMatch had a much higher input impedance. 16ohms just seems really too low for a lot of applications.