How to connect the headphones to FM3

This is great if you have lower impedance headphones, but you are going to lose sound quality if you connect higher impedance headphones to that. Specs recommend less than 100ohm headphones, so not so good for my Sennheisers.

I think you also lose the ability to listen to music or backing tracks from computer through output 2, but that could be resolved by using converter cables from the XLR output 1.

I'm on the fence about the headphone-less FM3. Tempted to buy it and a Schiit headphone amp and some XLR to phono cables.
 
I am using Beyerdynamic 80ohm and the volume is ok.
I am checking about the output
 
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There's a world of difference between the 80ohm and 300ohm. It's less about volume and more about power, well current or more typically voltage. Underpowered headphones may go loud, but they may also sound thin or flubby. A little 5v USB powered amp great for portable use, particularly with IEMs but its not so great for higher impedance headphones. Probably less of an issue for guitar where there's less bass, but it's still far from ideal.

Many headphones, the Sennheiser being a good example, need decent power to drive them. I've just ordered a Schiit Asgard 2 headphone amp on clearance and some XLR to RCA cables to feed it from output 1. I guess selling the Sennheiser and buying a lower impedance headphones might have been a cheaper route right enough. 😁

I'd been tempted to buy a nice headphone amp for the HD6xx anyway, so this just gave me a push.
 
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If you are using a 300 ohm Headphone I am really sure you will not use FM3 as audio interface
For sure you have a very professional recording studio :)
 
If you are using a 300 ohm Headphone I am really sure you will not use FM3 as audio interface
For sure you have a very professional recording studio :)

I'm pretty sure there's a whole bunch of folk here using Sennheiser HD600/650/6xx on here. The 250 ohm Beyerdynamic 1880/1990s, etc. It's a pretty common hobbiest setup for Axe FX and for general Music playback. I used Grado RS1, DT1880 Pro, and now HD6xx with Axe FX Ultra, Axe II XL, and they were pretty OK. Grados probably worked the best with the Ultra and low powered mixer. The DT and HD were OK with the II.

The headphone out on the Axe II, III, and FM3 is rate at 35 ohm output impedance. For that you ideally want headphones between 100 and 300 ohms for optimal sound. Ideally efficient ones at that.
 
Marco, just to be clear. I wasn't having a go at you or your video. It's very helpful, especially to those who have less demanding headphones. I was just posting for the benefit of users who haven't considered their headphones ohmage. Your channel is great! 😆👍
 
Hey Marco, in many big music shops here in Germany the M-audio Bass traveler is actually sold out so you have a big influence to many guitarists 😉🤷‍♂️😀
 
https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/solved-unable-to-hear-usb-audio-from-computer.159974/

Chris has responded to this in another thread. If you want to be able to playback usb audio from computer and play along to that with you guitar, you need to be using output 1 for headphones. So same principle you outlined for output 2 but you need a different cable to convert from XLR to TS (or RCA) depending on the headphone amp you’ve chosen.

This. I've seen a few videos that show connecting to output 2, but that has led to some confusion. I understand why people are showing the use of output 2 in these videos instead of output 1: that way you don't need an xlr to 1/4" adapter, but it's still misleading. Output 1 acts like the missing headphone jack, not output 2, so it's best to use output 1 for your headphone connection, not output 2.
 
I use the Behringer P2 with INears and my AudioTechnica ATHm40x and I have great results. The no USB out of output 2 stinks . So I bought a dual XLR to 1 XLR for the P2 it fixed that but I lost true stereo imaging. I did get Xlr tp TS plugs but afraid of them putting weight on the jack.

fun stuff .

Marco great channel you have. Fellow Italiano ova earrrrr in Philly . don't mind zero lights shade he is hating on DEM TOANZZZZ
jk yall
 
Thanks for posting this. If my signal is configured in mono with SUM L+R do I still need the Y cable? Or just a TS 1/4 to 3.5mm trs adapter would work?
 
yes. you. can use a single cable

Thanks Marco. I guess guitar should be no problem as my presets are mono... but will I be able to hear my pc playback in stereo when recording or playing with backing tracks?

Not sure how the audio of the usb is processed
 
Using a Behringer P2 and I soldered an L/R XLR -> stereo jack cable. Works perfectly and I have USB audio playback as well. With OUT2, you'd not get it. The Behringer is very good even with high impedance HP like mine Sennheisers.
 
Using a Behringer P2 and I soldered an L/R XLR -> stereo jack cable. Works perfectly and I have USB audio playback as well. With OUT2, you'd not get it. The Behringer is very good even with high impedance HP like mine Sennheisers.

So just with one mono cable Running from fm3 to the headphone amp you get stereo playblack from computer?
 
So just with one mono cable Running from fm3 to the headphone amp you get stereo playblack from computer?
Nope, you have to build yourself a cable with two female XLR inputs and one stereo out jack. Mark the left one with a red ring as used usually The pin 2 of the XLR's is the main signal, you can safely solder the other two to the ground. The jack is then tip - left, ring - right, sleeve - ground :) easy and inexpensive to build.

NOTE: I have my cables swapped on the picture, the red should be on the right side :)


IMG_20200618_014858.jpg
 
Nope, you have to build yourself a cable with two female XLR inputs and one stereo out jack. Mark the left one with a red ring as used usually The pin 2 of the XLR's is the main signal, you can safely solder the other two to the ground. The jack is then tip - left, ring - right, sleeve - ground :) easy and inexpensive to build.

NOTE: I have my cables swapped on the picture, the red should be on the right side :)


View attachment 70309
By convention, Red is the Right channel.
 
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