• Dom
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Topic: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

I have had many RME interfaces over the years, and I am happy with my UFX at the moment.
I also had the Babyface but I sold it, mainly because I was finding that for my applications, I needed louder and cleaner headphone amps.
I am looking at the Babyface Pro as my new mobile interface, however, I am wondering how would it work if I had to record a singer and had the same pair of headphones (e.g. 770s Pro or HD650's).

From what I understand there is no separate control for the two outputs but correct me if I'm wrong.
Consequently, if I added two 770's in both outputs then one of them would be louder than the other (because of the impedance mismatch), isn't that correct?

Please correct me if I am wrong, this is the only thing that makes me think twice for the Babyface Pro.

Thanks,
Dom

  • Registered: 2014-05-11
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

I´m also looking at the BF Pro and when I understand it right one HP should be louder and both HP outputs are using the same Volume Control.

I studied the manual and for my understanding it´s not possible to have separat channels for the HP outs in Totalmix. Sure, this would be nice (two HP channels) but than the BF Pro would cost a little? more.

3 Reply by MC

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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

TRS phones will be 6 dB louder. That is noticeable but not THAT much. Just give that output to the one who wants it a bit louder wink

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • Registered: 2014-05-11
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

okay, that should be the guitar player smile

  • Dom
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

Hi Matthias and thanks for clarifying,
So my next question I guess is how much louder are the headphones outs of the Pro compared to the original Babyface?
I always felt there was not enough power on the original Babyface headphone amps and found that when you were turning them up they tended to distort.
Is it better with the Pro?

6 Reply by MC

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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

My experience is that when you turn the Babyface Phones output up and the headphone distorts it is usually the phone itself. Many highly regarded ones can not produce high acoustic levels without starting to sound distorted. This is especially true when the source includes bass signals below 80 Hz.

But the Sennheiser 650 that you mentioned is one of the lower volume phones on the market, it needs a higher voltage to reach satisfactory volume. If you needed to raise the volume to max and the level meters reached 0 dBFS then the distortion might have come from the Babyface.

The Babyface is limited to +7 dBu at the phones output. The Babyface Pro will give +13 dBu at the TRS socket. High and low impedance types get full +7 dBu at the smaller socket.  With the Babyface Pro, using the TRS output, you get a 6 dB higher output level.

The 650 has an impedance of 300 Ohms. Note that you can easily attach two 650 in parallel (via passive splitter cable) to the Babyface Pro TRS output! This results in a load of 150 Ohms, which does not change the output level of 13 dBu much, and gives high volume even for 2 phones at the same output. The smaller output can still be used for a third headphone.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • From: United States
  • Registered: 2010-10-01
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

Hi,

I'm planning to connect my second set of monitors to the one of the Babyface Pro headphone outputs as well.

In the Babyface Pro manual it says "The output signal of channels 3/4, Phones, can be set freely using the rotary encoder. These outputs are optimized for headphones, but can also be used as line outputs. "

So is it better to use the TRS 1/4'' one for the monitors?

8 Reply by MC

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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

Doesn't matter.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • Dom
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

MC wrote:

My experience is that when you turn the Babyface Phones output up and the headphone distorts it is usually the phone itself. Many highly regarded ones can not produce high acoustic levels without starting to sound distorted. This is especially true when the source includes bass signals below 80 Hz.

But the Sennheiser 650 that you mentioned is one of the lower volume phones on the market, it needs a higher voltage to reach satisfactory volume. If you needed to raise the volume to max and the level meters reached 0 dBFS then the distortion might have come from the Babyface.

The Babyface is limited to +7 dBu at the phones output. The Babyface Pro will give +13 dBu at the TRS socket. High and low impedance types get full +7 dBu at the smaller socket.  With the Babyface Pro, using the TRS output, you get a 6 dB higher output level.

The 650 has an impedance of 300 Ohms. Note that you can easily attach two 650 in parallel (via passive splitter cable) to the Babyface Pro TRS output! This results in a load of 150 Ohms, which does not change the output level of 13 dBu much, and gives high volume even for 2 phones at the same output. The smaller output can still be used for a third headphone.

Hi Matthias and thanks for the details.

Yeah I have several headphones (HD650's, DT770Pro (80Ohms), DT880's etc). To be honest with you the reason why I am saying that Babyface was distorting is because my usual scenario is
-I work on my PC with my UFX
-Then I go to different studios with my Macbook Pro and my Babyface and record singers/ musicians.

So the same project with the same headphones was not distorting on my UFX but it was distorting with the Babyface with the same levels/headphones.
Which lead me to feel that the Babyface was not powerful enough in the headphone amps department.

As you said the Pro should be much better so it is definitely in my buying list now wink

10 Reply by MC

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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

Well, yes, the UFX gives you another 4 dB on top of the BF Pro smile

The DT770 with 80 Ohms will definitely distort more early than the BF Pro output.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • Registered: 2013-03-08
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

I'm using HD600 headphones with the Babyface Pro through the high impedance (1/4", 6.5mm) out. It can go extremely loud. I can't get close to 0 dbFS. And, there's no noise on the output at quiet volumes. The HD600 is 300ohm like all of Sennheiser's top headphones.

The old Babyface's headphone out was more like the low impedance out on the Pro (different output impedance but same gain level). Plugging the 600 into that port and it is much quieter -- first because of the impedance and second because of the max gain. I can go to 0dBFS without issue.

  • Registered: 2018-09-21
  • Posts: 11

Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

MC wrote:

The DT770 with 80 Ohms will definitely distort more early than the BF Pro output.

hello Matthias,
so.. which one 80 ohm or 250 ohms you could recommend to use with BF Pro for the best experience if i not planning to use external headphones amp?

13 Reply by MC

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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

80 Ohms will be more compatible in general, not only for the BF Pro.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2018-09-21
  • Posts: 11

Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

MC wrote:

80 Ohms will be more compatible in general, not only for the BF Pro.

thanks for your answer Matthias, but will it have a noticeable difference in quality of sound between 80 and 250 ohm?
as i heard 250 ohms headphones is for more professional use.. and 80 ohms and 250 ohms headphones sounds different (even same model beyrdinamics dt770 pro)
im not good in technical aspects, but can you tell whats will sounds the best in terms of quality of sounds if we talk about same model of headphones:
1) babyface pro + 80 ohm headphones
2) babyface pro + 250 ohms headphones
3) babyface pro + 250 ohms headphones + external amplifier for them

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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

I can not comment on sound differences of phones that I don't own. But I doubt that the 80 ohm version sounds significantly different to the 250 Ohms version. The statement that high impedance headphones are for studio use is nonsense, a myth. Look at how many pro headphones came out in the last years with impedances below 100 Ohms.

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Matthias Carstens
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  • Registered: 2018-09-21
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Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

thank you very much)
just ordered 80 ohms version

  • Registered: 2018-11-28
  • Posts: 39

Re: Babyface Pro Headphone Outs

anyone using the dt770 with the babyface pro? i would like to use them for tracking vocals obviously but i would also like to monitor sub-bass frequencies below 65hz for critical listening..any good?