During the WWDC 2022 event in the early morning of Beijing time this morning, Apple launched a new 13.6-inch MacBook Air with a new M2 chip and a fan less design However, in the list of features, many people are confused about the description of "high impedance headphone output" In fact, although real wireless Bluetooth headsets have become quite popular, there are still many "nail households" pursuing the excellent sound quality of high-end wired headsets.
2022 M2 macbook Air retains 3.5mm headphone jack
It is reported that the so-called "impedance" (usually expressed in Ω / Ohm) refers to the resistance parameters of speakers or headphones. Compared with Bluetooth earphones, wired earphones have the characteristics of zero delay, no interference drop, and no charging.
But before M2 MBA, Apple Support for "high impedance headphones" has been introduced on the 2021 MacBook Pro. Higher values mean that audio devices need more power to drive the same volume.
Most wired earphones on the market today are < 50 Ω low impedance product, which is more suitable for use with mobile phones, laptops and small music players.
In contrast, most high impedance headphones are in the hands of professional studios or enthusiasts. Its load is often as high as 600 Ω, which means that the low-power sound source and power amplifier are difficult to promote.
Bayer dynamics DT 770 studio earphone
Considering that Apple has a deep accumulation in the field of artistic creation, and many studios are using Macs and high-end audio products, it is not surprising that M2 MacBook Air is endowed with this feature.
Previously, some audio enthusiasts with "small requirements" often started a special power amplifier or carried a USB DAC adapter to get a far more pleasant experience than the onboard audio decoder and power amplifier.
However, it should be noted that the output on the MacBook is "load sensing" to avoid excessive volume or power consumption when accidentally inserting consumer headphones (impedance < 150 Ω).
Only when the high impedance headphones are connected, the MacBook will deliver more energy - so the actual experience may not be much different for ordinary headphones below 150 Ω.