How to Match Levels?

Is it possible to unplug the wire(s) at the headphones?-- as it is w/ Senn. 580/600s? If so, you might try doing that. If not, find some other way to mute the channels individually. Of course placing the SPL meter will be critical for determining dB output for each side. It seems to me that the RS SPL meter (the analog one) is only readable to about the nearest 1/2 dB though. Does their digital meter read in tenths?

I've never tried to do what you suggest, but the Sennheiser cords do unplug. Do the Stax have some way to adjust level for each side? Good Luck. Craig

Are you trying to match levels at the headphones or at the source feeding the amplification chain ? Sean
>

I seem to recall that the specs for the Radio Shack SPL meters say they are accurate to 1 or 2 dB (even though they may read in finer gradations). That should make you think twice about using them for level matching. They simply aren't designed for that use. Wrong tool for the job.

Seems to me Sean's got the right approach: level-match with a voltmeter somewhere earlier in the chain. Gain will be the same for all sources from that point on, so you can safely assume that what you're actually hearing is matched.

Well, I am ideally trying to match the levels on the source devices (cd players, dacs). But I have no way of attenuating their signals so they are putting out the same voltage. All I want to do is to be able to A/B source components at the same levels. However, the pin config for Stax phones is funky, and has some very high voltages coming through it..

So, if I simply want to A/B source components and get the volumes equal.. what do I do?