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3DS Weak Audio Output Fix for Under $30
- Thread starter CoachKevin
- Start date
Duxxy3
Member
You're using the red and white cables to a 3.5mm right out of the wii u? Yeah, this would be a great item to buy then.
RPGCrazied
Member
Cool. Wish I had something like this when I had a 3DS, even with earbuds it was really low sounding. Don't really need it for my Wii U gamepad, since I use wireless Sony headphones for console games. They are great.
It's not a huge problem if you're using low end headphones or earphones, nothing to do with having "good ears". You can forget about getting decent volume out of the 3DS if you plug in any half decent full sized headphones that aren't super easy to drive.
Yes. It is slightly louder than the gamepad output but not by much.
TruSpindash
Member
Definitely going to consider picking this up for the Wii U gamepad. Thanks for the tip.
superpickleman
Member
I actually bought one of those a little over a year back to boost a pair of mid level Sennhsisers I had just purchased. It's also works great with the Wii U game pad which can go either way with sound output depending on the source.
Crimsonclaw111
Member
Comes bundled with an Audio-Technica ATH-M40X on amazon too, for $100:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KC4JMAS/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KC4JMAS/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I've played 500 hours of Monster Hunter 3U with crappy turtle beach headphones and this is simply not true.
Felix Andrews
Member
Are people here all deaf, or something?
The sound on these newer portable consoles, 3DS especially, are extremely muted. It's been a known issue for quite some time.
cj_iwakura
Member
And yet the average cell phone volume level blows away most gaming handhelds' audio levels. Funny about that.
Please educate yourself.
Strange.
I have a 3DS XL and it is able to drive my 250ohm Beyerdynamic DT990 headphones. It's not loud, but it isn't quiet either.
If it could power them, it sure as hell should be powering <64ohm headphones fine.
EDIT: Tried my 16ohm Sony earbuds in it, they are about the same volume as the DT990's. Very strange indeed. I cannot find any information on the audio hardware inside the 3DS.
I have a 3DS XL and it is able to drive my 250ohm Beyerdynamic DT990 headphones. It's not loud, but it isn't quiet either.
If it could power them, it sure as hell should be powering <64ohm headphones fine.
EDIT: Tried my 16ohm Sony earbuds in it, they are about the same volume as the DT990's. Very strange indeed. I cannot find any information on the audio hardware inside the 3DS.
PreyingShark
Member
Eh? I don't have that issue. I have to keep the volume just barely above the minimum to not hurt my ears.
It has to do with three factors mainly - your own ear sensitivity, how loud you like to listen in general and how easy the headphones you're using are to drive.
Bill Rizer
Member
It's all about quality really, more than just how loud. Do you ever had your Beyers connected to a quality source/amplification? Difference you'll hear will blow you away. There's no way 3ds can drive adequately a 250ohm headphone. Even with 60ohm Koss there's a world of difference amped/unamped. You really are using your headphone at 5% of their potential.
To be fair if you're plugging higher end headphones into a portable console you're not really expecting quality. The issue really is how little volume you get, even when the sliders are at max.
Bill Rizer
Member
You're right only to an extent imho. In fact, with the little aid of an amplifier like the fiio, you can get surprisingly satisfying sound, mostly depending on the game but in any case a valuable sound experience opposed to the compressed, confused mess you achieve otherwise. It's all about enjoying your game sound instead of finding it annoying and you can do it this way. It's just a little exploit and you shouldn't expect an absolute high end experience but it does a world of difference if you care, trust me, and better your headphones better you hear, that's not even questionable (e.g. ath m50 like reported in this thread are plenty loud even if directly plugged into the 3ds, quality is the game changer: bigger and deeper soundstage, more dynamic and punchy sound effects, greater separation between sound layers, instruments and voices and so on)
I owned both for a couple years, in terms of low, mid range and highs they have different sound signatures. 598 are warm with cleaner mid range where bass is much more promienent on the m50, honestly they pretty neutral overall. Comfort however, pretty much no contest hd595/8 feels ridiculously good even compare some of the higher end headphone. Theyre both great, I personally prefer the hd959/8 due to ear fatigue and discomfort from using the m50 in extended uses.
I actually have a cable running from the second output of my Woo Audio 2/T1 setup which I occasionally plug into my 3DS/Vita. I find that most portable games (even by poor videogame standards) have poor mixing and really compressed audio so it's not really worth it. Plugging a portable amp into a 3DS/Vita is even more cumbersome really. You're better off getting a pair of high quality IEMs or super easy to drive full size headphones if you really want good sound out of a portable.
Bill Rizer
Member
I don't get your reasoning here. It's not worth hearing better because it's not high end audio? Even on home consoles audio is stored with lossy compression, that's not meaning you can't have a good sound experience investing in a bit of gear. (btw, Nintendo first party games sound good, give a try to Mario 3d Land)
Your reccomendation is odd: why would anyone want to buy an unspecified headphone only because it's particularly easy to drive, when you can use a good one of your choice investing a mere 30$ making them sound at their best? (which is the point OP made, with whom I agree)
PS: Have you ever seen the volume slider on 3ds? It's so painful to use and get it at the desired level, that I consider fiio e6 worth its price if only for volume control.
I'm saying using a portable amp with a portable console is counterintuitive in the first place. Using headphones that a easier to drive in the first place is a better solution whether it's from one you already own or not. Most earphones and IEMs should be pretty damn loud even with the feeble headphone output of the 3DS. For example using the Shure SE535s on my 3DS yield no volume issues. It's only the full sized headphones where the volume is a real Adding an amp to the 3DS/Vita will boost your volume but it's most likely degrading the audio quality again anyway. Buying a 30$ amp is hardly going to make those headphones sound "at their best" in the first place.
There are tons of 3DS/Vita games that have ridiculous amounts of compression and sound like garbage compared to PS3/PS4/Xbox/Wii games.
CoachKevin
Member
It does have two levels of bass boost.
CoachKevin
Member
Wanted to give this a PSA bump for the non weekend crowd 
The Broken Ska Record
Member
Thanks for the link. I'd love something to make Theatrhythm sound better.
It's got nothing to do with whether the headphones are low-end, it has to do with the impedance. There are high quality, low impedance headphones that work great with the 3DS as it is, usually in the IEM format. If you want to drive some high impedance full-sized cans though you're gonna need some more power, even if they're low-end headphones.
I suggested IEMs already about 2 posts ago as they're low impedance in general. Impedance is independent of price but in general you're not going to find too many cheap/low end headphones that are high impedance as it's a contradictory design philosophy. Most high end headphones require amping while most cheap ones do not. There are exceptions but it's a good general rule. The amount of amping required varies greatly though.
Yes, we all need hearing aids.
If you have played anything on 3ds outside of the first party library you'll know the levels are complete garbage. Soul hackers doesnt even have volume below the middle of the slider. Low starts at middle and is barely audible. Max volume vibrates the system and is still low. That's an extreme case, but other games are just really bad. EOIV is the other side of the spectrum and crackles the audio because it's too loud.
dragonlife
Member
Hmm, this interests me. Thanks.
FiiO makes some pretty nice stuff that is very cost effective.
I have an FiiO E10 Amp/DAC on my game PC that powers some ATH-AD900s as well as a FiiO E11k for portable audio. It works well on the Vita and 3DS XL.
The E11k is a little more than the one you posted but the battery last for a good 16-17 hours on a charge.
I have an FiiO E10 Amp/DAC on my game PC that powers some ATH-AD900s as well as a FiiO E11k for portable audio. It works well on the Vita and 3DS XL.
The E11k is a little more than the one you posted but the battery last for a good 16-17 hours on a charge.
CoachKevin
Member
Did some more testing and got a solid 9.5 hours from the amp with both the amp and 3DS at 75% volume. Super impressed. Bought a second unit as well!
GloriousBagel
Banned
Ayy, this awesome great find op.
Came in expecting a fix for the quality and came in disappointed. 
I've never had any issue with the volume using my two pairs of headphones (Sennheiser Momentum's and HD 558's), the latter of which has higher impedance than the ATH-50s. Then again, I've never been one for having things really loud so I guess that's why. I'd definitely imagine anything with a higher impedance would require an amp even for me though.
I've never had any issue with the volume using my two pairs of headphones (Sennheiser Momentum's and HD 558's), the latter of which has higher impedance than the ATH-50s. Then again, I've never been one for having things really loud so I guess that's why. I'd definitely imagine anything with a higher impedance would require an amp even for me though.
Blackthorn
"hello?" "this is vagina"
High quality headphones need more power to hit decent volume and operate at their full potential, which is why headphone amps are a thing.
Earphones tend to do fine with whatever's running out the jack.
FairXchange
Member
Great suggestion OP. Will definitely have to look into this for my portable gaming.
Millsington
Member
Wow spooky I was actually looking into this earlier today and immediately stopped when I saw prices between $80-120. Thanks!
Came in expecting a fix for the quality and came in disappointed.
h.
.
I also wanted a reason to use my soldering iron .
Bill Rizer
Member
Better keep source at 100% anyway IMHO. You earn a cleaner output from amplifier doin so. (And you have the convenience of never having to touch 3ds control slider)