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SupOrSalad t1_ixfo0nd wrote

You generally want as low of an output impedance as possible to have a high damping factor ratio. If you use a higher output impedance with headphones that are too close in load impedance (usually any ratio closer than 1:8), than it may have an impact on the headphones frequency response and change how they sound. Some pairings use this for specific changes, but usually you want a generaly low output impedance, even if the load impedance is higher

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StaticSpace0 t1_ixgh4lr wrote

is there anywhere where i can read up on why that ratio is 8:1? why is it specifically 8:1?

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SupOrSalad t1_ixghno9 wrote

8:1 is just the common middle ground that has been accepted, but oratory goes into it a little more in section 3 of this post https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/comments/ugofb0/why_can_measurements_from_different_sources/

Tl;dr while 8 times is the generaly accepted ratio, there's no reason its specifically that, as even an 8:1 ratio can cause a 1dB difference in the frequency response of the headphones due to the damping factor. so a higher ratio can still be more desired for less of a change in FR

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