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I have a CA97 I purchased only 6 months after my CN35 which I traded in. I spent the $$ because of the keyboard feel and action, and more $$ for the soundboard speaker system. It is fantastic. However, when using headphones the sound is way too loud. When I turn down the volume on the piano, I lose the tone. I played with VT, trying heavy touch, etc., and the headphone type settings. I use semi-open Sennheiser HD598. (Quality headphones so that shouldn't be the problem.) I did not experience this with the CN35. Anyone else notice this, and if so, any suggestions? Thanks,

A potentiometer, two appropriate connectors, two pieces of cable, a small box and a piece of adhesive velcro?

I had a similar problem with this combination and changed to Beyerdynamic Pro 770 DT. Sound is richer, not so loud and has a lot of nuances more, you should try this! Good luck, CA 97 is a really exciting instrument and works very well with Pianoteq too! For daily use I prefer the onboard sounds, on weekends I prefer Pianoteq for longer sessions. the new Ruckert Harpsichord is terrific for playing Bach, the Steinway B is perfect for Schumann e.g.

Hello Tom,



This is not a criticism I can recall reading in the past.

However, if you have not done so already, it may be worthwhile checking/adjusting the parameters in the 'Phones Settings' menu. First, check that the 'Phones Volume' is set to the default of 'Normal' and not the louder setting of 'High'. Next, try changing the 'Phones Type' setting to reflect the kind of headphones you are using (e.g. Semi-open). Finally, try changing the SHS (Spatial Headphone Sound) mode from 'Normal' to 'Wide'.

I believe all of these settings will influence how you perceive the headphone sound, so it's worthwhile experimenting with different combinations to achieve the sound that you find to be most agreeable.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
James
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You could easily just buy an extension cord with a volume control in it. https://www.amazon.com/Volume-Control-Headphone-Extension-Cord/dp/B000TLUUAU

-double post-

Which version of the 770PRO are you using? They are available in 3 versions with different impedances - 32 Ohms, 80 Ohms, and 250 Ohms - and if you have either the 80 or 250 Ohm version this would explain why they are 'not so loud' as other headphones such as the Sennhesiers (50 Ohms). The higher the impedance the harder they are to drive, so the quieter they will be at any given volume setting.

I have a pair of DT 770PRO 250 Ohms myself, and they are indeed super headphones (and they work very well with the ES8 I use).

Thank you for the replies. I have changed all the settings around except for SHS to Wide as I assumed it would be not be realistic. I will try that. I closed the top board settings to "open 1" rather than "open 3". That helps although the sound is not as nice as otherwise of course. I never heard of that extension cord. I'm ordering it. Thanks again.

I ve bought the 80 Ohm version and I'm very content with it. The Sennheiser was a good headphone but the Beyerdynamic is another class. Unfortunately I cannot connect my Stax Lambda electrostatic Headphone to CA 97 :-)

Piano line outs directly to your Stax energizer should work with the right cables I'd think, although I realize you most likely wanted to mention you had Stax and weren't really saying it was a problem

The "problem" with a Stax is another one: every other headphone sounds as a small or big problem, unfortunately.

Since I couldn't find the appropriate "potentiometer" (sic), I ordered the Beyerdynamic 770/250 ohms. I will get them today from Amazon. It makes sense that the sound system in a CA97 is pretty powerful (like the CS8) and so the 250 ohms will probably allow me to set the volume up to a normal non-headphone level.

Thank you both for your input. I'll let you know how they work out.

It's nothing to do with the power of the sound system, but it doesn't matter. Hopefully a higher impedance headphone will resolve the problem.

BTW - potentiometer IS a word. It's a type of electronic component, and what sits behind the volume knobs of most pieces of equipment that have one (including, most likely, your CA97).

Also known as a variable resistor.

I know what it is. (Of course I had to look it up.)
However, just turning down the volume on the DP that low destroys the tone. So I am hopeful that I can keep the volume level up on the piano without giving myself a headache.

No problem, I really needed a fourth set of headphones anyway....

The new headphones at 250 ohm are great. However, not the 770 which is a closed set. I returned those for the 990 pro. Which are an open headphone. The sound is very much the same as without headphones. Set "wide" as James suggested.

Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the update Tom!

Cheers,
James
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