iFi audio iEMatch

Do your earphones suffer from irritating hiss and pop? Not getting the full impact of your music?

The iEMatch puts an end to unwanted noise and brings your tracks back to life.

The perfect match

Do you find that your headphones/IEMs often have a background hiss from your source? Or do you listen really loudly to try and get the full ‘quality’ of the music?

If so, then we have your perfect match – the iEMatch.

iFi audio iEMatch

Highly strung

This original 3.5mm version is perfect for ALL headphones/IEMS using a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Simply connect the iEMatch between them and your source for reduced background noise and hiss.

Some headphones are more sensitive than others so the iEMatch has both High and Ultra sensitivity settings to boost your sound. Choose which best suits your headphone.

Get back your lost Bits

It also provides a more open and transparent dynamic range and increases the usable volume range.

This means you can increase the digital volume and get back the resolution you lose by listening at less than full volume.

Rediscover the lost high-pitched note of the E-string or the low rumble of the bass drum.

iFi audio iEMatch

Up, up and away.

Our small but mighty iEMatch works with smartphones, DAPs, computers and in-flight travel systems.

A top tip – take it with you when you fly – no more painful soundtracks to inflight movies. It works wonders.

And for good measure we’ve added memory foam earplugs (they really do work!), an aeroplane adapter and travel pouch.

A perfect little travel kit – great music and the chance to enjoy a power nap.

IEMs

IEMs stands for In-Ear Monitors.

These fit inside your ear. You’ve been using them for years. You just called them something else.

You will also see these referred to as earphones, ear buds and CIEMs. CIEMs are Custom In-Ear Monitors – IEMs made specifically to fit your ear shape.

DAP (Digital Audio Player)

A DAP is a device like an iPod or an MP3 player that stores and/or plays back music digitally.

DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter)

DACs convert digital information, stored or streamed by computers, into music we can hear through speakers or headphones.

Every device that’s a source of digital sound has a built-in DAC (TVs, games consoles, CD players, phones, portable music players etc). Dedicated external DACs sound much better than standard DACs used in digital devices such as phones.

It uses premium components from 6063-TS aluminium – magnesium alloy through to the signal transfer cable which is a 6N silver copper matrix.

Add in the gold plated TRRS-Balanced connectors and there you have it – game, set and iEMatch.

Balanced or Single-Ended? iEMatch automatically converts to give you the best listening experience using the 3.5 TRRS-Balanced headphone jack.

Headphones may be fitted with a TRRS jack and a switch to alternate between unbalanced mode (even with microphone) for direct connection to a smartphone and to balanced mode for use with suitably-equipped DAP/DAC/headphone amplifiers.

The ‘S-Balanced®’ TRRS system by iFi provides a way to select the TRRS plug to offer either a balanced connection or a single-ended one.

Did you know you normally lose at least 2 Bits of resolution when listening to your favourite tracks? This is because you can’t listen at full volume.

Using the iEMatch enables you to turn up the digital volume and get those 2 Bits back.

Choose from ultra or high sensistivity to fine tune your tunes!

Read our tech note to discover more.

Retailer

Apos Inc.

California
Distributor

iFi audio USA (West Coast)

California
Retailer

ListenUp

Colorado
Retailer

ListenUp

Colorado
Retailer

ListenUp

Colorado
Retailer

Music Direct

Illinois
Retailer

Gramophone

Maryland
Retailer

Gramophone

Maryland
Retailer

Gramophone

Maryland
Retailer

Gramophone

Maryland
Retailer

Gramophone

Maryland
Retailer

Audio Advisor

Michigan
Retailer

Bloom Audio

New Jersey
Retailer

High Definition Tape Transfers

New Jersey
Retailer

ListenUp

New Mexico
Retailer

Turntable Lab NY Storefront

New York
Retailer

Audio 46

New York
Retailer

Moon Audio

North Carolina
Retailer

AudioAdvice

North Carolina
Retailer

AudioAdvice

North Carolina
Retailer

Headphones.com

Oregon
Retailer

World Wide Stereo

Pennsylvania
Retailer

World Wide Stereo

Pennsylvania
Retailer

HIDEF Lifestyle

Pennsylvania
Distributor

iFi audio USA (East Coast)

Virginia
Retailer

USA-Audio Exchange

Virginia

This product is currently out of stock and unavailable.

FeaturesUltra (-24dB)& High-Gain(-12dB) sensitivity adjustment
TRRS-Balanced® for Single-Ended and Balanced operation
6N silver/copper matrix wiring with FINAL 6063-T5 aluminium-magnesium alloy shell
Gold-plated printed circuit board with audiophile components (eg MELF resistors)
Gold-plated 3.5mm male/female connectors
Input Impedance> 16 Ohm
Output Impedance< 2.5 Ohms (High-Sensitivity) < 1 Ohms (Ultra-Sensitivity)
Compatible Headphone impedance16 Ohm to 600 Ohm rated impedance
12.5 Ohm minimum impedance
Weight12.2g
Total Length116mm
iEMatchEarBuddyiEMatch2.5
Primary useSensitive headphones ($150>)Sensitive headphones (<$150)Digital Audio Players
3.5mm BalancedYes--
3.5mm Single-EndedYesYes-
2.5mm Balanced--Yes
Ultra (-24dB) / High (-12dB) SensitivityYes-Yes
High(-16dB) Sensitivity-Yes-
6N silver / copper matrix wiringYes-Yes
6N copper matrix wiring-Yes-
FINAL 6063-T5 aluminium-magnesium alloyYes-Yes
Input impedance>16 Ohm>16 Ohm>16 Ohm
Output impedance< 2.5 Ohms (High-Sensitivity)
< 1 Ohms (Ultra-Sensitivity)
< 2.7 Ohms (High-Sensitivity)< 2.5 Ohms (High-Sensitivity)
< 1 Ohms (Ultra-Sensitivity)
Compatibility16 Ohm to 600 Ohm rated impedance
12.5 Ohm minimum impedance
16 Ohm to 600 Ohm rated impedance
12.5 Ohm minimum impedance
16 Ohm to 600 Ohm rated impedance
12.5 Ohm minimum impedance
Weight12.2g6g12.2g
Total length116mm116mm116mm

It’s actually kinda scary how well it works

I’m listening to my moondrop starfields for the first time again. you can actually hear it. it’s like the sound is covered in ice cubes or something- it’s very hard to describe.

get this ok- so digital volume just decreases the bits, so turning it to 100 is better.
but also, some amps sound better the faster the electricity moves through it- which means its louder. WAY louder. this baby can max out discrete amps at a very listenable 90-100 decibles (for the fiio q1 mk ii) at high gain on the ultra setting. It has a switch for balanced 3.5mm or single ended 3.5mm, but it will switch automatically to single ended output so you can still get the benefit for balanced input. if that makes no sense, don’t worry- this part is only for us nerds. buy this product.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Resistance.

Pricey item that does what it says on the tin, for audiophiles with very sensitive headphones or loud headphone amp.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Fantastic for hiss reduction

I use this with my Shure SE846 earphones connected to an iBasso DX220 DAP with Amp9, which has a tube (valve) internally. Without this widget the hiss made the amp impossible to use, and I had to fall back on the (still good) Amp 1 mk2. I don’t know of anything else that can do the job. The sound quality to my ears is not impacted. Lovely.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Nice combination with Campfire’s Andromeda

Andromeda is relatively sensitive and low impedance than others so sometimes noise bothers. This product helped a lot of reducing noise and improving dynamic range.

I liked to set its High adjustment settings than Ultra, so that it didn’t compromise Andromeda’s rich and clear mid range sound.

When I switched to Ultra, I felt it a little bland and more base added.
I tested Raspberry Pi -> HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro -> Vacuum tube amplifier -> iEMatch -> Andromeda.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

This is great for its intended purpose, and it does NOT alter the sound-signature; see below

First, some background on why I had to get this product: I recently purchased a new gaming laptop, an HP Omen 15-dc1062nr. I love the laptop, but unfortunately since it was intended for full-sized headphones/headsets, it has a large amount of background hiss/crackle on my sensitive IEM’s (Fiio FH1’s), which I unfortunately have to use because my full-sized headphones have a cracked headband and won’t clamp down.

Read more…

Amazon

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A must for sensitive IEM’s

I rarely if ever do reviews; but this little device made such a difference to my setup!

I have a pair of campfire andros and use these with a portable Dac/amp that has a reported output impedance of around 0.9ohms. Prior to using the IEMatch i could barely turn up the volume on my DAC (with my phone at 100% to ensure no resolution loss). The sound was very boxed in with a boomy low end and a very exaggerated forward mid and recessed treble. I was in fact about to sell my andros at this point in all honestly as I only ever use them portably when I’m working away.

I thought I’d trial this as this as any attenuation could perhaps help.

Read more…

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Startling improvement connecting Trond Bluetooth receiver to Etymotic Research earbuds

This made a startling difference in sound quality from my iphone to a Trond bluetooth receiver to my etymotic research hf3 earbuds. I needed only the increased impedance to allow me to listen at a lower volume, but I was amazed at how much clearer the sound is with this attentuator.

I’ve worked with audio engineers and have done radio production, so I have a fairly good ear, though I’m in no way an audiophile. To my ear, however, this device is a simple, relatively inexpensive way to make a huge difference in sound quality.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Perfect little addition to your personal audio arsenal.

Does what it says – especially helps on my portable headphone amps – output has never been better. The iEMatch also works great connecting audio (via 1/8) to external speakers.

It also improves the signal and noise floor. Kind of pricey – but worth it to have in your personal audio arsenal / toolbox.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Great piece of mind in such a small package!

Really helped to protect my sensitive IEMs from overloading…
Well worth the money for the piece of mind it brings…

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Perfect attenuator for the Hidizs MS4

I got this because the Hidizs MS4 has an impedance of just 12 Ohms, and the volume is loud when used on some DACs, including some USB-C dongles. With this, not only is the volume more useable, but the sound is also cleaner when used in the Ultra setting.

Bass response is reduced slightly, probably because this mode has just 1-ohm of output impedance. On High, there seems to be a bit of bass boost, because of its 2.5-ohm output impedance

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

IFI AUDIO EAR BUDDY AND IEMATCH HEADPHONE ATTENUATION ADAPTERS

High sensitivity headphones are great because they don’t require a lot power to drive them but the downside to sensitive headphones is that they tend to produce audible background hiss that transfers into the audio you’re playing. How much hiss you get depends on the audio source the headphone is connected to (i.e. smartphone, digital audio player, single-ended triode amplifier, etc).

One way to solve the background hissing (or humming) you get with high sensitivity headphones is by increasing their output impedance, which works great with single driver IEMs but not so good with IEMs that have multiple balanced armature (BA) drivers because each driver has different impedance so, if the output impedance of the audio source is higher than zero, you can get a change in frequency response (i.e. lower bass response).

The easier way to solve background hiss and imprecise control of volume is with an attenuator like Ear Buddy and iEMatch, which are audio attenuators that reduce the output of a headphone amplifier to minimize channel imbalances at low volume and background hiss…

Gadget Explained

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Haven’t had enough time

The little time I have used it, the sound is excellent!

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Does what it is supposed to do.

Simple device that does the job. I can now safely listen to my Shure SE535s with my AudioQuest Red without danger of blowing out my ears and/or the IEMs by accident. Also get better dynamic range by being able to set volume to a normal setting. Wasn’t sure it was worth the money, but after giving a try it was money well spent.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Andromeda pairing for details retrieval

A sensitive IEMs need a correct OI to make sure the sound is not bloated with bass bleeds. This solved my issue with CA Andromeda to separate lows and mids. I pair this with ES100 and it works like charm.

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Gets rid of the hum!

This gets rid of any coil whine or any other weird feedback in the sound signal on laptops and other electronics, allowing me to use high sensitivity drivers on lots of electronics I would otherwise have to use big headphones on. Worth every penny! And the build quality is superb, they don’t feel like they will ever break

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Overview of iFi Audio accessories and filters – does filtering matter?

This article was born in my head a long time ago, mainly due to repeated questions from time to time, whether I had contact with filtering devices like iSilencer, Jitterbug etc. But since I run my humble blog, I’ve probably got used to most people to a few maxims, which I am guided in total not only in the field of audio equipment, but generally in life…

AUDIOFANATYK

(Click name to read original review)

5 stars

Simply amazing for sensitive headphones like AKG K3003

Amazon

(Click name to read original review)

Perfect for CA Andromeda

Let’s me run my Andromedas off my galaxy s9+ without hiss so I’m very pleased. Time will tell if the dongle wire holds up but after a few days I’m a happy camper

Amazon Customer

(Click name to read original review)

iEMatch(Es): The Refinement Of Sound

The iematch sound quality wise, provided a nice refinement with the added benefit of being a very good angle adaptor. The Iematch is very beautiful constructed with great materials and very beautiful. The meze cables have not any angle so they are really cumbersome when you connected them in the phone or my ipad so an adapter like this makes things so much easier. Actually, as my ipad can provide a lot of power to my Meze 99 I noticed a noticeable improvement in this scenario. Providing also a very useful angled version for this situation. So yes, iematch provides a very nice refinement to the sound in a simple scenario like this one.

Head-Fi

(Click name to read original review)

Music is then even clearer

some sensitive earphones (Campfire Audio Jupiter and Andromeda). I like to listen on tube amplifiers made for full-size headphones. I would get a hiss or an audible tone. I simply plug in this device and that distracting noise is gone. The music is then even clearer – and the earphone/amplifier synergy is now even better. I’m now going to try the iFi Ear Buddy, too, to see if that one works similarly, so I can use it in another room. Worth the price to me – bigger difference to my ears than (say) a cable upgrade.

David_54

(Click name to read original review)

Works as described

Makes your iem much less sensitive which in turn helps to eliminate hissing that sensitive iems generally exhibit with smartphones.

Amazon Customer

(Click name to read original review)

This is the item you want to get rid of any audible hiss

This is the item you want to get rid of any audible hiss as well as alter impedance output if necessary.

10bird

(Click name to read original review)

Fixes the hiss on my m9xx dac/amp

Fixes the hiss on my m9xx dac/amp and on my phone, however it makes audio from the phone a little too low and should require an external amp.

David

(Click name to read original review)

Put this in your CIEM survival kit

I was skeptical of this finally solving an issue that I’ve had, which is finding a DAP or DAC/ that wouldn’t hiss using my Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors. Unfortunately, many audiophile DAPs and DAC/amps are designed for full sized headphone power, which doesn’t work well for custom in ear monitors. I have used this little thing on a Herus, my audio interface, and can enjoy a black background with less gain, so I can actually fine tune my volume. Another positive for this device is that it isn’t another impedance adapter, which would affect the frequency response of multi-BA IEMs. iFi did some magic with this, and made the ultra level under 1 ohm impedance!

I would say this is a near required purchase for anyone with sensitive in ear headphones or CIEMs.

Brian

(Click name to read original review)

A Small and affordable little accessory called the iEMatch

In my testing, the iEMatch was a huge improvement in everyday use…This is a dead easy recommendation and I am sure it will find a safe place in your IEM case!

HEADFONICS

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iEMatch a review by MikePortnoy

Pros: Eliminates hiss, no significant change in sound.

iEMatch is one of the iFi’s newest units…it removes hiss and provides a more dynamic presentation…It offers a balanced plug that allows using it on sources that have balanced outputs. In addition, there is a switch on the plug for a range of output style from single ended to balanced…iFi offers rich accessories for those who frequently travel via airplane…iEMatch relatively eliminates hiss arising out of the source with a slight change in the sound…iFi iEMatch is a nice travel accessory that can be purchased for $49. It is easy to use and can be considered as a daily unit…it eliminates hiss considerably.

Mike Portnoy

(Click name to read original review)