Why Sennheisers need AMPS !!

[Cerebral_Mamba]

Originally Posted by algirdas2004

Talking about matching an amp with headphones, does anyone know if senn hd 580 will sound well with Echo Indigo I/O laptop sound card? It says Echo has high-quality headphone amp - don't really know how true that is...

Nope... the Senns sound dull as ever with the Echo Indigo. I beleive that Echo Indigo is not so powerfull but a very flat amplifier. The only one so far I have come accross that gives ABSOLUTELY ZERO hiss and clicks when I connect my UM2, that too despite all the supply and component noise present inside a computer. I have no experience with Ray Samuals portable gear but the Headroom Total Bithead is an utter failure when it comes to this regard... and so that is why I sold it and kept the Echo Indigo.

EDIT: The Echo Indigo did good for a portable amp with the Grados. It sufficiently powers the HD580, but the headphone is still lifeless to me. Maybe it because I am expecting the vigor, clarity, detail and excitment of a Grado, but since so many of you folks like Sennheisers, I am firmly assuming that with a proper amp, even the HD580 will sing.

[jagorev]

Originally Posted by algirdas2004

Talking about matching an amp with headphones, does anyone know if senn hd 580 will sound well with Echo Indigo I/O laptop sound card? It says Echo has high-quality headphone amp - don't really know how true that is...

The Echo does have a high-quality headphone amp, excellent with most lower-impedance headphones, but I don't think it drove the HD580/600 successfully. The 600 sounded weak with the Echo, but it really came alive when I got my PIMETA.

But I've heard plenty of other people say the 580 + Indigo combo worked fine for them, so it might be good for you too.