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Headphones for E-MU 1616M

Nov 25, 2006 at 10:16 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14
dehory

dehory

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I just got an E-MU 1616M card and I'm trying to find a pair of headphones primarily for monitoring. The obvious suggestion is the Sony MDR-7506, which is inexpensive, easy to drive without an amp, etc. What I'm wondering is whether there's another option for better-sounding general listening.

My musical tastes are rather catholic, so a versatile pair of headphones is important. The other main restriction is technical: whether the headphones can be driven unamped by the output of the 1616M card. Here are the specs of its two headphone outs (on the dock and the PCMCIA card):
  1. Type: linear power amplifier
  2. D/A converter: CS4398 (dock), AK4396 (card)
  3. Gain Range: 85dB
  4. Maximum Output Power: 50mW (dock), 20mW (card)
  5. Output impedance: 22ohms
  6. Frequency Response (20Hz-20kHz): +0.0/-0.07dB
  7. Dynamic Range (A-weighted): 118.5dB (dock), 115dB (card)
  8. Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 118dB (dock), 115dB (card)
  9. THD+N (1kHz, max gain): 600ohm load: -96dB (dock), -96dB (card)
  10. Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS, 600 ohm load): < -100dB
Click to expand...
One possibility is the AKG K701, which apparently works well unamped from the Echo Indigo cards. Anybody have other suggestions for, say, under $250?
 
Nov 26, 2006 at 1:59 AM Post #2 of 14
Congrats on your new soundcard. The 1616M spec looks pretty incredible. Anyway, you asked about the K701. While I haven't used the K701 with the 1616M, I have used the K701 extensively with the Echo Indigo DJ. To tell you the truth, the Echo Indigo has just about enough juice with a bit of headroom. Personally, I'd go and get a dedicated amp for the K701 :it's deceptively hard to drive. The K701 sound pretty good out of the Indigo DJ, but with such a good source like your 1616M, it would be a waste not to get a dedicated amp. That's just my opinion. Sorry I couldn't really help much
tongue.gif
 
Nov 26, 2006 at 4:51 AM Post #3 of 14
I used the k701 with my 1820M exclusively for a few months before getting my glite. I don't know for sure, but I think it is a fair assumption that when it comes to the headphone output, the two cards are fairly similar under the hood. Does the glite do a better job with the k701s? Yes, it quite definitively does. But, I believe that the 1820M did a fine job with those phones. The combo certainly showed me a world of fidelity that I had not previously experienced. If this is your first foray into headphone fidelity, I think the 1616M and k701 are plenty enough to open your eyes to the possibilities. It's certainly enough to use as a gateway until you can get your hands on a good dedicated amp. Or, you may be perfectly satisfied with the that combo on its own, who's to say.
 
Nov 26, 2006 at 5:34 AM Post #4 of 14
K701 sounds OK with 1616M. Trust me
redface.gif
 
Nov 26, 2006 at 3:33 PM Post #6 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by edisonwu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
K701 sounds OK with 1616M. Trust me
redface.gif



How would you define OK? Would the AKG701 unamped be better than the efficient SennHD595, for example, also unamped?

What about the other "Quite" high-end cans, like sennHD650, BeyerDT880? Do they sound OK too with the Emu1212 unamped?
 
Nov 26, 2006 at 3:35 PM Post #7 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by dehory /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  1. Type: linear power amplifier
  2. D/A converter: CS4398 (dock), AK4396 (card)
  3. Gain Range: 85dB
  4. Maximum Output Power: 50mW (dock), 20mW (card)
  5. Output impedance: 22ohms
  6. Frequency Response (20Hz-20kHz): +0.0/-0.07dB
  7. Dynamic Range (A-weighted): 118.5dB (dock), 115dB (card)
  8. Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 118dB (dock), 115dB (card)
  9. THD+N (1kHz, max gain): 600ohm load: -96dB (dock), -96dB (card)
  10. Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS, 600 ohm load): < -100dB
Click to expand...



I thought that emu cards are professional quality, but why is the freq response only 20 Hz to 20kHz? While the famous cans, like AKG701, Senn650, Beyer880, have more freq response, like 5Hz -35kHz, or something like that.
 
Nov 26, 2006 at 4:28 PM Post #8 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by 465 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I thought that emu cards are professional quality, but why is the freq response only 20 Hz to 20kHz? While the famous cans, like AKG701, Senn650, Beyer880, have more freq response, like 5Hz -35kHz, or something like that.


It's 20-20k for -0.07dB, which is pretty good. If they measured to -5dB, it'll be hitting much higher/lower frequencies.
 
Nov 27, 2006 at 12:20 AM Post #9 of 14
milkpowder and edisonwu, you've pretty much convinced me to go for the K701s!
biggrin.gif


Based on milkpowder's experience with the Echo Indigo card (from which I'm actually switching for the 1616M's I/O), I was particularly interested in comparing the headphone/line outs of the Indigo and the 1616M. I couldn't find specific specs for the Indigo, but I assume the 1616M's 50mW output is probably higher than the Indigo's?

After I made the initial post, I was also thinking about the HD595 and the DT880, but from my Head-Fi research, it seems the K701 has a more versatile sound...
 
Nov 27, 2006 at 12:41 AM Post #10 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by dehory /img/forum/go_quote.gif
milkpowder and edisonwu, you've pretty much convinced me to go for the K701s!
biggrin.gif


Based on milkpowder's experience with the Echo Indigo card (from which I'm actually switching for the 1616M's I/O), I was particularly interested in comparing the headphone/line outs of the Indigo and the 1616M. I couldn't find specific specs for the Indigo, but I assume the 1616M's 50mW output is probably higher than the Indigo's?

After I made the initial post, I was also thinking about the HD595 and the DT880, but from my Head-Fi research, it seems the K701 has a more versatile sound...


The only way you can find out is by trying it out yourself. Worse case scenario: 1616M is too weak and you need to get an amplifier
biggrin.gif
IMHO, the chances of that happening is slim because I can get the K701 to a decent volume on my weak lil' 4G iPod. Nevertheless, we're here to help if you do need to get an amp though. [size=xx-small](Hint: CanAmp, GLite, Headfive
tongue.gif
)[/size]
 
Nov 27, 2006 at 6:37 AM Post #11 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by dehory /img/forum/go_quote.gif
milkpowder and edisonwu, you've pretty much convinced me to go for the K701s!
biggrin.gif


Based on milkpowder's experience with the Echo Indigo card (from which I'm actually switching for the 1616M's I/O), I was particularly interested in comparing the headphone/line outs of the Indigo and the 1616M. I couldn't find specific specs for the Indigo, but I assume the 1616M's 50mW output is probably higher than the Indigo's?

After I made the initial post, I was also thinking about the HD595 and the DT880, but from my Head-Fi research, it seems the K701 has a more versatile sound...


I found both the lineout and headout of 1616M are better than Indigo IO (I had IO). The lineout sounds more detail, smooth and accurate with 1616M, and the headout is more beef-up.
 
Nov 27, 2006 at 6:44 AM Post #12 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by 465 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
How would you define OK? Would the AKG701 unamped be better than the efficient SennHD595, for example, also unamped?

What about the other "Quite" high-end cans, like sennHD650, BeyerDT880? Do they sound OK too with the Emu1212 unamped?


If I have to make a decision between K701 and HD595 using 1616M as a source and headamp only, I will prefer HD595 just because it is more efficiently being driven.

It won't handle cans like HD650, DT880 or K701 as well as it does with HD595.
 
Nov 27, 2006 at 8:36 AM Post #13 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The only way you can find out is by trying it out yourself. Worse case scenario: 1616M is too weak and you need to get an amplifier
biggrin.gif
IMHO, the chances of that happening is slim because I can get the K701 to a decent volume on my weak lil' 4G iPod. Nevertheless, we're here to help if you do need to get an amp though. [size=xx-small](Hint: CanAmp, GLite, Headfive
tongue.gif
)[/size]


Haha. Yes, I suspect I'll eventually succumb to getting an amp. In fact, that's kind of why I like the idea of the K701s. It gives me an excuse to upgrade my rig...

You're quite right, though. I can only find out by trying it -- and given how much almost-new K701s are selling for on Head-Fi (in some cases more than new
blink.gif
), I can easily recoup my money if I buy them from Northern Sound.
 
Nov 28, 2006 at 9:32 AM Post #14 of 14
One more candidate: the Ultrasone HFI-700.

It seems these (and the Prolines) are being increasingly used by studio engineers. Headroom also gives them an emphatic thumbs-up and they are easy to drive. Are the occasional complaints about fatigue simply a function of their detail? They certainly seem to be an upgrade from Sony MDR-7506s -- but are they even remotely in the same league as AKG K701s?

The questions continue...
 
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