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Before you buy headphones: A hopefully helpful guide for newbies - Page 9

post #121 of 147
1/31/10 at 5:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by spyromezzo View Post
Hi! I need some advice about headphones. I have a Shure SE530 for portable use, but id like to get high quality headphones for home use. Looks like senn's hd 650 meet my needs the most as it has more boomy bass, what lacks a little bit on my shures (for my taste - funk fusion jazz). My question is, will my phillips cd source and yamaha rx v440 receiver will be enough to drive the hd 650s or do they need further amplification?

Other question is can i drive them on iPhone, or theres no portable amp to get the best out of them on an iPhone?

Thanks in advance!
If you like the 530s the 650s seem to be consensus circumural equivalents, so good choice. You can drive them well enough out of most receivers but they will benefit greatly if you add a dedicated headphone amplifier later. Forget about the iPhone for the650s though; use the 530s on the road, and a Dock connection to your receiver to the 650s at home.
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post #122 of 147
2/8/10 at 3:49pm
i recently bought a Sony v6

I just want to know what the opinion of the guys in here.

They should be an "upgrade" from the mdr-ex90s (dead) and the mdr-ex700s (have)
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post #123 of 147
2/8/10 at 5:00pm
they're completely unlike the sony earbuds. The V6s are helped greatly if you throw beyer dt250 velour pads on them.

They are what they are, slightly sibilant, high frequency emphasized studio monitoring phones that are great at finding flaws in recordings and work in a live environment because the HF boost cuts through the room noise to enable mixing. They're good, not great sounding cans, but given their positives, are an easy choice. They're durable, fold up small for travel, and they're a well known quantity.
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post #124 of 147
2/9/10 at 7:08pm
oh ok

i should look into the modding scene then?
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post #125 of 147
2/10/10 at 1:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cRodz View Post
oh ok

i should look into the modding scene then?
Another good tip for headphone beginners: mods are a good way to improve or change things to your liking, but can cost you much more money then buying something that is better stock in the long run. If your modding to improve value, make sure that you calculate the costs appropriately so that you believe its not actually more rational to upgrade completely to something different that you may find better. Little costs add up quick and can sometimes lower resale value. If you decide to mod something, make sure to take your time and do your research to avoid mistakes; measure twice, mod once.
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post #126 of 147
2/10/10 at 2:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by manaox2 View Post
Another good tip for headphone beginners: mods are a good way to improve or change things to your liking, but can cost you much more money then buying something that is better stock in the long run. If your modding to improve value, make sure that you calculate the costs appropriately so that you believe its not actually more rational to upgrade completely to something different that you may find better. Little costs add up quick and can sometimes lower resale value. If you decide to mod something, make sure to take your time and do your research to avoid mistakes; measure twice, mod once.
:O

thanks
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post #127 of 147
2/13/10 at 10:38pm
Quick rant:
I've noticed that a lot of noobs tend to develop a sort of weird noob snoobiness: "I'd never listen to mp3s." "I never leave home without an amp." "You're a bum unless listen to audiophile-grade vinyl reference recordings." "I never miss an opportunity to talk **** about Bose/Monster/Skullcandies."

Get over yourselves, please. You're like those cats who all of a sudden get a bit of money and are too good to eat certain foods. If Thomas Keller, the best chef in the States, enjoys taco trucks and burgers, who are you to judge?

Gear is fun, but after a while, you realize it's not everything. Just enjoy your music, and don't be a poser.
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post #128 of 147
2/20/10 at 1:11pm

Some Thoughts Based on almost 40 Years of Listening

The initial posts here are outstanding.

I would add that in my sixty years, I have probably been a serious listener for almost 40. During that time, I have had about six sets of headphones that I have relied upon for my serious classical listening. (I used to be a professional musician, used the proceeds from that to pay for college and my advanced degrees and then I worked and taught outside music before retiring last year.)

My rule has been to listen to headphones and buy the best one I can afford at the time, at the point where the sound quality begins to really diminish for the price being charged. An example would be the recent purchase of a set of Grado SR-225's that I made. I was able to buy them for about $5 more than the retail on the 125's so I did. That is clearly the line in the series where the sound becomes true and balanced throughout the entire spectrum and where improvements come but at a very high cost.

Previous headphones I selected included a splendid set of AKG's purchased in Hong Kong in 1987 (back then, the dollar was worth a lot and bought a great deal especially when one was able to bargain in the local language or had friends who could intercede for you) which lasted darn near forever, but the rule I used was the same, buy at the point where you began to pay dearly for slight improvements.

Hope this helps you preserve your hard earned funds, especially in these tough times.

Cheers,
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post #129 of 147
2/27/10 at 4:40pm
Wow thanks !!
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post #130 of 147
3/3/10 at 6:59pm
amazing guide
thanks a ton
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post #131 of 147
3/16/10 at 8:12pm
....
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post #132 of 147
3/17/10 at 10:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadcykler View Post
A quick check of the respective websites will reveal that both headphones are low impedance but both have a pretty high sensitivity at 105 and 106 respectively. I think the writer may have gotten the 701's and Grado's (98) backwards.
SR60 is 98 dB/mW, while K701 is 105 dB/V.

When converted, SR60 is 113 dB/V, or K701 is 93 dB/mW.

To output 110dB, SR60 needs 716 mV, while K701 needs 1782 mV.
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post #133 of 147
3/21/10 at 2:47pm
especially, IHMO

Quote:
Originally Posted by boomana View Post
Before buying headphones
1. Think about the whole system and budget for that.
2. Portable amps aren’t the answer.
3. Source matters.
4. Don’t take things personally.
5. \Beware of Flavor of the Month threads.
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post #134 of 147
3/24/10 at 7:35am
i dont really understand the function of of portable amps... is it right to say that they help amplify the signal from the source to a higher level? this affects loudness only right? is sound quality compromised in the driving up process?
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post #135 of 147
3/25/10 at 3:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zizzard View Post
i dont really understand the function of of portable amps... is it right to say that they help amplify the signal from the source to a higher level? this affects loudness only right? is sound quality compromised in the driving up process?
Some portable amps are much better than some others, and any benefit is quite dependent on the requirements of your particular headphone, as well as the quality of your source. If your cans have a 1/8" jack, try them without an amp first for awhile, then with an amp to see the difference. If your cans have a 1/4" termination, you will probably be short-changing their sound signature by not giving them proper amplification, portable or not. There are many, many variables here
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