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portable amp to match ATH-AD700

post #1 of 14
4/28/09 at 7:49pm
Thread Starter 
i ordered the audio-technica ATH-AD700's. I am a n00b, low-level audiophile and have a few questions.
1. do i need an amp? (if so i want to be able to carry it around (portable))
2. And if so, what should i look at?
3. if not, ignore #2
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post #2 of 14
4/29/09 at 11:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by majicn8ball View Post
i ordered the audio-technica ATH-AD700's. I am a n00b, low-level audiophile and have a few questions.
1. do i need an amp? (if so i want to be able to carry it around (portable))
2. And if so, what should i look at?
3. if not, ignore #2
1) Nope. It may help, but from what I've read, the difference is minimal and hardly worth investing in an amp JUST for them.

2)

3) Okay.
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post #3 of 14
4/29/09 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
oposing viewpoints?
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post #4 of 14
4/29/09 at 9:33pm
HEY NATE!!!! I do agree, you don't really need an amp. Plus it will save you a lot of griping from Henry if you don't buy one.
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post #5 of 14
4/30/09 at 1:30pm
The lower Audio technica line really don't need amps to sound good. You are in the clear there.

Wait until you start getting some headphones that really improve or really need amps....sennheiser and AKG.....
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post #6 of 14
5/1/09 at 2:50pm
Like everyone else said, you don't need an amp. These sound good with just about anything. They do improve some with an amp. I wouldn't spend alot of money if these are the only cans you have. A little dot MKI or headstage lyrix would be good low cost options. I have heard them with both.
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post #7 of 14
5/1/09 at 6:32pm
Just tried the AD700 (got it today!) with the T4, and the warm nature of T4 complimented the bright laid back nature of AD700 very well and added good bass weight. However, the difference is nowhere significant enough that I would recommend you buy it for just these alone. It sounds great unamped otherwise.
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post #8 of 14
5/3/09 at 9:57am
Thread Starter 
sweet. Thanks e'erbody. i can't wait to get 'em and not have to worry about getting an amp for them. i will consider the amp suggestions though, since these will not be my only pair of headphones in the future
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post #9 of 14
5/3/09 at 11:29am
Agree with everyone here, that you don't need an amp for the 700's. An amp however, does make the sound better with the 700's, and recommend one when your budget allows. Also, if you have an old receiver, integrated amp, use it for the 700's.
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post #10 of 14
5/3/09 at 3:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Busta9iron View Post
Agree with everyone here, that you don't need an amp for the 700's. An amp however, does make the sound better with the 700's, and recommend one when your budget allows. Also, if you have an old receiver, integrated amp, use it for the 700's.
i don't know what that means exactly... the integrated amp thingy
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post #11 of 14
5/12/09 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Germania=- View Post
The lower Audio technica line really don't need amps to sound good. You are in the clear there.

Wait until you start getting some headphones that really improve or really need amps....sennheiser and AKG.....
This simply is not true. Most people assume that price point determines quality. I have AKG's, Grado's and just bought a pair of these AD700's (under 80 bucks, how can i go wrong?). The AD700's I have been enjoying all week WITH a few different portable amps and sometimes without. There is a very noticeable difference WITH an amp. So far the iBasso T1 and the corda move 2 would be very easy to recommend for you. Currently I am considering a Predator or Hornet as my next portable. The AD700's I'm enjoying too much, so I think I'll put my 702's and Grado's away for awhile.

Germania-Any speaker would benefit from a separate amp, most powered sources or receivers just don't have the amount of power needed to properly drive a speaker to it's full potential.
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post #12 of 14
5/13/09 at 3:00am
^ You Missed The Point.

They sound good without an amp. Pretty much EVERYTHING sounds better with an amp, no question. The fact of the matter is that those headphones do not DICTATE the use of an amp. They can run off of a soundcard or MP3 player without blowing something up and sound pretty nice.

A HD600 will simply not runn off of an iPod and neigther will an AKG. Ever tried Sextets and an iPod? No, it doesn't make sense to.

The point is here that in this case you already spent $90 on the headphone and a decent amp will cost at least that and much more.

If you don't have the money, then don't spend it. Save and get something that will set you up for a long time.
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post #13 of 14
5/13/09 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Germania=- View Post
^ You Missed The Point.

They sound good without an amp. Pretty much EVERYTHING sounds better with an amp, no question. The fact of the matter is that those headphones do not DICTATE the use of an amp. They can run off of a soundcard or MP3 player without blowing something up and sound pretty nice.

A HD600 will simply not runn off of an iPod and neigther will an AKG. Ever tried Sextets and an iPod? No, it doesn't make sense to.

The point is here that in this case you already spent $90 on the headphone and a decent amp will cost at least that and much more.

If you don't have the money, then don't spend it. Save and get something that will set you up for a long time.
I'm sorry you feel I missed the point. and I agree they don't need an amp, but I would recommend it.

Sorry in advance, but you can power HD600's off an iPod. I would........wait for it....recommend an amp though. Especially for higher volumes of course.

When I sold hi-fi gear I could only afford so much a year and I would agree that you should save for something that is going to set you up for a long time. That being said, I can safely say amp's change very little over time. Unlike a receiver/ processor or pre-amp which it seems right after I buy one its out dated, an amp will last you some time.

AAAaaannnyyywaayyy, I agree with Germania that you are not required to have an amp to power or drive those AD700's but it sure does sound a hell of a lot better with one.
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post #14 of 14
11/3/09 at 5:48am
I usually have my AD700's plugged directly into my sound card, which is a Turtle Beach Audio Advantage SRM (waiting on my modded X-Fi). I threw my Fiio E3 into the mix, and it actually adds a nice bit to the low end. However, it threw off my equalizater's settings; the high end was too loud for me. So that's not a bad option if you just want to spend a few dollars. The E5 is even better for that purpose, though. Since it charges via USB you can use it while charging it. Plus it sounds better than the E3 and has two operating modes instead of one.
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