Is it worth it buyin a protable amp for me?

Originally Posted by 6moons

Setting my iPod to its 'acoustic' EQ setting (which boosts volume and emphasizes acoustic drums and piano), I played all manner of music to test the 450s. Big band, Beatles, jazz duo (Bruford and Borstlap's In Two Minds), ancient King Crimson (In the Court of), Pat Metheny Trio (Day Trip) and even some classical and electronic tomfoolery (Science for Girls, Portishead's Third).


Through the trusty iPod, the 450s sounded simply great. That trademark Sennheiser sound of crystalline highs, flat midrange and slightly bulbous bass was in full presence. The slightly pushed treble frequencies are both the 450's glory and weak spot. Though they provided superb clarity, with poorer recordings the 450's treble presentation could sound overly tweaked and artificial (with noise cancelling engaged). But better that the phones provide overall exceptional clarity and fast responses than slow, flabby sonics. The sound was uniformly smooth top to bottom, and the 450s wrap-around head rush comfort seal provided fantastic, depth-charge-worthy bass response (though I would not call bass imaging rock solid or carved in deep space, rather decently pleasant and comfortably analog like). Most of all, the 450s provided noise cancelling of the highest order, locking my senses into their own insulated world whether I was traveling by train, snarling at tourists in Washington Square Park or simply lounging in my pajamas at Chez Micallef.