ADVICE: $600 budget on HEADPHONES and AMP set!

portable? 

home/office?

Do you need a DAC built in (or at all)?

Open or closed headphones (isolation/sound leak/sound preference?)

 This is a headphone forum not a mind reader's forum 

 Music tastes?

 Open or closed headphone?

 Desktop based or portable amp based?

Yulong U100 and a Sennheiser HD650!

Just throwing an average suggestion out there. We need more information!

Quote:

Originally Posted by idruke 

Posted that hastily without thinking.

 

-Home amp

-I know what a dac is but I have never experienced one first hand. So, I don't know.

-open

-bands I listened to today: The strokes, arctic monkeys, april smith and the great picture show

 

Sennheiser HD650 will suit your music taste very well ~ especially the Strokes and Artic monkeys, cool acts but

their mastering on the wrong headphone (one that tends to be bright) can sound really painful. Add Oasis to that

mix if you're a fan of British rock pop or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers - great bands but their recordings are loud

and difficult on resolving head gear.

My suggestions:

HEADPHONES:  Used Beyer DT-880's 

DAC-AMP:  Used Audio-GD Compass 

Depending on prices for the used gear, you might even have enough left over for a second amp, a tube amp, so you can change up from time to time.  Variety is good.

2nd AMP:  If you want a tube amp- USED LITTLE DOT MK III

Others have suggested Sennheiser HD-650, and while these are fine headphones, I've found the Beyer DT-880 to be more immediately involving, and have a little more "punch" in their bass. Also, the Beyers are easier as regards amp pairing- the Sennheisers are more difficult to match up.

OTHER GOOD USED AMPS:  CK²III     or  M³    (These are both DIY amps, and sometimes can be bought very reasonably on the used market.  They are both very good amps.  If you do go with HD-650's, I think the  M³ is particularly well suited to them, but also works well for Beyer DT-880)

There is NO REASON not to buy used 'phones and amps.  You can always replace the earpads if they are worn out... 

Quote:

Originally Posted by idruke 

Are you saying their music won't sound good on headphones? p.s. I love Oasis and red hot chili peppers
 

 

Thought you might!

I'm just saying that those bands tend to exhibit a lot of 'ipod' friendly recording techniques in the studio ~ you can easily

tell when playing an Oasis, Chilli Peppers, Artic Monkeys album ~ you press play and automatically the volume dial on

the amplifier is set to maybe 9 or 10 o clock - lower than what you'd have it normally perhaps, this is because the 

recording itself is - loud!! - 

I generally have bright sounding cans which I love but when I'm in the mood for some Liam Gallagher Oasis swagger

it can be a challenge even for my treble happy ears, switching over to a borrowed HD650 for example or LCD-2

- bingo! - smoothed out, Oasis does not sound as aggressive (which is a bad thing in a way) but you can actually

listen to the whole album.

Heya,

Couple of combination suggestions:

Hifiman HE-300 (#)

Fischer Audio FA-002 (#)

AudioTechnica AD900 (#)

Sennheiser HD600 (@)

Beyer Dynamic DT990 600ohm (@)

(#): Combine with easy setup like Xonar DG soundcard, or portable/external options that are combos like the ibasso zero, fiio e7, etc.

(@): Combine with more powerful amp combinations, like Fiio E7+E9, NFB-5 or NFB-12, etc.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by idruke 

So what do you think of milosz dt880 suggestion? Maybe I should go with some more neutral cans? I could go closed if you think there are some better options in my price range for my type of music... Thanks!
 

 

The DT880 is a really good can, it can be a little sibilant with the wrong material especially if you like to crank the volume (eg, see above)

but this can be fine tuned with the amp to a certain extent ~ something like the Little Dot MkIII tube amp can tame those unruly highs

with some modern material.

Keep it open if you can ~ it's a general rule ~ open cans rule over closed, they just sound so much more natural and speaker like

compared to even the best closed cans.

The Sennheiser HD600 is a nice neutral can ~ very nice without any real obvious coloration ~ cheaper than the HD650.

Your best bet would be let's say a discounted HD600 and a Audio-GD NFB-5 Dac/Amp. Great source and powerful amp in one for $330.

For $270 you should be able to dig up a HD600. Done!

Quote:

Originally Posted by idruke 

Valhalla vs NFB-5?

Tube that is $350 and a $300 headphone leaves you... no room for a DAC in the budget.

NFB-5 is a DAC/AMP, solid state, and allows for a $300 headphone in the budget.

Very best,