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Did I make a mistake with the HD 600?

post #1 of 13
12/12/11 at 9:03am
Thread Starter 

I bought the senn HD 600 due to the holiday sales. I have been pleased with the cans, but the more i read, the more confused and lost i feel.

 

I don't have a good sound card, 

no DAC

no AMP

 

and based on what i have been reading, that is not the optimal configuration to drive the HD 600. to achieve great sounds on the HD 600, looks like i have to put down at least another 200-500 dollars, which is out of my price range.

 

Would dropping to a lower senn HD model be more productive for a sound newbie? as in, with the same setup, a lower model could potentially sound better than the hd 600s?

 

TLDR,

HD 600 sound nice, but given what i have read, they don't sound anywhere as nice as they can. lower models might sound even better than my current configuration.

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post #2 of 13
12/12/11 at 9:09am

If you like the way they sound, hold onto them for when you can purchase an amp and/or DAC. It will be worth it.

 

FWIW, I like the sound of the HD600s straight out of my laptop just fine. Out of an amp, it's a whole new level though.

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post #3 of 13
12/12/11 at 9:29am

I'd definitely keep them, and if you can grab a dac/amp sometime down the road, great.  If not, well you still like your headphone.  But I have a 600 on the way, so I might be biased rolleyes.gif...

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post #4 of 13
12/12/11 at 10:11am

You need to juice those cans.

 

Just get something else more easily driven but keep the HD600 for when you can get a DAC/Amp combo unit to start you off.

 

Get the new Fiio E10 which is the new USB DAC with a street price of less than $80....it has excellent reviews and should drive those very well and later down the line you can get a something a little higher up the food chain.

 

 


Edited by Assimilator702 - 12/12/11 at 10:23am
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post #5 of 13
12/12/11 at 10:17am

brah, E10 into 300 ohms is underamping. Might as well build/buy an O2 or an E9 than spend that money on an E10. 

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post #6 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:04am

With the O2 purchasable pre-made at $125, I find it hard not to suggest it. 

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post #7 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:20am

Isn't an 02 (Musiland Monitor 02) just a DAC which would require a separate amp purchase?

 

Op, just pick up a used Zero DAC/amp hybrid or similar for around $100, it will be perfect for powering your HD600s on the cheap.

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post #8 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:21am

Dont worry bout amp that much if you dont have the cash, HD600s still beats the lower models (HD555 and 558 in my experience) out of my laptop jack or ipod. The biggest difference between amped and unamped would be 'laid-back'ness. I find the vocal to be significantly lower in volume when unamped, so if you turn up the volume to get the vocal louder, background music sounds quite loud (exaggerated background details). 

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post #9 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:33am

It's not a big deal. It can be better but like everything else in life. It costs money. When you got the greens, upgrade. If ya don't, it's still good.

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post #10 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:42am

Oh, no, I was talking about this product from JDS Labs.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Graphicism View Post

Isn't an 02 (Musiland Monitor 02) just a DAC which would require a separate amp purchase?

 

Op, just pick up a used Zero DAC/amp hybrid or similar for around $100, it will be perfect for powering your HD600s on the cheap.



 

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post #11 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:47am

It is a wonderful fluke that you own them. Just try playing them with every amp and source you can find till you make a match. All of us here spent way more than planned, welcome to the club. Ain't it great?

 

Next step is to go to a meet with them. Welcome.

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post #12 of 13
12/12/11 at 11:59am

Just look for a vintage stereo (Fisher, Kenwood, etc.) at a garage sale, your uncle's house, a pawn shop or Craigslist.  Those have plenty of power and were designed by top engineers when 'high fidelity' was an obsession.  Check out the vintage stereo thread to find models that rival any modern amplifier, for 10% the price.  Most any stereo you already own will also probably deliver sufficient amperes.

 

p.s. In the meantime, keep your HD600- even with low amplification they are truly great, and can only be beat by headphones costing 2x their price.


Edited by eucariote - 12/12/11 at 12:10pm
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post #13 of 13
12/12/11 at 12:02pm

2X that one!

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