What to get for Christmas? - Page 2

I got the Shure SE535's for $350 on earphonesoulutions blackfriday sale so thats what I did, I beleave you can still get them for around $400

 

Your amp is fine it is what I have to, no other amp has a timer, eq, hold button and most have a volume wheel or dial that will get messed up in a pocket.

 

For over ears it depends on what you want id say HE-400's but I like bass, if you can get the HE-500's for the same price and don't mine a brighter sound why not? Idk if the E17 will drive them?

 

Theres also the Amperiors, Momentum, or try to score a pair of D5000's there my favorite right now

My first question is do you like the beyers?  If you enjoy the beyers sound signature and want to get more out of the headphones I would put the money towards an desktop amp or Amp/DAC combo.  If you don't like the beyer sound then getting new cans is a good route.  If you can get the he500s for cheap and use the rest of the money for a desktop amp you would be set.  Off the top of my head I would suggest getting either the o2/odac combo for about 300 if you want to keep the beyers.  If you want to jump to the he 500s sell the beyers and use the funds to buy the 500s and the o2 and use the e17 as your dac.

For everything what they say bout beyers...i will never ever part from my thrustfull mmx300.. It was my first over ear phone and has still been my favorite pc movie watching/ gaming playing phone..its astouning how good he sounds with that on his own usb dedicated amp! For music i use he500 for now.. But really..i will take my mmx to my grave!
Edited by hifimanrookie - 12/4/12 at 11:55pm

 

 

i own the dt990 pro but dt880 also has a treble peak? and for amps, i heard the o2 amp can drive a lot of high end cans and is pretty cheap. 

If u dont like a tremble peak..maybe u can try to find a darker sounding amp then to go with it...like a matrix mstage from tamaudio..with my mmx300 is sounded full and not to edgy on the tremble..to my ears anyway..a o2 is a bit brighter amp..a good amp nevertheless!

 

 

i was thinking after getting a good dap, im going to buy a tube amp to go with it. but im afraid of having the static noise, maybe i wont get tube amp. so matrix mstage you suggest? i have heard of it before and will look into it further, thank you for your suggestion

This +1. ALL great headphones

Ur welcome..but pls check this forum about the little beauty (especially in black..lolz)..but better is finding someone who owns a mstage and sit back next to it close ur eyes and listen to it on ur favorite phones..i have a feeling u will be in for a surprise..u will ask urself..holy beeeep! Is it
that cheap..check the net also for some reviews..u will find similiar reactions
Ps..a good tube amp doesnt need to be scary i was a ss guy also..tube amps for me was like kissing the devil..but see what happened( check my pics.lolz).. A good but affordable tube amp like little dot/darkvoice/lafigaro and the sort are a good deal..u have only to take a few steps in consideration.
.its not portable because of the tubes and the sensitive inside ( i took my mstage everywhere in my laptop bag..no way u can do that with a tube amp)
A mstage is almost immediately ready to go after switching on

A tube amp is a bit different..

When switching off..plz do this BEFORE that: put volume on zero, disconnect the phones and source and only then switch off
If u wanna switch it on again..wait at least 15 seconds before doing that

Switching on with cold amp: switch it on without anything connected and with colume on zero..only connect the phones and source after 15 seconds. Let the amp warm up for 15 min before getting to optimal temp. Personally i let my 337 warm up for 30 min.

But as i said i love my tube amp..it sounds heavenly..all my predujices i had before are gone..

i myself never own a tube amp before, my friend lent me his dared mp5. im using my ipod+fiio e17 with it (double amping) and i prefer the e17 amp because it sounds cleaner (probably because im double amping when im playing it through the tube amp). i was thinking maybe a cheap bravo tube amp would be a good idea to go with my dt990 because bravo amps are affordable. are little dot/darkvoice/lafigaro able to drive high end phones? 

They can as long the phone is not hard to drive like a lcd2-3, the higher end hifimans he5le-he500-he6, the and some other hard to drive phones... As those need lots of power..in that case u better of as a starting point: the shiit lyr for example... a hybrid amp.

.the hd700/800 didnt like my tube amp at all..and my amp has plenty of power..so i think they maybe just dont mix with a tube amp..

 

 

since the dap im getting is going to be high end, im getting either the iriver ak100, ibasso dx100, or the hifiman hm901, maybe im better off plugging the headphones straight to the dap? 

Hm901? Since when that came out..have i been sleeping?
I myself have a hm602.. More then cabrble to go one on one to the iriver or the ibasso in my opinion..the only dap i know of superseeding those is the hm801.. But that one costs 800 usd! And as far i understand the upcoming top tier dap of hifiman with be more into the 1100 usd range..but as far i know its only be showed on shows and not yet on sales right now..

Plugging in a high end low inpedance phone directly on the dap wint give u optimal siund quality..but to be honest..if ur willing to spent near 1000 usd on a dap and more the 1000 usd on a headphone..why ur asking for budget amps then? Am a bit confused now..an amp is just as important in ur rig as the other parts as are headphone cables or even upgraded cables between ur dap and amp and upgraded powercables ( i found out recently myself!)

But ofcourse its all my personal opinion..good luck with ur decision..