FiiO Portable Amps for the ATH-M50s?

I have a pair of M50s, and although I know they are easy to drive, I am interested in whether a portable amp like the Fiio E11 would improve bass in any way or give a fuller sound to make it worth my while. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

The iPhone 4 and iPods can easy drive the 50-Ohm ATH-M50 and from what I've heard, the ATH-M50 is not likey to have big improvements for what you would pay for a reasonably priced amplifier, for $120 headphones.

I'm sure the Fiio E6 would not offer any improvements, A Fiio E11 ($60) with a LOD cable($10) might(?) make a minor improvement.

But I'm only making guesses.

Thanks for the info. I am considering getting a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80s for some basshead home use in the future so I am looking for an amp that would work well with them. Would the FiiO E11 work well enough with the DT770 Pro 80s or would the E10 maybe work better?

And as for bass, is there a noticeable difference in sound signature and bass quality/quantity which could justify me buying the Pro 80s if I already own M50s and want some dedicated bass-emphasized cans?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

Basshead home use with the IPhone & iPod only?

The Fiio E11 should be able to drive the DT770 Pro 80-Ohm at a decent listening level with the Volume knob at less then 50%.

The DT770 Pro 250-Ohm works fine with the E11 volume knob at 50%.

 

The E10 is really for a computer (PC or Mac) with a USB port,

not for portable stuff like iPhones or iPods (no USB ports).

 

The very latest portable apple products with the brand new Lighting digital ports, might be able to interface with a USB port, with the right cable.

 

I believe the Beyerdynamic DT770 are an improvement over the ATH-M50s, but I've never listened to the ATH-M50s (but I do own 7 Beyerdynamic headphones).

Basshead use mostly at home hooked up to an iPhone and/or a laptop. I plan to use the M50s more for portable use or when I bring my computer with me. Do you find any noticeable sound or output difference between the desktop E10 and the portable E11? 

As for the DT770 Pro 80, is it a lower end rumble-your-skull subwoofer bass or a more up-front shallow bass like the Sony XB500s? I want something that plays well with EDM and hip-hop without having overly harsh highs like I heard that Ultrasones have and doesn't sound hollow or muddy like the XB500s or Beats. Are the highs on the DT770s smooth enough to not be too piercing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

Laptop use?

So the E10 would be better for the laptop and the E11 for portables.

Sounds like the Fiio E07K would be the better choice, has a USB (digital) input and Line-in (analog) input.

 

I really do not like the XB500s, in anyway (really muddy bass).

But I will admit, the pair tried were refurbs and I did not use the right kind of amp. with them.

but I'm sure will never really like them.

 

I like to say that I like the DT770's "thump".

I also have no problem with the DT770 highs, in a general sense.

Compared to my M50s, the XB500s have horribly recessed mids and highs, and a hollow sound. I don't know why I even bought them. Would the FiiO E7 also be a good alternative if my budget doesn't stretch enough to accommodate the E07K?

As for comfort, did you notice the drivers on the DT770s pressing against your ears? That is the problem I have. My ears become horrendously sore if the driver presses against them in any way. I had that problem with V-Moda Crossfade LPs, which is a shame because I really liked those. 

I am just debating since I have a pair of ATH-M50s, whether I should get some open backed ATH-AD700s or some bassy DT770 Pro 80s. I just do not want to end up buying a second set of cans, and realize that they sound no better or different than the ones I currently have (M50s and XB500s). Do you find the DT770 Pro 80s to have more satisfying and better presented mids and highs than the Sony XB series?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

The ATH-AD700's light bass is a turn off, never use my anymore.

I would say to at least sell off the XB500 (eBay auction), maybe get $30-$40 for them (maybe).

The E7 I think would do the job, but I would say hold off until you can budget for the E07K ($89 at Adorama), it has improvements over the E7 for better audio quality.

I never like anything about the XB500s sound and have no problem using my DT700s for listening to anything.

How thin would you say the bass is on the AD700s? I thought basically all open backs were bass-shy. 

I think I will sell off the XBs if I can. So the DT770s are not overly genre-specific and do a well enough job with pretty much any genre of music? If so that is what I am interested in. I would only have the AD700s if I was listening to acoustic and jazz all the time, but I listen to too many genres of music all the time to buy a niche set of cans. I want something well made that will last and has more than average bass without having hollow mids and highs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel 

"Basically all open back is bass-shy", is more of a guideline then a rule, DT990 are very open and have lots of bass.

DT770 are solidly built and should last as long as any headphone made.

The ATH-AD700 has the lightest bass of any headphone I know of.

Once again, I appreciate your advice. I am getting a Macbook Pro in the spring, so I will see how it fares with powering my M50s, because that is what I will be plugging them into. I heard the MB Pro has a decent enough built in sound card and DAC. It would probably be better for me to get the cans (DT770s), and then see if I need an external amp/DAC or not. Should I make the FiiO E11 second in my list to the E07K?

Since you said they are well built, should I not worry about getting refurbished DT770s for a retailer on ebay?

When the time comes for me to expand my inventory to open backs, is there a definite sound difference (such as in bass amount and highs) between the Sennheiser open-backs like the HD598, HD555 etc, and the AKG K701s?