phones and amp for 0404
Nov 23, 2004 at 9:53 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15
uzziah

uzziah

Headphoneus Supremus
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i tried posting this in phones forum, but with limited results
looking for phones and amp to mate well with 0404. i've heard that it is aggressive and forward, so i'm concerned grados might not be the best choice, though th sr60 is attractive at my price range (which is "lower is better"
smily_headphones1.gif


considering sr60 80, ms-1, senn hd 580 etc.

thoughts?
 
Nov 23, 2004 at 9:55 PM Post #3 of 15
It's not THAT aggressive. True, I'm using the SR200, a laid back grado, but the Pinkie Solo amp is quite a beast and the SR200 is still a Grado after all. But the sound I'm getting from the card is excellente - still not much soundstage, but it brings back that MS-2 punchiness without losing all the great detail of the SR200. Nice combo.
 
Nov 24, 2004 at 2:39 AM Post #5 of 15
in an emu 0404 review somewhere on here, the reviewer says between the 0404 and 1212m, 1212m has more neutral/refined sound, but the 0404 is on the more aggressive side comparatively... don't think that should be taken as the source coloring the music so it sounds "agressive". But he went on to recommend getting grados for the 0404 and not senn's because there's more "synergy" between the components of such a setup, and senns for 1212 again because they'll work synergistically to create a better sound (vs unsynergistic setup that does not do anything especially well).....

so if your looking for "phones and amp to mate well with 0404" go for grados.
 
Nov 30, 2004 at 7:05 AM Post #10 of 15
I never really understand the thought that if you have an aggressive or laid back headphone, you should buy the opposite in an amp or soundcard.
Sometimes you want to push that aggressiveness or passivity further by picking an accessory that is similar in tone. It just depends on the sound you are looking for.
 
Nov 30, 2004 at 10:42 AM Post #12 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by Blitzula
I never really understand the thought that if you have an aggressive or laid back headphone, you should buy the opposite in an amp or soundcard.


Me neither. My phones, amp and source are probably all considered forward by the standards of most on this forum, and yet I absolutely love the sound. You have to be careful though you dont push it too far. I have a Headsave Classic with AD8620 (probably the most forward Classic config), along with the EMU 0404 and Beyer DT531's (which are clearly more forward than Senn's but probably not as much as Grados), and while I think the combo is great, I did find that an interconnect was the only thing between it being "sweet" and being harsh.

Having said that, if you went for a classic with the Grados you would probably choose the OPA637's or whatever as these would stop it from being too harsh.
 
Nov 30, 2004 at 11:48 AM Post #13 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by pbirkett
Me neither. My phones, amp and source are probably all considered forward by the standards of most on this forum, and yet I absolutely love the sound. You have to be careful though you dont push it too far. I have a Headsave Classic with AD8620 (probably the most forward Classic config), along with the EMU 0404 and Beyer DT531's (which are clearly more forward than Senn's but probably not as much as Grados), and while I think the combo is great, I did find that an interconnect was the only thing between it being "sweet" and being harsh.

Having said that, if you went for a classic with the Grados you would probably choose the OPA637's or whatever as these would stop it from being too harsh.


I got a setup very similar to Mr. Brikett except I have DT440's (younger brother to DT531) and a MINT amp w/the same opamp. I am feeling that this setup may be too bright for some songs. I am really hoping that my soon to come canare IC's will change the sound a bit, or else I may have to get a different amp w/another opamp...
 
Nov 30, 2004 at 11:51 AM Post #14 of 15
neueziel, I hope your interconnects arent silver plated, because thats when I had the brightness trouble with my setup. As soon as I changed to a pure copper cable, the brightness is gone. The combo is still forward though, but thats what I like about it, but it never seems harsh and/or unnatural to my ears, unlike many "forward" rigs I've owned in the past.
 
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