[rokkyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tutelary /img/forum/go_quote.gif Be sure you aren't over doing it. If you set all this up will your mother be able to use it? My mother can barely double click a mouse, and I honestly think a lot of mothers are this way. Electronic equipment with too many knobs, settings, or buttons tends to frighten older women who are scared they will 'mess something up'. I know that sounds incredibly sexist, but there it is. You should also take age into consideration. Most people of any advanced age will suffer a normal amount of hearing loss which might render them unable to hear nuances of sound that better equipment can deliver. I just hate to see you potentially spend $2500 for something when nice $200, $300 headphones will deliver a quality experience for her and anything else would be excessively useless. Couldn't you just get her nice headphones and spend the rest on orchestra tickets? Even someone working full time can trade shifts so they can get to a show.

Very good point.. I guess I was blinded by my own thought. She is not very good with electronics and I agree with your concern.

I read that without AMP, hi-fi headphones does not perform well.
If I get SACD player, decent AMP, and a headphone that goes with the AMP, to start, and invest the rest of the budget to SACDs, would that be a wiser call? =]

How different is the SQ of SACD from a normal CD? can most people notice it like HD and Blu-Ray?

As for the orchestra tickets.. I kept asking her to go, but she just doesn't want to. I think she thinks of it as a luxury right now, which makes me quite sad.

Thanks! =]

 

[MrGreen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif you should consider looking for a sennheiser HE60/HEV70 unit and using the remainder on a source. i love this combo for classical music. it is not is production so you would need to check the for sale forums. Sennheiser HE60/HEV70 Headphones

[size=small]HELLO MR GREEN CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS[/size]


Try contact the headfier n3rdling if you are interested in this

(he posted here actually)
he contacted to see if I was interested in a pair recently.

 

[rokkyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n3rdling /img/forum/go_quote.gif How technologically savvy is she? It might be best to keep the digital interface simple. In this case, I'd suggest buying a simple CD or DVD player for her discs and a receiver or tuner for when she wants to listen to her classical music stations. This shouldn't cost much, and will leave you a nice chunk of money for allocating towards the amp and headphones. Do you think she cares about the look of the headphones? Some equipment is pretty ugly to most people. Does she take care of things? Some equipment is somewhat fragile. I wouldn't worry about buying balanced anything. I'd be surprised if she were analyzing every little nuance of the music instead of just enjoying herself.

You are completely right. She does not analyze and simply enjoys the music. I simply want to provide her with a sound experience at home that is closest I can afford to a live concert.
She wouldn't care about the looks of the headphones and she takes care of her things very well.

Could you recommend a good AMP/Headphone combo for classical music?

Thanks!

 

[rokkyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGreen /img/forum/go_quote.gif [size=small]HELLO MR GREEN CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS[/size] Try contact the headfier n3rdling if you are interested in this (he posted here actually) he contacted to see if I was interested in a pair recently.

Wow, thanks! I will PM him =]

 

[rokkyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cheers for being such a thoughtful son! I'll start with general advice. First off, starting from headphones and working your way back, I think that the first decision is between the AKG K701/702 and the Sennheiser HD800. The first can be had for ~$250, the latter for $1400. Both will be excellent for classical music - the Sennheisers are better but will cost much more, and I think the AKGs are excellent enough with classical music that you'll be able to build her a terrific system. When buying a DAC, I would buy one that has a variety of inputs - optical, digital coaxial, and USB. This way, you can hook up both a computer and a CD player to the DAC and with a flip of a switch she can toggle back and forth between the two. With this kind of DAC, all you need to pick up is a DVD player with a good reputation as a CD transport (meaning it will simply output a digital signal to the DAC) - many of these exist and I'm sure someone else can chime in. I personally own an Oppo DV970 that I picked up for like $150 which does me fine. I own the K701, and would happily recommend the system I'm currently using: Headphones: AKG K701 ($250) Amplifier: SPL Auditor ($900) DAC: PS Audio DLIII ($650) This would leave you tons of money to spend on music, cables, or just save. Another option would be, as I mentioned above, to pick up the Sennheisers. Here you could do something like Sennheiser HD800 ($1400) WooAudio6 ($600) PS Audio DLIII ($650) Which would bring you in over budget, unless you could find some good used deals (which is possible). Good luck!

Wow, thanks for the great advice.

From what I've read, most people recommended K701 and HD600. Since enough people like both, I guess either would be fine. Only question was the amp-headphone matchmaking. I heard some amps are better with some phones, etc. So, thank you for your advice!!!
I will definitely read about the products you recommended.

The first choice sound great, which will leave me some budget for the SACDs.

Someone recommended HD60/HEV70 can I get a second opinion from you? thanks!!


=]

 

[stokitw]

Hi,
I simply share my system with you.
95% of my CD collection and 85% of my digital files is classical.

I'm very happy with my current system, and I think it barely fit in your budget.

Phone: Grado GS-1000 (used one is around $600-$700)
DAC/AMP: Grace design m902 (the new one costs $1595)
Source1: laptop
Source2: Sony SCD-CE595 (An entry level 5CD SACD player, try to grab refurbish one from Sony outlet $9x)

Connection:
1.
laptop -- SPDIF (coaxial cable) -- m902
2.
SACD player -- Toslink -- m902
3.
SACD player -- RCA interconnet -- m902

1 and 2 are transmitting digital signal, so you don't need to go for very expensive cables.
2 is for the Redbook CDs from the SACD player.
3 is for the SACD signal from the SACD player.
Simply put $100 for 1+2+3 is more than enough.

1&2 utilize Grace m902's DAC and amp, while 3 use the SACD player's DAC and use m902 as amp only.

I'm very satisfied with this setup. The only complaint is that now 3 is not as good as 1 and 2 because of the difference in DAC.

GS-1000 is great for classical music.
For mid and small scale recordings, you can easily enjoy them from GS-1000 without worrying too much about the system.
Most of my effort in finding a great system for GS-1000 is for dealing with large scale recordings.
The current setting works great for large scale recording.
(especially connection 1&2)

My setup utilize the multi-function of Grace m902.
If you made up your mind in source, you probably want to go the other way.
For using CD as the main media,
You can grab a decent CD or SACD player (with budget $400-$500) along with an decent amp (again, just grab some interconnect within $100 price mark is more than sufficient).

Even if you don't want to spend too much on the rest of system, I would still suggest GS-1000 as you main phone. Without proper amplification it sounds lay back, which is not a bad thing for one in you mom's age.

 

[Audiogalore]

That is sometime a difficult decision based on the various listening. I would recommend a solid state amp like a Headroom max that has different staging with there built in processor. It is also very wide on gain control which will allow you to experiment with high or low impedance phones excluding the K1000.

 

[Kayito-san]

I imagine comfort is probably a factor; Some headphones may not be very comfortable for her. (Grados, for example, have a poor reputation in this regard.) Seeing as classical music tends to be long and rather drawn out (The entirety of Beethoven's 9th, for example~), I think you should take into consideration the weight of the headphones as well as the earpad material. Also, around-the-ear (circumaural) headphones are typically seen to be more comfortable than on-the-ear (superaural) headphones.

At the moment, I have two headphones: Grado SR225s, and Ultrasone Pro900s.
The Grados are very light headphones, but the earpads are rough. The Ultrasones, on the other hand, are somewhat uncomfortable due to their weight, even though the earpads are soft. In both cases, the respective faults are only noticeable after longer listening sessions, but it's still a tangible issue for many audiophiles. The ideal for you, I think, would be to find a good middle, or to invest in a third-party headband and/or earpad upgrade for whatever headphone you decide to purchase.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokkyboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, thanks for the great advice. From what I've read, most people recommended K701 and HD600. Since enough people like both, I guess either would be fine. Only question was the amp-headphone matchmaking. I heard some amps are better with some phones, etc. So, thank you for your advice!!! I will definitely read about the products you recommended. The first choice sound great, which will leave me some budget for the SACDs. Someone recommended HD60/HEV70 can I get a second opinion from you? thanks!! =]

Have never heard the HE60/HEV70 before, sorry, so I can't be of too much help there, sorry.

If you decide to go with the K701, there are many amp options available, even cheaper ones than the Phonitor that are considered to be excellent (Heed Canamp, K.I.C.A.S. Caliente, Head-Direct EF1 / EF5, Audio-Gd C2C). I'd first try and settle on the headphones you want and work backwards from there to build a rig. You could easily end up with a first-class classical rig that brings you in under $1500.

 

[Acix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have never heard the HE60/HEV70 before, sorry, so I can't be of too much help there, sorry. If you decide to go with the K701, there are many amp options available, even cheaper ones than the Phonitor that are considered to be excellent (Heed Canamp, K.I.C.A.S. Caliente, Head-Direct EF1 / EF5, Audio-Gd C2C). I'd first try and settle on the headphones you want and work backwards from there to build a rig. You could easily end up with a first-class classical rig that brings you in under $1500.

X1 you can go with the K701/2, and from there you choose and design your own sound by picking the system that you like. You'll need some experience with few systems first... sorry not much of the shortcuts here.

 

[rokkyboy]

Thanks everyone!

I've done some more homework on advices given and decided to go with one of these

AKG K701 / K501
HD600

I think I'll go with AKG first, either 701 or 501 then later get HD600 to try the difference and sell the less preferred. The confusion between K701 and K501 is that people seem to prefer 501 for classical.

Can I get some help on that please? =]

So now that I have decided to go with AKG K701 or K501,
its down to the amps now. It was very interesting to read that non-high end phones like K501 can sound better with a good amp.

Amangeorge// would be kind enough to explain a little bit on the choice of the amp? =]
the SPL Auditor?

Is it possible that certain amps are better for classical music? or are amps there simply to strengthen the headphones?

Thanks!!

 

[AmanGeorge]

I heard the 501 briefly and actually didn't like it much - I really think the K701 is hard to beat.

I like the Auditor a lot, it's one of my favorite amps with the K701 - it's remarkably clear and transparent without at any time getting harsh in the treble the way other SS amps I've tried with the K701 have. It's a terrific match for sure.

The other amp I've had experience with that I mentioned earlier is the Head-Direct EF1 - also a great match, with terrific soundstaging that should benefit classical nicely. The EF1 has since been upgraded to the EF5, but I'm sure any changes have been for the better. This amp is only $400, and obviously wouldn't make a huge dent in that $2500 budget, but I think at its price the performance would be excellent for your needs.

 

[mrarroyo]

rokkyboy, go to a meet to try out the gear and then you can make an informed decission. Where are located, I ask because I have the K501 and the K701 and you could try them out.

 

[AmanGeorge]

If you can't make a meet, the other positive to buying an excellent but affordable backend like a PS Audio DLIII and an EF5 is that you could try buying your mom a couple of different headphones to see which one she likes best (like a K701, HD600 and DT880, for example) and returning or reselling whichever ones aren't her favorite.

 

[lecky]

I think what you're doing is really nice.

I hate to throw another contender in the ring, but I wonder if one of the new orthodynamic headphones might be a good buy for you - the HE-5 with EF5 amp are less than a grand combined, and are being compared favourably to some of the very best headphones regardless of cost, read some of the threads on them. The EF5 is getting good reviews as an amp aside from its matching with the HE-5, so could be a base from which to try a number of cans. The HE-5s are said to be quite heavy though.

By the way - what output does your mother's computer have? Many implementations of USB output are said to be not terribly good, my Mac has an optical out which is better quality with my DAC than USB, just something to consider.