jhembach
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2011
- Posts
- 5
- Likes
- 0
Hi all,
With the help of the community here, online research and some listening tests at some local shops, I've decided the AKG Q701 is probably going to be my first full-size headphone in a while, though I am still toying with the idea of picking up a pair of Grados instead.
I've been using nothing but my q-jays for a few years now, but now want an additional pair just for home listening. I auditioned a few other headphones as well, including the Sennheiser 598 (found the sound very 'muddy'), 558 (like the 598, but even less impressive), B&W P5 (gorgeous and would be an on-the-go option, but seriously underperforms sonically compared to the others in the field), a few Grados (125, 225, 325), Denon AHD2000 (was very impressed by these also, didn't have that typical 'closed' sound at all, surprisingly), and the Ultrasone Pro 750 (was also very impressed with these, but they're pricey and not as comfortable a fit as most of the other contenders).
Now, since the Q701 is already at the upper end of my budget, I'm looking at potentially adding an amp (or amp+DAC), but want to spend no more than $150. Although the headphone did ok unamp'd, I understand its performance will improve noticeably with some help.
I haven't seen much love for the NuForce Icon uDac2 around here, though it fits the bill (almost, as it's missing an optical in) perfectly.
My source material is in iTunes and on CD. I know the line out on the laptop isn't an ideal source due to electrical noise, so a solution with an optical input would allow me to use both the laptop and my CD player (Sony D-EJ825) as an optical source.
Ideally, I'm looking for a solution that will provide a little added warmth and bass to the very analytical Q701, without colouring the sound too heavily.
The Fiio E10 seems like a great option, but I'm a little concerned because it forces me to use the laptop as my source for everything. Not a huge deal as I'll only be using the Q701 at home, but I'd prefer to have a separate setup with just the CD player. Plus it's half the price of the Icon.
The E9 looks great as well, but I'd be relying on the laptop's analog output for non-CD material, which would introduce some unwanted noise. I suppose I could always put it on the iPod instead and play it from there (160GB iPod Classic). The E7/E9 combo is out of the question right now due to my self-imposed budget.
The other option would be a combo of Fiio's D3 and E6, but that seems like a significant compromise that may just not be worth it.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Jens
With the help of the community here, online research and some listening tests at some local shops, I've decided the AKG Q701 is probably going to be my first full-size headphone in a while, though I am still toying with the idea of picking up a pair of Grados instead.
I've been using nothing but my q-jays for a few years now, but now want an additional pair just for home listening. I auditioned a few other headphones as well, including the Sennheiser 598 (found the sound very 'muddy'), 558 (like the 598, but even less impressive), B&W P5 (gorgeous and would be an on-the-go option, but seriously underperforms sonically compared to the others in the field), a few Grados (125, 225, 325), Denon AHD2000 (was very impressed by these also, didn't have that typical 'closed' sound at all, surprisingly), and the Ultrasone Pro 750 (was also very impressed with these, but they're pricey and not as comfortable a fit as most of the other contenders).
Now, since the Q701 is already at the upper end of my budget, I'm looking at potentially adding an amp (or amp+DAC), but want to spend no more than $150. Although the headphone did ok unamp'd, I understand its performance will improve noticeably with some help.
I haven't seen much love for the NuForce Icon uDac2 around here, though it fits the bill (almost, as it's missing an optical in) perfectly.
My source material is in iTunes and on CD. I know the line out on the laptop isn't an ideal source due to electrical noise, so a solution with an optical input would allow me to use both the laptop and my CD player (Sony D-EJ825) as an optical source.
Ideally, I'm looking for a solution that will provide a little added warmth and bass to the very analytical Q701, without colouring the sound too heavily.
The Fiio E10 seems like a great option, but I'm a little concerned because it forces me to use the laptop as my source for everything. Not a huge deal as I'll only be using the Q701 at home, but I'd prefer to have a separate setup with just the CD player. Plus it's half the price of the Icon.
The E9 looks great as well, but I'd be relying on the laptop's analog output for non-CD material, which would introduce some unwanted noise. I suppose I could always put it on the iPod instead and play it from there (160GB iPod Classic). The E7/E9 combo is out of the question right now due to my self-imposed budget.
The other option would be a combo of Fiio's D3 and E6, but that seems like a significant compromise that may just not be worth it.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Jens
