[kerelybonto]

neggy, the SR-325 will improve with an amp, but they should sound better than the HD600 without one. If you haven't heard any Grado headphones before, prepare to be surprised. Bring a CD with some bite to it, maybe some of your Zeppelin discs.

I suggest starting off with something with some good kick drums and screaming guitars -- something like Zeppelin's "The Ocean" or "Immigrant Song." You should be able to tell right away what the SR-325 has to offer. Then move on to songs like "Bron-y-Aur Stomp" and "Friends" and listen to them boogie.

The only real problem I can foresee you having is that because the SR-325 has a much lower impedance than the HD600, it will resolve very low level signals much better. You may find that you can hear a good deal of hiss from your soundcard (which is known for being, let's say, not-so-good) that you didn't hear with the HD600, and you may also hear the hiss in older recordings more acutely.

Still, if I were you, I'd go for the Grados. You may want to check eBay if you decide to buy them, as you can frequently find them on there for much, much lower than you'll find in audio shops.

kerely

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Originally posted by kerelybonto neggy, the SR-325 will improve with an amp, but they should sound better than the HD600 without one

And remember, the more gear you put in the chain (amps, cables etc.), the more risk there is of diluting the sound. A great sounding efficient headphone (i.e. Grado) direct to the source will pay off great sonic dividends, assuming of course, that the source is not a piece of crap. Often people need to replace the sub-par amp section of their source with something decent. In this case, they are taking a step in the right direction.

 

[Uncledan]

Quote:

Originally posted by neggy i am gonna buy the grado sr 325. Do you guys think these will need an amp? Or is running them off of a budget receiver gonna produce better sound then the senns? I hope the latter cause lately i am falling asleep listening to music cause it lacks the punch haha Also i noticed theres 3 different pads for them on head room do these change the sound or is it all about comfort?

Grado SR325 don't need any amp, of course, the sound quilty will be better if you have amp.

 

[PeterR]

Quote:

And remember, the more gear you put in the chain (amps, cables etc.), the more risk there is of diluting the sound. A great sounding efficient headphone (i.e. Grado) direct to the source will pay off great sonic dividends, assuming of course, that the source is not a piece of crap...

Every headphone needs an amp, period. When people talk about 'no amp' they actually mean 'the amp built into your PCDP/soundcard/receiver/whatever'. You're not adding an amp, but replace a crappy one with a better one.

 

[JaZZ]

Quote:

Originally posted by PeterR Every headphone needs an amp, period. When people talk about 'no amp' they actually mean 'the amp built into your PCDP/soundcard/receiver/whatever'. You're not adding an amp, but replace a crappy one with a better one.

Not necessarily. You can use your soundcard's line-out amp and thus possibly have the most accurate sound you can get out of your computer (provided the line-out amp is strong enough and has no problem driving low-impedance loads). Any additional ampification will make the original signal less accurate.

You can even use your CDP's or DAC's line-out amp to drive a headphone - the complication in this case is that you have to switch an attenuator (stepped or potentiometer) into the signal path. You can't get closer to the original sound of the recording.


neggy...
Quote:

Oh yea i have read about what jazz does to his senns about removing the foam pads or something but i cant figure it out how to do it without the risk of wrecking them.

...it's simple: pull the velvet earpads away and remove the foam that covers the drivers. You may want to cover them again with some very sound-permeable fabric such as nylon gauze (or stockings) for protection purposes if you decide to leave it that way. The sound is more upfront and clear, with a leaner and more controlled bass. Just try it before you get some SR-325!

And remember: a soundcard is a bad source if you have more than moderate demands in terms of sound quality. But if you have a digital out, you could use a decent outboard DAC.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by PeterR As far as bass boost is concerned, for kicks I recently measured what the Megabass function on an old Sony D-33 PCDP does, now that's scary. Bass is shelved up by up to 15 dB ('mid' setting) or 20 dB ('high'), starting at about 200-300Hz. That's just crazy. The treble gets boosted (5dB shelf) as well with Megabass on, BTW.

I believe it as a owner of the D-33, i personally avoid the Megabass at all costs, the line out is quite nice...

Sorry to stray off topic...

 

[PeterR]

Quote:

You can even use your CDP's or DAC's line-out amp to drive a headphone - the complication in this case is that you have to switch an attenuator (stepped or potentiometer) into the signal path. You can't get closer to the original sound of the recording.

OK, maybe I was a little absolute. Basically, you're right. But many consumer sources already get into trouble with the 600 ohms studio standard, and a typical home preamp input impedance will be more like 20 kohms. So there may very well be DACs that really happily drive a 32 ohm Grado, but it could be argued whether their output stage then isn't really a headphone amp disguising as line out...

 

[JaZZ]

 

[PeterR]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco I believe it as a owner of the D-33, i personally avoid the Megabass at all costs, the line out is quite nice... Sorry to stray off topic...

Actually the headphone out isn't that bad either, works even well with HD600s. But plug in a 7506, engage Megabass and...

 

[Oliver :)]

Neggy, try taking out the foam from the earpieces after burn-in and listen to the difference.
Nevertheless, the one thing HD600s truely need is power, power, power, from a dedicated amp.
Or a portable source with some good *oomph*, as older Sony MD-Rs or PCDP. With my MD-R30 they tend to...rock!

 

[neggy]

WOW i just listened without the pads for aobut an hour so so what a difference i am planning on keepin the senns now. The drums sound so much more alive and the vocals are alot more in your face, i am loving it

I am gonna cover the drivers with stockings but how do you do this, do you use any sort of glue? Jazz how did you cover them ??

 

[dunelly]

wait, how do you remove the velvet, just yank them out?

 

[neggy]

it clips in so just GENTLY pull and it will snap right out and the pads are not glued they can be just pulled out very lightly.

 

[neggy]

After listening to my cans for about 2-3 hours i am liking the sound however its treblie is razor sharp and the bass is a lilte lacking. Will getting an amp such as a rega EAR increase the bass response? Tommorow i might send the senns off i dunno tho, its hard decision, how do you guys audition stuff then off it goes lol its not easy. I think i am gonna put the pads in sorry jazz but the senns are so bright i need sunglasses to wear them..haha excuse the bad joke

 

[zeplin]

neggy,
FWIW, I bought the HD600's a couple of months ago and did not like them at all...in fact, they were what I wanted least in a headphone! But, after a few months of breaking in, things started to change. The biggest factor in their change took place because I bought a power supply upgrade for my amp(HR Cosmic), which improved the bass, mids, and treble extensivelly...and I bought a new source. markl has wonderful and true saying about the importance of sources..."crap in, crap out"...or something along those lines! I ended up getting one of the older vintage Sony PCDP's, which are up there, but not better than some high end stand alones. Anyways, the combination of these two improvments have changed my perceptions of the HD600's for ever. The laid back, quiet nature of the Senns are almost completely gone, and the bass has proved to be twice as good as before...extremely accurate, punchy, and deep as hell!!! I advise you, if you have the money that is, to upgrade as much components as you can to help the HD600's reach their full potential. You won't be dissappointed. Plus, once I bought my Audio Technicas, I realized and have come to appreciate more the type of style Sennheiser has put forth in the HD600 model. The fact is, they rule for some music, and are mediocre for others! Good luck to you