[FXOdaGGoth]

Hey everyone, I love music, but have always listened to my music through my computer with a set of cheat $30 headphones. I recently listened to some music at my friends house, and he had a ton of stuff. Like headphones, an amp, and a few other things in between his computer. When i heard it, i was amazed! He told me to post on here, and ask everyone's opinions.

I am giving my self a $1,000 budget (give or take $100 bucks) to get a full setup. I listen to rap, Dubstep, older rock (think tool, Beatles, Elton John), some blues, some classical, then a bunch of stuff.

All of this stuff will stay at the house, so it can be bulky. What should i get? My friend threw a lot of stuff around, like different types of headphones and amps, and from reading on here, looks like i may want to pick up a DAC, different cables... :rolleyes:

Any thoughts on a starter setup

<3 thanks!

 

[Curly21029]

In a sea of "recommend me a 'X' headphone!!!" threads, I actually find this sort of refreshing.  Knowing what I know now, if I had to go back to the beginning, before I purchased my gateway setup of the Headroom Portable Desktop -> Sennhieser HD600, how would I have spent my money?
 
If you're using a Mac:
 
Audirvana (free!)->Apogee Duet (can find for ~$300)->PPAv2 (varies)->Grado HF-2 (can find for ~$500-550)
 
 
If PC:
 
Foobar (free!)->HRT Streamer II+(can find for sub-$300)->PPAv2(varies)->Grado HF-2 (can find for ~$500-550)
 
 
Depending on how much you can find the PPAv2 for, whether purchased or you commissioned a build, you're looking at between $1000-$1100. (or possibly just a bit more)  Still, for me I'd be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable setup for the money.  
 

 

[cky8]

Since this is your first step into a better audio setup I think you should start from below and get a taste. Your personal preference is not the same like mine and most probably I'll recommend you Audio Technica headphones. You get tons of different recommendations. At this stage it's hard to be specific for you because it's all new. So start with a pair of headphones somewhere between 80 - 200 price range. Or try to find stores where you can audition headphones. Read some threads here and there. Try to get an idea. Then you can name some headphones or setups you like or don't like and we'll be more able to give you suggestions... Rather than spending $1000 all at once for something you might not like, even though it's certainly a major step upwards from $30 headphones.
 
 

 

[Proglover]

What I would do if I were you now?
Spend another night at your friend and trying his headphones, see which sound suits you best.
 
 

 

[teofilrocks]

I say visit a place in Europe you haven't been to before, and spend whatever you have left on headphones. Hopefully that will be nothing...
 

 

[wilzc]

Quote:

I say visit a place in Europe you haven't been to before, and spend whatever you have left on headphones. Hopefully that will be nothing...
 

Then what will he listen to while travelling Europe???

 

[tintin47]

Where are you from?  If it were me, knowing what I do now, I would make it a priority to get to a meet and try to listen to a bunch of different phones and amps etc with your music.  If you get to a meet, anything you learn will be valuable and you can come back and post about which phones you liked and ask for recs then. 

 

[samsquanch]

Quote:

I say visit a place in Europe you haven't been to before, and spend whatever you have left on headphones. Hopefully that will be nothing...
 

An addiction to traveling might be cheaper than chasing the audio dragon...
 
My suggestion would be to start at the very beginning of the chain, your audio files and player, if you're on a pc, download or rip some .flac files and play them through foobar2k.  See if you notice a difference, if not, time for a new dac, still not hearing it?  new amp, still nothing?  Headphone time!  What you still aren't hearing it?  It MUST be those darned cables, NEW ONES!  What the heck?  Still NOTHING!  Clean your ears, WHY AREN'T YOU HEARING A DIFFERENCE YET????  IT MUST BE THE MUSIC, IT WASN'T RECORDED RIGHT!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!
 
This is why I now only listen to myself humming in a room.
 
 
But honestly, start at the beginning of the chain and work forward, you'll work out the kinks in each component that way.

 

[teofilrocks]

 
Quote:

Then what will he listen to while travelling Europe???

Hmm, didn't think of that. Tough decisions!

 

[mackat]

HD650+ Music Streamer II+ or Pro, and a already built Bottlehead Crack+Speedball. But my Fiio E7+E9 is good enough for now.

 

[WhiteCrow]

Grado RS-1/2Button/i model*button is better IMO* Little Dot MKII+ with a different OP amp for a smoother tone, and either a Music streamer two or an Headroom micro dac in all comes to about $1000, if you buy used grados/ amp or dac it can be about $600-900, I'm currently running this set up sans DAC as I cannot find a good deal and my funds are under attack by ESSENTIAL ITEMS*gasp*

 

[epyon]

Very off topic, but do you play SC2?
 
Quote:

Hey everyone, I love music, but have always listened to my music through my computer with a set of cheat $30 headphones. I recently listened to some music at my friends house, and he had a ton of stuff. Like headphones, an amp, and a few other things in between his computer. When i heard it, i was amazed! He told me to post on here, and ask everyone's opinions.

I am giving my self a $1,000 budget (give or take $100 bucks) to get a full setup. I listen to rap, Dubstep, older rock (think tool, Beatles, Elton John), some blues, some classical, then a bunch of stuff.

All of this stuff will stay at the house, so it can be bulky. What should i get? My friend threw a lot of stuff around, like different types of headphones and amps, and from reading on here, looks like i may want to pick up a DAC, different cables...

Any thoughts on a starter setup

<3 thanks!

 

 

[Croozer]

Easy.

1. Fiio E7/E9 combo
2. A previously owned pair of Denon AH-D7000's.

 

[barid]

You need some K701's to hear all those zergs creeping on your base! and a e7/e9 too. can always upgrade later.