[lysdexik]

So I have been debating between a few different sets of headphones and I am wondering if what I am proposing will work or not.
 
The headphones that I have been looking at are the Beyerdynamic DT-880's (32/250/600 OHM) as well as the Audio Technica ATH-AD900's, and the Sennheiser HD 600/650's.
 
Anyways, I found this thread about building your own cheap headphone amp:
 
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/cmoy-tutorial/20bucks.html
 
I understand that this a cheap alternative, and I have plans to purchase a nice tube amp down the road, but my questions is if I were to purchase the DT-880's and build this amplifier, would it suffice until I can afford a better amp?
 
Also please realize that I am a n00b when it comes to high-end audio, and I want this pair to be my first real "audiophile" grade headphones, meant for a bit of gaming and mostly for music. (I listen to mostly classic rock / solo artists like Jackson Browne, Adele, Regina Spektor, and then mix that with some rap artists like Tech N9NE.)

 

[sidel]

Beyer's 250ohm versions generally aren't as hard to drive as people make them out to be.  Yes, using them with a cmoy would be perfectly acceptable until you come up with something better.

 

[lysdexik]

Even the 600 OHM ones? I hear they are alot smoother than the 32/250 OHM's

 

[acticulated]

Yes the 600 ohm beyer models tend to sound noticeably better than their 32 and 250 ohm counterparts. And sidel is certainly not wrong about a cmoy powering the 250 ohm models just fine. Therein lies your problem lysdexik. The best "version" (i mean this in terms of ohms of resistance rather than the pre vs. post-2005 beyerydnamic driver differences that many have commented on here at head-fi) of these models will not be driven to it's full potential, and possibly won't even be loud enough for your tastes depending on the source, if powered by a cmoy.
 
If I were only answering the question in your title however, the answer is, in a word, "yes". there are many diy amps out there and there is a DIY amp out there that pairs well with just about anything. If you want, you can build the cmoy to get your foot in the door to amp-building, and work your way up from there. You can save your cash for now, and spring for the 600 ohm version once you're able to build something more advanced, like a n M^3 or a millett starving student.
 
I have a nice cmoy, and the hd-650, and it drives it to adequate volumes, but not to the potential that I've heard from other amps. I would steer away from the AD900 but maybe that's just me personally not liking their house sound signature. I've auditioned a handful of ATs (including the W5000 and W1000x, the current TsOTL) and never been impressed by any of them.
 
I like the dt-880 a lot. I own the hd-650 and I like it. With that being said, given your choice of genres and artists I would lean heavily toward the beyerdynamics. If I were you, I'd get a 250 ohm dt-880, build or ebay a cmoy, and see how satisfying that is after you've gotten accustomed to the sound. If you really love it and want to see what a dt-880 can really do, offer yours up for trade on the forums here to see if anybody with a 600 is looking to trade down in resistance, and build or buy a better amp.

 

[lysdexik]

 
Quote:

Yes the 600 ohm beyer models tend to sound noticeably better than their 32 and 250 ohm counterparts. And sidel is certainly not wrong about a cmoy powering the 250 ohm models just fine. Therein lies your problem lysdexik. The best "version" (i mean this in terms of ohms of resistance rather than the pre vs. post-2005 beyerydnamic driver differences that many have commented on here at head-fi) of these models will not be driven to it's full potential, and possibly won't even be loud enough for your tastes depending on the source, if powered by a cmoy.
 
If I were only answering the question in your title however, the answer is, in a word, "yes". there are many diy amps out there and there is a DIY amp out there that pairs well with just about anything. If you want, you can build the cmoy to get your foot in the door to amp-building, and work your way up from there. You can save your cash for now, and spring for the 600 ohm version once you're able to build something more advanced, like a n M^3 or a millett starving student.
 
I have a nice cmoy, and the hd-650, and it drives it to adequate volumes, but not to the potential that I've heard from other amps. I would steer away from the AD900 but maybe that's just me personally not liking their house sound signature. I've auditioned a handful of ATs (including the W5000 and W1000x, the current TsOTL) and never been impressed by any of them.
 
I like the dt-880 a lot. I own the hd-650 and I like it. With that being said, given your choice of genres and artists I would lean heavily toward the beyerdynamics. If I were you, I'd get a 250 ohm dt-880, build or ebay a cmoy, and see how satisfying that is after you've gotten accustomed to the sound. If you really love it and want to see what a dt-880 can really do, offer yours up for trade on the forums here to see if anybody with a 600 is looking to trade down in resistance, and build or buy a better amp.

 
Hey thanks alot for the input man, I really appreciate someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to this stuff. My brother is actually in school for electrical engineering and he is the one who will be spearheading the creation of that CMoy amp that I linked above. I think that my decision has been made and that I will pick up the 250 OHM versions along with that cheap-o $20 kit and build the amp. I will post back with what I think, and I think it will be sufficient as a starter "audiophile" headphone for me.
 

 

[acticulated]

Quote:

Hey thanks alot for the input man, I really appreciate someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to this stuff. My brother is actually in school for electrical engineering and he is the one who will be spearheading the creation of that CMoy amp that I linked above. I think that my decision has been made and that I will pick up the 250 OHM versions along with that cheap-o $20 kit and build the amp. I will post back with what I think, and I think it will be sufficient as a starter "audiophile" headphone for me.
 

 
You're welcome. I'm glad I could help, but I would also like to say that you might want to wait for someone who owns a DT-880 to give some advice in this thread too before you finalize your decision. Yes, I've auditioned them multiple times, in A/B comparison situations and by themselves, and yes I've heard a 250 ohm model through my CMoy. But I absolutely defer to the opinions of an owner in all situations, as my total listening time that I would estimate is still around 5 hours on various floor models cannot be compared to the likely hundreds of hours of listening time that a long-time owner has logged.
 
As for the CMoy, remember that even if you can build the circuit well, machining holes in a mint-tin can be a pain, and it might take a few tries. Also remember that the CMoy is the most common DIY headphone amp ever and there is a veritable sea of expertise out there on various forums, including head-fi's own DIY forum if you're willing to search n' slog a bit.

 

[lysdexik]

Oh well not a problem and I actually was suggested the dt 880s on overclock.net from a thread that I made there. I was just looking for a little bit more confirmation before I made my decision.

Like I said I will be using them mostly to listen to music and for a little bit of gaming on the side. I heard of the wide open sound stage is great for games but is anyone able to comment on how they perform for movies?

Thank you in advance,

Lysdexik