I have the HE-4s, and yeah, despite being low impedance the HE-4s aren't efficient and hard to drive. Coming out of my iPod only the left driver actually emits sound. But I think that though it might not drive the HE-4s in the sense that they will sound their best, your soundcard will make the...

Pro Tools is mainly software for recording music, but is usually bundled in with an audio interface that can act as a DAC/Amp, but don't bother even considering buying anything labeled "Pro Tools" for music listening. It's just not what the company makes.  

I actually bought mine from another user here, but you can order from Audio-gd directly. They don't have any shopping cart system so ordering and everything is done through email.   Here's the product page. http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/dac/NFB-2/NFB2EN.htm   Quote:  

I don't mean to sound like a naysayer, but this isn't going to be successful. I'm gonna bet on these higher res tracks will cost $2 a piece if Apple decides to follow through. Music is already expensive as it is, and I would never pay that for a single music track unless the band played it live...

I'm no good at describing sound, but I will say that the sound from my NFB-3 is miles ahead of my audio interface (Cakewalk UA-25EX). Soundstage is way wider, and through just minutes of listening I'm hearing new details. It makes sense, seeing as my interface has tons of features like inputs...

Quote: Well, any DAC with a headphone out has some sort of amp built in. And for 24bit audio it depends on the device. I would say when you get up into the $200-300 range of DACs most will have 24bit via spdif, and some will have it through USB.   Just looking around over at the...

I was wondering this too, as I have an audio interface similar to the Mbox2. I ended up buying an Audio gd NFB3 because I figured something with as many features as an audio interface couldn't outperform a device dedicated to being a DAC. Unfortunately my DAC hasn't arrived yet, but once it does...

You can get something that has an Amp, DAC, and 24bit audio all in one. 3/5 is not too bad.   I personally haven't seen any consumer audio devices on these forums with either a hardware equalizer or dolby sound. You might want to look at some high-end audio receivers which may have what you...

It's the all new Monster Lights™ by Mushrooshi

  Quote: The EF5 ships in just styrofoam, but a lot of styrofoam. There is no fancy packaging like that of the actual HE-4, so if you were to be moving it a lot I would recommend finding something to carry it in. Though it is very well built and sturdy, so you shouldn't need to worry...

I actually just realized this with my monster turbines as well. I can attest to having pretty bad hearing (I'm a drummer, and all those rim-shots on a marching snare sure do a number to your hearing), and my turbines have significantly less sound coming from the left bud when listening in both...

It looks legit to me. If you are worried try and find some pictures of the real box and do some comparisons. I don't think fakes of these headphones have hit the market yet, but I don't really know. A few months seems awfully fast to be pushing out fakes.    Also, if they are somehow fake...

Quote: x2 for the uDac 2.   I own the HD380 Pros and they don't really benefit from an amp sound wise. Through my Hifiman EF5 they sound the same as through my DAC.    For the price the uDac2 is unbeatable. Only $129 for a decent DAC/Amp combo. It also allows for upgrades if you...

My current setup involves using a Cakewalk UA-25EX audio interface as a DAC connected to my computer via USB, with RCA cables going to my Hifiman EF5 amp and then to my HE-4 headphones.   I was wondering if a dedicated DAC solution would provide any noticeable improvement in sound over my...

I own the HD380s and out of the headphones I own and have heard, they sound great. Bass is very pronounced, but not muddy in any way, and they have solid sound isolation.    However, they look a bit weird, at least on my head, and are quite large. I use them primarily at home and personally...

I saw my first Justin Bieber Beats today. Some guy in my college Digital Audio & Sound Design class had them. It confused me greatly as to why someone of that age would choose those over the standard Beats.

The second I loaded the site, Microsoft Security Essentials popped up saying something was infected.   As other people have said, don't order from the site.

I don't really know what the Sennheiser Service Center is, but both of the headphones you mention can be bought for much, much less at a different retailer.   As for on which one to buy, I own the HD 380s and I like to think of them as a solid all-around headphone, as I listen to a very wide...

Well, I just ordered my HE-4 / EF5 combo about 5 minutes ago. I figured it couldn't hurt seeing as just about any $450 headphone would be an improvement on my current headphones, the Sennheiser HD380 Pro. Plus, the addition of what looks to be a powerful amp for only $250 more than the...

I would love to hear some opinions on this as well. Trying to decide which one of these to buy as my first setup. 

From what I have read, the HD650s really do need an amp to sound their best. Wait until you get your sound card and see what you think. Onboard audio can't compete with a dedicated heaphone dac/amp solution.

Quote: Awesome, thanks a lot.

I was looking to purchase my first real set of good headphones. After looking primarily at the Beyerdynamic DT880's and Sennheiser 650, I came across this thread. The HE-4's look to be a great value with the sound you get. The HE-4 + EF5 Amp combo head-direct.com seems like a great deal for a...

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