I use an HRT Music Streamer II > Littledot MKIII > Sennheiser HD 598.  The DAC itself improved the sound quality much more then the amp.  I spent a lot more money on the amp than the DAC as well. In hindsight, I would have bought a cheaper amp and rolled the extra cash into more expensive...

While any Grado is going to sound great for rock music, I personally would recommend Sennheiser's Hd598.  I owned both the Grado SR325is and the Hd598 and decided to sell the Grado's to my dad.  The Grado's were very uncomfortable to me and the Sennheiser's have world class comfort.  In...

Im a CSUF student and would be down for either UCI or CSUF.   

I have my 598s paired with a good tube amp and they sound nice and warm just like how you like it. And the soundstage is incredible. They sound terrific with or without the amp and harshness is not a problem, I have actually never heard that before.  For me (and for everything else I read) the...

I am going to be getting some bookshelf speakers for my new room.  I have about $200 of Best Buy credit so ill probably be getting some polk tsi100s.  What my main concern is how I am going to hook them up to my macbook pro.   Right now my source looks like this:  Macbook pro > Hrt...

Ya the HRT is great but thats too bad it wont work for you. Also, one of the tubes in my amp just went bad and since there is no headphone jack on the dac itself I cant use it at all.  That should also be considered.  I just need to wait for new tubes but still, its annoying.

I believe that is a portable amp/dac combo.

Nope.  I believed in the whole burn in thing until I started using my grado sr325is, then switched back to my hd598s.  Burn in to me is just getting used to the sound signature of the headphone.  I definetely saw a huge improvement with the amp but I saw an even greater one with my dac.  And...

I am currently using the LD mk3 with hd598s, wonderful sound quality and if you like that soundstage, these are the cans for you! Best soundstage I have ever heard.  Sounds like with your budget though the 650s might be in reach.  You can get 598s for $180 though which is a lot cheaper than 650s.

I found that I got surprisingly good sound quality with my 598s through just my iphone.  However, a dac and amp will improve them a lot too.  They sound awesome out of my littledot mk3 and hrt musicstreamer 2.  And if you think they sound flat now, invest in a nice tube amp.  The tubes did...

this thread makes me want to start taping my ears shut when i go to bed! The number of bug-in-the-ear incidents is scaring the hell out of me haha

U2. Absolutely cannot stand their music and Bono's face (and name) make me want to hit a small child.  I also can not stand all of these rappers with absolutely no talent that somehow get rich off of terrible songs (soulja boy).

Jane's Addiction Greatest Hits. Classic 90's baby

Has anyone had any experience with the LittleDot DAP? I am surprised no one has mentioned it yet.  I know it just came out like less than two months ago but it seems like more people on head-fi would be after that. 

Ok that bug thing is just plain crazy!  Im not sure if seeing a picture of that would be super cool or super gross...or both?

You can get Hd598s for $180 shipped which gives you a lot of extra cash for source components.  But if you are going to use them outside/on the go then they are not right for you:/

The bass on the 598 was definetely lacking until I hoked it up to a good amp.  My littledot mk3 brings the bass up to a good level to where it is not overpowering but it is still there and alive.  I however am not a huge bass head so you might still be looking for more out of it.  

That is interesting.  What exactly does that mean though, the mastering? For me both of those bands sound good, but there is a lot of crackeling and stuff, it's wierd.  

The hd598s in my opinion are not good for metal.  I love them for rock just not metal.  The tiny amount of dubstep I listen to though, sounds AWESOME.  I dont listen to it very often so as I type this I am listening to some skrillex and it is confirmed...pretty epic.

I have Sennheiser hd598s and Grado 325is and Im stuck on the sennheisers.  I havnt heard other senns but supposedly the 598s and 558s are supposed to be more colored and better for rock music.  I personally love them for rock.

I agree Boston sounds great! And I also get very angry at the fact that my Red Hot Chilli Peppers cds dont sound very good. I have this same problem with the White Stripes.  I have been listening to Biffy Clyro's The Vertigo Of Bliss and it surprisingly sounds very very good and is incredibly...

Some of my favorite rock albums...   Green Day- Dookie Biffy Clyro- The Vertigo of Bliss Blink-182- Enema of the State Angels and Airwaves- We Dont Need To Whisper Foo Fighters- Greatest Hits The Killers- Hot Fuss Smashing Pumpkins- Siamese Dream Sublime- Sublime   These...

EASY...Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the chili peppers baby. An absolute classic!

Oh sorry haha I was so quick to test my plug out i guess!  

grado sr60? Kind of on-ear but they are great.