Well I finally replaced my Little Dot II+ which has been dying for about 5 years now with a Little Dot Mk III. I have to say this is a sensational value-for-money amp, with my K501 the sense of space and detail is improved, and the bass is more powerful and impactful. It paints a more cohesive...

I would definitely give those Tascams a go ... I absolutely love my VL-X5 to bits. Both in the past as near-field desktop speakers and now for A/V in my lounge.

In my experience, yes. The sound was much better through my Lexicon Lambda vs sound card. Having said that, I ultimately found it best to run from soundcard to Nano Patch then to monitors via balanced cabling.

Nah, they're not a necessity. Having said that, I started off with what you're planning and ended up using them anyway.   Where will you be controlling the volume from, your DAC? I had a PC -> studio monitor setup, ran 2 x RCA -> XLR from my audio source to a Nano Patch for volume control...

Quote: They definitely are now! I was lucky enough to find 2 virtually NIB pairs on Australian eBay over the last few years, but they are few and far between. Still sometimes wish I hadn't sold one of them.  

Quote:   I wonder if you'll come to the same conclusion as me -- my HD595 (ok not quite the same, but very similar) hit eBay the same day as my first K501 arrived after a few listening tests. Instruments and vocals were just so much smoother and clearer that for me there was no contest at...

Well, to update anyone interested, I ended up going with a Xonar DS. And the combination is absolutely brilliant!

For me, it's at about $500 total, although if you went for a CD separate as source it would bring that figure up a bit (unless you bought used).   AKG K501 cost me $160, Little Dot II+ cost me $260 and my new Asus Xonar DS cost me $100. And it sounds absolutely fantastic. I mean really...

Hey everyone. Back after a while away    I've recently done a new desktop build, and am looking to complete my audio setup. For the last week since my build, I've been running onboard sound -> Little Dot II+ (stock tubes) -> AKG K501   My motherboard is an Asus M4A87TD-USB3, with the VIA...

Quote: Originally Posted by sound and music Hi, Any comparisons with SHP9000 and AKG K501 in the offing? thanks What a funny question to come across months later. I can't do a comparison between the SHP9000 and the AKG K501, but I have been comparing my SHP1000 with my K501...

Quote: Originally Posted by Jacques I did the same too. It is not a question that the K701 or the HD650 are not good and I can see these been more appealing to people. But the K501 have a soundstage and a sweet midrange to die for. Price wise they were a bargain at the time, like my...

K501. I tried and sold K701 and HD650 with GS Solo + Rega CDP, but am happily living with K501 / faulty LD II+ / old Sony CDP combo.

I've had a few machines, but have settled on the Rancilio Silvia / Rocky combo. I've successfully ruined the cafe coffee experience for both me AND my sister now! John Williams's Photos - Mmm ... Coffee! | Facebook

I just got back from a trip to Adelaide, and really enjoyed listening to some Eric Bibb through my HD280 with my little iRiver MP3 player on the plane both ways. Definitely a good travel 'phone.

I really like mine. They don't sound quite as natural as my AKGs, but that's only noticeable in direct A/B comparisons.

I voted yes, but I so don't want to have to hunt down another mint condition K501 for cheap.

Yep, the HD280 are great office 'phones for me. I really like the sound quality, even through a cheap Behringer USB sound card.

Sennheiser HD497 - Really good value, nice balanced sound, easy to power. Koss TD/80 - Killer bass, needs lots of power. Sennheiser HD595 - Good all rounder, but sounded too muffled for me. Sennheiser HD650 - Very smooth sound, bassy, but too muffled for me. Sennheiser HD280 Pro -...

Woohoo! So happy, I just won a barely used one on eBay! I haven't seen any for sale for *ages* before this. I've really missed my K501, and have been looking for one for my bedside setup (since buying a house and having my sister move in ... man I hate TV, was so happy without one for a...

Quote: Originally Posted by REB Yes, I can't help it . Maybe it's my amps (one tube, one solid state), but with the k701 I've always had the feeling that there was a warm blanket muffling something of the sound (not the details obviously). Maybe it's the famous AKG veil . But seriously...

Not Asian lah, but all my friends are. Well not *all*. But a lot.

Definitely the music now. I've been through quite a few upgrades etc and have settled on a very simple and cheap setup, which is perfectly adequate to let me enjoy the music I love.

Life is Beautiful - 9/10

I do it with Foobar, but installed on the PC rather than to the drive. I just have it set up at work and home, plug the drive in, and it's good to go.