[DarkWolf]

I'm so happy! My joy for finaly being ready to make my choices and buy my stuff is such that I'm tempted to put in the terms Jpleg one used for me. But I won't, not just yet.

Ok, so my source is my trusty DMX 6-Fire sound card. I don't care what anyone says about it right now, I like it. Unfortunealy, I've got a lot of mp3, and of varying quality, but I'll be phasing it out as time goes by, so it's not too big a deal.

My current top contender for an amp is the HA-2. I want to keep this to one thread, since my choice of phones and amp will effect eachother, I hope no one minds. Amp recomendations in that price rang or lower will be welcome, but will also add to the confusion...

Meh, let there be blight!

Now phones: My taste is for energy, dynamics and sound stage, as well as clarity, resolution, and nutrality. I know it's a lot to ask, but I simply don't want to have any holes, I'm not asking for any kind of marical phone. (That would be ideal though.) I want to be able to listen happily to any kind of music with my setup. I want to be able to get up and groove (well, not actualy get up.. and dance, but you know..) and I want to be able to relax and smile.

So my current contenders are these:

A1000 - I still don't know an awful lot about them, but they seem very promissing. I want to hear as much about these as possible.. (Within reason of course.)

HD 600 w/ some new cable - I had marked these off in favor of the 590s w/ Equinox, but recently, I've decided to put them back on the list. It sounds like they are 'fun' enough, but with a pleasant level of refinement. However, 600s with a new cable is really pushing the maximum, uncomfortable upper limit for the phones them selves.. But not exeeding it I supose...

HD 590 w/Equinox - I liked them stock with a crappy discman, I can only immagine what they'd have to offer in my sytem to be. They are fun to listen to, seem like a good all purpouse work horse phone, and are open. That's a plus for me. I doubt they will make the finals somehow though, they will probably be outclassed by the A1000s. The few who like them better than the 600s like them for reasons that I agree with, so they should be taken seriously despite some complaints.

Beyerdynamic - Some people swear by certan models. I asked Jan for a quick recomendation to go with the HA-2 and he siad I might like the 931s, based on their quick dynamics. (Don't worry, he wasn't advertising on head-fi, this was all over e-mail.) Also, certan people have encouraged me to wait for the 880. The sale's pitch markets them as some sort of marical phone, but that's a sale's pitch. Never the less, if they are out before I've ordered, (all to likely..

) I will surely try to find out as much as I can about them.

AKG - Again, I should know more, but I don't. There is no set that I am seriously considdering right now, but I don't know enough about them. Never the less, they are popular among some and I'm open to recomendations.

Stax - Ya right! Some of the reviews put a tear in my eye (not really) but so does the price. I could almost, just kinda, squeek out a 4040 set, but the review I read here made them out to be not nearly all-purpous enough for me. I guess it's more of a fun flirt, like the idea of doning my expensive Yale Genton suite (my wardrobe is binary) and asking to test drive a Porsche..

Grado - I don't know about them, it seems like they are too much of a mixed bag, and I don't think they would be comfortable for me. Comfort is very high on my list as well, and I really don't want anything touching my ears. Plus there is too much contravercy on their sound and I'm on both sides of it. I've not heard them, and I don't want to buy them on blind faith when there are other saffer things for me. Just thought I'd put that out their now.



This has been an amazing ride since I joined up, and it's really yet to begin for me. I'd like to thank everyone for their help, support, contrabutions to this wonderful forum, and just overall existance.

... So... Hit me! And let's get this show on the road! I'd better have some gear before I hit 500 posts!

 

[DarkWolf]

Doesn't anyone have anything to say? Talk about an anti-climax to my exitement; my post falls off the first page with no replies... I hope wallijonn didn't PM everyone and tell them not to respond so that I'd wait for the DT880s..

Perhaps I should point out that I'm not looking for more info to be laid out in front of me with no effort on my end, and I'm not asking for people to make m choices for me. but instead I'm looking for subjective opinnions and recomendations based on my taste and needs. I'm looking for a push in a direction from an experienced hand, so as to feel safer spending my hard earned money. That's all.

 

[austonia]

ok.. umm. well hw much do you have to spend? that's always the limiting factor isn't it..?

 

[BoardC3]

if you want entertaining go Grado. these are great phones especially for rock or anything guitar. It grabs your attention and holds it. if your source is sibilant or very bright stay away from these, but if its not the highs sparkle like no other, and details come through incredibly well. Not to mention they are very very airy with the most incredible soundstage ive heard in headphones.

if you want relaxing go sennheiser. but my opinion is that it takes the energy out of most music. It a phone to relax to i would say. It takes ALL edge out of rock.

 

[DarkWolf]

Hey, that was quick. I figure my budget is around $1000 for the phones, the amp and the cables. BTW, for interconnects I was looking at the Zu Oxyfuel, which are $110, and the reviews hail them as an exelent value in their price range.

I justify the large porportion going to the amp with the idea that more phones will inevitably follow, and I can better realize upgrades in other places with it. I'm hopping not to want another amp for a LONG time.

EDIT: And to C3, who posted while I was writing the above, your opinnion of Sennhieser is perhaps the sole reason that the 590s are on the list.

 

[wallijonn]

DW, LOL!

I read your post seconds after you posted, and I immediately thought to myself, "No. Don't say anything..."

If I didn't love my DT831s so much, I'd send them to you to live with for two weeks, so that you could compare to your beloved HD590s. But since I DO love them, I don't think that they will be leaving my house anytime soon. And since you already know how I feel about Grado, Sennheiser and ATH, any posting would have been negatively biased.

As to an amp, I always suggest class A, able to put out 1 watt at 0, 120, 250, 300 & 600 ohms. not many (amps) out there that can drive all impedance loads - which is why i use hi-fi amps (like vintage Marantz, Fischer, Crown, Pioneer, Technics, Onkyo, Yamaha, etc). Not having heard an HA-2 (which is class A, triode), my recommnedation would have been for a Meta42 Max with triple EL2002's or a Antness Gilmore. (Which I have also not heard).

as far as I'm concerned, Quote:

My taste is for energy, dynamics and sound stage, as well as clarity, resolution, and neutrality.

you just described my DT831s with the Burr Brown DACs in my Onkyo DV-S555 and my Crown D60.

 

[DarkWolf]

First of all, I don't have the 590, they are simply the best phone I've actually tried.

As for the amp, I don't know. I'm really interested in Jan's cross feed and the HA-2 certanly looks like a nice amp. Kelly's Prehead review was quite positive and the HA-2 is suposed to come very close sonicaly. I supose I should look into the Gilmore again, just to be safe though.

Actually, I'm not sure I know how you feel about grado Senn and AT, but I take it you don't like them much?

If you think I'd like the 831, how do you think I would like 931? Outwardly it seems better suited to me, since it's open. (Remember, I get nervous if I'm liable not to hear something that I would later wish I had; dogs barking, some one calling, people entering my room..) However, I feel that a closed phone with not too much isolation would be fine. Thus why the A1000 is still on the list.

And of course, if anyone wants to lend me someting to audition, that would be darn cool by me!

 

[Apoptygma]

Darkwolf, I figure you've never heard any of the phones you list, is that right?

In recommending phones (even allround) for someones listening, I think it would help a lot with at least one reference point; like for instance 'I heard the Senn 600, and they're plain boring for rock'*.

If they haven't heard any phones I've heard, then a list of favourite music should at least give valuable clues.
Right now I think I could only recommend you to follow up with a list of your favourite music; and be more specific than to say you like 'some of this and some of that'. Mention stuff you can't live without

Personally, I can only help with Senn 600, Beyer (a few, amongst them 931) and all Grados. Just to give you a fair idea of what my 2 cents are worth when I throw them in.

Later

bump

[edit: no replies yet when I started writing] I need to take a typing class.
--
*) That's _IMO_

 

[andrzejpw]

DarkWolf:

If you buy the HD600s, upgraded cables, and the HA-2, you will be happy for a long, long time. The only thing left to upgrade then would be the source

but I'd leave that for the future. Quite honestly, this would be a very killer system. I say go for it! Audition the HD600s/cardas/equinox/clou first though. Headroom has a very liberal 30 day guarantee(not sure about Jan).

 

[wallijonn]

DW,

I can't begin to tell you how many knocks on the door, or telephone rings I have missed while listening to open headphones.

your assessment of my opinion is correct.

i do not like tubes because I was once into tube rolling, and I would be tempted to try different tubes just to see if I could get better sound, even if I was content with the sound it produces.

 

[BoardC3]

I HIGHLY suggets getting the RS-1 and the RA-1. if you search for a good price im sure you could get some cables also. just search the forums if you havent heard of this combo (even though im sure you have) I would describe it as jesus-like

 

[wallijonn]

Andrze, Quote:

If you buy the HD600s, upgraded cables, and the HA-2, you will be happy for a long, long time.

I give him 6 months, and say he'll be on his second set of headphones after that. heaven help him if the second set do not sound right with his amp. (low impedance phones need not apply).

DW,

sssshhh, get the DT880s, sssshh. see, i said it.

 

[DarkWolf]

Ok, I've tried the 590 and so far I like them best of any ohone I've used.. but that dosn't mean too much. I've not used any phones on proper equipment. The only respectable phones I've used are the V6, 7506, MDR F-1 and the 590. So far, I think the V6 is ok, it has decent sound with good detail, and it can do some cool things for gutsy stringed instruments. However, it's too stuffy for me. The sound is really closed and the whole pad touches my ear and I don't really like that. Having A/B'd them on the same piece of equipment, I didn't think the F-1 were really any better. They were open, but they didn't sound much more open. The sound stage was only about 10% better, and the sound itself was about the same. Perhaps they had really poor synergy with the equipment I was using, I don't know. They were not comfortable either. They were much better than the V6 in that respect, but I had to push them so far forward and down to try and get more sound stage that my ears stuck out the back between the pads and the drivers. I was not impressed.

On the other hand, when I tried the HD 590, I had only a store discman and they were going through some big switching device, but at least I had my own mix cd with me that time. I couldn't find anything inherantly wrong with them. The bass was a little lacking, but on that setup I'd be real suprised if it wasn't. The sound stage was good, the seperaton was good, the detail was ok, but again the setup was horrible, and they were pleasant over all, whithout being layed back. Of the 3.5 phones I've mentioned, they were by far the best for me. So let's go from there. I like them, but it seems likely that I can do better within my budget. Also, I'm under the impression that they don't gain as much as other phones when given an amp, if this is true, is that to say that an HA-2 or something in its class might be wasted on them? If not we might have a winner. But I'd still like to hear more about the A1000s and some of Beyer's offerings.

My music taste moves around. Right now I'm just comming off a long electronic kick. I'm trying to widen my horrizons. This is one reason I have so much mp3, I get recomendations, go on kazaa, and let my cable modem run free. It works out well, but the sound quality suffers. I want to start procuring CDs from groups tha I like and then ripping them to some high quality file type. Compression would be nice, even my 120gb hard drive will pale in comparison to the ammount of .wav I could unleash on it. Peraps high quality MP3 will suffice, who knows. The truth is, since i got a nice new chair for x-mas, it's a lot easier to just sit back, relax, and focus on the music. The reaon I'm staying way from specific musics in this post is that they change. Right now, my heavy rock includes some Therion, my relaxing music includeds some classical and some Loreena McKennit, my favorite song of which is "The Mystic's Dream." I want to get more jazz, but I don't know any that I really like by name, though I know there is some that I really like. Some classical I like is a CD that I found down stairs, which is Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor in Appalaghia Waltz. I really like the crisp, deep, energetic cello music and the way the other instruments complement it. I ripped it to .wav and it sounds pretty nice. It was a pretty good recording as best as I can tell. I like a lot of older music too. Jethero Tull, many of the loved Rock & Roll bands, Pink Floyed (not exaclty rock & roll..) And yet, there will always be a place for good electronic music. I really like it. Especialy when I'm driving, but I won't be using my headhones in the car. Too dangerouse and illegal. Anyway, as my horizons widen (and they are already a giid bit wider than what I've mentioned I suppose) I'll be able to raid my mom's extensive collection of CDs more, as well as go through all the classical and what-not by the dinning room system. Reall, it would be more efficient to list the things which I don't like than the things which I do.

I don't like Rap, and most country isn't exactly to my liking. Or at least not the really country kind of country.. Know what I mean? I don't like most new music beucase it's manufactured and has no character. IMHO, if they would make a new genre called 'Bland Rock' they could put an awful lot of the new music into it and spare the other genres from this degradation. Which brings me to annother point of vexation, all these new groups want to have their own sub genre. For example, I've been yelled at for mistakenly complaining about rap when it was actually hip hop.. And someone once tried to explain the difference between the 8 or so kinds of metal.. It was like "Heavy metal has grunge guitar, black mettal is high pitch, death mettal has lots of shouting...." I'm like "NO! They all have grubnge guitar, high pitch segments and lots of shouting. It's called Punk." But they didn't believe me. Suffice to say, I don't listen to much unless it's aged long enough to have some character.
Like this! right now! this has character! what is it?... Liquid Soul - Jazz machine. Ok, so I don't like it an uber amount, but it has character. Which is fading as I type becuase they are way over doing the saxaphone. Oh and that's one thing I don't like so much, saxaphones. I don't know why, it's a cool instrument, but it's treated like its very presence is suposed to have some kind of meaning.. In most casses I find it fairly cheezey. I suppose I'd like it live though as long as the performer wasn't full of him/her self for playing it.

This is getting out of hand, it must be closing in on my bed time.. Well, it's not that late.. Ok, I hope this helps you guys, you guys are helping me!

 

[DarkWolf]

Quote:

Originally posted by wallijonn Andrze, I give him 6 months, and say he'll be on his second set of headphones after that. heaven help him if the second set do not sound right with his amp. (low impedance phones need not apply). DW, sssshhh, get the DT880s, sssshh. see, i said it.

I'm a little confused by this, is that to that most any low impeadnace phone should sound good with an HA-2? or not? Seems like they should be good with it, but I don't know..

Oh ya, and what was that about tubes in reguard to my assesment of your opinnion of grado senn and AT? Plus I agree, I don't think I'm ready for tubes. It seems like trouble and there is so much to know and I don't want to buy more tubes or get into tube rolling or have to deal with any of their down sides..

 

[wallijonn]

DW,

what, no Throbbing Gristle?

My Onkyo DV-S555 plays 320 bit rate MP3's.

and my $25 Denon 810 has an excellent heaphone output (with volume control). It drives all of high impedance headphones easily (K1000 does not apply. But I'll try Greg's 1/4" K1000 cable).

My susgestion is for you to get the Pioneer DV-45 SACD/DVD-A player ($400), a Marantz 1060 amp ($75) and your beloved hd590 or a Dt531/831/770/931/880. then scoot over to the music section, cut and paste all the cds the guys are listing, print it in small font, and spend $300 on music.

I don't know if the Pioneer DV-45 needs to be connected to a TV before being able to choose SACD or DVD-A. if it does it automatically, then it's a keeper. if you don't like the idea of a Pioneer DVD player, a Marantz 67SE just went for $125 on EBay.

oh, btw, the Onkyo makes MP3s sound awesome. NO comparison to listening to MP3s with my sound card, it blows it away.