Quote: reviews on amazon say that they should be driven through an external amp though.   i'm thoroughly convinced that the only headphones that don't need an extra source of driving are the ATH M50s and the sort of phones I have now. 

i'm pretty set on getting the K701s but now i have an issue of selecting an amp or an amp/DAC combo.   someone has suggested to me to get the Magni amp which alone runs $99. i'm not sure if that's worth it. 

Quote: now is there a standard number for impedance to know if the phones will need an external amp to drive them?   i thought the AD900X has a relatively low impedance.

Quote: there is an open and closed model it seems   which is the better option?    the 701s i was looking at just dropped to 170. im so tempted..

Quote: The K701s. I mentioned that I'm going to get an amp/DAC but I've no idea if it's good or not.   I'm not liking what people are saying about the 271s. Low bass is not an issue. However, inaccurate bass seems something to be wary about.    I've heard that a lot of people find...

Oh yeah I should have mentioned that I know how subjective this pursuit of mine is. I read about how one user thinks such and such model is fantatstic for such and such type of music and then another user completely contradicts that. It's really an intriguing part of this hobby.   I will be...

the thing about the 598s though is that they're right around $200, used on amazon.   is there a big difference between the 558 and 598?

I spent like 6 hours yesterday night doing my own research, looking through other head-fi threads and reading amazon reviews. So I'm looking to buy my first pair of "premium" grade headphones. And the reason I quote premium is because my budget is less than $200. I realize you cannot get a...

okay i've reached my decision.   i'm not buying an unnecessary means to an end. thanks for nothing. $100 some headphones will sound fine without the extra driving.

So I'm in the market for a pair of "audiophile" headphones. To my understanding, there is more to getting the best sound than just an awesome pair of headphones.   I keep seeing DAC and amp popping up everywhere I look and regardless of my searches, I'm no closer to understanding which I...

PLEASE.   I need some input from people who make high quality audio their life.

I bet this thread has been made enough times that it's cliche but bear with me.   So I'm in the market for a pair of "audiophile" headphones. To my understanding, there is more to getting the best sound than just an awesome pair of headphones.   I keep seeing DAC and amp popping up...