I'm sitting here listening to my HD598s on my iPod Touch with LOD to my cMoyBB 2.03 and loving anything with strings and percussion. The music is alive. That being said, they're comfy and I really don't wear them outside the house. Looks don't matter.

  Not much. I do use an iPod Touch 4th-Gen and an iPad 2 for mobile/living room listening. Not pictured (on the floor under the desk) is my modest Sony STR-DE197 receiver for the Sony SS-D117 speaker pair.   The SRH840s are by far my most versatile/favorite pair. The HD598s really shine...

Quote: With that said, some sound cards still have higher headphone output wattage than a portable device.

I can honestly say that the factory front panel jack on my Dell Inspiron 518 is a decent headphone amp on its own.   There are some sources that can drive less efficient cans well without a discrete amp. As audio tends to be preferential, one may not care or notice the difference between a...

Quote: While I agree with the concept, I really didn't want to test the odds for having a second unit with the same jack issues. That's an issue that reminds me of cheap electronic toys when I was a kid. You'd think for the price of an E7 or even the E17 they'd use more robust solder...

Quote:   PA2V2 uses rechargeable NiMH AAs. I bought this package from Amazon and I intend to use it to keep a charged set on hand. I don't really want to babysit the amp, which is basically required if you use the internal charger (it doesn't automatically disconnect after a full...

Quote: HD449 if you can find them for <$100. I got mine for $89 from Newegg with a promo code a few weeks ago. Watch for promos.     Quote: Why did you even post?    

  Beats were the first full-size headphones on the mass market that solved the problem of compact and/or low-wattage gear not being able to drive "good" headphones. The engineers and designers did this by integrating the amplifier onto the main unit. This allowed them to push major bass (the...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_amplifier   Or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphone_amplifier

I'm unimpressed by FiiO's quality of materials. See this thread.   For jazz and orchestral, I like a relatively flat EQ. My choice is PA2V2 simply because it's inexpensive and is clear and crisp for the money. For everything else (rock, electronic) I like a little more oomph to the low end...

Monoprice has great value for the money. I have yet to find a better value. Even if a cable happens to eventually deteriorate, I would be out what, $1.70? I would happily buy a new cable for that price several times over before I'd cough up $7.99 or more for a RadioShack cable that probably...

First of all, you should wait at least 24 hours before bumping. Secondly, what music do you listen to most often? I've discovered the genre of my music has a huge bearing on which amp/can pair I end up choosing for a given listening period. My cMoyBB v2.03 9V with the AD8066ARZ opamp with...

Talked to Amazon about mine and they agreed to return and refund it. I just pulled the trigger on the PA2V2 and it's on its way.   I really liked the E7 for its features, but the build quality of the electronics didn't impress me. The jacks have to be able to put up with stress, since owners...

Mine does the same thing with both output jacks. I contacted the seller on Amazon, who referred me to Amazon for support. I haven't gotten around to calling them yet. Seriously considering just getting a PA2V2 (http://www.electric-avenues.com/amplifiers.html) instead, simply because support...

Is that A&W Root Beer? I freaking love root beer! Where'd you get yours? I got mine from a grocery store. Do you amp yours?   Seriously, though. Really, really nice setup. Plenty of room to kick back. I need a headphone stand like yours. Quote:    

I've got a pair that sounds acceptable on my iPad 2/iPod classic. They do have more clarity and detail with my FiiO E7 in between.   You won't ruin them without an amp unless you're blasting them at ridiculously high volume.   <edit> I can't really recommend the E7 after two months of use...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/529144/buying-headphones-seeking-guidance-dont-start-a-new-thread-ask-for-advice-here

I haven't found one... I reached out to Sennheiser North America and got this response:   "You can call us at 1-877-736-6434 and order Part number: 510614 HD 515 - Earpads 1 Pair or your local dealer can order for you. You will enjoy your second pair just as much as the first (if not more)...

Quote:   Yep. My 515s are doing this. I will say it isn't something that can't be fixed with a little epoxy once a hairline starts to show. It's not really structural anyway.  

Yes. Having owned a pair of HD515s, the biggest regret I had for them was that I could only enjoy them at home where I had a stereo receiver that could drive them. Portable players and receivers without much headphone output power will not do them justice in my experience.   I now own a pair...

Not in my experience, no. I've played with varying grades of cables and never really noticed any differences. I wil say that I won't buy cheaply made cables, though. I buy the "pro-grade" cables from monoprice.com and the connection quality is excellent.