I don't have the m50, but i've had a pair of ath-a900s for many years (they were my first pair).    I bought a pair of hd650s and an amp/dac a few months ago and I agree that EVEN UNAMPED, the hd650s will blow the a900s out of the water...except in the boomy bass category.   amped, the...

I listen to my HD650s out of a Little Dor IV (non se) and the pairing is amazing. 

The m50s don't really need an amp. All headphones benefit from one, but you would likely hear no or EXTREMELY little difference in your headphones.   Thats part of the appeal of the m50s, just plug them in anywhere and they sound great =)

Quote: Yes, I can't believe no one has said this yet =p. I would strongly suggest against getting an amp for the m50s. I am nearly confident you will hear absolutely no difference amped and unamped which a sub $200 amp.   Enjoy your m50s, save up and get some new phones and an amp...

In my opinion, if you have the space go for FLAC for peace of mind. Honestly though, I've tried with hundreds of songs to hear the difference between 320kb mp3s and FLAC tracks. Each time I "hear" a difference I eventually boil it down to placebo. I've concluded that (at least to my ears) there...

There mayyy just be a replacement for the hd650's....In the past few months ive seen the hd650s cheaper than I've EVER seen them...usually happens before a refresh imo

Received my MKIV a few weeks ago along with a Musiland Monitor 02...I'm very pleased =).   My hd650s have never sounded better! Quick question though, If I want to get into tube rolling, does the mkIV use the same tubes as the mkIII, and if not is there a thread for MKIV tube rolling?

The emu 0404 is a pretty good DAC, there is no reason to replace it. You will see the largest gains in performance with a good amp.

Up to 500 euros eh? Look into a Woo Audio 3, or even the wood audio 6 if you can afford it.   For something cheaper the Little Dot MKIII or MKIV are worth considering.

I realllly like the comfort of Audio Technica and Beyer,   I like the sound quality of Sennheiser

1. I've heard the MM02 provides better results than the Xonar DX, especially for music listening. 2. Yes you can easily switch between the two assuming you have windows 7. I do it all the time. Right click the volume bottom on the system tray and go to playback devices. You can then switch...

I prefer tube amps with the HD650...what is your price range?

How have people not mentioned the ath-m50s??   These are in my opinion the best cans you can get under $200...and they can be had around $100

The m50s are 38 ohm and don't require an amp. Dt990 should be amped by the way...   for studio work, id go for the ath-m50s.

Thanks for the prompt reply! I just received my little dot mk4 and hooked it up to my musiland monitor, I use ASIO out on monkeymedia and have all the volume bars (analog, ASIO) maxed and control the volume through my amp...It's pretty awesome.

So I've gone through this entire thread and a few people have asked but no one has answered these questions...   1) Do the RCA line outs on the front of the device bypass the integrated amp? In other words, is there anyway to use this device as ONLY a DAC.   2) For the ASIO volume bar in...

People freak out when they hear I spent over $200 on headphones...until they hear them.

Man, this thread is just getting me excited. I've been listening to my hd650s out of a misterx portable amp and alien dac while waiting for my new little dot mk4 and musiland monitor 02 to come in....

They are not overly bright...it may seem that way because many other headphones don't have the upper range clarity of the hd650s.   I've been using them for about two weeks and I can say they are very musical phones.

This is amazing, well done. The black reminded me of a900s for a while XD

Seperate DACs are more for music. Considering you play a lot of games (usually support 5.1 sound), I would get a sound card like the Asus, or even a creative xfi (not very good for music).

Yeah, you really can't compare the two. The HD650s are just BETTER than the ad700s.

I've just heard too many good things about the m50s, and your selection of music seems perfect for them.   No way I can recommend anything else =p.

My first pair of headphones were a900s and I used them for four years. I never really "noticed" the recessed mids and LOVED The bass and what I thought was clarity from these headphones.   I recently purchased some hd650s, tube amp, and DAC and it makes a huge difference. Yes, the a900s have...

A lot of people recommend dt770/80s (preferably with a SS amp). These are considered to be extremely "bassy"     About the Senns, I have a hd650 and its not "bassy" per say but the bass is extremely accurate and sometimes punchy. I thought I was a bass head until I listened to these cans...