[F107plus5]

Speaking about the HD600, I agree that they are surprisingly good without an amp. I also agree that they sure are a whole lot better with one!

....at least it's a practical use for that scrawny little 1/8" plug!

Yes! I have actually used mine portably when I had a taste for classical!!

 

[SoulSlayer]

getting a replacement cable will butcher most if not all portable players

Why would it ruin my ipod,can you explain further

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulSlayer /img/forum/go_quote.gif getting a replacement cable will butcher most if not all portable players Why would it ruin my ipod,can you explain further

I'll venture an (un)educated guess. It could be that most replacement cables come with 1/4" plugs(maybe?)and the weight of them, coupled with a 1/4 to 1/8" adapter may add too much weight and sideload to the output jack causing undue stress.

 

[epaludo]

I vote for the Grado SR-225.
You can also bought it used, which must be around $150-$170 and get a PAV2V2 portable amp for $60 shipped ...

 

[EsthetiX]

I went with Beyerdynamic DT 990 for 200

 

[ChickenGod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by epaludo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I vote for the Grado SR-225. You can also bought it used, which must be around $150-$170 and get a PAV2V2 portable amp for $60 shipped ...

x2. I have the Grado SR-225 and I listen to everything except for metal. It is awesome. The airyness is mind boggling!

 

[adanac061]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulSlayer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't like in ear headphone (they hurt and are uncomfortable and I had tried very good ones) nor do I want used headphones.

If you don't want to buy used , your wallet might as well just bend over and take it.

 

[SoulSlayer]

I don't mind..

 

[Ahobaka]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulSlayer /img/forum/go_quote.gif getting a replacement cable will butcher most if not all portable players Why would it ruin my ipod,can you explain further

What I meant was that it would ruin the overall soundquality, not ruin the player as in break it or damage it in any other way. I guess I might have expressed myself in the wrong way, sorry if it was misinterpeted.

Due to the level of detail most high-end replacement cables can reproduce, most portable players simply don't have a good enough amplifier in the headphone socket to drive high-impedance cans and the quality simply wouldn't match the headphones. You'd end up exposing all the artifacts that are in compressed lossy codecs and some frequency ranges will probably not be reproduced correctly due to the lack of a good amplifier. Hence lower grade, or at least impedance low headphones are recommended for portable use. Some players support lossless codecs, either by default or by modifying the firmware. The ipod for example can be "rockboxed", enabling it to playback FLAC for example.

As I said before, the sound I get with my HD600 from the headphone-out on my ZV:M isn't that great, and ipods are a bit below in quality of the ZV:M, how much I don't know. However, using the line-out with the dock to the ZV:M you bypass the internal amplifier (can be done on the Ipod too and some other players) and then use an external amplifier you will get way better soundquality.

 

[AS1]

I wonder if Grado should really be recommended as allround headphones...
He might want some soundstage...

I guess you can't go wrong with HD595's. I upgraded to a 650 but I'll probably keep those 595's. They are very enjoyable and they will give you enough "wow, listen to that" experiences.

 

[Ahobaka]

Indeed, the 595's are easier to drive than the HD6*0. That and they're very comfortable

 

[milkpowder]

I think people make too big a deal out of the iPod's headphone-out quality. It's really not that bad, especially the most recent 5.5G revision. I've used the HD650, HD600, HD580 as well as the HD555 out of iPod headphone-out and it sounds good. OK, it may not be as good as amping the line-out, but it is still an acceptable and you will enjoy your music. The only danger is if your source file is not at a high enough volume, the iPod may not have enough juice to drive them to satisfyingly loud levels. I have never heard the iPod amp clip or make odd noises when driving tough loads (not even during the latter cannon passages of the famous Telarc 1812 Overture SACD recording).

Regarding aftermarket cables, I have only used one, the Zu Mobius on the HD650. First of all, it does not make the iPod sound more horrible. Maybe your Silver Dragon does, Ahobaka, but certainly not the Zu. Second of all, it is simply not worth the money if you're only going to be using an iPod as source. Better off using the same money towards an amp and line-out-dock of some sort.

I'm not exactly sure why you don't want to buy used. Almost every used piece of equipment I've purchased had been kept in near-pristine condition. They even smell new. Is that not good enough for you?

 

[dissembled]

Is buying used the best option really? I know for sure that most companies don't offer warranties for things not bought from official resellers.

I guess the better option would be to hope the guy saved the receipt, at least.

 

[otprof]

Quote:

Originally Posted by epaludo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I vote for the Grado SR-225. You can also bought it used, which must be around $150-$170 and get a PAV2V2 portable amp for $60 shipped ...

QFT

X2