dave650
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 13, 2008
- Posts
- 315
- Likes
- 11
Hello everybody,
When I buy headphones, I am new to it (proper headphones) , I must let price decide what to buy at opportune times, like when last year the AU dollar was neckin' it with the US dollar, and people on ebay let me layby so that's a good way to get headphones too. I'm not rich. My 3rd set of cans are 10 years old and rather pricey in the end, won on ebay, my 4th and not by a loooong shot final pair comes to me with a broken end. So I get away with joining the wallet community on a budget, but the problem is the money very much decides what I buy, the opportunities I get. A lump of $500+ in one go is just not on the agenda, and these are the cans I own, in order of how I got them, described earlier:
*Sennheiser HD650, silver silk, no mod
*Beyerdynamic DT990 pro 250 ohm, new, no mod
*Sennheiser HD580, 2nd hand, 10 years old black silk, refurbishing, no mod
*Beyerdynamic DT770 80, coming soon.
Okay, so I pre explained why I appear to have a narrow band in taste, and now the questions:
*Be honest. I screwed up when I bought the Grado Hi Gain to power the 650s, my only pair at that point.
*The L-top pepper II amp I have should be given to my brother as a present.
*I need at least 3 better headphone amps, two with tubes.
*I should trade, trade, trade.
*Or I should sell, 4 pairs can equal 1 PAIR of cans.
*Or I should hoard like an old cat lady.
If you have a moment and live and breathe headphones, please take the time to answer them statements true or false, based on what your brain just says straight away.
What would you all do with these headphones and stuff?
I know tube amps seem to be the go with the 650s, but would love to know if there is any solid state amp that is flat out recommended for them, see, my sennheisers are my techno breakbeat cans, I don't mind the darkness I now hear with such sonically strong music. Let's exploit the darkness and maybe cut a hole in the foam to get a tiny bit back. Stuff I've read.
(btw, rock through the 650s, blaaaah, no thanks, sounds forced and brassy somehow)
I like the 580s for rock music with piano, the 990s for a little less mids I think and massive detail, rock just growls out them cans, folks, and I've read to expect good but maybe a little mucky bass from the 770s.
The 580s just sound bloody lovely for pianos, I listen to the piano songs on Gunners albums, Benny and the Jets, more of him, sexy sadie on the mono white album is absolutely marvellous, there is an F# piano note three beats into the second bar of the second verse that melts my heart, better than the stereo, and I know what I own there.
Paul's vocals on the next song just burst in my head, not my ears, my HEAD, there is a weird tickle and huge presence when I have it loud on the 580s.
The 10 year old black silk 580s so far are my favorite, now this makes me think all my tastes so far and what I hear is perverted by a little condition I call "Errant High Gain Grado Owners Artefact", or "Gra-D'OH!"
I am super happy with the sounds I'm hearing, sure, but if I can get better, naturally I bloody want it!
So I'd love suggestions on what THREE amps I should aim for this year.
Not anything insanely priced, maybe I should set the limit to 750US.
Please consider nothing.
Please say things like "If I were you..."
Should one be balanced? Double the...spew rate?
My source cannot be fully balanced.
I am severely happy with my source.
My source is a rega turntable with hugely modded everything, low output moving coil cartridges from Japan, a great Swiss solid state preamp for 62db of gain and of course the RIAA curve, it is the Benz Micro Lucaschek PP1 with current spec.
Cardas copper through to the Grado amp, which my friend made a 240v PSU for, bloody US one went on the blink with the stepdown.
My favorite thing to listen out for is snare drums.
I really like loud drum music a lot, heavy metal, breakbeat techno, all that 90s stuff like Tool, pearl jam, kurt was a genius, beatles were the best.
Okay guys, a pat on the back for those who got through this, thanks for any help, I really have noone to talk to about my favorite obsession.
Off I go to bed and check my new thread like an excited little kid tomorrow morning...
When I buy headphones, I am new to it (proper headphones) , I must let price decide what to buy at opportune times, like when last year the AU dollar was neckin' it with the US dollar, and people on ebay let me layby so that's a good way to get headphones too. I'm not rich. My 3rd set of cans are 10 years old and rather pricey in the end, won on ebay, my 4th and not by a loooong shot final pair comes to me with a broken end. So I get away with joining the wallet community on a budget, but the problem is the money very much decides what I buy, the opportunities I get. A lump of $500+ in one go is just not on the agenda, and these are the cans I own, in order of how I got them, described earlier:
*Sennheiser HD650, silver silk, no mod
*Beyerdynamic DT990 pro 250 ohm, new, no mod
*Sennheiser HD580, 2nd hand, 10 years old black silk, refurbishing, no mod
*Beyerdynamic DT770 80, coming soon.
Okay, so I pre explained why I appear to have a narrow band in taste, and now the questions:
*Be honest. I screwed up when I bought the Grado Hi Gain to power the 650s, my only pair at that point.
*The L-top pepper II amp I have should be given to my brother as a present.
*I need at least 3 better headphone amps, two with tubes.
*I should trade, trade, trade.
*Or I should sell, 4 pairs can equal 1 PAIR of cans.
*Or I should hoard like an old cat lady.
If you have a moment and live and breathe headphones, please take the time to answer them statements true or false, based on what your brain just says straight away.
What would you all do with these headphones and stuff?
I know tube amps seem to be the go with the 650s, but would love to know if there is any solid state amp that is flat out recommended for them, see, my sennheisers are my techno breakbeat cans, I don't mind the darkness I now hear with such sonically strong music. Let's exploit the darkness and maybe cut a hole in the foam to get a tiny bit back. Stuff I've read.
(btw, rock through the 650s, blaaaah, no thanks, sounds forced and brassy somehow)
I like the 580s for rock music with piano, the 990s for a little less mids I think and massive detail, rock just growls out them cans, folks, and I've read to expect good but maybe a little mucky bass from the 770s.
The 580s just sound bloody lovely for pianos, I listen to the piano songs on Gunners albums, Benny and the Jets, more of him, sexy sadie on the mono white album is absolutely marvellous, there is an F# piano note three beats into the second bar of the second verse that melts my heart, better than the stereo, and I know what I own there.
Paul's vocals on the next song just burst in my head, not my ears, my HEAD, there is a weird tickle and huge presence when I have it loud on the 580s.
The 10 year old black silk 580s so far are my favorite, now this makes me think all my tastes so far and what I hear is perverted by a little condition I call "Errant High Gain Grado Owners Artefact", or "Gra-D'OH!"
I am super happy with the sounds I'm hearing, sure, but if I can get better, naturally I bloody want it!
So I'd love suggestions on what THREE amps I should aim for this year.
Not anything insanely priced, maybe I should set the limit to 750US.
Please consider nothing.
Please say things like "If I were you..."
Should one be balanced? Double the...spew rate?
My source cannot be fully balanced.
I am severely happy with my source.
My source is a rega turntable with hugely modded everything, low output moving coil cartridges from Japan, a great Swiss solid state preamp for 62db of gain and of course the RIAA curve, it is the Benz Micro Lucaschek PP1 with current spec.
Cardas copper through to the Grado amp, which my friend made a 240v PSU for, bloody US one went on the blink with the stepdown.
My favorite thing to listen out for is snare drums.
I really like loud drum music a lot, heavy metal, breakbeat techno, all that 90s stuff like Tool, pearl jam, kurt was a genius, beatles were the best.
Okay guys, a pat on the back for those who got through this, thanks for any help, I really have noone to talk to about my favorite obsession.
Off I go to bed and check my new thread like an excited little kid tomorrow morning...
