[touser]

Hi everyone, i have always wanted an outstanding pair of headphones and i finally have the money to do it. My budget is $700 for everything that is needed, headphones,amp,speaker wire? If any of the pro's can recommend a great setup for listening to all around everything from classical to rock it would be greatly appreciated. Also a list of reputable online dealers would be great to know as well. Thanks in advance!

 

[dj_mocok]

im not a pro.
and if you wanna listen to my crazy wild guess:
how about this:

[size=medium]Alessandro MS 2[/size] + [size=small]Custom Headsave amp [/size] built by Norm ?




(Alessandro Music Series 2....Hmmm.....)

 

[Jasper994]

EM-U 1212M ($165-200)
Sennheiser HD 595 ($225-290)
PreSonus HP4 ($80-100)
Mogami balanced interconnects ($80)

 

[touser]

Thank you both for the reply's i appreciate it. Does anyone else have any other suggestions, the more the better

.

 

[TonyTripleA]

If you already have a source I'd say get a great source... but seriously, if you have a passable source then second hand MS-pros and second hand RA-1 should do it. Believe me those pros will even make an average system sound good and a better system sound great.

TonyAAA

 

[touser]

Thanks for the info Tony. Unfortunately buying used is not an option for me so i think the MS-pros are out of my price range

. I have $700 for everything needed assuming i will be using my computer as the source of the music as i do not own any high end stereo equipment.

 

[commando]

Open or closed cans?

I like the system jasper suggested. I'll suggest a closed option that should be pretty good bank for buck. I'm getting a bit jaded about expensive headphone equipment, once you get over a certain level you need golden ears to appreciate it.

Cans: A900 ($200)
Source: Chaintech 710 ($30)
MisterX Pimeta w/ interconnect: $240 ish
Total $470

Upgrade to the Emu card and cost goes up to $600.

I think jaspers system with the senn 595s would probably sound better, though.

 

[touser]

Thanks for the reply commando! I really dont have a preference on closed or open cans, whichever sounds best. I think i also like Jasper's suggestion best so far, but can anyone recommend any good online stores where all this can be purchased?

 

[ReDVsion]

E-MU 1212M: $200
Headsave Classic: $150 / Gilmore Lite: $300

That gives you $200 - $350 for headphones. That's going to be the REAL decision-making process, becuase, well, none of us have any idea what sonic preferences you might lean towards. Sure, getting an all-arounder is a good idea in theory, but you must also realize that it will do nothing particularly WELL, either. Everything will sound good, but not great.

Recommendations:
Beyerdynamic DT880
Alessandro MS-2

If you want an all-arounder, I'd go with the HD595.

 

[md01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by touser Also a list of reputable online dealers would be great to know as well.

That's easy. Take a look at sponsors above. Several offer 30 day return policy. If you don't like what you purchased, just returt/exchange for something else.

 

[commando]

Or look for the lowest price using http://froogle.com - buy with credit card and you're protected. I've never had any problems and i've bought lots of stuff from lots of different places.

 

[md01]

Judging from your post, you haven't really settled on anything in particular. With best intentions, I suggest that you do little more research before committing to a purchase. Just hang around for a while, keep reading, ask questions, etc. After a while, if you're luck, you'll know what you want. Otherwise, you'll most likely narrow down your choices to several options. In any case, you'll be better prepared to find something you'll enjoy in the long term.

 

[touser]

Thanks for the advice md01 it is appreciated. I will hold off on the headphones for a while until i can at least demo a few of them first and read up as much as possible here, but my main question now is: will the EM-U 1212M + PreSonus HP4 be capable of driving any of the headphones in my price range to their full potential or would something else be recommended considering the source will be my computer? Thanks again!

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReDVsion E-MU 1212M: $200 Headsave Classic: $150 / Gilmore Lite: $300 That gives you $200 - $350 for headphones.

Sounds like decent advice, I would go with the 1212M together with the new version of the Gilmore Lite for $300 or find a nice used one in the for sale forum where they'll be even cheaper, down around 200-225 for one I'd guess. That would work well with Grados, I'd suggest the Grado 225 as a very nice match.

 

[touser]

Ok, assuming i go with the 1212M with the new version of the Gilmore Lite, the only thing left is to choose the headphones. My only question now is where can i buy the Mogami balanced interconnects? I have searched google and come up with very little. Is there another brand that may be easier to find? Thanks again!