earhole
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
- Posts
- 13
- Likes
- 10
Hi friendly forum folks. Long time admirer, first time poster, and pretty green as far as all things audiophile are concerned. Need a little help making my first major purchase decision. Here's the scoop:
I am willing to spend about $700 on headphone + amp. I would splurge on an even pricier investment, but fear that the nuances offered by higher end equipment would be lost on my unsophisticated ears and limited by my source. Otherwise, I would consider downing a fifth of whiskey, closing my eyes, gritting my teeth, and clicking "Add to Cart" on a pair of HD800s while my wallet lets out a soft groan.
I have eclectic tastes, but listen primarily to rock and electronica. My music is in AAC format with bit rate ranging from 192 to 320 kbps.
I currently have Grado SR60s and Sennheiser HD280s. I also just got M-Audio AV 40 speakers that I love. No amp, yet. I don't need a ton of bass but the SR60s and unamped HD280s aren't cutting it. I find the over-the-ear design of the Senns comfy and comfort is a priority.
I do not have roommates and will only be using these headphones at home so I am thinking open cans are ideal (open = better soundstage = better, right?)
I have been reading various threads, including http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/500672/introduction-and-buying-first-good-headphones, and currently have my eye on the Sennheiser HD600 or 650 and Matrix Mini-I or Nuforce Icon. I think a unit that serves as both DAC and amp that I can hook up to my Macbook via USB would be ideal. The Sennheiser seems pretty well received and is at the right price point, but I'm not sure if it is well suited to my music tastes. On the other hand, I know Grados are highly lauded as rock/guitar cans, but I also love synthesizers and I question how the comfort of Grados compare to high end Senns.
Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance for responding to yet another "what should I get?" thread. You provide a valuable service to fellow music lovers! Hopefully one day I can also give back to the head-fi community.
I am willing to spend about $700 on headphone + amp. I would splurge on an even pricier investment, but fear that the nuances offered by higher end equipment would be lost on my unsophisticated ears and limited by my source. Otherwise, I would consider downing a fifth of whiskey, closing my eyes, gritting my teeth, and clicking "Add to Cart" on a pair of HD800s while my wallet lets out a soft groan.
I have eclectic tastes, but listen primarily to rock and electronica. My music is in AAC format with bit rate ranging from 192 to 320 kbps.
I currently have Grado SR60s and Sennheiser HD280s. I also just got M-Audio AV 40 speakers that I love. No amp, yet. I don't need a ton of bass but the SR60s and unamped HD280s aren't cutting it. I find the over-the-ear design of the Senns comfy and comfort is a priority.
I do not have roommates and will only be using these headphones at home so I am thinking open cans are ideal (open = better soundstage = better, right?)
I have been reading various threads, including http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/500672/introduction-and-buying-first-good-headphones, and currently have my eye on the Sennheiser HD600 or 650 and Matrix Mini-I or Nuforce Icon. I think a unit that serves as both DAC and amp that I can hook up to my Macbook via USB would be ideal. The Sennheiser seems pretty well received and is at the right price point, but I'm not sure if it is well suited to my music tastes. On the other hand, I know Grados are highly lauded as rock/guitar cans, but I also love synthesizers and I question how the comfort of Grados compare to high end Senns.
Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance for responding to yet another "what should I get?" thread. You provide a valuable service to fellow music lovers! Hopefully one day I can also give back to the head-fi community.