[mmacauley]

Hello all,

I am a newbie to this forum and to the world of headphone fanatics in general, but I have read a dizzying number of reviews and comments on all of the major headphones in (and out of) my price range. I am a musician (composer/pianist, classically trained), going to college next year (Eastman, undergrad composition major), and getting ready to buy a headphone setup for listening - mostly CDs. (My Alesis M1 Active MkII monitors, which serve me well at home, are not the best choice for a tight dorm room.)

In a nutshell: I have a limited budget (hopefully $300-500) and would like to get the best sound I can buy with that money (and hopefully something that will last). As I understand it, I'll need to strike a balance between CD player, amp, cabling, and headphones.

A few days ago, before the wealth of information esp. at HeadRoom and Head-Fi, I took a recommendation from a Sweetwater sales rep (who was clearly not a headphones expert) and ordered a pair of Sony MDR-7509's. They arrived today, and sound good (I have nothing to compare them to), but are rather uncomfortable on me, and from what I gather I can get a much better headphone for my money. Luckily they came with a 30-day money back guarantee, which I plan to take advantage of.

Currently I own two consumer-model CD players (Fischer and Aiwa). I am tempted to buy a HeadRoom AirHead ($100) along with one of the following:
- Sennheiser HD 600 ($280)
- Sennheiser HD 580 ($200)
- AKG A 501 ($150)
- Beyerdynamic DT 831 ($220)
- Beyerdynamic DT 880 ($350)
- Audio Technica ATH-A1000 ($340 = 320 + 20 by forfeiting the AirHead discount)
- Audio Technica ATH-A900 ($205 = 185 + 20)

Any suggestions? Bear in mind that I am not a rock-'n'-roller, this will be used mainly for classical & contemporary classical music, not pop/rock/techno/etc. Will the AirHead work well with any of these headphones, or should I invest another $80 into a Total AirHead? Do some/all of these headphones require special cables, and at what cost? Will a cheap portable CD player (as I have) suffice, or do I need to buy something more? What about the CD drive in a new iMac? (That's part of the reason my budget is so limited, though I didn't buy it as an audio machine.)

I realize there is some difference in design between these headphones (e.g. open/closed), but I'm still undecided about which design is best for me. More important than open vs. closed is comfort and sound quality. Portability is not an issue - I won't be taking these on the bus.

Thanks in advance for any advice/guidance/recommendations on all this.

Marc Macauley

 

[mjg]

Hi, I think you should checkout a different amp honestly. I started out with that one, and it's overpriced for what it is... You can do alot better for the money, or do alot better in general. I had real good headphones for awhile, and that was the limiting factor (my amp) I feel. Those are pretty good headphones from whatve read here. People build amps here, why don't you check those out?

 

[TravelLite]

Quote:

Originally posted by mmacauley Bear in mind that I am not a rock-'n'-roller, this will be used mainly for classical & contemporary classical music, not pop/rock/techno/etc.

Quote:

Originally posted by mmacauley More important than open vs. closed is comfort and sound quality. Portability is not an issue - I won't be taking these on the bus.

LOL mmacauley, there're probably at least six-dozen different headphone/amp combinations that might well suit your essential requirements!

Even though you've set forth quite a bit of information regarding your intended application, it's really difficult to make specific recommendations about gear until you have established a relative reference or benchmark in terms of your personal sonic preferences. In other words, if you had auditioned ABC and found it too lean in low-frequency energy, and found XYZ lacks detail, then others would be in a much better position to offer specific advise.

Since you'd probably appreciate a recommendation to research, I'll suggest the Sennheiser HD580 and Corda HA-1 MkII amp from Meier-Audio. If ordered together the combo should run about $585.00. I realize that's over your stated budget, but you indicated that you're interested in "something that will last". Well, that should last for awhile, LOL. As for cables (interconnects), I'd budget an additional $50.00-60.00.

Regarding the AirHead amps, considering what you're looking for, I sincerely think you should aim a little higher. They're really not too bad for what they are, but currently there are quite a few much more competent alternatives.

TravelLite

 

[mmacauley]

Thanks for the replies so far. Let's try this again, being a little more specific:

I really do have a tight budget, about $500 max, unless anyone cares to contribute. With that in mind, I want to buy a headphone, cable (if necessary), and amp to go with my portable CD player (assuming it's up to the job).

Suppose I get a Sennheiser HD 580 for around $150 (e.g. eBay) and a Cardas cable for about the same. That leaves $200 for an amp. Is that reasonable? What is the best amp I can buy for that amount of money? Will my portable CD player satisfy, or will it be the limiting factor? What about the cable - is the Cardas the best choice (it seems so from the reviews I've read), or is it overkill for such a cheap CD player and amp? How about converting the Cardas (or another cable) from 1/4-inch to the mini headphones plug in my CD player - will any converter do, or will it lose quality?

To clarify, the overwhelming majority of what I'll be listening to will be classical music - especially contemporary classical. For example, solo instrumental, chamber music, orchetral music, etc.

Also to clarify, I am a musician (composer, pianist), and a student at that, not a headphone fanatic or hi-fi enthusiast (though I respect those of you who are), and all I want is a good headphone set-up for the sake of listening to music, especially new/unfamiliar music (as I'm a composer). with the primary focus on the music, not on the gear or any of its fascinating audiophile characteristics per se. In other words, I want to invest a limited amount of money (about $500 max) into a good headphone rig that I can buy, set up, use, and forget about. With all due respect to you audiophiles, I'd just as soon never have anything to do with a forum like this again.

Hope that helps. Thanks in advance for any further advice.

Sincerely,
Marc Macauley

 

[mjg]

That said, It does seem practical you explore your options. I was in your place a momment ago, with the exception of the budget, I was fortunate enough to flex it a bit more then you aren't seemingly willing to do. Consider one of the home built amps like the meta42, which I have not heard but everyone here loves. They consider it on par, if not superior to the consumer products that out price it 3 fold. This should of course be a portable solution, which is available... and The headphones I personally think should be very decent. I mean you can cut yourself a window of $500 and be satisfied I believe. Those 580's I've been told are absoultely great, and with the amplifier at a reasonable price, and good source your good : ] I hope this helps , and doesn't confuse. Sorry if it does : /. JMT and Tigger are the guys that make amps like you want, that I know off of the top of my head. Both are very professional and have a great reputation on this site, search for examples, I've considered both of their products, and they were both informative, and reasonable in what they offered.

 

[MusicLover]

The HD580 would definitely be the best choice for you. But don't bother wasting another $100 - $150 for the Cardas cable if you are using a portable cd player. That leaves you $350 for an amp. There are a lot of choices with that kind of money. A maxed out meta42 would definitely be a good choice. The MG Head OTL is a favorite with many people here, who say that it pairs awesomely with the HD580/600. That is $360 at the manufacturer's site, but I'm sure you can find it cheaper.

Btw, the HD580/600 is soooooo sweet with classical music.

 

[Mike Scarpitti]

Quote:

Originally posted by mmacauley Hello all, I am a newbie to this forum and to the world of headphone fanatics in general, but I have read a dizzying number of reviews and comments on all of the major headphones in (and out of) my price range. I am a musician (composer/pianist, classically trained), going to college next year (Eastman, undergrad composition major), and getting ready to buy a headphone setup for listening - mostly CDs. (My Alesis M1 Active MkII monitors, which serve me well at home, are not the best choice for a tight dorm room.) In a nutshell: I have a limited budget (hopefully $300-500) and would like to get the best sound I can buy with that money (and hopefully something that will last). As I understand it, I'll need to strike a balance between CD player, amp, cabling, and headphones. A few days ago, before the wealth of information esp. at HeadRoom and Head-Fi, I took a recommendation from a Sweetwater sales rep (who was clearly not a headphones expert) and ordered a pair of Sony MDR-7509's. They arrived today, and sound good (I have nothing to compare them to), but are rather uncomfortable on me, and from what I gather I can get a much better headphone for my money. Luckily they came with a 30-day money back guarantee, which I plan to take advantage of. Currently I own two consumer-model CD players (Fischer and Aiwa). I am tempted to buy a HeadRoom AirHead ($100) along with one of the following: - Sennheiser HD 600 ($280) - Sennheiser HD 580 ($200) - AKG A 501 ($150) - Beyerdynamic DT 831 ($220) - Beyerdynamic DT 880 ($350) - Audio Technica ATH-A1000 ($340 = 320 + 20 by forfeiting the AirHead discount) - Audio Technica ATH-A900 ($205 = 185 + 20) Any suggestions? Bear in mind that I am not a rock-'n'-roller, this will be used mainly for classical & contemporary classical music, not pop/rock/techno/etc. Will the AirHead work well with any of these headphones, or should I invest another $80 into a Total AirHead? Do some/all of these headphones require special cables, and at what cost? Will a cheap portable CD player (as I have) suffice, or do I need to buy something more? What about the CD drive in a new iMac? (That's part of the reason my budget is so limited, though I didn't buy it as an audio machine.) I realize there is some difference in design between these headphones (e.g. open/closed), but I'm still undecided about which design is best for me. More important than open vs. closed is comfort and sound quality. Portability is not an issue - I won't be taking these on the bus. Thanks in advance for any advice/guidance/recommendations on all this. Marc Macauley

Sony D-777 portable player
Sony MDR-D77 portable phones

Both discontinued. Good luck on e-bay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=15054

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=40137

 

[jpelg]

Here's my suggestion:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=39591

And you will be done, at least for a while. Exactly matched amp, no extra headphone cables to agonize over. Especially (but not exclusively) as a classical music listener, this is perfect for you. Better than the Sennheisers, IMO, unless you know you like that sound. But I think the Senns warrant a lot more money in an amp than your budget allows.

The Airhead is a POS. I assume you don't need a portable amp, since you are talking about the HD580's. And the amp that comes with the above-mentioned Stax system can be run off of battery power too!

Of course, you will still need standard interconnects though, but that's true regardless of what amp you choose. Something like Outlaws or DiMarzios should do nicely.