Advice / help /recommendations - Newbie

[ppdv]

Hi All,
 
This is my second post, first one being a post in the threads to show off your gear. Had joined this forum a while ago but wasnt too serious about head phone gear until now. My present rig ( if you may call it that ) consists of ATH -M50c with PA2V2 Amp and Cowon J3 /Ipad retina /Laptop as source. I use a mix of FLAC/WAV/MP3 files as my source and sometimes Youtube. I also have a Shure SE215
 
I am an Indian living in the Netherlands as of now and will be here for a while, was in Bahrain earlier for my work requirements. Living here makes my options for import/shipping easier than that of while being in India due to custom regulations on electronic goods.
 
My listening tastes are more of Rock(Bon Jovi,Scorpions, Eagles), Metal(metallica is my fav), Pop, New Age (Yanni) sometimes a bit of celtic like Loreena McKennitt, Enya and also a lot of my native language songs as well(very hard to hunt for high quality source files for them...).
 
Now, i am looking to be part of this wonderful community and would slowly want to enter the HeadFi community by enhancing my current rig.
 
Please recommend headphones & amplification (desktop amps -tubes preferred).
I havent heard any higher end headphones and hence would start listening to them once i know what types to look for... i have been reading a bit for a while and would like to know which out of these (based on my above music preferecences) may suit my needs
 
Beyerdynamics ,Sennheisers , AKG , Grado ( which model as well )
Amplification - considering a Little Dot tube based amp [am open to used options as well]
 
I will stick to my present source as of now, but will consider a portable / miniature DAC soon to be used from my laptop.
 
Regards,
Prashant D

 

[KG Jag]

Welcome.
 
What is your budget and what sound signature do you prefer?

Are you OK with open cans (they leak sound and don't isolate well)?
 
If your laptop has more than on board audio, that is important to know too.

 

[zamorin]

"very hard to hunt for high quality source files for them"
 
 
Malayalam?

 

[ppdv]

  Welcome.
 
What is your budget and what sound signature do you prefer?

Are you OK with open cans (they leak sound and don't isolate well)?
 
If your laptop has more than on board audio, that is important to know too.

Hi KG Jag,
 
Thanks.
 
I havent put any fixed budget, but somewhere between 200-500$ for the headphone and probably an equivalent for the tube amp. I have heard only using my ATH headphones so far, but I like my music to be tight with adequate (not overbearing) bass, not too high treble and good instrument separation if possible with my budget. 
 
I am okay to try open cans if they give me the listening experience which is much more advanced and better than my present cans. This is not for travel purposes, but for listening only at my house.
 
My laptop is not a high end one and hence does not have anything more than the default onboard audio on it. I would think of a USB (Miniatures) DAC like the Geek Out or m2Tech or cambridge audio or the audio quest later once i have my rig up.
 
Regards,
Prashant Divakaran

 

[ppdv]

  "very hard to hunt for high quality source files for them"
 
 
Malayalam?

Hi Zamorin,
 
Well, Yes Malayalam and Tamil is what i am looking for.
Do you know by any chance where i can buy the original pressing AUDIO CD for the above languages? 

Regards,
Prashant Divakaran

 

[zamorin]

You can find it in audio shops in Chennai. I found Malayalam ones at Thrissur.

 

[ppdv]

  You can find it in audio shops in Chennai. I found Malayalam ones at Thrissur.

Yes, i agree there are few of them, but the question is wether they are the original edition pressings.
For eg: Movie Name : Gentleman : Music A R Rahman, Pyramid .. these days we get a lot of crappy copies made by companies who just want to make it for the sake of it and not for the original quality of music.
 
Btw, what is the shop name in Thrissur and i can do a visit when i go for a vacation. Chennai for now is out of the question since i cant be visiting chennai during my vacation.
 
Do you know of Shops in KL or Singapore where you can get it ? i have a friend who visits singapore regularly and i can request him to get it.
 
Regards
Prashant D

 

[zamorin]

To be frank, I bought them around 8 years ago. The shop in Thrissur was in the complex next to CMS school (right side of the school). I don't know the scene now but I can get my relatives to check it out for you. Just give me some time. I think it's about time that A.R Rahman launch all his collection online in high quality. I would definitely pay for it. I don't know much about Singapore but you can get original CD's (not sure the quality) from Brickfields, KL. I certainly agree with you that most of the stuff out there is crappy and they are termed "High quality"

 

[zamorin]

Just sent them a mail. Hope the response is positive 

 

[ppdv]

  To be frank, I bought them around 8 years ago. The shop in Thrissur was in the complex next to CMS school (right side of the school). I don't know the scene now but I can get my relatives to check it out for you. Just give me some time. I think it's about time that A.R Rahman launch all his collection online in high quality. I would definitely pay for it. I don't know much about Singapore but you can get original CD's (not sure the quality) from Brickfields, KL. I certainly agree with you that most of the stuff out there is crappy and they are termed "High quality"

 
 

  Just sent them a mail. Hope the response is positive 

Zamorin,
 
Thanks so much for this initiative. Appreciate your help.
I agree too on the part that AR Rahman should launch all his recordings in HD RES tracks and i am sure there will be plenty of takers for this.( Yes mee too will pay for it )
 
Regards,
Prashant Divakaran

 

[KG Jag]

 

  Welcome.
 
What is your budget and what sound signature do you prefer?

Are you OK with open cans (they leak sound and don't isolate well)?
 
If your laptop has more than on board audio, that is important to know too.

Hi KG Jag,
 
Thanks.
 
I havent put any fixed budget, but somewhere between 200-500$ for the headphone and probably an equivalent for the tube amp. I have heard only using my ATH headphones so far, but I like my music to be tight with adequate (not overbearing) bass, not too high treble and good instrument separation if possible with my budget. 
 
I am okay to try open cans if they give me the listening experience which is much more advanced and better than my present cans. This is not for travel purposes, but for listening only at my house.
 
My laptop is not a high end one and hence does not have anything more than the default onboard audio on it. I would think of a USB (Miniatures) DAC like the Geek Out or m2Tech or cambridge audio or the audio quest later once i have my rig up.
 
Regards,
Prashant Divakaran

 
I suggest that you consider the Senn HD 650 powered by the hybrid HIFIMAN EF-5.
 
It is also very important  to get a good DAC, as on-board audio will significantly limit the quality of music arriving through your cans.  I wish that I could help you more with this, but my serious music listening does not involve a computer.
 
You should also assure that you are listening to quality music files as well.  Standard MP3's don't make the grade.

 

[rubinstein]

/img/forum/go_quote.gif
Well, Yes Malayalam and Tamil is what i am looking for.
Do you know by any chance where i can buy the original pressing AUDIO CD for the above languages?

Vanakkam Prashant, welcome head fi, sorry about your wallet

If you visit spencer plaza, Chennai, you buy original audio cds. I have about 200 audio cds (tamil) at home. I will convert them into FLAC format when I go back home
regarding dac/amp, consider also Audio gd 15.32 or 11.32. You can look at them in http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.audiophonics.fr%2F&langpair=fr|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8 or http://www.4hifi.pl/
 
Have you looked at HE 400 or HE 500?

 

[zamorin]

1. rubinstein,

​
 
Do they ship internationally and can you get all AR Rahman collections there? Nanri 

 

[zamorin]

One source responded:
 
'Music World' near Ramdass Theatre, Thrissur. Since my source is not much of an audiophile, I won't know how good the quality will be. Probably can contact them directly to query.

 

[rubinstein]

 

1. rubinstein,

​
 
Do they ship internationally and can you get all AR Rahman collections there? Nanri 

I do not know about this. I visited there in 2006.