[Nezer]

There seems to be the consensus among K-501 owners that have tried different amps that ehse cans are excellent for all types of music depending on the amp used. Using them without an amp is seemingly out of the question (and understandably).

This said, what would 'the consensus' say about *which* amp is the best match. Granted this is a subjective question.

I am going to get a pair while they are on-sale at musiciansfriend.com ($120 + shipping) and I'm thinking about the MG OTL head to mate with the AKGs but I want other's opinions.

I currently have Koss Portapros (which are just incredible considering they shipped with my MP3 player), and Sony 7506s.

For amps I have Meier's Porta on-hand and a Corda/Analoguer combo expected in the mail soon.

I also expect to be getting some Koss Plugs (modded,of course), the HD600s and some Etymonic ER4Ps with a DIY switchbox to convert them to ER4S/Bs.

This said, is the MG OTL head the right choice for me and the AKGs (which will likly be my next cans seeing how they are on sale so darn cheap).

This headphone thing becomes an obsession *really* quickly. 6 months ago I would have balked at spending more than $20 for headphones.

 

[danieln]

Unfortunately the consensus is that the amplifier you need for the 501s to sound good is going to cost you much more than the $120 you spent for the phones... Read the post "Lack of bass in AKG's" for some answers and opinions...

I use the 501s with a receiver and they sound good to me. I also have the Porta Pros and the 7506s, and I like the 501s much better than either of these two. The 7506s are good, but whenever I listen to the 501s right after them, I am amazed at how much better they are for only $30 more.

 

[Magic77]

I'm having the same problem driving my AKG-K401's using the Creek OBH-11SE. I have to turn up the volume very high,almost close to maximum on the Creek to get a somewhat decent sound level.

When I use 32 Ohm headphones,such as the Grado SR125's,the Creek drives them great with plenty of volume range.

I'm also considering the MG Head OTL or possibly the new Headroom Little,which now has a regulated power supply.

 

[Nezer]

Quote:

Originally posted by danieln Unfortunately the consensus is that the amplifier you need for the 501s to sound good is going to cost you much more than the $120 you spent for the phones...

Luckily I'm not buying these at this price to be cheap but becasue they seem like such a great deal. Spending money on a good amp is well worth it I think.

Eventually I'd like the k-1000s with a good amp and I know that's going to set me back quite a but. Once I realize this dream I'll probably start working on the Stax Omega-II setup (I'm wanting to hear these earspeakers with Gilmore's solid-state amp).

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magic77 I'm having the same problem driving my AKG-K401's using the Creek OBH-11SE. I have to turn up the volume very high,almost close to maximum on the Creek to get a somewhat decent sound level. When I use 32 Ohm headphones,such as the Grado SR125's,the Creek drives them great with plenty of volume range. I'm also considering the MG Head OTL or possibly the new Headroom Little,which now has a regulated power supply.

Hey magic77, I replied to your email, but it bounced, and I can't PM you. So here's the reply...
Hi Pete,
Your problem is definitely not your ears. What you are experiencing is pretty much what you can expect with the K401's and the Creek. It does not hurt your amp or the headphones to turn it up to the level required at all, so don't worry about that a bit. The AKG 401/501 headphones are remarkably inefficient and require more power than any other headphones that I have by
far. The Grado's and K66's are much easier for the Creek to drive and that's why you don't have to turn it up as high for them, but the relative position of the knob on the Creek really doesn't matter so don't worry about that, even if you find yourself listing with it turned WAAAAAY up as long as you don't incur either of two conditions... Don't hurt your ears by listening too loud and do not run the amp high enough to hear distortion.

The interconnects that you're using are remarkably good sounding cables for the money so there's certainly no problem there.

How long have you had your 401's? How would you characterize the sound of your 401's while you're driving them with your Creek? Have you ever heard distortion while playing your 401's?

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[danieln]

quote:

__________________________________________

Luckily I'm not buying these at this price to be cheap but becasue they seem like such a great deal. Spending money on a good amp is well worth it I think.
_____________________________________________


Well, there are many who believe that the 501s are not a great deal, since they only sound good with (very) expensive amplifiers... So it is possible that you might get the same or better sound, costing less, from other phones + some amplifier, than you can get from 501s + "good" amplifier to drive them.

 

[Nezer]

Hence the reason I posted this new thread as opposed to continue the discussion in the 'lack of bass' thread.

Out of 5 pages of posts I only have 2 definitive amps for the 501s:

SAC (too hard to get)
Headroom Max

The plus side of good amps is they can be used on a lot of different cans so spending money on amps is a good investment as I see it.

Any other takers? How about the MG head?

It would seem there are mixed reviews about the Creek SE.

I was hoping to 'clarify' the 501/amp situation here.

 

[kwkarth]

And to your question Nezer,
Yes, the 501 requires a great deal of power to sound it's best, but based upon my experience my 501's sounded very good with my Creek OBH-11SE. Undeniably, they sound even better with the SAC and the HeadRoom Max, but they're much more powerful amps and the actual sound capability of the headphone itself may actually have a great deal to do with how it is broken in or not.

 

[Magic77]

Kevin,

Thanks so much for the response. I've had the 401's about 1 year now. I have to say that they do sound good with the Creek as long as I crank up the volume, and there is no distortion. I guess I was thinking that if you have to crank the volume so high it would not be good for the amp. But, I will take your advice and enjoy the 401's without worrying about the position of the volume knob.

Otherwise, the OBH-11SE is a great amp. This headphone stuff does make you crazy once you get addicted to it.

Thanks Again.

 

[kwkarth]

Further comments;

The 501 has a characteristic sound and you cannot achieve that same characteristic with any other headphone/amp combo regardless of how much money you spend. They are simply unique. That said, the closest sound I have heard to the 501's is the Etymotic ER4S. They (the Ety's) have a wee bit better low bass, but not quite as good as the 501 in the high end. If you like the AKG's soundstaging, they're second to none in that department.

The Sennheiser HD-580 sounds better and worse than the 501 depending upon which aspect of their sound you're focusing on.

They (the HD-580) have more low bass energy than the 501's (so the Senn's best the AKG's in that department.) The Senn's sound much more balanced in a powerful amplifier than they do in a lesser amp, just as the 501's have acknowledged deficiencies in lesser amps. It would appear from consensus that more people can tolerate the deficiencies in the Senns than they can the AKG's when either is powered by lesser amps. There are some of us however who recognize the 501's magic and find it compelling enough to put up with its deficiencies no matter what amp one chooses to use.

In absolute terms to my ear, there is a much greater sense of overall reality with the 501's than with any other conventional headphone that I have heard. (non-conventional types like the K1000 excepted.)

Happy listening!

 

[KR...]

I say get the most powerful amp you can get your hands on!

The X-Cans and the RA-1 wasn't poweful enough to drive them to how they sound now with the HA4 (forget about that amp, there are only 5 in the whole world).

 

[Tim D]

Typically out of the different jacks you've tried how much more turn of the volume knob do you find you need to do to match volume with something like the Senn580?

I've never had any SPL meters...The volume knob just has a psychological thing going on I suppose. To give the headphones a fair shot they definitely need to be matched in volume. Admittedly I am a little disconcerted about what volume is ideal with AKG501's...I'd imagine for most it would be a cranked up volume of around 3'o clock increase as well as the incredibly open nature of the AKG501 leading them to really sound like ear speakers. But it is true you shouldn't be comparing headphones, listening to the AKG501 at a quieter volume, and wondering why it is not as exciting. Probably one of the reasons people enjoy Grados is the close coupling and ease to drive to loud volumes. Also a few people who have seemed to hurt their ears that way as well.

But the AKG501's are inefficient and leak like crazy, so when people have to crank up the volume...and the AKG501's sound loud even with the cans off your head due to leakage...it definitely can put worries about listening volume compared to Grados which people sometimes don't even know they are listening too loud.

 

[Xander]

Quote:

Originally posted by danieln quote: __________________________________________ Luckily I'm not buying these at this price to be cheap but becasue they seem like such a great deal. Spending money on a good amp is well worth it I think. _____________________________________________ Well, there are many who believe that the 501s are not a great deal, since they only sound good with (very) expensive amplifiers... So it is possible that you might get the same or better sound, costing less, from other phones + some amplifier, than you can get from 501s + "good" amplifier to drive them.

On the contrary, I paid $2 for my Sansui integrated amp at a church sale. The headphone stage puts out 600mW at 120ohms. My K401s sound absolutely lovely.

 

[kwkarth]

Awesome!

 

[KR...]

Quote:

On the contrary, I paid $2 for my Sansui integrated amp at a church sale. The headphone stage puts out 600mW at 120ohms. My K401s sound absolutely lovely.

That's right! How come everyone here doesn't go out and buy $2 amps as well? The nerve of them to complain!