[holderlin]

I don't know what the policy is on cross-posting to wizer and fi. I also know that I'm doing things backwards, but I just placed an order with Jan for this combo and now am seeking people's comments about the headphone/amp combo (i.e., seeking reassurances that I did the right thing).

I have the Sennheiser HD600 and Cosmic amp. What differences should I expect to hear? Is the amp a good sonic fit for the headphones (I know they require a power amp otherwise -- I do have an old Mission 1 25w integrated amp that I could use) or are there others out there (or in the offing) that are better fits (even if retro-fits)?

Thanks for any comments you can give me. Thanks to you all I am a little wiser (albeit poorer).

Bob

 

[dhwilkin]

Never heard the amp before, but I highly doubt Jan would be selling it if it didn't sound pretty good. And the K1000 will give you a heckuva soundstage!

 

[AndreYew]

Bob,

I have the HD-600/Supreme and the AKG K1000 and SAC amp, and I far prefer the 600/Supreme to the AKG. The AKG is too bright and lean for my tastes, and I find the 600 to have greater resolution, and be cleaner than the AKG, and have a more extended and accurate (especially in the lower midrange wherein the AKGs have a hump leading to a shouting, honking kind of quality) frequency response. Spatially, the AKGs are interesting, and have a slightly more airy soundstage, but its many flaws detract from that positive attribute. The imaging is better than a pair of headphones with no crossfeed, but the acoustic crossfeed is not as effective as the Supreme's, unless you throw the phones fully open, but then you lose all bass. I've tried the AKGs fully close, slightly open (maybe 20 degrees), which is the everyday configuration, and fully open. Bass is quite lacking in any configuration.

The Sennheiser is also far more comfortable than AKG, whose thin pads cause high pressure points on my head. I have to readjust the AKG every so often to alleviate the discomfort, whereas I can wear the Senns for hours on end. For me, the AKGs are an interesting collectors item to be admired and worth owning for its engineering ambition, but the Sennheisers get the job done day-in day-out with little fuss.

--Andre

 

[Costas]

Andre,

Have you tried the HD-600s with the SAC amp? What is this combination like?

 

[AndreYew]

Costas,

I've not tried the SAC amp on my HD-600s. It would be difficult to do so because the SAC amp is designed expressly to drive the AKG K1000, and only has the mating 4-conductor XLR female connector to directly connect to the K1000. I think someone else is trying to rig something up to try normal headphones on the SAC amp, and hopefully he'll be able to report his findings soon.

--Andre