[HD-5000]

Hi, i have bought a Sennheiser HD-580 headphone but im new to audio and all i have is a portable panasonic CD player. I need to buy a headphone amp, CD player, and a good set of interconnects. Whats your opinion?

Also, what do you prefer, HD-580 or HD-590?

Thanks,
HD-5000

 

[DanG]

Hi HD and welcome to Head-Fi!

Most people seem to prefer the HD 580 to the HD 590 in terms of sound quality; I've only heard the 580, so I can't really comment on the difference. In any case, you've made a fine choice by buying the 580.

And to answer your first question, how much are you planning to spend (and how much are you actually able to spend

) on the CD player, amplifier, and interconnects?

 

[HD-5000]

around $250 for the amp, 400 for the cd player, 100 for the interconnects

 

[dhwilkin]

Hi HD-5000, welcome to Head-fi!. A relatively good, low-cost system might be a Marantz 6000 OSE cdp, MG Head tube amp, and RadioShack gold interconnects.

 

[HD-5000]

oh and i cant really spend any more than that

 

[DanG]

If you live on the West Coast (Cali, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington), perhaps the best choice for a CD player would be the Sony SCD-C333ES 5-disc SACD changer which can be had for $399 at Good Guys (apparently). It may outperform the Marantz CD6000 OSE that I have.

For interconnects, I would suggest the DH Labs Silver Sonic BL-1 Series 2 interconnects. They can be purchased new for $100 (shipped) or for a significantly lower price if you can find them used at sites like http://www.audiogon.com or http://www.ebay.com.

I have little experience with lower-end amps, so I can't much help you in that department. However, many seem to like the MG Head DT with the Senn HD600 and HD580, so it may be right for you. I believe you can find it for around $250 if you look hard enough.

 

[dhwilkin]

Ah, good call on the Sony 333, DanG. I keep forgetting about it because I don't live on the West Coast, and therefore have no shot at that $399 price.