[dan.gheorghe]

Hello guys,

I am new in this domain. I bought a pair of hd 595 cans a couple of months ago, and i was astonished. I never thought that a pair of cans could deliver such quality (i had only super low quality ones until now).
A friend of mine that is much more experienced in this domain, explained that i should really go and get an amp.
I currently listen music from my pc (creative xtreme audio pci express sound card).
I am thinking about an amp from Meier Audio
What would you recommend? Is corda swing a good amp for my 595 cans?
Should i go for cantate 2?
Are these amps a good combination for hd595?

Thank you,
Dan

 

[fenixdown110]

The HD595 doesn't have significant gains from an amp. It sounds great unamped as it is. You'll need a more hi-fi can to notice a noticeable difference. You'll still notice some, but keep in mind that you might want to upgrade your cans down the line.

 

[TheWuss]

your inquiry looks a lot like something i would have asked about 3 or 4 months ago.

ya see, i bought the hd595s around christmas time myself. and i've gotta agree with the previous post - they are very nimble headphones, and easily driven by most sources.
they benefit somewhat from amping. but not nearly as much as more higher fidelity and higher impedence cans. i would say a 5 or 10% increase in bass clarity and quantity. that's about all i noticed. and maybe a slight improvement in imaging.

i'll say this: i had the same reaction you had when i first heard the hd595. "wow! i've never heard sound this good before!"
unfortunately, i've also gotta let you know this: It gets better. much better.

the hd595, for that reason, were my gateway drug. they got me into this hobby.
and i think most here would agree that they are a very good "entry" headphone. they sound very nice, are easily powered, have a good soundstage, and are made by a reputable brand.

you could get a portable amp with a built-in dac. i have the ibasso d4 powering my hd595 now. it's a great improvement over my hd595 out of my computer's headphone jack. Not entirely because of the amping, but more because of the dac component (you can research dacs and what they do for more info).

enjoy! i know i have!!

 

[fenixdown110]

The same goes for the HD555 since it uses the same drivers as the HD595. The HD555 was my gateway can. lol Once you get into real hi-fi, finding the right amp to drive your cans becomes a very interesting game(and a real expensive one).

Then comes the question whether to go SS or tube and balanced or not.

 

[pp312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWuss /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'll say this: i had the same reaction you had when i first heard the hd595. "wow! i've never heard sound this good before!" unfortunately, i've also gotta let you know this: It gets better. much better.

I think that's a matter of opinion. My reaction upon first hearing the 595 was "Yes!", and it's still "Yes!". Since then I've heard lots of more expensive and more highly rated phones, but I've heard few as neutral and as ultimately satisfying as the 595. Oh yes, you can find plenty of cans with more bass and treble, cans with more thump, whack and tinkle, but if you're talking cans you can just relax and enjoy the music with, particularly acoustic music, few can match let along beat the 595. I currently have the 650 as well as 595and I can happily swap them around and enjoy both. I'm not aware of any huge leaps up and down in quality. Both are very satisfying in different ways.

 

[moogman]

Personally I wouldn't recommend them unamped out of a PC or DAP, you'll be missing shedloads of detail and the bass will be anaemic. Getting a DAC and amp really brought these to life.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Hello guys,

Thank you for the advices. I know the 595 are easy to drive. They have 50 ohms. I can plug them in in the phone, and still listen to them ok. But i`ve heard many people on the forum that a dac + amp, or just an amp brought their 595 to life

, as my maniac friend said, who actually drove me into this (he wants to buy a corda symphony 2 amp..waaaay out of my budget ).
Because of him... i searched for a week for a good amp, and read reviews on especially on this forum, but also on others... and, i changed my mind from a creek obh 11 (180 euro) to corda cantate 2 (410 euro), and i`m afraid if i wait more, i`ll be buying something much more expensive!!!

)
This is a damn expensive hobby.

And i saw that moogman agrees :
"Personally I wouldn't recommend them unamped out of a PC or DAP, you'll be missing shedloads of detail and the bass will be anaemic. Getting a DAC and amp really brought these to life."


So guys, would a good amp + dac make a difference with my hd 595?
If so, would cantate 2 would be a good choice?

 

[Audio Jester]

I had a pair of 595's for a few years and thanks to their impressive sound now two of my friends have a pair. Honestly, I was really disapointed when I saved up some money for an amp to use with them. I got a Meier Arietta, which is a solid entry level amp IMHO, and found that there was very little improvement in the sound of the 595's. The best thing you can do for those phones is get a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter that separates the male plug from the female one via a small cable because the one that they come with could damage the port on the device you are using and is generally clumbsy.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Hello again,

I spoke with Jan Meier.
I asked him the same question
His response:
Quote:

A decent headphone amplifier can make a difference!" 1. Is Corda Swing a good amp for Sennheiser HD595? Yes, the amp will drive these headphones very well. The CANTATE.2 is simply a better amp than the SWING, even without the DAC. So it might well be worth the investment. Whether the DAC on the CANTATE.2 is better than that of the extreme is very difficult to tell. Simply try both and trust your own ears. The help of a headphone amplifier will certainly make a differences. Whether CANTATE.2 or SWING is a matter of personal taste and budget. However, as an indication, when customers compare SWING and CANTATE.2 at my home then in 80% of all cases they do buy the CANTATE.2. This amp simply sounds more refined and powerfull. However, the SWING stills offers very good value-for-money though. "

 

[captainbrendo]

The HD-595 does improve with an amp. Even though it is 'only' 50 ohms it really does, especially in the bass. It's always been tough for me to gauge improvement in the mid-and top end due to amping since they are laid back.

I've noticed the more powerful amping one puts into these cans, the more powerful, dynamic, and impactful they sound.

 

[Cosmic Fool]

I've bought a 3Move from Jan recently and it sounds great with my HD 595. As mentioned before the bass - it has more punch - is the biggest improvement. I also noticed that they sound better at low volumes with an amp than without. I don't think these cans need a more powerful amp to be honest. I am using the 3Move with a 12V power adapter. This really helps to bring out the best of this little yet very powerful amp. Highly recommended!

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Dr Meier was very honest :
Quote:

The CANTATE.2 is almost a little bit of overkill for the HD-595. The amp really is that good!

Quote:

The CANTATE.2 is simply a better amp than the SWING, even without the DAC. So it might well be worth the investment.

Quote:

me: "So you say the Cantate 2 would be an overkill." With the HD-595 the amp slightly is. However, an amp like the CANTATE.2 will last for more than 20 years. Your headphone is not very likely to do that. It is my experience that this hobby is quite addictive and that people do tend to upgrade continously. At the end upgrading in a few big steps is cheaper than in multiple small steps. As such the CANTATE.2 is a fine investment.

I ordered a corda cantate 2. I just can`t wait to try it!! I made this choice, for a future possible upgrade from my hd595. I might go for hd650.
As one said "a man who spends more on a better quality product cries once, a man who spends less on a lower product cries many times".

 

[dan.gheorghe]

I forgot to thank you guys for your opinions here, so thank you.
Meantime i am waiting for cantate 2...to be shipped in.
I can`t wait to use it

I have a creative x-fi extreme audio a sound card. Do you think i should get a better one?
I have read only good stuff about xonar essence.
Asus Xonar Essence STX Review » Page 10 - Conclusion - Overclockers Club
Would it make a difference with cantate 2...? Should i make another hole in my wallet ?

)

 

[Cosmic Fool]

There is a DAC in the Cantate so it will bypass your soundcard. So please forget all about soundcards. Looking forward to reading your first impressions. Don't forget to post them here.

 

[dan.gheorghe]

Thanks Cosmic. I know it has a dac, but only a 16 bit dac. I heard that it should be better than most audio cards. I wouldn`t have bought another sound card until i tested the dac from cantate. I tried some 24 bit flacs this week-end (especially classic muzic- Bach Violin sonata 1) It was amazing. Although the number of 24 bit recorded tracks is very small.
So you say the dac from cantate 2 should be enough.
You can imagine that now...i write this because... i am waiting for the cantate 2...

)
I just can`t wait..