[Nubster]

Wow...I never knew that there was so much involved in headphones and audio in general. I have been reading here a couple hours before posting and some of the setups are incredible. That being said, I have just been bitten by the audiophile bug. Just a little but enough to get me researching. I used to be in to high end car audio but that was years ago. Now a days my music pretty much either comes from my iPod Nano or my computer and through a set of cheap Sony MDR-V150 on the ear headphones. I thought they sounds pretty good and have been happy with them for about a year. Today I make the mistake of trying on some over the ear Bose TriPort headphones. I thought they sounded fantastic. A whole other world compared to my Sonys. But then I find this place and also Headphone Reviews and find that the Bose are not that good and there are better choices for around the same price point. Now I am really excited. So I wonder how much improvement I will get from a truly good pair of headphones if I am still using only my iPod and my computer which is very basic and not build with music or audio in mind. And it is on it's last leg which might be a good thing because that means the next one can be built with music in mind. So anyways, I am rambling here so sorry about that. I guess I am asking for thoughts on what I have already said and are there any sights or threads here for the very new person to read over to get an idea what is involved in the world of higher end audio? And of course like so many others I am very much constrained by a tight budget especially since I will likely be quitting my poor paying job in January to go back to school and thus getting an even worse paying PT job. Again sorry about the rambling and thanks for any help and a big hello from WV.

 

[Nubster]

Also, if my iPod and computer are the only sources for my music, how much will I be limiting myself as far as getting really great audio quality compared to huge dollar setups? What are some lesser expensive options that I can look in to that can possibly bump up the performance of my music? I know my $500 Dell and $200 headphones can't rival a multi-$1000 setup but I would like to get the most bang for my buck without having to build a huge setup. I figure I will be listening to loads more music in the near future while studying and doing school work so I might as well listen to quality music. Thanks again.

 

[Nubster]

Also, I guess another bit of info that would probably help is music type. I listen to a wide variety so that will probably make it harder to choose/recommend a single pair of headphones. I listen to anything from Redhot Chili Peppers to Tom Waits to Bob Dylan to The Beatles to Slip knot to Johnny Cash to Dave Matthews Band to Rammstein. I prefer mids and highs too bass but I don't want to neglect the low end either. Also where can I find info on whether open or closed headphones would be best for me? I think I might prefer closed but that might change with some information about the differences. I know I do not want canal earphones.

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Open VS Closed, all depends on where your going to be listening to your music most. Open will leak sound and disturb others around you, and also will let sounds in, so if your in a noisy environment you'll want to look for closed.

If your not a bass head and looking to drive a good set of headphones with out an amp take a look at the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, I hate recommending gear I haven't herd but I shall have a pair here in a couple days. There are tons of reviews here, they are great all around headphones, just a tad shy on the bass.

 

[Nubster]

Thanks. I have a 2 year old so closed will probably be the best route for me...lol

Thanks for the info. I was actually looking at the AD700 or 900 though the price on the 700 is much more appealing. And right about no amp. I would like something that would not require one to sound good but that I can add one later to make the phones sound even better.

Speaking of amps, are there amps that would be usable between the computer and the phones? iPod and phone? I guess that is another whole aspect that I need to research too. Jeez, what I get myself in to sometimes...lol I am just glad the wife loves me or I would be in BIG trouble.

 

[c0mfortably_numb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nubster /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks. I have a 2 year old so closed will probably be the best route for me...lol Thanks for the info. I was actually looking at the AD700 or 900 though the price on the 700 is much more appealing. And right about no amp. I would like something that would not require one to sound good but that I can add one later to make the phones sound even better. Speaking of amps, are there amps that would be usable between the computer and the phones? iPod and phone? I guess that is another whole aspect that I need to research too. Jeez, what I get myself in to sometimes...lol I am just glad the wife loves me or I would be in BIG trouble.

I'm not big on closed cans, so I'll let someone else touch on that, maybe the K81DJ (AKG) but I've never herd them and will not recommend them just give you something to look up.

As for Amps, there all kinds of different ways to go about it, it all depends on budget. The most basic would be a battery powered amp that you could use both on the computer and for your Ipod. For the computer you can get a cheap 6' 3.5mm to 3.5mm patch cable (gold plated ends) at Radioshack to run from the audio out on your sound card to the amp.

For the Ipod you can go as simple as a smaller patch cable such as the Cardas and plug it into the headphone out on the Ipod. Or there are also lineout docks (one end of the cable will plug into the dock of the ipod and the 3.5.mm jack to the amp) that will bypass the internal amp of the ipod, for a cleaner sound, there not 100% necessary, it all again depend on your budget.

 

[Kernmac]

Imediate improvement for you that will be better than the Bose Triports (and cheaper) that I could recommend would include:
AD700, HD555, MS1. (all open fons)
Forget the amp in the short term, you would be better to get the AD900 rather than any of the above and a cheap amp. Welcome to Head Fi - Sorry about your wallet.

 

[Nubster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kernmac /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry about your wallet.

Yeah, thanks. I am already seeing how the impact can/will be severe.