[shafu]

Is it better to build a system around an amp or a pair of headphones that you like? Which has a greater impact on sound?

 

[kwkarth]

Man, that's kind of a hard question to answer, although, much of the character of a headphone comes through with most any amp you use to drive them with. So I would encourage you to buy the cans you like, and then find the amp which has the best synergy with those chosen headphones.
Happy Listening!

 

[wallijonn]

if you get the best amp you can, then you can have more than one set of headphones (provided that they all have close synergy).

build a system around one set of headphones, and you have to buy an amp which mates to it; what happens when you get rd of the headphones? well sometimes you have to get rid of the amp, too.

of course you just don't buy just any amp - you get the one that probably matches what you are already thinking of listening to in the way of headphones.

or you can go with a tube amp and tube swap when you swap headphones, or a Meta42 and swap ICs when you swap headphones, etc.

if I made an amp, I would want discrete channels with discrete power supplies, which of course match up with discrete wires to the drivers. but that's just me. (and that is what I have).

methinks you should attend a Head-Fi Meet or mini-Meet. Otherwise you may end up upgrading headphones only to find that the reason why you upgraded was caused by the amp and not the headphones.

 

[Carlos3]

If you plan to be a one headphone : one amp person, then IMO you build your system around your headphones.

In a sense, a headphone isn't just a speaker, it is a speaker built into and tailored to a specific listening room. Different headphones present music in very different ways. I think that first you find the headphones that have the fundamental presentation that you want, then you find the amp that has the best synergy with your headphones, enhancing the presentation in a way that suits your taste.

Of course it has been often found that the best amps will work synergistically with many headphones. And if you are going to be a headphone collector, then IMO you want to build the system around the amp.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Originally posted by Carlos3 If you plan to be a one headphone : one amp person, then IMO you build your system around your headphones. In a sense, a headphone isn't just a speaker, it is a speaker built into and tailored to a specific listening room. Different headphones present music in very different ways. I think that first you find the headphones that have the fundamental presentation that you want, then you find the amp that has the best synergy with your headphones, enhancing the presentation in a way that suits your taste. Of course it has been often found that the best amps will work synergistically with many headphones. And if you are going to be a headphone collector, then IMO you want to build the system around the amp.

Agree with everything you said Carlo except that last word in your last sentence. I think it should be plural. AMPS!!

In reality, how many of us started out with the intent of becomming a collector of cans?

Hirsch? What were your intentions originally?

 

[purk]

I built my system based on headphones, then amp. At first, I tried out many headphones, then found the one I like most, then work it from there. Amp will only change the sonic signature sligthly, and I'm a believer in a system synergy.

Purk

 

[coho66]

yeah, that's a toughie...

for me i would try to make the decision easier by considering generally what you are needing and/or wanting in a pair of cans...and what you needing and/or wanting in an amp. then look and see which makes/models meet your general criteria. from there i'd take it a step further and see if there is one specific model that has all or most of your specific needs and/or wants...if there happens to be a pair of cans that meet all or most and there is still a couple amps that could go either way then i'd build around the cans...and same for an amp if the converse happened.

myself for example, i decided around a pair of cans because the 600's met every want/need of mine whereas the amps could've gone either way.

 

[00940]

do as you want

seriously, it looks to me like something you don't really plan. I think amps make a diiference significant enough to make you change your priorities about cans. So don't be too focused on a particular amp or can; you could miss what you're looking for.

personally, I thought of building my system on the senn hd580 i liked a lot. So I got an old RKV, hoping it would be the perfect mate for my senns. No luck, the old RKV is not so nice with it, at least nothing special. But it's an outstanding match for the K340. Conclusion : the hd580 found a new home and I'm not looking anymore to upgrade.

 

[markl]

In general, there's greater variation in sound between headphones than amps. You also have far fewer choices in cans. Much harder to find a satisfactory set of cans than an amp. IMO, you are best off finding the cans you love, then build the system around them.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by kwkarth Hirsch? What were your intentions originally?

LOL!

I just wanted to put together a small headphone system for bedtime listening. Then a portable one to take to work. Then things got a bit out of hand...

WRT the actual topic, if you're going to pick a piece of equipment to build a system around, I'd choose the source. It's possible to start anywhere, and build piece by piece until the whole thing comes together. However, if you're going to choose one key component that you're not going to change, and want to use as a keystone, the source is it. If it's good, you can build on amplification and try different headphones as you go. If the source is bad, nothing you do down the line will be able to salvage the signal.

Headphones are rather unique, though, in that there are only a limited number of headphones that are actually worth building a system around. I'd say perhaps a dozen, tops. Compare that with speakers, where a dozen is a drop in a very large bucket... so from that standpoint, it's also possible to select a headphone and go backwards. You simply don't have the choices to fine tune your choice of headphones that you would in a speaker setup if that's your final decision point, so the logic used to create a speaker system will not always apply.

Once you've picked a headphone, selecting an amplifier is narrowed down. However, if you get the amplifier first, you may limit yourself to the point where the headphone you want may not be completely compatible.

 

[shafu]

My problem is I have the CD3000 and an Emmeline HR-2 amp. While it sounds great, I'm not too sure it's the best match up on my system (the CD3000 reveals a bit too much for my ears with the HR-2). On the other hand, I can easily see how Sennheisers would be great with this amp. I've been using my Etys with the HR-2, and wow. Talk about dynamic sounds. And if you ever wanted to hear bass out of Etys, hook them up with the HR-2.

I'm a big believer in system synergy, and my current finanical and household situation, I'm going to be a one home amp, one home headphone type of guy (other than the Etys which I can argue are portable use). I love the CD3000, and I like the HR-2. I have a feeling that the CD3000 are more picky then the HR-2.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Shafu,

I guess either way will work. If you have an amp you really like, then it is just a matter of finding the set of cans to compliment them the best to your ears. The same applies to cans. If you own a pair of cans that you want to stick with, audition some amps until you find the one that works best in that combo in your system.

This is exactly what Joelongwood was talking about in his coming home thread. He finds just the right combo for each amp (or cans, it means the same thing) and once he finds the combo that works well for him, he sticks with it and enjoys it thoroughly.

IMHO, and what I do is find the cans first, then the amp. Why? Easy, I have tried several sets of cans that just didn't work for me for one reason or another. One set hit my ears uncomfortably, another sounded bad to my ears, and the last ones were great all around. Once I had the comfort, sound I was looking for, and everything else I looked for in a pair of headphones I went searching for the combo that bought all those things I was looking for to the forefront.

 

[dave-the-rave]

I'd build around a source. That's the Linn philosophy, and although I do not own a single Linn component, I agree with this approach. Whenever you upgrade your source, you make all the downstream components sound better. I'm going through this process now. I currently have Senn 600 + Cardas, Grado SR-200, Ety's, Microzotl and EMP (which I have just sold). Over the past year, I have owned and sold: Creek OBH-11, Grado SR-325, Sony CD-1700 & CD-3000.

I've auditioned the Cary CD players and really like the 303/200. It gets a lot more detail off the CD than my current DAC (Muse Model 2), including a lot more bass. Therefore, if I made decisions about amps & cans based on getting more detail or getting more bass, I might have been compensating for weaknesses in the source which,
I think, are best corrected in the source, allowing for the selection of more 'neutral' downstream components. For example, I like my 'zotl, but I don't find it very generous n the bass. Voila, the Cary complements it very nicely with it's powerful bass.

There really are differences among CD players. Listen and you will see (uh, hear).

 

[shafu]

I have a sony c333es player that I really like. Eventually, the plan is to get it modded - I know it's not the c555es Hotrod, but I'm hoping it'll be fairly close. In any case, I like my source and enjoy having a changer/sacd player.

So with this source in hand, then I need to decide on the other parts. Some say amp, others say headphones. No final answer it seems. I guess I need to figure out which piece I like more.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

I always start with what I believe makes the biggest sonic difference. That would be headphones, or speakers. Everything else is there to tweak the transducers to my liking.