[formula1]

I don't see a K551 improving a lot when amped. 

 

[zackzack]

Quote:

I don't see a K551 improving a lot when amped. 

 
Amplification is not crucial when dealing with AKG K550. Try pairing it with a good outboard DAC. Yes, there is a difference. 
But if you are expecting massive changes in bass, you are mistaken. AKG K550 is bass light but with EQ, you could get a real
nice bass performance.
 
If you want ear-punishing, bring-da-house-down bass, get the Audeze LCD 3, and a good SS amp like Burson Soloist. You will be jumping with joy guaranteed. The Audeze is made for Electronic/Dance music. Downside is, you have to let go of that 10 year old Honda, lol

 

[formula1]

Quote:

 
Amplification is not crucial when dealing with AKG K550. Try pairing it with a good outboard DAC. Yes, there is a difference. 
But if you are expecting massive changes in bass, you are mistaken. AKG K550 is bass light but with EQ, you could get a real
nice bass performance.
 
If you want ear-punishing, bring-da-house-down bass, get the Audeze LCD 3, and a good SS amp like Burson Soloist. You will be jumping with joy guaranteed. The Audeze is made for Electronic/Dance music. Downside is, you have to let go of that 10 year old Honda, lol

 
Well, i was going to recommend getting a nice Dac instead. You stole my idea
Aren't the K551 optimized for use with portable devices? 

 

[gilsont]

Quote:

 
Amplification is not crucial when dealing with AKG K550. Try pairing it with a good outboard DAC. Yes, there is a difference. 
But if you are expecting massive changes in bass, you are mistaken. AKG K550 is bass light but with EQ, you could get a real
nice bass performance.
 
If you want ear-punishing, bring-da-house-down bass, get the Audeze LCD 3, and a good SS amp like Burson Soloist. You will be jumping with joy guaranteed. The Audeze is made for Electronic/Dance music. Downside is, you have to let go of that 10 year old Honda, lol

I don't care for bass. I like the K551 bass as is.

 

[gilsont]

After a week, no difference still lol. I guess it's going back on the market!

 

[wafflezz]

It takes a huge deal of analytical listening to hear the differences between them. It's not a placebo...but it's darn close.

 

 

[jackwess]

Quote:

After a week, no difference still lol. I guess it's going back on the market!

 
get yourself a nice pair of headphones please. 

 

[gilsont]

get yourself a nice pair of headphones please. 

I tried my friends k701. The headphone known to sound better with an amp. I tried it with my setup vs my laptop. Again no difference. I'm starting to think my laptop got the best sound card in the world.

 

[Lorspeaker]

something in the "setup" is setting u up.... 

 

[TrollDragon]

Drop some 600 ohm beyer's on the laptop and see if it still has enough chutzpah...

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk 2

 

[gilsont]

Quote:

something in the "setup" is setting u up.... 

What do you mean?

 

[gilsont]

Quote:

Drop some 600 ohm beyer's on the laptop and see if it still has enough chutzpah...

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk 2

Lol! I tihnk with a 600ohm, then I definitely need an amp!
 
But for the AKG K551 and K701... my laptop handles it amazingly!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Take note also that laptops' sound card designs haven't exactly remained unchanged over the years. Back in 2008 my Vaio C-series was miles ahead of my circa-2004 and 2002 HP, I kind of just assumed Sony cares enough about sound since it manufactures audio equipment. Now my Acer AS5560-8480 is actually much, much better than that and I got it for about half of what I paid for the Vaio (a third if I paid regular price for it); DAP-quality level actually (iPod, Sansa or Cowon, not necessarily S:Flo and X3). Heck back when I had the early-2000s HPs for college I lugged around a MiniDisc (to the bewilderment of the Mac+iPod crowd). A lot of people who assume outright that laptops and computers just can't cut it probably just base their assumptions off their older laptops and it colors their opinion even now, so even if they actually listened, they'd have these preconceptions too far forward in their minds.
 
That said, I still hear a lot of improvements using a K701 and HD600 on my laptop vs my Meier Cantate.2, even if it uses the "soundcard-quality" PCM2702-based USB DAC in it (no, really, other DACs just use that chip as a USB receiver). However given I don't go around carrying either one save for meets, I don't really bring any amp. Even my D-Zero stays at home with my Swan D1080MkII 08 monitors at my workstation. Speaking of which, the laptop soundcard's analog output is a bit harsh on some IEMs and noticeably so on my speakers; the D-Zero is a bit too warm (but I'd prefer that for reducing listening fatigue given I listen to this while working).
 
In any case, I won't be surprised if Alienware used a good enough soundcard on that thing, given they'd assume a gamer would probably use not only surround sound, but a lot of clean-enough power to help even a closed headphone overcome the noise floor of - say - five other guys shouting profanities at each other around a dinner table during a night of mobile gaming over beer.