[headphone-n00b]

OK. I've decided on Sennheiser HD-595's (50/120 ohm version is negotiable, but probably 50).

I'll be using them with my computer. I've currently got a Soundblaster Live! Audigy (1st gen). I know I'll be needing a better sound card (and perhaps an amp).

The Chaintech AV-710 seems decent as a low-end option. I'm wondering what my options are if I'm willing to go to the $150 neighborhood though. Also, with a nice sound card and 50 ohm impedence, do I need an amp? A $100 or less price point would be preferred. If so, are the CMOYs gonna work? If so, what "flavor"? I don't need portable, so a premium would be placed on being able to power it via AC (also, what about a "clean" power supply?) instead of having to swap out batteries all the damn time. I'm rather new to the whole audiophile scene, so it's all been quite a learning experience.

I'll be listening to CDs and DVD-Audio through whatever DVD player I have in the computer at the time, as well as lossless stuff streamed off the hard drive. I will be doing gaming (first person shooters) as well, but music is definitely my primary concern.

Thoughts?

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Quote:

Originally Posted by headphone-n00b OK. I've decided on Sennheiser HD-595's (50/120 ohm version is negotiable, but probably 50). I'll be using them with my computer. I've currently got a Soundblaster Live! Audigy (1st gen). I know I'll be needing a better sound card (and perhaps an amp). The Chaintech AV-710 seems decent as a low-end option. I'm wondering what my options are if I'm willing to go to the $150 neighborhood though. Also, with a nice sound card and 50 ohm impedence, do I need an amp? A $100 or less price point would be preferred. If so, are the CMOYs gonna work? If so, what "flavor"? I don't need portable, so a premium would be placed on being able to power it via AC (also, what about a "clean" power supply?) instead of having to swap out batteries all the damn time. I'm rather new to the whole audiophile scene, so it's all been quite a learning experience. I'll be listening to CDs and DVD-Audio through whatever DVD player I have in the computer at the time, as well as lossless stuff streamed off the hard drive. I will be doing gaming (first person shooters) as well, but music is definitely my primary concern. Thoughts?

Why not get a EMU 1212 and not use an amp. HD595 (50 ohm) are a pretty efficent headphones anyways. I think the upgrades sound card make more of a difference then the entry level amp. Otherwise you down the road will need to upgrade the Scard and amp.

 

[Borat]

Something to consider would be to buy the Chaintech AV-710 and watch the For Sale forum for a used amp. Just this week there was a Millet Hybrid that went for $130 shipped. That doesn't happen all the time, but if you are patient a good deal is bound to come up. The Chaintech is only $25 shipped so if you want to upgrade your source later on it's not a big loss. In the meantime, it's a very capable soundcard for the audiophile on a budget. An amp like the Millet would scale well with any upgrades to the rest of your setup.

Good luck!

 

[RedLeader]

or if you want to go cheaper, an m-audio revolution 5.1 pairs quite nicely with a set of 595.

 

[headphone-n00b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfromalbany Why not get a EMU 1212 and not use an amp. HD595 (50 ohm) are a pretty efficent headphones anyways. I think the upgrades sound card make more of a difference then the entry level amp. Otherwise you down the road will need to upgrade the Scard and amp.

... if I'm going to get an EMU 1212, wouldn't it be better to get an X-fi?

 

[IstariAsuka]

Quote:

Originally Posted by headphone-n00b ... if I'm going to get an EMU 1212, wouldn't it be better to get an X-fi?

You'd have to buy the $400 X-Fi card to get the same audio quality as you get out of the 1212m. The only advantage the X-Fi card really has is for gaming (and, I suppose, multichannel). However, you're paying quite a premium over the 1212m for that privilege.

 

[headphone-n00b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IstariAsuka You'd have to buy the $400 X-Fi card to get the same audio quality as you get out of the 1212m. The only advantage the X-Fi card really has is for gaming (and, I suppose, multichannel). However, you're paying quite a premium over the 1212m for that privilege.

Ah, I was under the impression that the bottom-of-the-line X-Fi was the same card as the top-of-the-line, but without the added bells and whistles on the breakout board.

Maybe I should just go with the M-audio revolution 5.1 since it's 80 bucks shipped... I imagine it won't be as good as the 1212m, but it's less than half the price. What more am I really buying if I hold out for the 1212m?

 

[K2Grey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by headphone-n00b Ah, I was under the impression that the bottom-of-the-line X-Fi was the same card as the top-of-the-line, but without the added bells and whistles on the breakout board. Maybe I should just go with the M-audio revolution 5.1 since it's 80 bucks shipped... I imagine it won't be as good as the 1212m, but it's less than half the price. What more am I really buying if I hold out for the 1212m?

Why don't you get Emu 0404? It's generally considered very close to 1212m, and alot of people seem to like it better than 1212m (granted, 0404 was FOTM but still). The price is very similar to that of Rev5.1. I managed to pick up Emu1212m for $100 and am actually slightly regretting the purchase since I got a used one and it has two cards I need to install over 1 for 0404, so I'm wondering if I shouldn't just have gotten a 0404 instead, or even now sell the 1212m and buy something else. (Of course, once I actually get an amp and interconnects and install the thing I'm sure I'll be blown away, but still, before that there's more than enough time for some good old fashioned buyer's remorse).

 

[headphone-n00b]

So... is there a relevant thread that I don't know about that discusses the relative virtues of the Revo5.1 and the 0404 or should I start a new thread?

 

[K2Grey]

Make a search I guess, and if what you find doesn't please you make a new thread then.

 

[headphone-n00b]

Yeah, I had already searched and didn't find anything directly on point... I'll start a new thread.

 

[sgrossklass]

In case of any line-out-only card - be it a 0404, Juli@, Audiophile 192 or 1212m (and AV-710 via the Wolfson DAC) - you always need to factor in the cost for an amp. These have too high an output impedance - still not too bad for 300 ohm cans à la HD600, but far too high for 50 ohm cans like the HD595. Thus the cards like Revo 5.1 and Prodigy 7.1 / 7.1LT aren't that bad a deal after all. For $150, you might just be able to squeeze in a budget amp in addition to the 0404, which may be a better setup to your ears.

 

[headphone-n00b]

OK, now I'm confused... is the Revo5.1 essentially sending a "line out" signal through a built-in amp and then sending that out through the headphone port?

Also, shouldn't the HD-600's be HARDER to drive with the 0404 than the HD-595's would... or am I completely misunderstanding impedence....

 

[sgrossklass]

Opamp based amplification stages on all outputs are present on all better sound cards. Just whether these can dish out a lot of current without overly distorting and whether the output impedance (usually determined by inline resistors, IIRC 470 ohm in the case of the 1212m) is low enough, that's another question. (Besides the level, these are the only factors distinguishing a "line out" from a "headphone out".) Outputs "for headphones" typically feature lower output impedance (in case of the Revo 5.1, 5 ohm instead of 100 ohm resistors) and beefier buffer and coupling capacitors.

Regarding "hard to drive", look up one of the two billion threads discussing this in the Headphones forum. Suffice to say, if you plugged the two into the line-out of an old ISA Soundblaster (powered by TL072 opamps), the result with the HD600 would be far more pleasing...

 

[headphone-n00b]

Now my head hurts... I thought that a "higher" impedence (300 ohm is higher than 50 ohm, right?) meant "more" resistance. Wouldn't this imply that you'd need more power to drive the HD-650's? At least... that's what I've gleaned from some of the billions of threads I'd already read here.

Now you're telling me that a LOWER powered output will drive HIGHER impedence cans better than lower impedence cans. I'm confused. Anyone got a tutorial on the EE behind audio?