[oktapod]

Hi folks.

My wife has suggested that instead of new speakers I might be better off buying a decent pair of headphones and listening with them for the next few years whilst our two boys get past toddler-dom.

I've had HD600s with two modded X-Can V2 in the past, and they were fine but not really good enough to make me move away from speakers happily. So this time I'm wondering whether I can gain significantly with an upped-budget.

Once upon a time I had a listen to the Sennheiser Orpheus at a hifi show and it still is my absolute golden reference for what headphone listening can be like. So, the HD800s which many are saying great things about are an option (albeit buying them would mean breaking that budget as I'd need a headphone stage too).

What other options do I have? Pre-owned is fine, but I hope to keep whatever I end up buying for many years, so I don't mind buying new.

Thanks,

John

 

[rosgr63]

Welcome to Head-Fi!
Can you be more specific on your current and future budgets for an Amp and Headphones?
Are you happy with your source?

 

[oktapod]

Delighted with my sources (AVI Lab Series CD player, Squeezebox+ and a Rega turntable) and my budget for an amp and headphones is roughly £1000 as I think I mentioned. Which is to say that it's flexible, and if there was a huge leap in performance between the 'best' £1000 combo and (say) a £1200 one then I'd rather wait and get the better one.

My only other real consideration is comfort for the headphones - I use Shure E2Cs for my iPod listening and whilst I think they're not bad sounding, I'm not convinced about in-ear designs from a comfort point-of-view and so I want big old fashioned over ear jobs with comfy ear-pads. Something that will work well when placed over my ears whilst I'm veg-ing on the sofa...

 

[oktapod]

I did wonder about the following combo, which I could afford IF I go for the amp first and wait a few months for the headphones:

Graham Slee Solo Green head-amp (~£350) + my AKG K171s for a few months
...then replacing the K171s with HD800s (£1000) - total £1350

...versus...

Cheaper phones plus that head-amp, bought at the same time.

...versus...

Stax electrostatic headphones including amp at the same time (4040 Sig II at £1200)

...versus???

 

[oktapod]

Anyone?

I'd appreciate any recommendations or 'bewares'...

 

[padam]

I'd go straight for Stax (given that you also liked the HE90 which is also electrostatic), there are many to choose from in this price range and the comfort is hard to fault. Many people (including me) think that the older ones are actually nicer (both the amps and the headphones).

 

[oktapod]

Where is the 'sweet spot' for Stax? Ideally, I'd prefer to buy used but assuming I can't find any pre-owned Stax nearby, and have to buy new, is there a particular standout model for the money?

 

[padam]

I would say the Lambda Signature and the T1(S) which I am using is pretty nice for the money but some may disagree with that(each to his own). It can depend on a lot of things (type of music one, other components of the system, and so on). I also like the normal bias Lambda which is smoother but has less airy, less aggressive sound.

 

[AmanGeorge]

I think it's more cost-effective to get one of the new orthos (LCD-2 and HE-5) and a powerful amp than splurging for the HD800.

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oktapod /img/forum/go_quote.gif my budget for an amp and headphones is roughly £1000 as I think I mentioned. Which is to say that it's flexible, and if there was a huge leap in performance between the 'best' £1000 combo and (say) a £1200 one then I'd rather wait and get the better one.

There are many that will say (though there are precious few of them here) that you get most difference in overall SQ from $10-500 phone range, the diminishing returns kick in sharply after that. Though there are arguments over where it kicks in.

I doubt $200 at the top end will make any significant difference in overall SQ, difference in sound between two bits of kit? Very likely.

Stax is a whole other planet, sound-wise and financially. I'd do a lot of research to find out what language they speak there.

 

[Dinan]

I have always been a speaker guy and have a pretty outrageous speaker rig but these days headphones get most of my time as I can listen in the early morning. I blew through the flagship dynamic offerings pretty quickly and found that they weren't quite good enough for my tastes. I then went for electrostats which keep me very happy and I couldn't recommend them more highly.

For your budget range you might be able to fit a STAX SR-404LE and SRM-600 amp in there. I haven't heard the SRM-600 but the 404LE are pretty great in my system paired with an SRM-717 and get as much listening time as my O2's!

Good luck in your quest!