[OrthodoxJew]

I've been getting very excited about purchasing my first headphones. I spent many hours lately deciding which headphones would be right for me. My problem is that each time I find the headphones that I want something sets me back. So let me explain.

I will be using these headphones for listening to classical music(mostly). My plan was to plug in the headphones directly to my Audigy 2 Platinum Sound card and splurge by buying the Sennheiser HD-650 Premier Headphone. After a few more hours I discovered that a lot of the reviewers stated that an amp is a must. So back to rresearching I went. Now from what I understand, entry level amps cost around 150-200 dollars like Rega Ear or little dot. This really puts owning this set of cans out of my price range if an amp is required and they cost that much.

So my plan might be to get the Akg K701 Studio Headphones
because I read that since its ohms are lower, that this set of headphones would be better suited for someone that might not be able to afford an amp. I don't know if this is true or not because I read it off an amazon review and well, we know how that goes. Any clarification on this would greatly help. Finally a Grado SR80 Headphones would seem like an option if you guys suggest that I need an amp for the akg. They appear to be a better buy then comparable Sennheisers at that price range.

By the way I also have the logitech z-550 speakers. I don't know how well headphones connect to them but the reason I started looking into headphones is to have them upstairs and my speakers down

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it.

craig

 

[nullstring]

An amp is also a must if buying the k701's. AFAIK, these are even harder to drive than the HD600's

The impedance might not be as high, but that doesn't mean that they don't require large amounts of current.

The Audigy 2 is also a mediocre sound card, from what i've read. If I were going to spend that much on headphones, I would also buy a DAC.

As far as headphones that work unamped:
Open- ATH-AD700, ATH-AD900, Grado's
Closed- Denon D1001, JVC HA-RX700, ATH-A700, ATH-A900, DT770/80 ohm

Denon D2000 might be a good idea too, but these improve greatly with an amp. Don't require one though.

You don't seem to know very much about headphones. If I were you, I would buy a cheaper set and then upgrade when you know what you like.

It's hard to decide what you want if you haven't heard anything to compare to.

 

[tintin47]

Ohms aren't the whole story with amping phones. Sensitivity counts also, as do a host of other factors. The bottom line is that the 701 is very difficult to drive well, so it is a bad choice as an unamped phone. In the same pricerange, I would go for the Denon d2000. They are not quite as good with classical as the 650s IMO, but they are good all rounders and very nice. They can be had for ~300 or maybe around 230 if you buy used off of the FS forums, and are great phones. If you are looking for something cheaper, go for the Denon D1001. Great phone for a little over $100.

The 2000s will also improve noticeably with amping should you decide to upgrade further down the road, but they are also quite good unamped.

The SR80s aren't a bad choice at all, either.

 

[lutwey]

x3 about the k701 being hard drive. i was going not buy it w/o an amp but have been warned by most people who posted on my thread. i would suggest looking at the hd595, they are pretty easy to drive and are quite versatile.

 

[Acix]

The K701/2 need a nice SS amp, that is good for low independence. and the more transparent the better...

 

[OrthodoxJew]

Obviously I don't know much about headphones, but at least I didn't go buy a pair of sennheisers and not spend anytime researching like I bet a lot of people do. Thanks nullstring you gave me some useful info and now I know which headphones work best without an amp, which I was totally lost prior. I will probably either purchase a ATH-AD900 or Denon D1001.

Tintin, do you know if a $30 amp would show that improvement with Denon D2000? I was just reading on another thread that even a $30 amp would help a lot and don't know if this is true. Its kind of like with Hd595, I am interested in them, but I will mostly likely pass on them given that an amp that cost around $ be required.

 

[Dodger1]

I bought my AD900s from this eBay seller and it was an extremely smooth transaction, with fast shipping.

Brand New Audio technica ATH-AD900 ATH AD900 - eBay (item 220372818770 end time Apr-04-09 02:30:38 PDT)

 

[Toby M]

To echo what everyone else says, don't bother with something in the HD650/D2000/A900 etc range unless you are fully prepared to buy an amp and DAC at some point in the future.

The Audigy 2 is a horrible, horrible source even with an amplifier. So you will want a DAC as well to take advantage of any decent pair of headphones. I used and Audigy 2 for a few years. I now own an X-fi, which is substantially better. Even so, the X-fi is far inferior to my (relatively cheap) Fubar II DAC + Cute Beyond Amp setup.

As for headphones, I have the Denon D2000s, Sennheiser HD555s, CX300s and PX100s. The Denons are fantastic. The D2000s work okay unamped on a PC but it's far from optimal for music. It's fine for gaming and their solid soundstage and punchy bass make them great for first person shooters with the X-fi's 3D headphone mode.

With music it's a different story. There's an obvious loss in sound quality when swapping from the X-fi to Fubar II DAC + Cute Beyond amp. The X-fi sounds boring and muffled, lacks punch, extension at both ends, clarity, soundstage. I found it very noticable with classical. The D2000s are just wasted on the X-fi. I wouldn't even bother with the Audigy 2.

So, again, don't buy the D2000s if you don't intend to get a DAC + amp at some stage. Otherwise go for one of the cheaper options like the D1000, A500, etc.

I don't think starting out with a cheap set of headphones is a bad idea. Gives you a chance to try out different sound signatures before you invest too heavily in one. If you're really lucky you'll be satisfied and never come back to this money-shredder of a website again.

 

[paaj]

You make it sound like the D2000/HD650 level is actually worse than the cheaper models.
Bang/buck may be lower, but IMO even without amp/dac the sound is still better and it gives a good base to upgrade the other equipment later.

 

[Ishcabible]

Wouldn't the K4/500/1 be a decent choice too if he wants K701s?
They do need more powah though.

btw, unlike my username alludes, I'm not Jewish.

 

[OrthodoxJew]

Hey guys just letting you know I decided and purchased, drumroll please....
Sony MDR-V150 Monitor Series Headphones with Reversible Earcups

I just thought these cans were really value driven and reading all the reviews on amazon, there were a lot of people raving about them! People really seem to say that they have a nice sound stage. This way I won't need an amp and for the price you can't go wrong

 

[OrthodoxJew]

Actually I am really just joking.... I hope I got a few people with this April Fools! I purchased the Denon AHD1001S. It was between the Denon and the Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air . Both were around $90 with shipping. I will let you guys know how I like them.

By the way this thread is now dead, do not post any replies. Thanks again guys for the help.

 

[dcpoor]

hahaha, that was horrible. nice one.

 

[Oggranak]

OH MY GOD I fell for that, lol, you scared me.

 

[pataburd]

The D2000 are great cans, and with either no or minimalist amping, but classical music presentation is not their strongest suit, IMHE. I decidedly preferred them with "classic" R&R, vintage C&W and most pop/world genres. But for Early, Period, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc., (and acoustic jazz) the K501 are--hands-down--my headphones of choice. Yes, they need a decent home amp to shine, but they're well worth the investment if you're predominantly a "classical" music listener. : )