[Insatiable One]

How well would the Cayin C5 be able to handle the HiFiMAN HE-500? 
What about the AKG K712?

 

[Insatiable One]

bump 

 

[Stereodude]

Disclaimer:  I don't have a Cayin C5, but since you're not getting any replies...
 
The HE500 isn't very hard for an amp to drive.  The C5 has 800mW per channel at 32 ohms.  The HE-500 is 38ohms so you could get most of that power out of the C5.  I can drive my HE-500's with a FiiO E12A with the gain on high.  The E12A has quite a bit less power than the C5 into a 38 ohm load.  So, I would expect the C5 to work fine.

 

[Insatiable One]

Disclaimer:  I don't have a Cayin C5, but since you're not getting any replies...

The HE500 isn't very hard for an amp to drive.  The C5 has 800mW per channel at 32 ohms.  The HE-500 is 38ohms so you could get most of that power out of the C5.  I can drive my HE-500's with a FiiO E12A with the gain on high.  The E12A has quite a bit less power than the C5 into a 38 ohm load.  So, I would expect the C5 to work fine.

I thought the e12 had more power, it says that it has 850mW. Also, I've been rereading that the hi financial planar magnetic headphones need more juice, like around 5 or 6 W. 850mW is not even one full W. However some people say that they can be driven with a minimum of 1W, but they dont sound as 'full' as being driven with 5W.

Do I really need 5W from an amp like a Schick Lyr2? I think I will buy that amp but I won't have the money any time soon.

 

[Stereodude]

I was referring to the E12A, not the E12.  I have the E12A which is less powerful than the E12.
 
On the topic of power it all comes down to how loudly you plan to listen.  There's only .7dB of output different in a 850mW amplifier vs. a 1W amplifier.  If you want to listen to the HE-500's at 126dB then you should definitely get a 5W amp.

 

[Insatiable One]

I was referring to the E12A, not the E12.  I have the E12A which is less powerful than the E12.

On the topic of power it all comes down to how loudly you plan to listen.  There's only .7dB of output different in a 850mW amplifier vs. a 1W amplifier.  If you want to listen to the HE-500's at 126dB then you should definitely get a 5W amp.

Oh, i thought power meant more than simply volume. I thought that harder to drive headphones needed a more powerful amp to be driven "well". For example, people say that a weaker amp can make a headphone loud but the headphone will sound "lifeless and not very dynamic". But when driven with a more capable amp at the same volume, the headphones sound better somehow.

I also read someone on the Cayin C5 thread say that the C5 "can't quite handle the HE-500" but he didnt explain how.

I guess i dont really understand the whole amps and volts and ohms thing.

 

[kalrykh]

I thought the e12 had more power, it says that it has 850mW. Also, I've been rereading that the hi financial planar magnetic headphones need more juice, like around 5 or 6 W. 850mW is not even one full W. However some people say that they can be driven with a minimum of 1W, but they dont sound as 'full' as being driven with 5W.

Do I really need 5W from an amp like a Schick Lyr2? I think I will buy that amp but I won't have the money any time soon.

heh, the fi in hifi is fidelity, not financial

 

[Stereodude]

Oh, i thought power meant more than simply volume. I thought that harder to drive headphones needed a more powerful amp to be driven "well". For example, people say that a weaker amp can make a headphone loud but the headphone will sound "lifeless and not very dynamic". But when driven with a more capable amp at the same volume, the headphones sound better somehow.

I also read someone on the Cayin C5 thread say that the C5 "can't quite handle the HE-500" but he didnt explain how.

I guess i dont really understand the whole amps and volts and ohms thing.

 
Lots of the stuff posted on the Internet is pure nonsense.

  As long as both amps are putting out clean power (low distortion).  There no reason why a 850mW amp running at a 50mW level should sound appreciably different from a 5W amp running at a 50mW level.  If you were trying to run them both at 800mW, there might be a difference.  Ultimately you won't know until you try it yourself.  Can you buy the C5 from a reseller with a good return policy if you don't have the ability to audition before buying?

 

[Stereodude]

  heh, the fi in hifi is fidelity, not financial

 
C'mon now, everyone know the more you pay, the better it sounds.

 

[Insatiable One]

Lots of the stuff posted on the Internet is pure nonsense.   As long as both amps are putting out clean power (low distortion).  There no reason why a 850mW amp running at a 50mW level should sound appreciably different from a 5W amp running at a 50mW level.  If you were trying to run them both at 800mW, there might be a difference.  Ultimately you won't know until you try it yourself.  Can you buy the C5 from a reseller with a good return policy if you don't have the ability to audition before buying?

Well I've had the C5 for a while now, so I can't really return it. However, the reason I am asking all these questions is because I am wondering why people buy all these amps if what you say is true that as long as the amp is clean, then it shouldn't sound all that different or better than another amp. It's a little bewildering to hear that everything I've been reading is nonsense. If my Cayin C5 is pretty clean, then what is the purpose of anew expensive Burson amp, given that both amps are solid state?

 

[Stereodude]

Well I've had the C5 for a while now, so I can't really return it. However, the reason I am asking all these questions is because I am wondering why people buy all these amps if what you say is true that as long as the amp is clean, then it shouldn't sound all that different or better than another amp. It's a little bewildering to hear that everything I've been reading is nonsense. If my Cayin C5 is pretty clean, then what is the purpose of anew expensive Burson amp, given that both amps are solid state?

 
Welcome to high end audio...  I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but personally I buy for features not "sound".  I have my FiiO E12A because I wanted a portable amp that didn't hiss that also had a low output impedance.  I didn't buy it because I expected better soundstage or whatever.  My BSG CMOY amp sounded bad (I made measurements that confirm it has problems).  I've got a few DAC/HP Amp products from Audio-GD.  I likewise bought them for features, not because I expected a sound quality revolution.  I wanted USB audio devices that could drive particular headphones or be used as a preamp for speakers without the audible problems of internal sound cards.

 

[Kohi]

Allow me to preface that -- I'm pretty damn new to the whole "audiophile" scene, and my knowledge is entirely entry level. 

Anyway, was wondering if anything along the lines of the following'd be compatible with this amp/dac? Definitely considering picking it up but'd be hella useful if I could get a straight forward answer.

I've read through a few forums on the topic but the answers've been pretty inconsistent. Some say this lil' beast'll tear through the likes of the following -- While others, well, disagree.

Any help'd be appreciated. 

So again, wondering if anything along the lines of the following'd be compatible with this amp/dac?

Beyerdynamics DT990 (250ohms)
Sennheiser HD6XX (300ohms)

Peace