[claysand]

Im thinking about buying audio technica ATH-M50 headphones based on the high praise from several people who own them. I will most likely be using them with an iphone 5, and so my question is, will i need an amp with these headphones? These will be my first pair of high quality around the ear headphones so i will most likely not notice the subtle sounds other people have "trained" their ears to hear, but i am still skeptical as to whether or not an amplifier will be necessary. I realize the headphones aren't at full potential without an amp but i just need to know if they still sound crisp, clear, and powerful without an amp. I listen to pretty much anything (rock, country, rap, acoustic) besides strictly instrumental music like jazz or classical, etc. 

 

[Deviver]

they work well without an amp  (used phones, players , computer etc. as source worked well)

 

[kvtaco17]

They dont "need" an amp to sound good... And the gains with these (I'm listening with my m50's now with a e5) are small. You will however benefit from the eq adjustments to get the to sound how you want.

 

[claysand]

Thanks for the quick answers, if anybody has any other suggestions that work great with just listening without an amp feel free to post them

 

[kvtaco17]

They will be fine with any clean source, get em and enjoy em lol I love mine and use them a ton.

 

[obobskivich]

No, the M50 don't really need a dedicated amp - they're quite easy to drive. Other easily driven headphones that sound good without an amp...well, we had that thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/657923/the-hassle-free-headphone-recommendation-thread-cans-that-sound-great-without-amping-modding-or-burn-in

There's a lot of them out there.

 

[kkfan]

C&C BH is supposed to pair well with the M50, according to some posts I've read. The C&C BH thread located in the portable amp section would be a good read for you.

 

[MoonYeol]

Maybe you won't benefit very much in terms of power. Adding just a Fiio E6 will probably increase your bass response and control (it did on all my iems and K271mkII). Adding a C&C BH will give you more detail and a bigger soundstage. I don't know how they compare when it comes to bass paired with M50. I also don't know how the iPhone 5 sounds, I'm comparing to a iPhone 4s. If you listen on-the-go, a Fiio E6 + a LOD cable is really neat. I find that it's only lately that I've been able to use my iems without amps, then I'm only using cheaper ones and not the ones that I feel are more detailed. Maybe you will feel the same way, maybe you won't. Ask yourself if you're the kind of person who will miss having the last 5-10% of the performance when you're on the go.