[FraGTaLiTy]

HT Omega Claro Halo with XT sound card. Right now, I am plugging my Sennheiser HD 600s directly into the sound card of my computer while listening to CDs. It is the latest and best sound card, and has an amp in it.

HT Omega - Claro halo XT

Am I using my HD 600s to its full potential with just this sound card? I know the HD 600 needs an Amp for it to sound as good as it was made, but does this self amp'd sound card do the job?

 

[Effusion]

Hard to say as I haven't used that sound card before, but if they sound good to you, then no worries...

Now, I do know that the HD600 and HD650s are very sensitive to the source and the amp; meaning that small improvements or changes can have drastic effects on these phones. They would definitely sound better out of higher-end equipment.

Easiest way to tell if they are getting enough power is by the volume... do you have to turn your volume way up to get sufficient sound levels (75% of the max)? According to the specs, it should have no problems providing enough power; headphone amp on the card is rated up to 600ohms...

As far as dynamics... it is a little harder to tell as some amps just pair better with the HD600s. Some amps are also better at certain ohm ratings; that is, some are better with low ohm and some are better with higher ohm headphones.

It appears that your soundcard should be sufficient enough to power your phones, but believe me when I say there is room for improvement... one way to start to "hear" the difference is to plug your phones into any amps/receivers you can get your hands on and then compare these to your soundcard... hope this helps.

 

[FraGTaLiTy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Effusion /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hard to say as I haven't used that sound card before, but if they sound good to you, then no worries... Now, I do know that the HD600 and HD650s are very sensitive to the source and the amp; meaning that small improvements or changes can have drastic effects on these phones. They would definitely sound better out of higher-end equipment. Easiest way to tell if they are getting enough power is by the volume... do you have to turn your volume way up to get sufficient sound levels (75% of the max)? According to the specs, it should have no problems providing enough power; headphone amp on the card is rated up to 600ohms... As far as dynamics... it is a little harder to tell as some amps just pair better with the HD600s. Some amps are also better at certain ohm ratings; that is, some are better with low ohm and some are better with higher ohm headphones. It appears that your soundcard should be sufficient enough to power your phones, but believe me when I say there is room for improvement... one way to start to "hear" the difference is to plug your phones into any amps/receivers you can get your hands on and then compare these to your soundcard... hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply. Got any suggestions regarding amps to try?

 

[Effusion]

The best thing would be to attend a head-fi meet in your area or find a member that is close by that is willing and able to let you try out some of their gear... other then that, I've tried several old to new stereo receivers with some surprising (in my eyes) results... some that sounded great (mostly older) and some that sound like my Discman, just awful... but it gave me an idea of how good and how bad these headphones could sound.

Think about everyone you know and what equipment they may have that you could try; anything from shelf-systems to Home Theater Surround Systems...

Once again, the very best option would be to attend a head-fi meet in your area where you could gain valuable information and experience with your phones; also, if you are ever interested in taking the plunge for a dedicated amp, these forums are never short on recommendations/opinions...

 

[Uncle Erik]

X2 on attending a meet. The newness of a card doesn't mean much. They're typically run off the 12V rail off a computer's switching power supply. You really want a well filtered 120V off a linear power supply into a powerful class A amp for the HD-600. But don't buy blindly if you can help it. Go to a meet and plug the HD-600 into as many amps as possible. That will give you a good idea of what the HD-600 is truly capable of -it is a wonderful headphone.