Either my ears are broken ~ Or this is all just a joke

[Jack C]

There's been plenty of evidence already posted. There are numerous ways hat a headphone amplifier can provide improvements to a system. Some examples off the top of my head:
 
- Allows buffering of a weak headphone out from a source
- Allows usage of a line-out signal that's potentially cleaner
- If source uses digital volume, allows such volume to be set at max to preserve bit resolution
- Allows slight adjustments in FR based on damping factor when used with various headphones
- Allows addition of features such as crossfeeding, tonal balance; while these are colorations on the original signal, they are valuable features
 
Various amplifiers perform to the above at different levels, and thus there are differences between headphone amplifiers.
 
Jack

 

[wind016]

There is so much evidence on this forum that I don't think this needs to be argued anymore. Maybe experience will be more convincing. Either way, easiest thing to notice between underpowered headphone and powered is from the low end. Don't expect any miracles from sub $600 amps on low end.
 
If you're a real audiophile, you would invest in a good amp.

 

[supersleuth]

Correction, there are a lot of unsupported claims on this forum.
 
Look, again, believe what you want, just dont mislead new people- often kids who don't have a lot of money- about what they "need" to spend. The truth is that very good sound can be had for remarkably little money. That's one of the big attractions of head-fi.
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If you're a real audiophile, you would invest in a good amp.

Pure snobbery. And "underpowered" headphones? It doesn't take a heck of a lot to power something with a sensitivity of 98 or 100 dB @ 1 mW. Do the math.

 

[wind016]

Sorry, im just trying to help and give input from my experience. If you don't like it, its fine. I'm a poor person too and I spend money only on what is necessary. You clearly have not heard a well powered headphone VS an underpowered one. AKG K701 is the easiest headphone to experiment
 
Also, "basshead" headphones would tighten up sloppy bass.
 
Good low end response usually requires more power than the suggested, though it may still be audible
 

Pure snobbery. And "underpowered" headphones? It doesn't take a heck of a lot to power something with a sensitivity of 98 or 100 dB @ 1 mW. Do the math.

 

[Catharsis]

 
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But it's easy to properly build one, they'e excellent, low-noise amps when that is the case, and if they have enough power to avoid clipping (which will be the case with almost anything other than unusually low-efficiency cans like AKG 240 DFs) that's the end of the story, period- amps do not have magical properties. Look, I don't care if people want to brainwash themselves into believing the $500 or more they spent on a fancy amp was well spent. Hell, if they can afford it and it gives them pleasure, it WAS well spent. But what I object to is the constant drumbeat of "advice" to newbies that they "have to" spend outrageous amounts of money to get good sound. That's not just nonsense, it's harmful nonsense.

That was very well said supersleuth.  Even if I had a lust for Ethiopian Goatskin Edition 8 headphones with a $1000+ tube and quantumatron nuclear amp, it's not fair for me to tell people looking for real objectivity on the subject that they have to spend their hard-earned cash on what I consider blatant overkill in light of science and evidence.

 

[supersleuth]

"Tightness" of bass, as already discussed, would relate to damping factor, not power. If there is enough power not to audibly distort at the desired level, there is enough power, period.
 
I am not only trained as a scientist, my job is running a forensic DNA lab. A lot of false convictions based on faulty eyewitness evidence have been overturned by DNA evidence. So I am very familiar with the unreliability of human perception and the ease with which you can fool yourself. Subjectivist audiophilia is absolutely rife with self-delusion.

 

[Catharsis]

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WOW.  An amplifier does NOT only make volume louder. That is what cheap amps do. It boosts the signal. Aren't there any other musicians in this forum? Anyone ever use a solid state guitar or bass amplifier?  How come bass response always requires more power on either amps? If there is not enough sufficient power, there WILL be lack of low end. That is usually the first thing that goes. There will also be lack of clarity and separation of frequencies.
 
Underpower an AKG K701 and then power it through a powerful amplifier and you'll see what I mean.

Absolutely power is a concern.  The problem is that it is calculable, predictable and measurable and fewer people actually need more power than they think they do.

 

[wind016]

Amplifiers do very little for the money especially for very sensitive headphones. Just buy one or two good amplifiers and be done with it. Tube amps are known to be very colorated but certain headphones such as the Audio Technica W1000 is voiced for tube amps.
 
Quote:

 

That was very well said supersleuth.  Even if I had a lust for Ethiopian Goatskin Edition 8 headphones with a $1000+ tube and quantumatron nuclear amp, it's not fair for me to tell people looking for real objectivity on the subject that they have to spend their hard-earned cash on what I consider blatant overkill in light of science and evidence.

 

[wind016]

Agreed. If you have a sensitive headphone, chances are, you don't need an expensive amplifier. People recommend amplification far too often for portable headphones. They do very little, are heavy and are expensive... A desktop one may be worth it however.
 
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Absolutely power is a concern.  The problem is that it is calculable, predictable and measurable and fewer people actually need more power than they think they do.

 

[Catharsis]

 
Quote:

There's been plenty of evidence already posted. There are numerous ways hat a headphone amplifier can provide improvements to a system. Some examples off the top of my head:
 
- Allows buffering of a weak headphone out from a source
- Allows usage of a line-out signal that's potentially cleaner
- If source uses digital volume, allows such volume to be set at max to preserve bit resolution
- Allows slight adjustments in FR based on damping factor when used with various headphones
- Allows addition of features such as crossfeeding, tonal balance; while these are colorations on the original signal, they are valuable features
 
Various amplifiers perform to the above at different levels, and thus there are differences between headphone amplifiers.
 
Jack

 
We're outnumbered supersleuth - spending time at head-fi is like trying to survive in a world that's be taken over by crazy fast zombies (no offense to the zombies).
 
Jack - indeed headphone amps are different, and what you pointed out are "features".  What I'm trying to convey is that if an amp of adequate power makes something sound different (which to some people may be "better"), AND is objectively measurable, than it is either deliberately coloured (e.g. tubes), has too high a Zout for the headphone being driven, or has a feature like crossfeed or bass-boost enabled.
 
The OP wanted to know if his DT880 32ohm needed an amp.  The right answer is "no".  If he wanted to change the sound of the headphone without the use of an EQ by using a feature-rich or unique amp, then the answer would have precluded the OPs question.
 

 

[Catharsis]

Quote:

Amplifiers do very little for the money especially for very sensitive headphones. Just buy one or two good amplifiers and be done with it. Tube amps are known to be very colorated but certain headphones such as the Audio Technica W1000 is voiced for tube amps.
 

 

But wind016, are you SURE the W1000 is voiced for tube amps?  Where did you learn that?

 

[wind016]

Audio Technica doesn't say a tube amplifier is recommended. It may have drove down sales. Even AKG says the K701 is great for Ipods. However, my W1000 sounds infinitely dry and harsh through any solid state amplifier that I have driven it through. It was just intolerable for me, unlike other headphones which simply sounded different through a tube amp. I was about to sell it until I tried it through my Woo.  Also, it may not be a completely valid argument but there are rumors of tube amps that are made with the W1000 in mind, such as the Yamamoto HA 02. The W1000 just sounds sublime with a tube amp; and for my preferences, perfect. It has never sounded good through a solid state amp for me.
 
Of course, like all audio equipment, it is subjective and varies person to person, day to day. But to me, there is no denying that the W1000s are incredibly bright with solid state equipment.
 
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But wind016, are you SURE the W1000 is voiced for tube amps?  Where did you learn that?

 

[NapalmK]

Those are my impressions of the W1000 from a ss amp as well. I'm trying to wait to make a final decision until I can hear it from a tube and/or a hybrid. On the other hand, I have to say my AD2000 loves ss.

 

[wind016]

That's my impression of the AD2000 as well... The AD2000 just sounds great through any solid state amp that I gave it or unamped haha.  But I had initially plugged it into my Woo, and it sounded so so wrong. Such strangle mid coloration that no amount of equalizing could help. That was the day that I discovered that my Woo was heavily* colored LOL
 
If I didn't have my W1000 tube combo and W11JPN already, I wouldn't be considering to sell the AD2000 BTW. I hope you can try the W1000 with tubes.
 
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Those are my impressions of the W1000 from a ss amp as well. I'm trying to wait to make a final decision until I can hear it from a tube and/or a hybrid. On the other hand, I have to say my AD2000 loves ss.

 

[dongringo]

@ Katun
 
All of my headphones benefit greatly from a good amp. But hey, that's just me.
 
Science doesn't tell the whole story. Your ears do. You must hear your headphones amped versus non-amped in order to decide for yourself whether or not it is worth it or not to buy an amp. It's the only way.