[Fearliss]

Hello all,
I am new to the whole "Audiophile" scene, but I would love to get into it.

I am a 16 year old with not a lot of cash as I earn whatever I pay for, but I am also a musician so after some researching and searching, I have so far found what would be a great "start" to my adventure of the Audiophile scene as well as into my home recording scene.

I have a laptop which I will use as my source, the majority uses foobar with ASIO and I have been using foobar with ASIO for all audio files that I play for quite some time now.

The DAC I have pretty much decided on something from the EMU line, particularly the 0404 USB or the Tracker Pre, which I have heard only great things from Head-Fi and pretty much everywhere else as well.

Now if I understand things (Which I am sure I probably do not), a headphone amp would be the next thing and then some headphones correct?

If this is a good configuration, what amp and cans could I find that is in the budget of 50$ to 120$ each. I know this is a terrible budget, but there has to be something that can give you a true, clear sound for a cheap price.

Also, while I am asking I want to start building a portable rig as my laptop and the EMU might just be TOO Much to carry around. I have read good things on head-fi on the Clip+ so I probably will look into that. For a portable rig, after the source, are headphones generally connected straight to the source or is there another piece of equipment such as a headphone amp.

Please be aware that I am new to all of this, but I love music, writing it, listening to it and I can't wait to start building my rig.

 

[orby]

Quote:

a headphone amp would be the next thing and then some headphones correct?

wrong. your most important thing in the chain is the transducer - your headphone.

There are people who doubt that there are differences from one amp or one dac to another (if the device is not intentionally built "wrong" / colors the sound in some ways). [size=xx-small]It's not the question if this is possible or not![/size]
Differences between headphones however are noticed easily - no doubt about that.

guess what's the cause?


Your sound is determind by first your headphones and then comes .... nothing - really a lot of nothing.
it's as simple as that.


If you have a Quote:

budget of 50$ to 120$ [for] each

, cans and amp, you have enough money to get yourself a great pair of headphones.

If i plug any cheap earbuds in my amp, the sound is like ****. no surprise. if i'll listen to a phone that's "not bad" through the greatest rig of the world, it certainly won't sound better than "really not bad".
And certainly my favourite pair of cans straight out of my cheap portable player will be great - great beyond comparison.

think about that.

 

[Head Injury]

Here's how your purchase plan should go:

First, consider your current headphones. If your headphones are crappy, buy headphones. Headphones first, always. Even a good headphone that's poorly amped will sound better than iBuds or $30 cans.

Second, consider the headphones you bought. If they're hard to drive, buy an amp. This will probably earn you a better improvement than a DAC. Unless you're on crappy onboard sound or something, then you should get a DAC no matter what. If the headphones are easy to drive, an amp isn't necessary (though it can still improve what you have, impart a different sound signature, etc.) Spend that money on a DAC instead.

If your headphones are easy to drive, headphones > DAC > amp
If your headphones are hard to drive, headphones > amp > DAC

Remember that this applies only to low and mid-fi headphones, where more money invested in headphones means more improvement. Once you get into the $1000s, improvements between headphones aren't always improvements, just differences. That's when lots of money should be poured into amp and DAC to improve on your favorite.

I'll hopefully be writing a review of my first major upgrade in a couple weeks. I'll examine differences my amp, DAC, and headphone choices made. Can't say much about the amp because I've only used my new headphones with it, but at the moment headphones made 80% of the difference.

 

[Fearliss]

Ok thanks for the replies. So if I am reading you all correctly, after my purchase of my DAC the Emu. My next goal would be to get a good pair of headphones and then to worry about the Amp if the phones need it.

I will be searching the headphones category for a good pair that fits my budget.

ANy reccomendations that would work good as a home pair as well as a portable pair?

 

[adriankeith]

I haven't had a lot of headphones but if I could make a suggestion I'd say the Grado SR-60s (or possibly the 60i's or 80s). They have a great overall sound and shouldn't disappoint you. The only thing I've had some problems with are the earpads as they can get uncomfortable at times when listening for an extended period.

Just my suggestion for a set of cans but again, I don't have extensive experience like others on here.

Hope this helps!

 

[Zeroblade]

One of the most popular choices is the Audio-technica M50. Closed, generally neutral sound (though some argue its bass is a bit overpowering), and folds for portability. They are also pretty easy to drive, so you needn't concern yourself over an amp for the meantime!

 

[Fearliss]

Thanks for the suggestions all.. this gives me a good idea on what research I can do and such for your suggestions.

 

[Fearliss]

I didn't want to create a new thread in the portable category, so I figured I would just bump this one. But now that I have a portable DAP, as I just received an iPod Touch 2g. Is there a pair of headphones that I can benefit from both my iPod Touch and my EMU in a reasonable price range?

 

[Kayzo]

The above mentioned M50's are fine with just an iPod or with a DAC .

 

[J.Pocalypse]

The M50s are a bit large for "portable" use. I'd suggest using some IEM's instead. Or maybe even some Sennheiser PX100's. More affordable than the M50's and you won't need an amp for your iPod with them either.

 

[BlacKnight104]

If you don't mind walking around with clunky headphones, get the M50's. I don't mind at all, and suprisingly people around campus complement me on mines