[hipster2010]

Quote:

I'm new to all this so I've been reading a lot of posts trying to collect information.  I just want to know how to get a basic audiophile setup.  Just ordered a pair of ATH M50s which seem to fit my other hobby of making music ... I'm still a little confused about all the other stuff, like dac's and amp's.  I plan to use these headphones strictly on my pc so I was wondering if a DAC/AMP is a necessary purchase.  
 
Also, are the M50s good for listening to music?  Should I entertain the thought of another pair of headphones just for listening purposes in the same price range?

What kind of music are you planning to listen to? The M50 has an emphasis on the bass while the mids a recessed. If you listen to genres that have a lot of vocals, then you may miss some of the detail and the M50 won't be the best choice. It also has a small soundstage, so a genre like classical would not do well. The M50 is considered a "fun" headphone because the frequency response is a "V" shape. People generally like the M50 with EDM and other bass-heavy genres.
 
With the M50, an amp will not be necessary. I'm not an expert on the science behind it, but an amp provides current and power to your headphones to increase the volume and also allow the drivers to work to their max potential. Some heapdhones require a powerful amp (usually they have a low db sensitivity and/or high impedance (measured in ohms)) in order to be audible or to play certain frequencies accurately. A DAC is what converts the digital audio signal into an analog one so that our headphones or speakers can play it. A better DAC will transfer the digital data to analog very accurately.
 
Also, since the M50 is not neutral (or close to it) it may not be the best for producing music because the bass will seem overly loud and the mids quieter. I don't do my own production though, so I can't tell you how much of an effect it will have.

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

So I'm trying to save up for an AKG K701/Q701. I don't have a proper setup for them yet, but I think the _701 will be a good headphone for getting me more interested in amps [and maybe DACs].
1. Which _701 headphone should I get?
Sonically they are nearly identical (the Q701 seems more "refined"/tweaked based on Innerfidelity measurements).
Price-wise they are nearly identical as well (at least on Amazon).
I like the classic appearance of the K701 as well as knowing I own "the original", but the contrast in the (white) Q701 also looks nice. The removable earpads/cable are a nice bonus too.
As much as I like both models, I plan to cosplay as Mio from the anime K-On. People know her as THE AKG anime girl and she actually boosted sales for the K701 in Japan. XD


Should I get the K701 for "originality" and cosplay accuracy, or the Q701 for a "more refined" sound experience with a modern-looking appearance?
2. What [DAC/]amp would pair well with the _701?
I've read that the Schiit amps have good synergy with them.
At the moment I only have a Yamaha RX-V492 home receiver and a FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp.
I know nothing about synergy, ohm and power matching...so I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn this stuff.
Should I go for a solid state amp for accuracy, or a tube amp for "warm vinyl-like" sound? I think it would be awesome to own a tube amp (my dad is actually interested too as he was mentioning McIntosh the other day), but at the same time I like accuracy too.
Maximum budget for me is around $400 USD.
Any help is appreciated.

 
The Q701 has a slightly different sound than the K701. The Q701 has a bit more bass while the K701 is overall a bit more nuetral. The sound overall though will be quite similar. I think having the detachable cables is quite nice because if something happens to the cable, it is much easier to buy a new one (or use the spare) than having to re-cable your headphones. Also, the ear pads should be removable from both the K and Q models. So ultimately it is more preference than a real big difference in the sound. 
 
As far as DACs and amps go i don't have that much experience. I think a tube might work well as it could give it a little extra warmth , assuming you want that. Otherwise, there is always the Objective 2 amp / ODAC pair from JDS Labs which will run around $300 and will give you plenty of power and is a neutral sound.

 

[miceblue]

The Q701 has a slightly different sound than the K701. The Q701 has a bit more bass while the K701 is overall a bit more nuetral. The sound overall though will be quite similar. I think having the detachable cables is quite nice because if something happens to the cable, it is much easier to buy a new one (or use the spare) than having to re-cable your headphones. Also, the ear pads should be removable from both the K and Q models. So ultimately it is more preference than a real big difference in the sound. 

As far as DACs and amps go i don't have that much experience. I think a tube might work well as it could give it a little extra warmth , assuming you want that. Otherwise, there is always the Objective 2 amp / ODAC pair from JDS Labs which will run around $300 and will give you plenty of power and is a neutral sound.

Mmk. Yeah I've read that the Q701 has slightly more bass.
I didn't know the K701 has removable pads, but that's good news.

How is the synergy between the _701 and the Objective 2 amp/ODAC, and will they be sufficient to properly drive the _701's? I've read loooots of good remarks about them (and they seem to be quite popular on Head-Fi).

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

Mmk. Yeah I've read that the Q701 has slightly more bass.
I didn't know the K701 has removable pads, but that's good news.
How is the synergy between the _701 and the Objective 2 amp/ODAC, and will they be sufficient to properly drive the _701's? I've read loooots of good remarks about them (and they seem to be quite popular on Head-Fi).

I don't know for sure if they have removable pads, but every headphones I've owned, had removable pads, so I would assume that they have them too.
 
I have not personally used the Q/K701 with the ODAC/O2, but the amp and dac are very transparent so it should give a very clean signal without adding color to any of the frequency. It should be quite accurate, but possibly on the analytical side, especially with the Q/K701.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

So I'm trying to save up for an AKG K701/Q701. I don't have a proper setup for them yet, but I think the _701 will be a good headphone for getting me more interested in amps [and maybe DACs].
1. Which _701 headphone should I get?
Sonically they are nearly identical (the Q701 seems more "refined"/tweaked based on Innerfidelity measurements).
Price-wise they are nearly identical as well (at least on Amazon).
I like the classic appearance of the K701 as well as knowing I own "the original", but the contrast in the (white) Q701 also looks nice. The removable earpads/cable are a nice bonus too.
As much as I like both models, I plan to cosplay as Mio from the anime K-On. People know her as THE AKG anime girl and she actually boosted sales for the K701 in Japan. XD


Should I get the K701 for "originality" and cosplay accuracy, or the Q701 for a "more refined" sound experience with a modern-looking appearance?
2. What [DAC/]amp would pair well with the _701?
I've read that the Schiit amps have good synergy with them.
At the moment I only have a Yamaha RX-V492 home receiver and a FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp.
I know nothing about synergy, ohm and power matching...so I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn this stuff.
Should I go for a solid state amp for accuracy, or a tube amp for "warm vinyl-like" sound? I think it would be awesome to own a tube amp (my dad is actually interested too as he was mentioning McIntosh the other day), but at the same time I like accuracy too.
Maximum budget for me is around $400 USD.
Any help is appreciated.

Is it sad that I had a lot of people who borrowed my K701s (obviously they were too "expensive" for them) for cosplay purposes as well? 

 
The Asgard gives a nice warmth to the K701s without it being excessive with a lot of the tubes. The whole tube thing with the K701 is very subjective. It really depends on whether or not YOU feel you would like the added coloration or not. My DAC1 sounds similar to the O2/ODAC combo, and I have to say the K701s sounded fine with them. Can't compare anymore as I've long since given the K701s away (To an otaku, no less).

 

[JesusSheep777]

Hey guys, i'm new here. My question: would you reccomend the sony mdr xb1000s for hip hop/ electronic, but also Christian Rock and contemporary and some folk music? I own the xb500s and they're great. Really good bass and acoustics sound good too; so are the 1000s even better? Also, would a fiio e11 amp adequately push the 1000s? I'm planning on getting the xb1000s, the e11, and the fiio L9 LOD for Christmas. Does this sound like a good setup? Keep in mind that I'm no audiophile and my ear isn't yet trained to hear all these minute differences in SQ that I hear talked about in threads all the time. Thanks and God Bless.

 

[humanoid]

Quote:

Based on what you said and the questions you didn't answer, I'm assuming that you are looking for a $400-ish can to listen to unknown quality music files from a portable phone without much power.  That's not my thing or area of much direct experience.  The best i can tell you is check out the new Senn Momentum (it's currently featured on the home page) and the new Denon line of cans replacing the D2000 through 7000.

Thanks for the quick reply. Soz i dont have much experience in the field of headphones so i did not exactly know what you were asking for. What i do know is that when i tried on various headsets including the Beats, i really like the sound that came out of the Pioneer HDJ 2000. Will have a look at the cans you suggested

 

[JesusSheep777]

EDIT: I have an iPod touch 4th gen. And my music is the standard itunes bitrate, which is like 256 i think; correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Zoomer13]

Thanks for the quick reply. Soz i dont have much experience in the field of headphones so i did not exactly know what you were asking for. What i do know is that when i tried on various headsets including the Beats, i really like the sound that came out of the Pioneer HDJ 2000. Will have a look at the cans you suggested

there's also the Philips Citiscape line if you don't want to spend quite as much, and the Senn 400 series if you don't need phone oriented features.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

So I'm trying to save up for an AKG K701/Q701. I don't have a proper setup for them yet, but I think the _701 will be a good headphone for getting me more interested in amps [and maybe DACs].
1. Which _701 headphone should I get?
Sonically they are nearly identical (the Q701 seems more "refined"/tweaked based on Innerfidelity measurements).
Price-wise they are nearly identical as well (at least on Amazon).
I like the classic appearance of the K701 as well as knowing I own "the original", but the contrast in the (white) Q701 also looks nice. The removable earpads/cable are a nice bonus too.
As much as I like both models, I plan to cosplay as Mio from the anime K-On. People know her as THE AKG anime girl and she actually boosted sales for the K701 in Japan. XD


Should I get the K701 for "originality" and cosplay accuracy, or the Q701 for a "more refined" sound experience with a modern-looking appearance?
2. What [DAC/]amp would pair well with the _701?
I've read that the Schiit amps have good synergy with them.
At the moment I only have a Yamaha RX-V492 home receiver and a FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp.
I know nothing about synergy, ohm and power matching...so I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn this stuff.
Should I go for a solid state amp for accuracy, or a tube amp for "warm vinyl-like" sound? I think it would be awesome to own a tube amp (my dad is actually interested too as he was mentioning McIntosh the other day), but at the same time I like accuracy too.
Maximum budget for me is around $400 USD.
Any help is appreciated.

The Q701 is the newer and better choice for almost everyone.
 
Go to the Q701 appreciation thread in this section of the forum.  I'm sure there is much information about amp/dac pairing with them there.  If you don't find what you need to know in prior posts, it is the best place to ask.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hey guys, i'm new here. My question: would you reccomend the sony mdr xb1000s for hip hop/ electronic, but also Christian Rock and contemporary and some folk music? I own the xb500s and they're great. Really good bass and acoustics sound good too; so are the 1000s even better? Also, would a fiio e11 amp adequately push the 1000s? I'm planning on getting the xb1000s, the e11, and the fiio L9 LOD for Christmas. Does this sound like a good setup? Keep in mind that I'm no audiophile and my ear isn't yet trained to hear all these minute differences in SQ that I hear talked about in threads all the time. Thanks and God Bless.

xb = extra bass = greatly enhanced bass--way beyond neutral = true basshead can
 
I can't fathom how listening to Christian rock, contemporary and especially folk could sound anything other than horrid out of a true basshead can.  Please give these genres a listen with a can that at least approaches neutral, such as the Shure SRH 440 or 840, CAL!, KRK KNS 6400 or 8400, Koss ProDJ100 family or any full sized Senn or Sony studio (not XB) can with a street price of at least $80 or so.

 

[kodaq2001]

I've read a lot on this sight and everyone seems to like the m50's ... I had a $100 gift card from amazon so I basically paid $30 which is a beautiful thing.  Hip-Hop is my music of choice, R&B and sometimes some old school rock.
 
This might help - a link to some of my music http://soundcloud.com/qodak  I love music that sounds good in headphones because I like all the highs and lows, panning etc.  I love the contrasting of highs/mids/lows and how they fit together.  I want a pair of cans that is good in all areas basically.

 

[Duranil]

Hey guys, I've been lurking for the past month, and I'd like to thank you all because I've been learning a LOT (if not everything) about headphones here!
 
And so, for the first time I would like to ask your opinion. Next week I'll be ordering from http://www.thomann.de my first pair of "real" headphones so I want to spend around 50€ top, including 10€ for shipping (i'm no audiophile so I want to start slow, and eventually move up to better headphones if possible!).
 
I don't have an amp (yet?), and I'll be using these at home for everyday use, to listening to music and casual gaming. From what I read I'm leaning to Superlux+ AKGVelour Pads (46€), other options beeing Superlux 668b Superlux 631 DJ (don't know much about the 631).
but I would like to know if I'm going the right way.
 
So,I'm looking forward for your advice,  thanks a lot for reading!

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

I've read a lot on this sight and everyone seems to like the m50's ... I had a $100 gift card from amazon so I basically paid $30 which is a beautiful thing.  Hip-Hop is my music of choice, R&B and sometimes some old school rock.
 
This might help - a link to some of my music http://soundcloud.com/qodak  I love music that sounds good in headphones because I like all the highs and lows, panning etc.  I love the contrasting of highs/mids/lows and how they fit together.  I want a pair of cans that is good in all areas basically.

There's nothing wrong with the M50, and based upon the music you listen to you will likely enjoy them a lot for listening to music. If you really want to produce, there will be some better choices in the same price range that will be more accurate and neutral. I'd say wait until you get the M50 and listen to them and figure out if you need another pair right now, because you will always need another pair 

. Odds are you will enjoy them for your intents and purposes. You may find that you want a more balanced sound signature or that you want a wider soundstage and then you can figure out what to pick up to compliment your M50s.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Hey guys, I've been lurking for the past month, and I'd like to thank you all because I've been learning a LOT (if not everything) about headphones here!
 
And so, for the first time I would like to ask your opinion. Next week I'll be ordering from http://www.thomann.de my first pair of "real" headphones so I want to spend around 50€ top, including 10€ for shipping (i'm no audiophile so I want to start slow, and eventually move up to better headphones if possible!).
 
I don't have an amp (yet?), and I'll be using these at home for everyday use, to listening to music and casual gaming. From what I read I'm leaning to Superlux+ AKGVelour Pads (46€), other options beeing Superlux 668b Superlux 631 DJ (don't know much about the 631).
but I would like to know if I'm going the right way.
 
So,I'm looking forward for your advice,  thanks a lot for reading!

Superlux HD668B with AKG K240/K271 Velour ear pads, that what I did.
The Asus Xonar DG is a nice low cost sound card.