[bumsoil]

I am looking for a good amp for my HD 595's. My budget is about $100, and I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to headphone audio equipment. I listen to everything but rap and country. Iots of metal, rock and classic rock and some techno IE: Tool, Lamb of god, Disturbed, Alice in Chains, Static X, Aerosmith etc.....

Right now i use my Pioneer SA 8500-II for a headphone amp (it is my home stereo amp) and have been looking at the Little Dot MK II, but i dont know if it will make a huge difference. The amp I use is a dual mono, Solid state amp and sounds great.

 

[Poetik]

I had an Ibasso T3 that I tried with my 595's but they didn't really make too much of a difference. I unfortunately sold my 595's before I got to test them with my little dot but from what I've read they don't really gain too much from amping. You might be better off going to a higher impedance headphone if you wanna amp it.

By the way what's your source? Do you play your music through an internal soundcard or external dac? The reason I ask is because you might be able to benefit more from upgrading your source instead of buying an amp.

 

[bumsoil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poetik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had an Ibasso T3 that I tried with my 595's but they didn't really make too much of a difference. I unfortunately sold my 595's before I got to test them with my little dot but from what I've read they don't really gain too much from amping. You might be better off going to a higher impedance headphone if you wanna amp it. By the way what's your source? Do you play your music through an internal soundcard or external dac? The reason I ask is because you might be able to benefit more from upgrading your source instead of buying an amp.

My soundcard is a X-FI Extreme Music, and i use foobar 2k with ASIO.

I want to get HD 600's badly. how much would my 595's go for? The headphone ONLY, no box.

also, the HD 580's vs. hd 600's. if i got the 580's with the 600 grills and so forth, would i hear the difference between them and the 600's??

 

[spinneresque]

NOoooo, the 595's gain a lot from amping... they just don't *need* it as much as other headphones do, the HD600 for example. Did you get to try the 595's with your EMU, Poetik? They sound significantly better, but the 595's and the Total Bithead are a magical match.

Don't be so quick to let go of your 595's. I've had mine for 5 years and I am still as in love with them as ever.

 

[Poetik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinneresque /img/forum/go_quote.gif NOoooo, the 595's gain a lot from amping... they just don't *need* it as much as other headphones do, the HD600 for example. Did you get to try the 595's with your EMU, Poetik? They sound significantly better, but the 595's and the Total Bithead are a magical match. Don't be so quick to let go of your 595's. I've had mine for 5 years and I am still as in love with them as ever.

Yea I exclusively used them with my emu 0404 for about 3 years and like I said I didn't get a chance to use it with my little dot so while I'm sure it does change the sound a little but in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't do too much for the 595's. The switch to the emu 0404 was vast over just sticking into my computer and playing it through my onboard sound so yea you're right about that. I mean of course if you really like the 595's then keep them but as soon as I received my HD600's I instantly put my 595's up for sale. I'm not saying the 595's are a bad headphone but I definitely preferred the HD600 over them instantly AND even when they were underpowered using a emu 0404. In my mind the HD600's are just a superior headphone and I have no regrets about selling the headphone I spent a good part of my life with.

Bumsoil, the only thing that could be said as a drawback to the HD600 is that you would need an amp but even without one you can still hear the difference between the 2 headphones. With my emu 0404 (which is probably going up for sale soon so PM me if you're interested) I noticed the difference between them immediately. I also noticed how much more I had to turn up the volume just to hear the HD600's but it did a decent job of powering them until my amp got to me. Are you mostly using the headphones out of the receiver or are you going to be using them with your computer?

 

[bumsoil]

I use them with my computer, soundcard > amp > headphones. i rarely use them right out of my pc (at lan party's). I love the 595's, but the mids are too much sometimes, and the bass is too little sometimes. I like to crank them and kill my hearing, but the harsh mids make me turn them down. Thats why I am looking at the HD 600's, i have heard they have smother mids and more bass.

 

[TheWuss]

the lean bass on the hd595 can be remedied.
i have it paired with the ibasso d4 mamba, and the bass comes out very nicely.
as for the mids - yes, they are a little pronouced, and just a touch dry. i won't go so far as to say harsh. they just aren't as sweet as the hd6xx.
i'd say the hd595 is pretty nimble and gives a decent sound unamped. but you'll miss the bass...
with a good dac, and amped, the angled drivers do what they are supposed to do, which is provide a nice headstage.

 

[bumsoil]

grrrrr, idk what i want to do. the 600's are tempting, but expensive. right now i am listening to "believe" by Disturbed, and the guitars overpower EVERYTHING. but just before i was listening to "combination" by Aerosmith, and it was well balanced. bands like Kyuss and CKY who are bass heavy are pure win through these, so is classical.

oh yeh, i have a good 150-200 hours on these phones, i want to use them for another 150, to make sure they dont get a ton better. i hear mixed things on the burn in on 595's.

 

[Zombie_X]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumsoil /img/forum/go_quote.gif grrrrr, idk what i want to do. the 600's are tempting, but expensive. right now i am listening to "believe" by Disturbed, and the guitars overpower EVERYTHING. but just before i was listening to "combination" by Aerosmith, and it was well balanced. bands like Kyuss and CKY who are bass heavy are pure win through these, so is classical. oh yeh, i have a good 150-200 hours on these phones, i want to use them for another 150, to make sure they dont get a ton better. i hear mixed things on the burn in on 595's.

You can get HD600's used for around $200 if you look around. The HD600 is a major step up from the HD595 IMO.

The Little-Dot would definitely do a good job of driving them. Little-Dots are known for their synergy with the Sennheiser's.

 

[spinneresque]

I think the conclusion here is, wait a little bit and try them with an amp first. You can always turn around equipment easily here on headfi if you take good care of it.


edit: again, I've tried the 595's with lots of budgety amps but the magical match was the Total Bithead (and I personally like the crossfeed). When I first heard them together I was glued to my chair for six hours, and this was *after* I had had the 595's for five years. Also, as others have mentioned elsewhere, the 595 burn in seems to be unlimited... that is they seem to just get better sounding with age. ??? I thought it was just me but then I found several others saying the same thing.

 

[bumsoil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinneresque /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the conclusion here is, wait a little bit and try them with an amp first. You can always turn around equipment easily here on headfi if you take good care of it. edit: again, I've tried the 595's with lots of budgety amps but the magical match was the Total Bithead (and I personally like the crossfeed). When I first heard them together I was glued to my chair for six hours, and this was *after* I had had the 595's for five years. Also, as others have mentioned elsewhere, the 595 burn in seems to be unlimited... that is they seem to just get better sounding with age. ??? I thought it was just me but then I found several others saying the same thing.

is the total but head a DAC and AMP in one? i would prefer to get a amp only, because i want to keep my sound card in the loop.

 

[gordonshowers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumsoil /img/forum/go_quote.gif is the total but head a DAC and AMP in one? i would prefer to get a amp only, because i want to keep my sound card in the loop.

Yes the Total Bithead is a DAC and amp in one, but you can bypass its DAC by plugging into its Line-In socket.

Sounds like you'd be better off with the Total Airhead. It's an amp only. I don't know if it uses the same amp as the Bithead though.

 

[bumsoil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gordonshowers /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes the Total Bithead is a DAC and amp in one, but you can bypass its DAC by plugging into its Line-In socket. Sounds like you'd be better off with the Total Airhead. It's an amp only. I don't know if it uses the same amp as the Bithead though.

to me the airhead and bithead like like pocket amps? is that true?

 

[gordonshowers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumsoil /img/forum/go_quote.gif to me the airhead and bithead like like pocket amps? is that true?

Yes, they are portable amps. I only mentioned them because a previous poster recommended the Total Bithead, but i have no experience of the HD595s myself.

All i know is that i don't like the sound of the HD600s through the Total Bithead too much. It's harsh and unrefined. But the HD595s have different amping requirements so you'll have to listen to the advice of others, not me.