[streetdragon]

So do you feel buying an e10 or e17 will improve sound quality enough to be worth the purchase or do you feel it will be so minimal that its not worth it? 

An other alternative would be to sell my headphones and put the cost of an amp/dac towards a new pair but then iam assuming they would certainly need an amp so it would cost much more then just adding an amp/dac to what i currently have!

Well after this point the only sure way up is in the 500 reigon. Even then without amping the difference would be little to marginal with a different sound signature. If you are happy with your sound now i suggest saving your money in a future purchase. If you want an improvement you could get an amp+dac now. And it can help your future pair too if needed.

 

[Blaalad12]

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Well after this point the only sure way up is in the 500 reigon. Even then without amping the difference would be little to marginal with a different sound signature. If you are happy with your sound now i suggest saving your money in a future purchase. If you want an improvement you could get an amp+dac now. And it can help your future pair too if needed.

Thats what i thought myself so i guess its best to stick with what i have for now! Would you recommend the e10 or e17 for use with an imac? I may be wrong but i would imagine either dac would be better then the sound card on my 2008 imac? 

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

Thats what i thought myself so i guess its best to stick with what i have for now! Would you recommend the e10 or e17 for use with an imac? I may be wrong but i would imagine either dac would be better then the sound card on my 2008 imac? 

Well, they would be better, but definitely no night and day. Just a more lively and refined presentation. (plus you can use them as amps alone too on the go with your portable player, and with several setting to eq the sound they seem to be quite good,(unless you are using a graphic eq already) certainly helps with the hd598's lack of subbass on electronic tracks if needed)

 

[Blaalad12]

Quote:

Well, they would be better, but definitely no night and day. Just a more lively and refined presentation. (plus you can use them as amps alone too on the go with your portable player, and with several setting to eq the sound they seem to be quite good,(unless you are using a graphic eq already) certainly helps with the hd598's lack of subbass on electronic tracks if needed)

Appreciate you takin the time to help me out pal! I wouldnt be using these ay where other then at home so portability is not an issue thats why iam wondering if the e10 would suit me better and be just as good as the e17? 
 
On a slightly different subject, Iam updating my itunes library so that all new songs i download are at 320kbps (i figure its quiet close to lossless quality and it doesnt take up as much space plus its down right handier for me) However, People speak about youtube quality being poor and i have downloaded a song (kodaline - high hopes) and it arguably sounds better played at 1080p on youtube then 320kbps in itunes, Both are by no means poor sounding but theres a slight 'hissing' thats a little more apparent on the version i downloaded at 320kbps!!
 
One final question, Is it worthwhile adjusting the EQ settings in itunes? I read somewhere before not to go near the EQ so its currently set to 'flat' with pre amp turned off!!
 
Again, thanks so much for the help

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

Appreciate you takin the time to help me out pal! I wouldnt be using these ay where other then at home so portability is not an issue thats why iam wondering if the e10 would suit me better and be just as good as the e17? 
 
On a slightly different subject, Iam updating my itunes library so that all new songs i download are at 320kbps (i figure its quiet close to lossless quality and it doesnt take up as much space plus its down right handier for me) However, People speak about youtube quality being poor and i have downloaded a song (kodaline - high hopes) and it arguably sounds better played at 1080p on youtube then 320kbps in itunes, Both are by no means poor sounding but theres a slight 'hissing' thats a little more apparent on the version i downloaded at 320kbps!!
 
One final question, Is it worthwhile adjusting the EQ settings in itunes? I read somewhere before not to go near the EQ so its currently set to 'flat' with pre amp turned off!!
 
Again, thanks so much for the help

No probs man,

well i am not familiar with the E10 unfortunately, only tested the E17 before at the shops. Hopefully someone with more experience with the 2 of them can provide a better explanation. (or you could start your research and look around head-fi)

About files, 320kbps is actually pretty good. It's the standard high quality mp3 and there are over 9000 pages of people discussing if they can hear the difference between mp3 320 and FLAC. The hissing sound is probably from the laptop noise or the music player. (itunes isn't really the best player out there)

On the subject of Itunes, I head that the EQ in itunes is not very good, but i guess if you try it and you like it then good then. If not you could try an aftermarket player with an eq on it. (but i can't help you out here since i don't know what players are good for the mac)

 

[davidsh]

EQ'ing is okay if you know how to use one... I'd say an e10 would be worth it, but only just, if you are not planning to upgrade to new headphones. Amping in general is a very subjective thing. For some with some headphones it can make a very big difference. I am almost unable to really enjoy my Hifiman HE-500 out of my e17... But thats me. To me this hobby is about feeling the music. I kinda crave perfection
 
The general consensus is that the e10 and e17 are about equally good.
 
Where are you downloading your songs from, what are you listening through at the moment?

 

[Blaalad12]

Quote:

EQ'ing is okay if you know how to use one... I'd say an e10 would be worth it, but only just, if you are not planning to upgrade to new headphones. Amping in general is a very subjective thing. For some with some headphones it can make a very big difference. I am almost unable to really enjoy my Hifiman HE-500 out of my e17... But thats me. To me this hobby is about feeling the music. I kinda crave perfection
 
The general consensus is that the e10 and e17 are about equally good.
 
Where are you downloading your songs from, what are you listening through at the moment?

I download from various sites to be honest, All recent downloads range from 230 kbps - 322kbps but when i compare the same song on youtube, They both genuienly sound identical although any "hissing" is usual more apparent on the downloaded version but it CAN be heard also on youtube so maybe its just from the headphones? and an amp/dac would correct this? 
 
I understand also that amping is subjective particular when the hd598s do not need much to drive them, they already sound good and pretty loud but its the dac in particular that iam thinking would improve things and be better then that of the one on my mac? 

 

[GaryPham]

HD598's don't really need an amp.  I tested my cousin's 598s straight out of my galaxy s3 and on my computer using an Audinst MX-1 dac/amp, and the improvements were very minimal.  If your imac has a decent stock soundcard built in, then I would just save money and pass on the dac/amp.  The 598s are extremely efficient.

 

[jwusoccer]

Quote:

I download from various sites to be honest, All recent downloads range from 230 kbps - 322kbps but when i compare the same song on youtube, They both genuienly sound identical although any "hissing" is usual more apparent on the downloaded version but it CAN be heard also on youtube so maybe its just from the headphones? and an amp/dac would correct this? 
 
I understand also that amping is subjective particular when the hd598s do not need much to drive them, they already sound good and pretty loud but its the dac in particular that iam thinking would improve things and be better then that of the one on my mac? 

Macs tend to have decent sound cards, so i wouldn't say that it would be a big improvement. If you really want to try an amp, the e11 is great. It has the same amp section as the e17, and it's a lot cheaper since it doesn't have a dac. Not that i'd recommend it, though. I couldn't even tell whether or not i was using my amp when i had my 598s most of the time. They really don't improve much with amping.

 

[Blaalad12]

Thanks guys, I guess its not worth while if the difference will be that minimal! I thought the dac in particular would improve things, i wasnt sure about the amp because i know these phones are easy to drive! Is there any way for me to get a little better bass out of these and a little more detail/less "hissing" ? If an amp/dac wont help me then i assume the answer is no??

 

[jwusoccer]

Quote:

Thanks guys, I guess its not worth while if the difference will be that minimal! I thought the dac in particular would improve things, i wasnt sure about the amp because i know these phones are easy to drive! Is there any way for me to get a little better bass out of these and a little more detail/less "hissing" ? If an amp/dac wont help me then i assume the answer is no??

The easiest way to get more bass would be to eq. If you do eq though, make sure you eq down. So, if you wanted more bass, just reduce the other frequencies, and it should give you a nice clean boost. And for the hissing, is it always there, or song-dependent? If it's always there, then it would be your soundcard, and if that's the case, it might be worth it to get a dac or dac/amp combo. In the end, it's still up to you. If the hissing isn't too bad and you can't hear it over your music, then it's probably best to just save your money and deal with it.

 

[Blaalad12]

Quote:

The easiest way to get more bass would be to eq. If you do eq though, make sure you eq down. So, if you wanted more bass, just reduce the other frequencies, and it should give you a nice clean boost. And for the hissing, is it always there, or song-dependent? If it's always there, then it would be your soundcard, and if that's the case, it might be worth it to get a dac or dac/amp combo. In the end, it's still up to you. If the hissing isn't too bad and you can't hear it over your music, then it's probably best to just save your money and deal with it.

The hissing is more song dependent i guess, Its only really heard in songs that have silences (not sure if that makes sense) But generally if theres various instruments playing at the same time then it cannot be heard!! I will try mess around with the EQ in itunes and see can i make a little improvement to the bass maybe and ill do without the dac/amp i guess, No point spending money on one if its not going to produce a cleaner more refined sound ,Oh well!!
 
Thanks again guys

 

[Blaalad12]

Just read online that the Aune T1 is great for the hd 598s, What is an actual tube amp? I hear the amp isnt that powerful but thats fine for the hd598s as it takes little to power them but the dac is where it excells? Any thoughts on wether this would be a good investment? and far better then the e10? 
 
If not then i am just gonna wait and buy new headphones but iam reluctant to be honest cause i really like these especially how comfortable they are
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/T1-Stardard-Version-Amplifier-Decoder/dp/B00A2QMYU6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_2

 

[KCxSmacker]

Quote:

I don't understand, If i wont benefit from an amp/dac then why are people recommending a dac/amp? lol If the e10 or e17 would add a little bass and add a little more detail/crisper sound then i would be more then happy to purchase either

I think what the problem is, is that people are trying to tell you you dont need an amp, which you dont. It does help to drive the headphones easier. What some don't get I think is the DAC. a dac can really help you improve the overall sound. If portability is not an issue, then I would suggest that you get the magni/modi stack. Great performance to price ratio. MUCH better then the fiio line IMO. 
 
cheers

 

[Blaalad12]

Quote:

I think what the problem is, is that people are trying to tell you you dont need an amp, which you dont. It does help to drive the headphones easier. What some don't get I think is the DAC. a dac can really help you improve the overall sound. If portability is not an issue, then I would suggest that you get the magni/modi stack. Great performance to price ratio. MUCH better then the fiio line IMO. 
 
cheers

 
 
Quote:

I think what the problem is, is that people are trying to tell you you dont need an amp, which you dont. It does help to drive the headphones easier. What some don't get I think is the DAC. a dac can really help you improve the overall sound. If portability is not an issue, then I would suggest that you get the magni/modi stack. Great performance to price ratio. MUCH better then the fiio line IMO. 
 
cheers

Anywhere i could buy that stack at a good price in the uk? I found one site selling it the amp , but its £120 (€140) and in the us its only $99 (€76) in the usa