[Cornincrap]

I'm only just getting into this whole head-hifi thingy, and I was wondering if you could help me with building a setup with the hd 650 as the headphone?

The headphone (system) are to be used at a pc, and I'm thinking somekind of usb/amp might be a good idea. My initial thought was a usb/amp with no really need for batteries like the micro stack, where performance alledgedly suffers when not using batteries

I understand I also need to change the cable on the hd 650? and that I can gain a lot from that

Please give me your thoughts and views on this

 

[ej82m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornincrap I'm only just getting into this whole head-hifi thingy, and I was wondering if you could help me with building a setup with the hd 650 as the headphone? The headphone (system) are to be used at a pc, and I'm thinking somekind of usb/amp might be a good idea. My initial thought was a usb/amp with no really need for batteries like the micro stack, where performance alledgedly suffers when not using batteries I understand I also need to change the cable on the hd 650? and that I can gain a lot from that Please give me your thoughts and views on this

Other head-fiers have a similar setup as mine.

Soundcard: EMU 0404 or 1212m
Cable: Custom DIY or Headphile Breakout cable
Amp: Gilmore Lite
Headphone: 650's of course

I haven't had any experience with many other amps, but I am perfectly content with my Gilmore Lite and 650 combo. There are many amps out there that match really well with the 650s, and some searching or other head-fiers opinions will help suit your needs that are in your price range. What type of music do you listen to? I would also hold off on buying a new cable before actually listening to your setup. The stock cable sounds great to me and I have no reason to upgrade for now. Good Luck.

Also, Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet.

 

[J-Pak]

The Corda Aria is a very good DAC/amp solution with USB support. Around $400, supposed to mate very well with the HD650.

Welcome to the jungle (the new sorry about your wallet

)

 

[Cornincrap]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ej82m Other head-fiers have a similar setup as mine. Soundcard: EMU 0404 or 1212m Cable: Custom DIY or Headphile Breakout cable Amp: Gilmore Lite Headphone: 650's of course I haven't had any experience with many other amps, but I am perfectly content with my Gilmore Lite and 650 combo. There are many amps out there that match really well with the 650s, and some searching or other head-fiers opinions will help suit your needs that are in your price range. What type of music do you listen to? I would also hold off on buying a new cable before actually listening to your setup. The stock cable sounds great to me and I have no reason to upgrade for now. Good Luck. Also, Welcome to Head-Fi and sorry about your wallet.

Thank you ;D. well, I mostly listen to rock and country rock and stuff like that. Alright so you use a gilmore amp, but as I only have an onboard soundcard I'm looking for an external soundcard like... a usb/amp in one I guess its called, that was what I meant when I wrote that

 

[Cornincrap]

Thanks I'll have a look at the corda ;D

and yeah I have to apologize for the blow to my wallet as well

 

[ej82m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornincrap Thank you ;D. well, I mostly listen to rock and country rock and stuff like that. Alright so you use a gilmore amp, but as I only have an onboard soundcard I'm looking for an external soundcard like... a usb/amp in one I guess its called, that was what I meant when I wrote that

Ah, my fault. Yes, look into the Corda Aria. Here is the link to Meier-Audio.

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/

 

[J-Pak]

If Meier doesn't have any, TTVJ should have them. www.ttvj.com

 

[applebook]

A cable replacement is not absolutely necessary, but IMO, the Moon Audio Silver Dragon really makes the HD650 shine from an excellent can to a great one.

 

[Beauregard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornincrap ... I understand I also need to change the cable on the hd 650? and that I can gain a lot from that ...

Nope, you don't need to change the cable to get superb sound. Enjoy the HD650s with the stock cable for a good long while before auditioning an aftermarket cable. Then make sure you buy from an outfit with a 30-day return policy so you can make an informed judgement whether or not there's an improvement in sound quality and if it's worth the price of the cable.

 

[Mercuttio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauregard Nope, you don't need to change the cable to get superb sound. Enjoy the HD650s with the stock cable for a good long while before auditioning an aftermarket cable. Then make sure you buy from an outfit with a 30-day return policy so you can make an informed judgement whether or not there's an improvement in sound quality and if it's worth the price of the cable.

The whole cable change thing is a real tough decision. I was listening at a meet to another member's HD650 with a cable that cost him $250+, and yeah. It sounded maybe 3-5% better, depending on what was playing. But is that marginal gain REALLY worth aound $300? I decided it wasn't for me.

 

[Beauregard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio The whole cable change thing is a real tough decision. I was listening at a meet to another member's HD650 with a cable that cost him $250+, and yeah. It sounded maybe 3-5% better, depending on what was playing. But is that marginal gain REALLY worth aound $300? I decided it wasn't for me.

I discovered Head-Fi just after Sennheiser introduced the HD600s and the board was full of discussions comparing them with the HD580s, which I'd owned for almost 10 years. I was really taken aback by the overwhelming consensus that you absolutely had to have an aftermarket cable to truly appreciate both sets of phones. And headphone newbies were dutifully budgeting for cables that approached the selling price of the headphones in response to the received wisdom. Which, of course, was nonsense. I and thousands of other folks had been enjoying the hell out of the HD580s with stock cables for years - having purchased them long before there was even such a thing as an aftermarket cable. Atkinson at Stereophile had made them his reference phones, for cryin' out loud.

Which isn't to say that aftermarket cables can't make a difference or be worth the price to some people. But one of my Head-Fi pet peeves is to see pricey cables pushed as a "must have" to newcomers who aren't experienced audiophiles such that they feel obliged to buy them at the same time they get their phones instead of evaluating them for value at a later point.

And it's a curious phenomenon that the HD580s continue to receive (much deserved) praise on Head-Fi but somehow have lost their "need" for an expensive cable since becoming a mid-level instead of top-of-the-line product.

 

[skyline889]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuttio The whole cable change thing is a real tough decision. I was listening at a meet to another member's HD650 with a cable that cost him $250+, and yeah. It sounded maybe 3-5% better, depending on what was playing. But is that marginal gain REALLY worth aound $300? I decided it wasn't for me.

I think that's pretty much how it goes for hi-fi gear though, the higher you go up the ladder the less difference there is. For example a $1000 cd player will sound loads better than a $200 one but will a $5000 CD player have the same difference compared to the $1000 one? To *most* people the difference will be barely audible. Replacement cables for the Senn 580-650 line though usually make a big difference in sq I know the Zu did for me, in a bad way though so I sold them, you definitely want to test them out before you commit fully.

 

[Bones13]

I like the Zu Mobius with my 650s.

Ray Samuels gear pretty much all sounds great with Senn HD 650s. Take a look at his site, and look at some of the reviews here on HeadFi. The Raptor is clearly my favorite of my gear.

The Headroom gear also does great with the 650. I have the Desktop DAC/AMP unit, which would do great for what you are looking for, there is a USB on their DAC, and can come right out of your computer to this, then move to SPDIF later if you want. You can also size the Desktop to your spending limit with upgrades. You can also play with the crossfeed, and some brightness adjustments. Headroom also puts 5% of amp purchase price to this HeadFi board.

 

[Connectz]

Any of you guys using this amp in your setup? How does it compare to the Corda Aria?

http://www.headphone.com/products/he...-micro-amp.php

 

[Zorander]

The stock cable is fine. I actually prefer it to the Silver Dragon that I already sold off (too bright and stiff for me).