Tom W
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2010
- Posts
- 105
- Likes
- 12
So what started out as a new set of phones for my ipod at work turned into a lot of research. Somewhere along the way I found some reviews on the HD650’s and the AKG 701’s and got the great idea to get a killer set of phones for the house.
After some additional research I realized that I wasn’t going to plug either of these phones into a used $40 CD player and be happy with the SQ or realize their full potential.
I am NOT an audiofile. I owned some decent full-size systems over the years but nothing top shelf. I would like a set of very good phones to really begin to “learn to listen”.
I really thought I would love the K70x’s but after looking around here I think choosing an amp for them and/or buying these phones without listening to them would be a mistake.
So here are a few questions that might seem basic but haven’t found the answers here yet and I’ve been out of the high end equipment browsing for far too long.
If my source is a $200 Blu Ray or SACD Player am I wasting my time buying a 750-1000 phone/amp combo?
Should I use the DAC in the player or buy and amp with one built-in DAC and go digital right into the amp from the player and/or PC (most of my library at this time is CD based)?
From what I have read the HD650 can ‘live’ with a less expensive amp than the K70x’s so possibly the phone/amp combo with the HD650 could be less than the K70x’s. Or at the very least I’m less likely to pick the ‘wrong’ amp initially for the HD650’s.
Since I’m in the beginning of my H-F days should I stick with a solid-state amp until I lock in with a set of phones that I love?
I do realize that as I listen I will probably want to upgrade some or all of my equipment at some point but would like to get a setup that can give me a few years before I’m back here looking for an upgrade.
I know it is a lot to ask and I’m sure some of it has already been covered but I need to get answers to some of these questions so I can get started and do more research.
Thanks for your help and if you can only answer one question that would be a great start.
After some additional research I realized that I wasn’t going to plug either of these phones into a used $40 CD player and be happy with the SQ or realize their full potential.
I am NOT an audiofile. I owned some decent full-size systems over the years but nothing top shelf. I would like a set of very good phones to really begin to “learn to listen”.
I really thought I would love the K70x’s but after looking around here I think choosing an amp for them and/or buying these phones without listening to them would be a mistake.
So here are a few questions that might seem basic but haven’t found the answers here yet and I’ve been out of the high end equipment browsing for far too long.
If my source is a $200 Blu Ray or SACD Player am I wasting my time buying a 750-1000 phone/amp combo?
Should I use the DAC in the player or buy and amp with one built-in DAC and go digital right into the amp from the player and/or PC (most of my library at this time is CD based)?
From what I have read the HD650 can ‘live’ with a less expensive amp than the K70x’s so possibly the phone/amp combo with the HD650 could be less than the K70x’s. Or at the very least I’m less likely to pick the ‘wrong’ amp initially for the HD650’s.
Since I’m in the beginning of my H-F days should I stick with a solid-state amp until I lock in with a set of phones that I love?
I do realize that as I listen I will probably want to upgrade some or all of my equipment at some point but would like to get a setup that can give me a few years before I’m back here looking for an upgrade.
I know it is a lot to ask and I’m sure some of it has already been covered but I need to get answers to some of these questions so I can get started and do more research.
Thanks for your help and if you can only answer one question that would be a great start.