[BMBROWN911]

I've owned a headroom little for about 3 months now. When I first bought it I only had Grado SR60's which sounded very good through it. I then upgraded to the Sennheiser HD600's and found that the sound was absolutely awsome to my ears. But now that I've been using it for a while I can't stand it anymore. I don't know how to explain it. It just doesn't sound good to me anymore. I'm not using any special setup. Just a Sony D-NE510 MP3 CD player/Walkman through basic RCA cabling to my Headroom Little which is running my HD600's. What would be the best way to upgrade my sound. New amp, new cabling. Take into consideration I don't have access to any real great sources. I have a very nice stereo in the living room but for some reason it has no line out on it. Any Suggestions?

 

[elrod-tom]

A source upgrade seems like the most logical choice to me. You don't have a tape monitor out on the main rig?

I had the little for awhile, and I thought it was a good product. My younger brother likes it a lot. It is, IMHO, outmatched by your cans. Of course, your source is outmatched by the little. That's where I'd start.

 

[bootman]

Don't take this the wrong way, but the little/600 combo is just showing you how crappy the Sony D-NE510 MP3 CD really is.

If a source upgrade is out of the question then sell the 600 and get a less resolving can.

You can then buy a ton of cdrs and make more mp3s disks.

 

[jpelg]

1. Upgrade source.
2. Upgrade HD600 cable to Cardas or Equinox.
3. Upgrade Little via it's upgrade path - Power supply, electronics, etc. , see Headroom's site for info).

In that order.

Kinda sucks when your ears & brain become educated to good sound, huh? Ignorance was bliss. Welcome to the madness.

 

[BMBROWN911]

The stereo in my living room only has jacks in the back that say phono in and video in. I don't think they'll work. That really sucks because its $750 stereo. It sounds pretty good too. But I know if I had the right setup the 600's would blow it away.

 

[BMBROWN911]

Something I forgot to add to my last reply. I'm willing to buy a better source and I know that a portable isn't going to cut it but what type of source would be good? I have no clue what to look for!

 

[stereth]

Go to the Source or Portable Audio forums. Check other newbie threads. If you don't find enough information, ask for a recommendation. Tell them your budget, your system, your taste in music, and they'll help you out.

You can get a decent-sounding portable, if you're willing to look on Ebay and do a little repair work. Otherwise go for a full-size player.

 

[D-EJ915]

I heard that the "little" isn't a very good amp, is this true??

 

[elrod-tom]

That depends. It's not a very good amp when compared to the MAX. It is, however, a good, solid intro-level headphone amp. The crossfeed feature is a nice plus, as is its upgrade path.

It probably won't be your last amp, but what the hell...it beats the headphone jack on most stereo systems by a mile!!

 

[TravelLite]

Quote:

Originally posted by D-EJ915 I heard that the "little" isn't a very good amp, is this true??

Some like it, some don't.

IIRC, some people have compared the Little in its basic (non-upgraded) form to the HeadRoom Supreme.

IMO, the current-production (basic) Little is a neat, even great, little "budget" or "utility" amp for low-impedance, easy-to-drive phones like the (lower-end) Grados.

Unfortunately though, I've personally found the Little to be fundamentally inadequate for driving the popular Beyerdynamic DT770/880/990 headphones (from a typical 2V line-level source).

I should hasten to point out that the type of listening application I'm referring to is what I call "foreground" listening. Others names for this type of use might be "showcase", "demonstration-style", or "loud and clear" listening.

For true "background" listening though, as one might practice at work for example, I suppose the Little can at least do an acceptable job with these phones.

Anyhow, that's my take on the Little's capabilities.

Since a number of people do use the Little to drive the Sennheiser HD580/600, I need to point out that quite a few feel, including Todd Green of HeadRoom, that the HD580/600 are actually easier to drive than the DT770/880/990, lower-rated nominal impedance notwithstanding.

TravelLite

 

[tom hankins]

Go back to jpelg's post and start his list. By the time you get done with one and two you might even be happy with the amp as is.

 

[BMBROWN911]

Today I decided that since our living room stereo doesn't have a line out I could at least hook up the amp through the headphone jack. I must say it is actually a huge difference in the sound. Its way the hell better then the portable that I was using. Which is surprising because everyone says to use the line out. Oh well. Guess I can start upgrading cables and stuff for the amp. Thinks for everyones advice!

 

[BMBROWN911]

Who sells equinox cabling on the internet besides there website. Headroom doesn't sell them.