[Gladcow]

my budget is extremely tight and im already planning on spending my next paycheck before i even get it. anyway im planning on buying a pair of dt880's. and im looking to get an amp to go with it. for starters i can afford getting a total bithead for $200. I like that idea because i can afford both relatively soon and then leave room to upgrade with a heed canamp in a couple months. but would i be doing the dt880's justice with that amp? or should i wait for another pay check and get a gilmore lite? i know there is one up for 250 in the sale forum but im not sure what route to take.

 

[Gladcow]

please someone has to have some advice, I feel like the more time i spend on this forum the more confused i get

as far as headphones go im up in the air between the k701 and the dt880. since i can get either for about the same price im leaning towards grabbing the k701s. as far as amping them goes im getting lost. i decided that 300 usd was the max i can spend on an amplifier. i was originally looking at the gilmore lite. then headroom's micro amp seemed like a possibly good solution because of hte crossfeed switch. if i decided to get hte dt880s ive read that the g-lite only makes its bright sound signature brighter. ive heard things going both ways for the k701 and gilmore lite combination. but i havent really heard to many great reviews for the k701. am i just too worried about getting a good combination of amp and headphone? arggh if it was your money what combination would you get? i hate asking that because its all about a matter of personal taste but i cant find anywhere to try out some of these high end headphones, so your guys advice is all i have.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I have the DT880 and a pair of K-701s is in the mail to me right now. I haven't heard them yet, but have read a lot about them and am more than satisfied with the K-501 and K-1000. I'm mostly sure I'll love them.

As for an amp, there are a lot of good choices for both. The DT880 sounds quite good with the HeadFive. There are a number of them for sale in the For Sale Forum right now- you'd do well to pick one up. Also, Dr. Meier upgraded the HeadFive and is now selling it as the Cora Arietta for $290. Either would be a fine match. A number of people here have had good results with the HeadFive and the K-701, as well.

The Gilmore Lite does well with both, but it has a very crisp, neutral sound. The DT880 tends toward the analytical, and you can really pin down the details with this combo. It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it. That character comes through with the AKG cans, as well.

Another amp you might want to consider is the Eddie Current Lunchbox. I haven't heard one, but it's a great deal at $160 and there are a few threads devoted to it here.

 

[illy2k]

IMHO I would suggest that you don't buy anything on impluse. That being said I would suggest looking through the forums I know that there is tons of information. I also know that everyone has their own opinion and everyone also loves to say that their setup is great claiming no personal bias. Find a few good amps on the home and then on the portable side and decide which one you think you will be happiest with for the long term. Spending 200 on a bithead then 400 on a Canamp in a few months is buying in a way which will just burn through your money. If you are like me and basically save up for a few months then purchase something, you should really make purchases which you can be happy with for a long time. I would suggest these to look at from my own info gained through head-fi.

Home Amps
Corda Arietta
Gilmore Lite
Heed Canamp (as you already have mentioned)
Headroom Micro w/Desktop module

Portable's
RS Hornet
Portaphile V2
to name a few,

also check out this recent thread for some good port amps
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=216903

In the end nothing, amps in a similar price range will have no real stark contrasts between each other, unless for some reason they are not HQ. The decision in the end is all up to you, and good luck making that decision.

Hope this helps out

 

[KrooLism]

If you're not used to High Fidelity, ANY of the middle-high end models here (650, K-701, 880, SR-225...etc) with a small amp will blow your socks off.

As a starter headphone and amp, it really doesn't matter.

I only had computer speakers and a Sony "Hi-Fi" system before headphones. My first pair was a Senn HD-280 and the SQ on that was faaar better than anything I've ever experienced.

 

[mrarroyo]

IMO one of the best used amps under $200 is the Musical Fidelity X-Can V2. I had the opportunity of comparing it against the HeadFive and the Dared and IMO the MF X-Can V2 came on top. I should add the MF sounds great with Senn and AKG cans. Good luck.

 

[Gladcow]

thanks everyone for your advice i REALLY apreciate it. I've decided to try buying a used headfive and if that plan falls through ill go with the more expensive arietta. i didnt realize they had a crossfeed switch, and because no matter which headphone i get, im not going to be using except for in my room so portability isnt an issue. that gave it the edge over any of the headroom amps. now its just a matter of decision between the k701 and the dt880. ahh a few weeks and ill be in audio bliss

Thanks soo much i finally feel confident with spending my money towards headphone gear.