HELP ME CHOOSE: HD598, AD900, SR225i, or Q701.
Nov 11, 2012 at 2:51 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15
syryanyang

syryanyang

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My current set up is laptop-E17-DT990
I'm not looking for an upgrade but a change of taste.
Without additional DAC or amp, which of those phones I listed is the best choice
I listen to vocal mostly and watch a lot of movies.
 
Nov 11, 2012 at 3:57 PM Post #2 of 15
Quote:
syryanyang said:
My current set up is laptop-E17-DT990
I'm not looking for an upgrade but a change of taste.
Without additional DAC or amp, which of those phones I listed is the best choice
I listen to vocal mostly and watch a lot of movies.
Click to expand...

 
Heya,
 
Probably the HD598, or maybe a Sony MA900.
 
Very best,
 
Nov 11, 2012 at 4:30 PM Post #3 of 15
Be sure to check out the new Soundmagic HP200 also
 
Nov 11, 2012 at 5:04 PM Post #4 of 15
Q701 sounds good with the E17. 
 
Nov 11, 2012 at 5:34 PM Post #6 of 15
People blow it out of proportion. The E17 is plenty powerful and is a quality amp. I'm only using the medium gain and still listen at just under half volume, so there is plenty of power. My normal listening volume is around 75-85db tested with a radio shack spl meter. The E17 is also nice because it has a bass boost, so if you were to get this combo and find the Q701 to be lacking bass, you can easily add more. I use the +2db bass boost.
Quote:
syryanyang said:
I see that's your set-up. But I've been told Q701 are very hard to drive and take more than E17
Click to expand...

 
Nov 11, 2012 at 5:37 PM Post #8 of 15
Quote:
syryanyang said:
My current set up is laptop-E17-DT990
I'm not looking for an upgrade but a change of taste.
Without additional DAC or amp, which of those phones I listed is the best choice
I listen to vocal mostly and watch a lot of movies.
Click to expand...

My favorite headphones for watching (action) movies is the DT990, but I'm guessing your looking for something to enhance the vocals.
 
Nov 11, 2012 at 5:42 PM Post #9 of 15
Yup. The other day I actually plugged them straight into my iPhone 4, they took almost all the power my iPhone had, but they still got loud. They definitely sound much better with my E17 though. They definitely like being amped, but they aren't extremely hard to drive. You don't need to spend several hundred to power them properly. 
Quote:
malveaux said:
 
Absolutely false.
 
The Q701 is not difficult to drive.
 
Very best,
Click to expand...

 
Nov 11, 2012 at 7:03 PM Post #11 of 15
Nov 11, 2012 at 7:58 PM Post #13 of 15
Yes, it definitely is. 
 
Did you miss my earlier post where I said I was only using mine on medium gain at less than half volume and still reaching up to 85db? Sounds like plenty to me. I'm not even pushing it half way. It'll still go louder and still sound clear if you want to listen louder and hurt your hearing. I have cranked it higher for a short time just to test it out. I have used more powerful amps on other headphones, so I do have a baseline to go off of. I'm also not the only one using this exact pairing. 
 
Sensitivity is 105db which really isn't that bad, and the impedance is 62 ohms, which is really not that high. They are not as hard to drive as say an HD600, HD650, or HD800. 
 
If you didn't agree that the E17 is enough you could always add an E9 or E09k later on.  
 
 
 
Quote:
syryanyang said:
Is E17 really sufficient for Q701? 'cause I've really heard many different version of stories
Click to expand...

 
Nov 11, 2012 at 8:38 PM Post #14 of 15
Quote:
jasonb said:
Yes, it definitely is. 
 
Did you miss my earlier post where I said I was only using mine on medium gain at less than half volume and still reaching up to 85db? Sounds like plenty to me. I'm not even pushing it half way. It'll still go louder and still sound clear if you want to listen louder and hurt your hearing. I have cranked it higher for a short time just to test it out. I have used more powerful amps on other headphones, so I do have a baseline to go off of. I'm also not the only one using this exact pairing. 
 
Sensitivity is 105db which really isn't that bad, and the impedance is 62 ohms, which is really not that high. They are not as hard to drive as say an HD600, HD650, or HD800. 
 
If you didn't agree that the E17 is enough you could always add an E9 or E09k later on.  
 
 
Click to expand...

Yeah I read yours and it's one of the versions.
Not saying I don't trust you, I really do appreciate your input. It's just people saying opposite things got me really confused.
confused.gif

I guess the only option for me now is to get a pair and try out myself
biggrin.gif

 
Nov 11, 2012 at 8:52 PM Post #15 of 15
I can understand people wanting to use a big amp on them since they are a stay at home can, but they really aren't that hard to drive. Most people on here seem to either be really rich or just want to throw all of what money they do have into this hobby. Most of the setups on this forum are overkill. The E17 is just fine for these, I don't want to simply say anything more is overkill, but it kind of is. Like I've said, I'm not even pushing this little amp anywhere near its limits. The sound is crystal clear, soundstage is big, and this amp gets them way louder than i'll ever listen. There is plenty of headroom. Some people just hear the name Fiio and think their products are cheap toys, but the E17 is not a toy. The E5 is a toy, but not the E17.
 
A little over a year ago I had an HD650 with the $850 HeadRoom desktop amp/DAC, so I have used bigger and more expensive amps. I've also been into home theater and car audio all my life, so I know good sound. I know quality amplification when I hear it, and the E17 is a quality little amp. 
 
I was a bit skeptical too when I ordered both the Q701 and the E17. Right away all my worries went away when I plugged them in. 
 
Quote:
syryanyang said:
Yeah I read yours and it's one of the versions.
Not saying I don't trust you, I really do appreciate your input. It's just people saying opposite things got me really confused.
confused.gif

I guess the only option for me now is to get a pair and try out myself
biggrin.gif
Click to expand...

 
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