[Doodle07]

Hey everybody,

this is my first post on Head-Fi, and i'm pretty excited about it. i've been looking for a new pair of headphones and maybe an amp. After a lot of research on this wonderful monstrosity of a forum i haven't really narrowed down my choices at all.

i'm stuck between grabbing a nicer pair of cans like the HD 595s or the AH-D2000s, or a somewhat less expensive pair, such as the ATH M-50, and have very little idea about what would benefit most from an amp. My budget is somewhere around 300-400 dollars, and i'm mainly looking for good sound quality/really just to learn more about headphones (i've been somewhat obsessed with this site for a few weeks, and am just gathering up the courage to jump in).

I'd be listening off of a macbook or an ipod, and i have absolutely no idea if an amp would help my sound quality. two that sound good to me are the ibasso d10 and the headfive, because of the inclusion of a DAC. However, i'm not exactly sure how much that would help me considering my source.

anyways, i apologize for asking so many questions all at once, but i can't think of a more elegant way to dive into the headfi forums, so here i am.

thank you so much in advance for any recommendations you can make or advice you can give.

 

[Kane-DK]

First of all. Welcome to Head-fi - sorry about your wallet

About your questions. If you use your macbook the most, I would recommend getting a small amp/dac combo. It would improve the sound quality alot - something like the Ibasso D10 or Meier 3Move would fit the bill.

About headphones it is really about what kind of sound you are looking for. Also maybe if you have a need for closed can etc.

Edit: You could also just get a pair of Grado SR60i and be done with it - could save you alot of money

 

[Doodle07]

As new as I am to this whole audiophile thing, i've actually test driven the SR60i, and i'm not wild about it, but i can't exactly put my finger on why.

I'm going to try to hold off making a final decision until i actually hear a few more cans, so im heading to a high end audio store tomorrow to see if i can't figure out what my needs are a little more.

However, i'm fairly certain that i'll be wanting a closed can headphone, and something that has a good sound for most genres of music. other than my poor wallet, there doesn't seem to be anything stopping me from grabbing an amp/dac and a HD-595, seeing as how they're pretty cheap on amazon. there any reason i shouldn't be considering these?

 

[1Time]

Welcome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doodle07 /img/forum/go_quote.gif However, i'm fairly certain that i'll be wanting a closed can headphone, and something that has a good sound for most genres of music. other than my poor wallet, there doesn't seem to be anything stopping me from grabbing an amp/dac and a HD-595, seeing as how they're pretty cheap on amazon. there any reason i shouldn't be considering these?

The HD595 is open.

Are you wanting open or closed headphones, or are you considering either?

So $400 is your combined budget for an amp/DAC + headphones?

 

[Doodle07]

sorry about the confusion, i dunno what i was saying earlier, i'm just that noobish

open/closed doesn't matter too much to me, as i'll be listening to them entirely at home, so i dunno why i thought that would matter at all. as for the budget, i'd love to be able to find some nice headphones and an amp/DAC for $400. That being said, whatever headphones i get will almost certainly be better than the ones i've got now (bose on ear headphones), so i don't have a problem with just grabbing some cans and worrying about the amp later.

 

[1Time]

I suggest shopping for and buying a system instead of headphones first and then look for an amp/DAC. And so it's good you have your budget specified for an amp/DAC + headphones.

So for example if you're considering the D2000, search "D2000" to see what amp/DAC others are successfully using with theirs that is within your budget.

 

[feifan]

Kane-DK and 1Time have provided sound advice.

Another option is to go for a good reference headphone such as the Sennheiser HD600 which still has an excellent reputation. If you shop around, you could get it for just under $300, I think.

Then with the remaining $100, do what Kane-DK and 1Time suggest -- get a combination DAC/amp that will work off your macbook or ipod. You can find them for under $100 in ebay. They're usually Chinese made, but the quality is quite good. Also look into "the Ibasso D10 or Meier 3Move" that Kane-DK suggests.

In the future, you can always try out and purchase better amp/DAC combos with your HD600, following 1Time's advice: "See what amp/DAC others are successfully using with theirs that is within your budget."

 

[Doodle07]

thanks so much guys. i feel much less lost than i did a few days ago.

again, thanks for the recommendations.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doodle07 /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks so much guys. i feel much less lost than i did a few days ago. again, thanks for the recommendations.

To clarify my previous post, a "system" could be for example your macbook/ipod + headphones for $400 or less. And if compared to an amp/DAC + headphones system for $400 or less, you could prefer one system or the other.

Describing the type of sound you want and the types of music you listen to can help narrow the search.

And if you have narrowed your search, from what you have read, what is it about each model that makes it worthy of your consideration?

 

[Doodle07]

I've read a lot about Sennheisers, and personally know quite a few people (some of whom work in the audio industry) who swear by them. From the research i've done on this site people seem to differentiate the HD595 from the HD600 by the 595's more up front and in your face sound. I've heard that the 595 is better for general listening to many different genres of music, where as the 600s perform particularly well when listening to classical music. while i do listen to classical occasionally, i listen to most everything else more often.

so...genres i listen to regularly would probably be progressive rock, classic rock, alternative, some reggae (gotta love bob marley), indy, punk, rap, and most of whatever else i've forgotten. Either way, i listen to a wide variety of music and i enjoy the idea of the up front sounding 595s. However, all of the forum talk is somewhat trumped by personal experience...

and so earlier today i went to a nearby high end audio store and test drove quite a few sennheisers and grados (the only two high end brand cans they carried). despite the fact that the 600s are probably out of my price range anyways, i still enjoyed the 595s more for most of my music collection (test driving helped the decision making process immensely), and i liked all of the comparatively priced sennheisers over their grado counterparts. Unfortunately the place i went didn't have anything by AKG, audio technica, or Denon, so i was unable to experience as many brands as i wanted too.

so having a more up front sound and their relative cheap price is why i was considering the HD595s, and now i've added in a first hand listening experience.

as far as the system comment in your previous post, thanks for the clarification (i was a little bit confused). considering that my cans of choice (the 595s, as if it wasn't obvious enough already) are only about $170 on amazon i've got a bit of money left over for other extraneous purchases. So, i think i'd prefer a "system" that included headphones and an amp.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doodle07 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, i think i'd prefer a "system" that included headphones and an amp.

Here are a few ways to go with the HD595.
Source > HD595
Source > Amp > HD595
Source > amp/DAC > HD595
Source > amp/DAC > Amp > HD595

Some amp/DACs are more powerful than others. Depending on the equipment used, it is possible to prefer any of these. I suggest searching and posting to see what equipment others are successfully using with their HD595.

Another thing you may want to consider is, FWIR, the HD555 is the same as the HD595 after performing a simple modification, except the ear pads remain different which probably affects the sound some. But supposedly the HD555 sounds much the same after the mod. I have not confirmed this for myself, but I am inclined to believe the HD555 mod has merit. Of course the HD595 would be the safe and easy option.

I enjoyed my 120 Ohm HD595 from a H/K receiver mostly with jazz music because it sounded good. However, I usually listen to classic rock, pop and bassy electronic music, but did not like my HD595 with that music. Of course the 50 Ohm HD595 from different equipment than I used will sound different than what I recall hearing.

 

[aristos_achaion]

$300 to $400 is a good starting budget for Amp/DAC + headphones. Look at the HiFiMan EF2 from Head-direct. FWIR, it's a good deal (look for headphoneaddict's review of it), and it leaves room in your budget for good headphones. Personally, I'd go for EF2 + Grado SR225s or EF2 + used Senn HD580s with 600 grills & 650 cable (you see those all the time on the FS forums) if I were in your position, but that's mostly speculation, so take with a grain of salt. The advantage of the former is that 225(i)s are easy enough to drive to use without an amp, but an amp makes them sound better.

At one point, it'd probably have been a good idea to go $200 headphone + starving student amp + Alien DAC, but the scarcity of 19j6 tubes is making that less doable.

EDIT: Oh, wait...not wild about Grado and not HD580-type music. I ought to read before I post.

 

[Doodle07]

i did a side by side comparison of grado SR225s and the HD595s at an audio store earlier today. While the equipment he was running the cans through isn't what i can afford, i also listened to both without an amp or DAC, and still preferred the 595s for the type of music i listen too. while i'm definitely still new to the hi fi headphone world, and there are a lot of people out there who know cans way better than i do, i'm trying to not take people's recommendations with too much weight, but instead just as a starting point. in the end, i think i'm gonna go with what my ears say, because no amount of forum crawling is going to replace listening to two cans side by side.

also, i'm not exactly comfortable enough with modding equipment, but i guess the only way to get better at it is to start somewhere, and the mod to the 555s sounds pretty easy to me, so i might give it a go. as for now, the system i'm thinking of is

source (macbook) > amp/DAC (probably an ibasso d10, which fills out my budget quite nicely) > HD555 or 595

i'll probably have to buy some cables or adapters or whatnot down the line, but i'm not so worried about it anymore. it's a relief to have at least a rough plan of what i'm heading for, not to mention how much i'm actually going to end up spending.

thanks for pointing me in the right direction!