[ndwalker1]

I'm not new to higher end audio, but I AM new to using cans at my desktop, and I've made a few 'duh' sorts of errors in the process of getting started.  I borrowed a pair of nice Grados (middle of their line?) and downloaded some 'hi rez' music to my Windows desktop and found the sound fatiguing and rather 'hi fi' ish.  So I gave back the Grados and tabled the idea.  My wife was looking for ideas for me for Christmas, and since I'm spending more time than ever at the desktop, I went through the headphone buyers guides (excellent!) and suggested she get me an inexpensive set from the list.  No sense in spending big bucks to get so so sound... right? And sure enough, the inexpensive JVCs sounded VERY much like the 7 times pricier Grados.  But that got me thinking.  Why didn't the much more expensive cans sound better.  Well, the problem wasn't the headphones, or the quality of the music files.  It was what I was using (Windows Media or VLC media players) to play them, and the built in sound card I was playing them through.  After a bit of research here I began exploring software options, and much to my surprise, even FREE software upgrades made a dramatic improvement in the sound quality.  Then I got myself an inexpensive USB DAC that could handle 24/192 native and low-and-behold, the dramatic sonic improvements continued. 
The bottom line is this: I suspect other newbies may be disappointed by their initial listening experience if they dash out to buy the best headphones they can afford, and fail to feed them high quality audio from the computer.
So, would anyone be willing to start up a Computer User's Guide for Newbies the same way folks have assembled the Headphone Buyers Guides?  I think it might really help others (like me) who put the cart before the horse?
 
Neil

 

[tomb]

I think the idea that people can listen to a quality headphone through their computer's sound card is an idea that should be squashed at every opportunity.  The answer to every question around here seems to be, "Buy an Asus sound card."  I don't have one and maybe they're the exception, but most every other motherboard-based or packaged sound card is pure cr*p.  Laptops are even more atrocious.  Are digital audio files the future for audio media?  Absolutely.  So yes - use that PC or smartphone as the media source (FLAC preferred, IMHO), but when it comes to the analog output - look elsewhere.  There are several reasons for this, but the most offending is the power quality/noise.  No offense to the Asus lovers, but you'll never find a truly audiophile power supply in any computer component.  It makes a difference.
 
Here's a short version of a newbie-guide: Don't use computer sound cards or motherboard audio for listening with quality headphones.

 

[cel4145]

So, would anyone be willing to start up a Computer User's Guide for Newbies the same way folks have assembled the Headphone Buyers Guides?  I think it might really help others (like me) who put the cart before the horse?

As they say in the open source world, "Talk is cheap; code is golden." What that means is that there are plenty of great ideas for free resources that can be made by someone. What's needed is the people to do the work, and it's so easy to volunteer others.

Now if you were volunteering, sure, sounds like a great idea

 

[billybob_jcv]

Back in the 1970s, audio shops would produce catalogs with "suggested systems" at different price points. They would package a receiver, turntable, speakers and headphones together for a packaged price. As you moved up the price curve, you might get an integrated amp and a tuner instead of a receiver and floorstanding speakers instead of bookshelves - and at the top of the heap was a monster package of TOTL separates with all the bells & whistles.

Maybe something like that is what we need? Recommended system packages at different price points and maybe with different goals in mind, like "bassheads", "gamers", "smooth & natural", "road warrior", etc. Each package would include a DAC/amp (DAC+amp) & headphones. The packages would be tuned to meet the price points and the intended target buyer.

Of course, the issue with any such guide is that, just like Jude's buying guide, it would need to be updated several times a year to reflect new/upgraded products. That's a big job for someone that isn't getting paid to do it...

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I'm not new to higher end audio, but I AM new to using cans at my desktop, and I've made a few 'duh' sorts of errors in the process of getting started.  I borrowed a pair of nice Grados (middle of their line?) and downloaded some 'hi rez' music to my Windows desktop and found the sound fatiguing and rather 'hi fi' ish.  So I gave back the Grados and tabled the idea. 

 
Actually Grados aren't "hi-fi" enough. You can see in the graph below where three Grados (mind you, I love the PS500 and RS-1, although a bit expensive for that kind of frequency response) measure with peaks in the upper bass and somewhere in the treble near the upper midrange. The orange graph is for the Sony MDR-V6 used by many pros for monitoring - see how relatively smoother the curve is?

 
 

Other than the frequency response measurements the thing with Grados is commonsense dictates it fit smack over the ears (I'd bet the measurements were taken that way). The thing is though no speakers are positioned perpendicular to one's head aimed directly at  the ear canals; other headphones have the chassis designed to position the drivers slightly ahead of the ears and at times even mimic toe-in, like the HD800's or T1's frame or the angled earpads (thicker in the rear) on the K7xx-series of AKGs. If you wear Grados a little bit forward, with the on-ear pads not hugging the edge of the earlobes, the sound smoothens out in terms of response and the imaging also stands back a little bit, both contributing to less fatigue.

 

[GREQ]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCM2704-USB-DAC-USB-Power-Sound-card-decoding-deck-raspberry-pi-w-Fiber-coaxial-/400435976234?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item5d3bd8182a
 
Even one of these makes a big difference. Just a simple cheap solution for getting a clean signal.
I use one of these at the office, and it even puts out more power than the analogue mobo-sound, even just about enough for my DT990 (600 ohm).

 

[billybob_jcv]

That unit only outputs 12 mW into 32 Ohms. How the heck can it work well with 600 Ohm headphones?

 

[GREQ]

That unit only outputs 12 mW into 32 Ohms. How the heck can it work well with 600 Ohm headphones?

I'm not an electrician so I can't answer that.
All I know is, they're plugged in, and I have to turn down the volume otherwise it hurts. 
 
Also doesn't sound bad. It could be a bit tighter in the bass with a proper amp, but it's really fine as it is.

 

[ndwalker1]

If I knew enough to even begin to make sensible suggestions, I'd certainly try and get the ball rolling.