How much to spend on each component in a headphone system?

[markl]

There's been a lot of talk lately about the "correct" amounts/proportions of cash to spend on each component in your headphone system. I think a poll is a good way to take the group's pulse on how we think one should budget for phones, source, and amp.

Hopefully, if results end up being skewed in a way you don't agree with, you can add your thoughts to this thread to make your case and see if you can convince the majority that they have it all wrong.

Notes and assumptions:
1. The poll is NOT simply asking you to list how much money you've actually spent on your current rig-- this is your advice for budgeting for a hypothetical system. The person you are making this recomendation to may have more or less cash to spend than you did. All you are really doing is setting priorities for spending that limited supply of cash.

2. This poll also assumes that the headphone in question is in the sub-$700 range, so no Orpheii or R10s in your calculations, please! Also, for the sake of argument, please assume that the total budget for amps, headphones and sources is not to exceed, let's say $2K. Yes, we'd all like to recommend a $10K source/amp, but this is a "real-world" home-based system. (Anyway, $2K should be more than enough though, for any "real-world" system eh?) Please don't get hung up on the $2K figure, actual budget of the newbie could be much less, but they do have enough to spend more on source and amp than they did on their headphones.

3. This poll assumes a home-based system, so no portable gear.

4. The choices listed show the order in which you think people should spend their money. For example, "1. Amp, 2. Source, 3. Headphones" means you would advise spending the most on an amp, less on a source, and less still on the cans.

The point is to create general guidelines, not to build a specific "dream" system. The budget limits are in place solely to make the poll more general in nature, and aren't really hard and fast rules. We're simply establishing priorities given a limited amount of available cash.

Mark

 

[Hirsch]

IMO not a meaningful question. There are ways to build good sounding systems using wildly divergent proportions of funds. For example, you can build a great $2000 system using the HD-600 or the RS-1. However, on any fixed budget, you're going to be able to spend a lot more on source and amp if you use the HD-600 (but don't forget the cable

)

 

[vwap]

I went ahead and voted Source --> Amp --> Headphones

From what I've been reading/experienced, the amp is more source dependent once you get into the higher end... and the only time you'll be buying an amp more expensive than your source is when you use a PCDP as your source... and if you have a crappy source and a great amp.. it's still going to sound crappy... [hey.. but it'll be amped!

]

 

[markl]

Hirsch--exactly why I didn't want people to get hung up on the $2K number. I just threw that out for the sake of argument.

The thrust of the poll is just to voice your opinion of how to budget for a headphone system in broad terms-- how to set priorities.

For example, I feel that people tend to over-emphasize the importance of headphone amps, and undervalue the importance of source. So, in *general*, without regard to any specific models, situations, or specific component synergies, I would recommend spending more of your budget, whatever that budget may be, on a source instead of an amp.

Mark

 

[vwap]

Quote:

Originally posted by markl For example, I feel that people tend to over-emphasize the importance of headphone amps, and undervalue the importance of source. So, in *general*, without regard to any specific models, situations, or specific component synergies, I would recommend spending more of your budget, whatever that budget may be, on a source instead of an amp.

This is exactly what I was trying to say with my post.. but you said it so much better.

 

[elrod-tom]

Source - Amp - Headphones. The best headphones and amp in the world will sound like crap if the source is weak. Most bang for the buck (assuming solid cans and amp) is definately realized with improvements in the source.

But...what about cables??

 

[markl]

I thought about including cables in this, but I'm assuming that no one would suggest spending more on your cables than your headphones, source or amp (BTW, I got my VD Nite power cord gratis, and paid much less than retail on my other VD cords, so don't go there!

)

Mark

 

[TimSchirmer]

First of all, spending 2 grand on a headphone system is just nuts (unless you have some special reason not to be using speakers)

1. Source, 2. Headphones, 3. Amp will ALWAYS give you the best bang for your buck.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

This poll assumes that I am using headphones on a home-based setup (all separate full-sized components, so no mini-systems, 'lifestyle' systems or portables in this guide). I wouldn't use the grand total of all the sources combined sans headphones and headphone amp when deciding which headphones to buy; instead, I would use the price of the most expensive source in my setup (turntable, CD/DVD player - but usually NOT radio tuner, and almost NEVER the receiver or integrated amp, since even the most expensive amps can themselves be crappy or poorly designed) when choosing.

By this criteria, I voted for '1. Amp 2. Source 3. Headphones' (unless the headphone-based system is to be used without a dedicated amp).

 

[shivohum]

Quote:

The best headphones and amp in the world will sound like crap if the source is weak.

So what? I never understood this argument. Isn't the sound of the system limited by the weaknesses of every component in the system, period? The best amp and source in the world will sound like crap through a pair of crappy headphones. I don't see the difference.

Another issue is how much quality you get per dollar. A $50 portable CDP is much closer to a $500 CDP than a $50 headphone is to a $500 headphone. Thus in the age of digital sources, a relatively inexpensive source may be sonically "matched" with much more expensive headphones or amps.

So even if source exercised the greatest control over sound quality, that doesn't mean that it merits the most dollars.

 

[CaptBubba]

For the position I'm in (broke), headphones>amp>source. You can find some good sources for cheap, and some excellent amps for realativly little.

The headphones, however, should not be skimped on.

 

[bootman]

I didn't choose any.

It possible to put together good systems using any of the formulas listed above.

You can pretty much mix and match these nine examples and fit them into any of the formulas above.
(except the first but that would be the hardest to do since the phone cap is at $700)

Phones:
RS-1
HD-600
V6

Amp:
MAX
RKV MK II
Corda HA-1

Source:
963SA
CD-72
SCD-777ES

The systems generated would all sound very good.

 

[markl]

Quote:

First of all, spending 2 grand on a headphone system is just nuts

So, I guess everyone on the board who owns a Headroom Max is automatically "nuts"? Shhhh.. don't tell Jude! Anyone who owns a Sugden Headmaster, an RKV, ZOTL, EMP, MOH, etc and a decent $1K CDP are also "nuts"? Musty be a lot of lunatics on this board, then.
Quote:

1. Source, 2. Headphones, 3. Amp will ALWAYS give you the best bang for your buck.

By your calculations, let's say conservatively $500 for a source, $300 for the cans, and $200 for the amp (pretty low-end amp, yes?), you've already spent $1K. Is that nuts? Where's the cut-off? Over $1500, you end up in the "nuts" category?

Mark

 

[markl]

Also, people are still getting hung up with the dollar figures I mentioned-- just forget them. Some people are building specific systems, another no-no. This is just general advice for building a hypothetical system. Given limited funds, how would you *in general* recommend someone spend their hard-earned dollars? Yes, there may be a single example of a system where a specific $1K amp with a $300 source, and $125 headphones will sound better than a system with a specific $1K source, $300 phone and $125 amp, but that's not the point. We're not picking out the "exceptions", just defining the "rule".

Mark

 

[bootman]

Quote:

Originally posted by markl Also, people are still getting hung up with the dollar figures I mentioned-- just forget them. Some people are building specific systems, another no-no. This is just general advice for building a hypothetical system. Given limited funds, how would you *in general* recommend someone spend their hard-earned dollars? Yes, there may be a single example of a system where a specific $1K amp with a $300 source, and $125 headphones will sound better than a system with a specific $1K source, $300 phone and $125 amp, but that's not the point. We're not picking out the "exceptions", just defining the "rule". Mark

My point is that all of the above combination could be valid,
so I'm finding a hard time just recommending one.
(Now if we are talking a portable setup then it would be easier.
My recommendation would be phones, source and amp.)
It really depends more on system synergy than what component cost more.
(or in the case of the Philip's a real audiophile bargain that would have a hard time sounding "bad" in a decent system considering the price)