[stang]

I have a feeling that your equipment is letting you down haha. What is your source? Maybe investing in a $600 tube amp (or abouts there) would show significant improvements. Also, you may want to spend around $300 for a DAC.

 

[shuurajou]

I would suggest that you check your volume and source. Poor headphones can ruin excellent quality music, but sadly, even the best headphones can't polish a terribly compressed file. It's like coffee - no matter how good your espresso machine is, if the beans are months old you're banging your head against a brick wall!
 
General guidance on volume would be to turn it all the way down, and then slowly turn it up to a point where you consider it quiet - then turn it up a little more than that.
 
You could have it too quiet or too loud. Better to be on the quiet side if you want to enjoy your headphones for a long time to come . 
 
Many people question the safety of headphones - I used my Sennheiser HD 25-1's for many years, at sensible volumes, and when I had a hearing test my hearing was as good as it gets . 

 

[mcnoiserdc]

I have two creative sound cards
One is an old creative extigy, the other is creative audigy 2 zs notebook
I thought that the audigy was better but I couldn't spot difference between the two of them
I had also the jvc victor to use as receiver for toslink off my computer but couldn't spot differences either.
It is not easy for me to accept that some chinese DAC would sound better than the chips inside those cards. Those cards can decode optical in meaning they have their own sound processor if I am right...
 
As to the amp side, lots of people say that they were surprised buy this little amp. So I don't really now what is the problem here.
Anyway when I bought the HD600 I had in mind I'd upgrade source/dac/amp at a latter time. so I might keep them grow learning, and when I get some funds, I'm thinking about getting either Hifiman ef2 or little dot mkII
What do you guys think. or probably the e7 dac as it as the famous wolfson da, to pair with mkII. I am not in a rush to sell my hd600, I love them. They gave a new meaning to music to me. By the sales here and in other forums it seems that headphones don't lose their value quickly, so I have plenty of time to try learning how to listen to music.
 
One thing I feel with the portapros, they sound powerful, I mean sometimes I look at what I am listening, 

 

[Ypoknons]

Yes, all DACs have a digital to analogue converter, it's the same whether it's a sound card or a DAC. And what makes you think an Soundblaster is better than 'some chinese DAC'? There are amazing DACs made in China, so I hear. 

 

[pdupiano]

If you truly cannot tell the difference between the two, then just leave it be and sell the one that you will use the least. At this point if you took people's advice and bought other gear for the hd600's, well then you are now comparing a 1000+ pair of headphone system to a 20 dollar pair of koss'. Some people can't really hear, rather than feel bad about it, feel relieved. No need to go further down the rabbit hole, sometimes you can't get back out.

 

[brat]

 
Quote:

 I can't point a single difference in sound.

That's strange.....
Try again.

 

 

[DefectiveAudioComponent]

I posted a comparison some time ago of the koss porta pro VS the HD580(which is basically very much the same as the HD600). It all ended differently depending on the amp. (I also included the HD414 in the comparison). They were rather different when powered by my laptop compared to my headphone amp. In short, I preferred the porta pro from my laptop, and the HD580 from my xcan.
 
(I've since then moved on from both the porta pro and the HD580.)
 
Quote:

First, a quick listen of Ex Machina and Kind of Nitzer through the headphone out of a mac book pro.

The HD414 plays the music with a hard agressive character. The hi-hat stands out more than with the HD580s or the Porta Pro. They are much more convenient to wear than the way I remembered them.

The HD580s plays a more harmonious tone, but instead it's a bit like listening to music played in a nearby room. I'd like to open that door to the HD414 a bit, but not completely.

Going to the Koss Porta Pro, the character of the music is now rather bassy, and enjoyable.

In fact, I am not entirely happy with either option.

Quote:

Moving over to Seven Nation Army played through Arcam CD73 - XCANv3

HD414. Now it is like if Jack White was standing next to me and sings / screams right into both my ears. Agressive and detailed. Everything is very distinct.

HD580. Jack has taken a step back, but definitely not into the nearby room. The Seven Nation Army is a bit less aggressive and more bassy. If you happen to have the CD next to you, you can hear a sound effect of some kind through the song (I don't know what the name of it is). It can still clearly be heard, but with the 414 it was more up front. It struck me as a surprise, something I had not noticed before with the 414, but back to the 580s that I usually listen through, the sound is still there, just more in the background.

Moving over to the Porta Pro, the sound effect is there too, but now it is like I moved inside the bass drum, and listen to everything from there. Definitely uncomfortable.

This time the I have much harder time making a decision. Clearly, the porta pro is not an option. But the 414 or the 580s? I am not so sure. The 580s are more bassy and harmonious. There is nothing wrong with the bass from the 414, it is nice and distinct, but there is less of it.

 

 

[plonter]

Quote:

First of all, I assume you have been listening to a lot of music with your headphones. Give your ears a rest. Don't listen to music with headphones for some days (2-3-4 days or more). Then get back to it, the differences will be heard more easily.
 
It is just that you have gotten used to the stimuli of wearing headphones. I haven't heard both but they might sound similar as well. Before deciding to sell which, rest your ears and then decide.
 
Good luck.
 
Edit: Oh and don't worry, that has happened to all of us You are perfectly normal

x2  the ears need some rest every once in a while.  we know it is hard not listening to headphones for several days,but try it.

 
Quote:

I think a vast, fundamental issue with head-fi is there are a lot of great-sounding under-$100 headphones that sound perhaps 80% or more as good as $300 headphones. That is, the law of diminishing returns is hugely present in this hobby.
 
A well-amped HD600 is probably going to give you mostly subtle SQ benefits over the PortaPro (although many would argue the differences are not subtle). However, there will probably be some songs the PortaPro handles poorly that don't sound right with it, and I'll suggest you use those songs to test the difference with the HD600. That might be the best way to find if it's worth the expense.

also agree with that.  as you grow up to be an "experienced" audiophile you start to notice the more subtle things.  but I am a good example of an audiophile that still havn't fully grown up

 

[mcnoiserdc]

well when I said the koss sounded powerful, what I know remember is that, of standing next to the speakers in a concert, you know when the sound is so alive and shakes you. that is what I feel. I agree with defectiveaudiocomponent to a certain point. with hd600 it is a bit of being farther away from the the speakers and I also feel the bass is better(stronger, lively) on my koss portapro (blasphemy?)
I am sorry I am new to this audio stuff. 
Well when I say no difference, is that I don't find any bit to say, wow this is better than my portapros.
I forgot to say that I listen to all kind of music basicly. Hip-hop/rap, reggae, rock, pop, ballads, slow gospel music, choirs, classical music, it depends on my mood. and when I'm reading I just let the music go.
 
When I was comparing the headphones, I used flacs, 320 kbps mp3 and vbr mp3 too.
Well my wife is a musician and her best attribute as musician is that she has excelent ear, she hears things most people doesn't. She can tell every single not just by hearing or play any notes you say, she can even tune some instruments without aid. I'll see if she can spot differences then, lol!

 

[plonter]

get a denon D5000/2000,believe me you will be wowed.  the sennheisers are not wow headphones at all.  you just probably need a more euphoric,coloured sounding headphones that will give you the slam you are looking for.
but it must say something about the porta pro's sound good if you can't detect ANY difference between them and the HD600.

 

[mcnoiserdc]

Quote:

get a denon D5000/2000,believe me you will be wowed.  the sennheisers are not wow headphones at all.  you just probably need a more euphoric,coloured sounding headphones that will give you the slam you are looking for.
but it must say something about the porta pro's sound good if you can't detect ANY difference between them and the HD600.

yes that is what I learnt from this whole thing.
I mean portapros may be the of the few if not the only one that is up to expectation from a lot of people.
Well in a few days I'll receive my RE0, then I'll see if I am really deaf, lol!

 

[plonter]

Quote:

yes that is what I learnt from this whole thing.
I mean portapros may be the of the few if not the only one that is up to expectation from a lot of people.
Well in a few days I'll receive my RE0, then I'll see if I am really deaf, lol!

well...just remember that the RE0 also supposed to be fairly balanced, so there is a chance that you will encounter the same issue with them also.  although,they are in ears so you may detect differences based on that sort of sound.
that's the reason i personally got myself 3 main pairs of headphones with 3 different sound signatures.  there is no way NOT to distinguish between them.

 

[Ypoknons]

You get that feeling at (modern music) concerts because the speakers are so big, and the volume is so loud, that the speaker moves so much air you can actually feel it. That's really something you can't get from headphones, and it's not what most people are looking for here... All the same, you enjoy your bass and that's okay too, But from what I understand the HD600's are (hearsay, warning!) somewhat neutral so you might want to play around a bit now. 
 
 
Quote:

well when I said the koss sounded powerful, what I know remember is that, of standing next to the speakers in a concert, you know when the sound is so alive and shakes you. that is what I feel. I agree with defectiveaudiocomponent to a certain point. with hd600 it is a bit of being farther away from the the speakers and I also feel the bass is better(stronger, lively) on my koss portapro (blasphemy?)
I am sorry I am new to this audio stuff. 
Well when I say no difference, is that I don't find any bit to say, wow this is better than my portapros.

 

[MatsudaMan]

I think it is a silly argument to say that the Portapros are as good or better than HD600s.  I have both and love the portapros, however thay don't hold a candle to the HD600s in resolution, dynamics, and overall presentation of scale.  That being said with certain kinds of music (compressed or just poorly recorded), one might be hard pressed to hear a difference.  Also, some people just have can't tell the difference - kind of like people who can't tell the difference between wines...just haven't trained the palette.  I say, if your using headphones for gaming or downloaded low rez music files, keep the portapros and sell the HD600 to someone who can appreciate them. 

 

[plonter]

I never heard the porta pro's.  but i own a pair of pk2 earbuds and they sound almost the same to the HD650 soundwise.  ofcourse there is a big difference in resolution and refinement,but SOUNDWISE they share similar tone balance.   I think that the OP is not trained enough yet in order to know what terms like: soundstage,resolution,distortion,mudd etc.  means,so he is 100% listening to the general sound signature...which can be very similar.
that's why I adviced to get more coloured,fun headphone where the difference will be much more avident.  even a rather cheap ATH-M50 would be enough.