[Gladcow]

Hi everyone, im new to this audiophile hobby and this is my first post so sorry ahead of time if i ask something stupid. my situation is that i recently got a pair of px100 for christmas. its perfect for carrying around with my ipod but ive been interested in a pair of cans to use around my house for my computer, watching movies, or playing video games. then i was also interested in getting a portable amp for my px100. i figure if i get a pocket amp 2 and a dock line out cable for my ipod that should run me like 100 usd. for my home i was originally interested in some closed cans like a k81djs or a hd280pro. then i figured if its just for my room that i might as well aim a little higher for an open can because they are generally better sounding right? im trying to keep my price under $200 for headphones so i was looking at perhaps a pair of dt880's or a hd595.

basically if i aim for teh higher priced headphones will i be able to get away with just using my portable amp to power them(i know the 595's wont typically be a problem but just in general). i want something that will sound ok until i can budget a better amp. i know this is a long post but im afraid to buy anything without some guidance from those who know more so thanks a lot for any responses ahead of time.

*edit* and oh yea happy new year everyone

 

[HFat]

No answers?

Well, in the 200$ price range there are other options although I like the Beyers. They should indeed sound quite a bit better than the closed heaphones you were thinking about (although there are a nice sounding closed headphones as well).
Make sure you read about the sonic characteristics and the problems people have had with a headphone before buying it... or better yet: try it first.

I wouldn't worry too much about amplification. You shouldn't need an amp for your PX100s and, if it turns out your DAP doesn't have enough juice for whatever nicer headphone you end up buying, you can always get cheap non-portable amps such as the B-Tech or a distribution amp for your non-portable headphones. I've never used a portable amp so I can't help you with that.
In any case, be careful about your hearing: turn up the music too loud and you will regret it down the road.

 

[Gladcow]

thanks for the reply. i wasnt aware how affordable some of the non-portable amplifiers are. so ive decided to ditch my plan with buying a portable amp for my px100s. what id like to do is to invest in a good pair of headphones around the 200 dollar range and leave myself with room for uprgading with an amp. for that reason alone i was leaning towards the hd595's because of their low impedance plus ive heard a lot of good things about them. like i said the dt880s have had my interest but it sounds like it might be a pointless buy if im going to have them for a while without an amp. i was also somewhat interested in a 601 since the 701s are easliy out of my price range. I cant find any retailers around my location so i could really use some advice on how these headphones compare. plus if it makes a difference i mostly listen to metal with some progressive rock every now and then. thanks again for any advice.

 

[HFat]

This stuff is really personal. For example, I have a couple of amps and a DT880 but I'm currently listening to my beloved Beyers straight out of my soundcard. Maybe your sources have really crappy integrated amps but otherwise it's certainly not pointless to use them without an amp.
You need to understand that, while impedance makes it harder for a given device to make your headphones sound LOUD, it helps make your headphones sound good... some amps do better with low-impedance, some do better with high-impedance, and some can handle pretty much everything. You also need to take the desired volume and the sensitivity of the headphone into account among other things.

As for comparisons between headphones, use the search feature of the forum! The heapdhones you're interested in are quite common and have been talked about to death already. For instance, look at MaZa's DT880 thread for metal.
By the way, I like the HD25-1 for some metal... it's not what you're looking for but it goes to show there are a lot of options out there and that everyone has different tastes. I know I'm not making this any easier for you but, if you take that into account, you will understand why a common recommendation is to buy used and to resell what you don't like.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gladcow /img/forum/go_quote.gif i was also somewhat interested in a 601 since the 701s are easliy out of my price range.

Well, the 701s might not be out of your price range. I believe that Northern Sound and Light (http://www.northernsound.net/Sales/salesframe.html) still sells them for $244. I bought a pair off eBay for about $256, so if you can scrape up a little more, you can get the K-701.

Other headphones you should consider at that price point are the Sennheiser HD-580 and HD-600 ($125 and $221 are the lowest prices I know of), and the Grado SR-225 ($200).

All of those are excellent headphones. But if you're into metal and prog rock, and don't have an amp, look closely at the SR-225. It might be exactly what you're looking for.

 

[HFat]

Then again MaZa is in the same situation and prefers the DT880s.

Everyone has an amp anyway... what matters is how clean/strong it is and how loud you want to listen.
I don't want to pick on you but this amped vs. "unamped" rigamarole that took over the forum is misleading many newbies.

 

[luckybaer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gladcow /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the reply. i wasnt aware how affordable some of the non-portable amplifiers are. so ive decided to ditch my plan with buying a portable amp for my px100s. what id like to do is to invest in a good pair of headphones around the 200 dollar range and leave myself with room for uprgading with an amp. for that reason alone i was leaning towards the hd595's because of their low impedance plus ive heard a lot of good things about them. like i said the dt880s have had my interest but it sounds like it might be a pointless buy if im going to have them for a while without an amp. i was also somewhat interested in a 601 since the 701s are easliy out of my price range. I cant find any retailers around my location so i could really use some advice on how these headphones compare. plus if it makes a difference i mostly listen to metal with some progressive rock every now and then. thanks again for any advice.

The K601 have a tad more bass punch than the DT880, but the DT880 has a high-end to die for. Both are really awesome, and I can listen to either one with any music that I like.

The K601 are easier for my iPod Nano to drive than the DT880 (volume knob at 5 o'clock for the K601 and 6:30 for the DT880), but it is a waste to use those headphones with the iPod so I don't do it often.

To use trite descriptors: The K601 might be a bit more fun due to the slightly punchier bass while the DT880 is slightly more analytical due to extended highs and better overall resolving power. IMO, you really have to be listening intently and critically to care enough. You can't go wrong with either, I think.

 

[Gladcow]

Thanks a lot for everyones advice. First off thanks Hfat for looking out for my hearing My interest in eventually purchasing an amp isnt to be able to pump ear-bleeding sounds out my headphones. i was just under the impression that an amp is necessary to get more clearly detailed sound out of the headphones. If I've had that wrong then maybe i can convince myself to spend more on headphones and forgetting the idea of an amplifier for a while. well moving on to the topic of the actual headphones. thanks uncle erik im checking out the price northernsounds sells the k701s for i need to wait for a response from them because of the stupid manufacturer MAP. i think its come down to being between the k701s the dt880s or possible the sr225s. the k701s seem really popular here but maza really has me liking those dt880s i listen to a lot of the same artists as him so its kind of hard not to. thanks again for the help.

 

[Gladcow]

grr i still cant decide. does anyone have any recomendations among the three (k701 dt880 or sr225) because at first im not going to have an amp the sr225 sounds like the best bet but i AM going to buy an amplifier in the next month or so. tough call but again im leaning towards the dt880s if anything for the comfort issue. just afraid i wont be able to use what i buy noting that im only using an onboard soundcard. northern sounds is selling akg k701's for $244. im wondering if the increase over the dt880s is worth the extra 50 dollars.