[williamc]

Howdy everyone, i'm rather new the audiophile scene and i've been doing alot of research on headroom.com audioreview.com steriophile.com and other places but unfortunately there's nowhere near where i live that i can audition the headphones and amps i'm interested in.

So, here it goes.

I have a Herculees GTXP 6.1 sound card w/breakout box. I use it for both gaming (all types) and listening to music (pop, light rock, vocal, soundtracks, and some of what could be described as chamber orchestra). Coupld months ago i went out and bought a pair of Sony MDR-V700DJ headphones and i've been kicking myself ever since...(they wouldnt let me return em). The sony's cramp my ears something fierce and the base seems a lil muddy to me.

What i want is to move into entry level audiophile quality sound (i would aim higher but i'd rather not break my bank) So, i'm thinking of buying a Total Airhead 9V and AKG 501 headphones from www.headroom.com

From what i've said i'm using this on and with do you guys think this is probably the best setup i can get for that in this price range? Just how much better would pairing HD600's with the total airhead be on that setup? My gut tells me thats the best amp i can afford right now.


Thanks ahead of time for your opinions on if i've picked the best for me or not=) I'll seriously consider any serious suggestions.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

HI:
The total airhead does well with the sennheiser 580s

 

[williamc]

I gathered that much from other posts, but thats not what i'm asking

I'm asking about the AKG 501's and the possibility of maybe HD600's for my specific setup. What i wanna know is if people think if those 3 items in combination would give me really nice entry level audiophile sound or would i be wasting my money.

The HD580 strikes me "personally" as a cheaply made version of the HD600 which puts out sound in the 501 range which means its not the best for the money for me.

 

[Snufkin]

whoa whoa whoa

the HD580s are most definately not a "cheaply made" HD600, rather the HD600 is a beefed up HD580.

You're certainly getting very good headphones with the HD580s, there's nothing wrong with them at all!

And from what I've heard, the HD580s are WAAAAY closer in sound characteristics to the HD600s than the K501s are, the AKGs are quite a different beastie.

 

[Redwoood]

woah, careful there.
The Sennheiser HD580 is a great pair of headphones, regardless whether it's a cheap hd600
or the hd600 is a more expensive hd580 or whatever.

Fact is: The HD580 and 600 sound very close, and the premium you pay for the 600 is another case of the "diminishing returns" in high-end audio.

In general it's hard to say this hp is in this class and that one in that. And money alone is not a very accurate indicator.

As always, auditioning is the key to success

The AKGs and Senns have certain characteristics where only you can decide for yourself which ones you prefer. So find yourself a dealer that carries both, take your favourite CDs and off you go...

As a side note, I don't think you do either of them justice by feeding them off your computer. Besides the questionable quality that usually comes out of an average sound card, you also have to consider that you need quite a juicy amp to drive the AKGs to adequate levels - and do you want to play Quake with the Airhead on?
Maybe you should consider getting a less expensive hp for your computer while still dipping your toes into hifi as a side effect.

The Sony MDR-V6 come into mind here, whis are generally regarded as excellent computer headphones. They are closed, sensitive, sound great and go for just 60 $.

just a couple of thoughts

Bye

Redwoood

 

[williamc]

I mentioned in my post, auditioning is just not possible at all in my case. NOWHERE around here seems to carry this stuff.

The Herculees GTXP 6.1 is basically the priemier consumer sound for pc's. Its not a professional card but its the best consumer one out there for music and games. It sounds very good to me on my speakers.

Price does matter to me, and i'm glad to hear that the S. HD580's are not cheaply made like i'd assumed they were however, they still cost 50 bucks more than the AKG 501's and from posts i've read they're right at about the same quality levels.

I don't believe a pair of 60 dollar sony headphones is gonna do anything more than the pair of 100 dollar sony's i mentioned that already have.

What i guess i was asking for some kind of assurance that i'm not making a huge mistake and that the AKG's and a total airhead would sound really good on my sound card... I know the head phones dont make the card any better...obviously.

Not sure why you say the AKG's are so hard to drive with their 120 ohm impedence compared to the HD580's 300 ohms that you say are easy to drive...

Lastly, what would be the problem with playing games while using a headphone amp? i dont see anything weird about that if the headphones need an amp....

 

[chych]

Quote:

I don't believe a pair of 60 dollar sony headphones is gonna do anything more than the pair of 100 dollar sony's i mentioned that already have.

Well now, hold it there as well! The MDR-V6 supposedly destroys the V700s in every respect... sony really is funny here. Still the 580 and 501 are probably in upper classes.

About the K501, many have said that it really needs a powerful source to shine. Then again the same has been said for the 580... I say go for the 580s since they have bass unlike the k501 (supposedly, whatever, I've not heard any of these phones... actually I'll be getting the k501s tomorrow).

Also, no problems playing games with an amp...

 

[LTUCCI1924]

Why not wait a while and get more info from more of the members? You cant always go be ohms. It is knowed the the580s are easyer to drive the the akg 501 even though the ohms might suggest different. examlpe. The senn. 495 have spects that seem easy to drive buy instead you need a tank to drive them. Slow down and get the most out of this forum. The members know a lot and have a lot of experance. Since you took the time to come to the forum then be open minded and get the help you need from other that your self. Good luck and best wishes

 

[RMSzero]

Quote:

I mentioned in my post, auditioning is just not possible at all in my case.

Headroom has a 30-day return policy -- if you don't like your purchase, try another!

 

[Redwoood]

yeah, if you can't audition and can't/don't wanna take advantage of headroom's return policy, I would suggest you search for people's opinions on
the 'phones you're interested in.

One cannot characterize a headphone just by looking at it's price tag. The AKGs are excellent cans, but they don't have a lot of punch in the lower registers. Could be you like that, it could be you don't, who knows. (I've never tried AKGs for computer grames myself, but I don't know if they can deliver a nice kaboom). They are also extremely neutral. Some call it accurate, some call it boring.
Again, you have to decide.
Maybe you prefer the more exciting Senn sound?
Maybe you're a Grado guy after all?

Hard to tell for us, you will have to find out for yourself. Use the archive and the search option and you will find it very useful (hopefully).

BTW: don't let the impedance rating fool you, it's
the sensitivity that counts. And AKGs (at least the older bunch) have a notoriously low sensitivity.
This is not bad or good (unless you wanna use them portably, then it's bad) but still important to know

Bye

Redwoood

 

[DanG]

I also have a Guillemot Hercules Game Theater XP and the soundcard's headphone amp has enough power to drive even the Sennheiser HD600... however, the AKG K501 is more power hungry, from what I hear, so the sound card might not be able to drive them.

 

[Snufkin]

There's a very serious trap you have to avoid when looking at headphones.

Good - better - best; there's generally no such thing.

If you went out and tried a pair of Sennheiser HD580s for example and decided "well, I can afford the HD590s, so I may as well get them because they're next up in the range" you'd be in for a shock when you put them on because they'd be nothing like the HD580s you had a listen to, so be VERY careful...

I think most people start off with the idea that higher number or higher cost = better sound, but most of the time you'll end up hearing DIFFERENT sound, and depending on tastes, source and environmental effects you may prefer a so-called "lower end" model over the "higher end"

ex: I like my Beyer DT770pro much more than the DT831, I know the DT831 are technically "better" but I just don't enjoy the way they sound as much as I enjoy the 770pro.

It might be the same with the AKG K501 and the Sennheiser HD580 - different sound, not better/best, regardless of cost.

 

[williamc]

Sorry i kinda came across as close minded...just been frustrated with the lack of usefull information i'm getting from most places when i try to compare headphones.

If i understand you guys right, ya'll think that the HD580's would probably be the best place to start for all around sound off my soundcard?

If someone can confirm for me that the Total Airhead and HD580's would indeed be a good start i'll go order em and try it-)

Anyhow, i have read alot of comparisons here and other places between the AKG 501 and Senns HD580 and it seems to me like half the people out there say one thing and the other half say the complete opposite-) The impression i'm getting now is that the AKG's have very uncolored sound with light base and that the HD580's probably sound a little more bright(probably closer to how my speakers sound) and have punchier base though not overbearing like the V700's can be. IF this is indeed correct i think i'd like the 580's.

Side note: i've heard the Sony V6 headphones mentioned several times now, how do they compare to HD580's or AKG501's? I really would like to get entry level audiophile sound here...

 

[LTUCCI1924]

williamc
Do a search on the v6. Now in a nice way you can find most of your qyestions by useing the search engine. Once you have made up your mind then ask the menbers about it befor you buy.

 

[williamc]

I've been doing searches on alot of different headphones...my eye's are starting to hurt from 10+ hours of forum reading here and elsewhere.

I'm pretty well settled on a Headroom Total Airhead 9v as its the best amp i can afford.

I dont think from what i've read that the V6 puts out the entry level audiophile sound i'm looking for. From what i read it looks like headphones that do are probably AKG 501, Senn HD580, and Ber DT831.

Of those 3 which would you guys chose for the types of music listed above and gaming being secondary but still important. Or do you feel strongly that i'm still missing the best choice out there in that quality range for GTXP-total airhead-headphone.

Like i said, i've read everything i can find here and i see nothing conclusive which i guess doesnt surprise me, i'm just looking for the best start point.

Open or closed headphones dont matter to me as my reason for headphones is can't afford comparable quality in speakers/stereo setup-) I'm after comfort and sound quality.

I really do care about the sound quality as i've been getting to love music more and more but still love games and i cannot afford a home stereo system. I also really cannot audition before i buy so i'd like to get as close to right as i can the first time. So, I'm looking fomr some very solid suggestions from you guys instead of more comparisions that don't definitely lean one way or the other-) I don't have any detail preferences for differences between all these headphones yet and i've never heard any of them so please, just help me out and make yer best recommendation to me based on all that i've said-)

Thanks.