[SubDiv]

I know it's fairly subjective, but it is not often mentioned how loudly certain HP/Amp combos must be played to be engaging, but not fatiguing to listen to.


My tolerance so for listening to music very loudly for extended periods of time while I'm working on the computer is generally low. Barring Source/DAC issues, I am interested if anyone could suggest which of the DT880, K701, HD650 headphones(or others roughly in that price range) and an amp are very good(notice i didn't say best...oops!

heh) at retaining clarity/dynamics/etc at medium to lower volumes?

I realize this is generally not a concern for most Head-Fi people here, but any input would be greatly appreciated!



PS:
For example, I've noticed that the K701 is often described as being fatiguing to listen to, but with the right tube amp, do they soften a lot?

 

[Assorted]

I can tell you now that all Sennheisers make you crank up the volume to enjoy it.

From what's said around here, Grado's do a fine job at low volumes.

 

[mdarnton]

Partially irrelevant to your question, but to get the same detail I get with my Edition 9s I have to crank my Grado SR-80s WAY up, to the point where I'm not using them much. The Ed9s work real good at low volumes. So for you I wonder if the Pro 750 or Pro 2500 Ultrasones might work well.

 

[SubDiv]

interesting! I was under the impression that Grados are very forward in presentation...I realize listening for myself is the best answer, it's just that most reviews that i've read seem to indicate this.

I did notice that the SS PS Audio GCHA has been mentioned as being good at lower volume levels, do tube amps need higher volume in general due to their warmth?

 

[SubDiv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdarnton /img/forum/go_quote.gif Partially irrelevant to your question, but to get the same detail I get with my Edition 9s I have to crank my Grado SR-80s WAY up, to the point where I'm not using them much. The Ed9s work real good at low volumes. So for you I wonder if the Pro 750 or Pro 2500 Ultrasones might work well.

hmm, ironically the ultrasones are the brand i have least looked at and researched....i shall do so now, Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[SubDiv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can tell you now that all Sennheisers make you crank up the volume to enjoy it. From what's said around here, Grado's do a fine job at low volumes.

Perhaps are closed headphones more ideal for what I am looking for? I know you lose some audio quality for closed, I have looked at the denon d2000 a bit, but they seem to be more of "rock" headphones, and I'm not really looking for that...

 

[virusvoodoo]

The AKG K701's tends to be more fatiguing if used for an extended period of time due to its brighter signature, at least for me anyway. I think it is safe to assume the same thing for the Beyerdynamics DT880's which supposedly have more detailed highs unless one is accustomed to bright sounds.

It is only with the HD-650's and Shure E500PTH's that I can wear and listen to for an extended period due to their conform and warm & laid-back sound signature. I think the HD650's might be your best bet if you want to listen to your headphones while using your computer.

I haven't gotten enough money to start exploring headphone amplifiers yet so I cannot give you any recommendation based on my experience. Some of the more popular ones are Heed CanAmp, Musical Fidelity X-Can V3, Ray Samuels amps.

 

[Vul Kuolun]

You will find this an interesting read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher-Munson_curves

 

[SubDiv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virusvoodoo /img/forum/go_quote.gif The AKG K701's tends to be more fatiguing if used for an extended period of time due to its brighter signature, at least for me anyway. I think it is safe to assume the same thing for the Beyerdynamics DT880's which supposedly have more detailed highs unless one is accustomed to bright sounds. It is only with the HD-650's and Shure E500PTH's that I can wear and listen to for an extended period due to their conform and warm & laid-back sound signature. I think the HD650's might be your best bet if you want to listen to your headphones while using your computer.

what amp(s) are you using for the K701/HD650?

 

[mdarnton]

Thinking it over a bit, I do think that part of the issue is that my Ultrasones are closed, but the Grados aren't. With the Grados I always feel like a lot of the sound must be going somewhere else (which I guess it is), and that which is there is a bit distant until I crank the volume up. I don't immediately get this feeling until I switch back and forth between the two, at which point it becomes very obvious. Another Ultrasone claim is that their phones put out 3-4db less for the same perceived volume, which coincides with my comments above, more or less. I just get the feeling that the Ultrasones are giving me a whole lot more sound, in every way, for whatever reason, and part of that is the closed-phone effect of shutting out everything except what the phones are doing, I'm sure.

 

[SubDiv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vul Kuolun /img/forum/go_quote.gif You will find this an interesting read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher-Munson_curves

very interesting, after a bit of searching i found headroom's site mentioned this in their gs-1000 review:
Quote:

The reason is simple: an understanding of the Fletcher-Munson Equal Loudness Contour Curves reveals that you need to considerably tip up the bass and the treble to get the audio to sound flat at lower volumes. And guess what, the Grado GS-1000 has a frequency response curve that looks just about right for low-level listening.

Would it be innacurate to search for similar cans that have sound reproduction capabilities like the gs-1000? I think I read someone saying that those graphs don't really mean much when it comes to actually listening...Makes me wonder if you don't lose a significant amount of low-mid, mid detail when doing this?

Maybe I'm just asking for too much, but I would think that at some point as you go up in price and quality when using the 650,880,701 with an amp that synergizes well it could be done. Maybe stepping up to a gs-1000 is the easiest cure

my poor wallet!