[GeoD]

I just signed up on the forum to put in an order for the HeadAmp Pico w/ USB DAC and looking for some suggestions on a nice set of headphones to run with it. The types of music I listen to range from trance, vocal trance, industrial, electronica, r&b, alternative, metal, hip-hop, and old school rap music (preference in that order).

Some of the headphones I was considering with the limited amount of research I've done are (in no particular order):
AKG K701
Sennheiser HD600
Denon AH-D2000
beyerdynamic DT990 or DT880

How I'll primarily be using the headphones:
- I work on my laptop a ton and always have music playing throughout the day, this will be my primary reason for investing in this setup.
- I would like to somehow connect an Xbox360 to the Pico / headphone setup to play some Rockband / Guitar Hero (looking for suggestions on the best way to accomplish this as well with the Pico)
- Also have an iPhone and would potentially use them together if I went for a walk (size of the headphones isn't my main concern)

Is the best way for me to be able to play the Xbox 360 through the Pico amp to get an RCA converter to run into the input of the Pico? Any suggestions of a quality piece?

Also is ALO Cryo SXC 18G worth it for the iPhone? I was looking at one of those to go along with the new setup.

Sorry for some of the random questions. This is my first jump to higher quality audio and I want to make sure I make a sound decision.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Excited to be a new member of Head-Fi!

George

 

[Spasticteapot]

You really need to try all of them. I'm not too familiar with the design, but a $330 solid-state amp should have no trouble driving any of the headphones above. However, all of them are quite different, and I can't honestly say if you'll like any of the above. However, you may want to add to the list the Stax SRM-001s ($200 will get you a pair...including the amp!) and the Grado SR225s.

I belong to the objectivist "Cryo cables = overpriced nonsense" crowd. If you want a real, measurable improvement in sound quality, there's a tutorial on how to bypass some of the low-grade electronics in the line-output signal path with better quality alternatives.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/app...ano-1g-269604/

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoD /img/forum/go_quote.gif AKG K701 Sennheiser HD600 Denon AH-D2000 beyerdynamic DT990 or DT880

Based on what I've read, my experience with the HD580, and my familiarity with the type of music you listen to... I would get the D2000. It would be crazy to buy the AKG K701 or a similarly priced Grado.

 

[GeoD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spasticteapot /img/forum/go_quote.gif You really need to try all of them. I'm not too familiar with the design, but a $330 solid-state amp should have no trouble driving any of the headphones above. However, all of them are quite different, and I can't honestly say if you'll like any of the above. However, you may want to add to the list the Stax SRM-001s ($200 will get you a pair...including the amp!) and the Grado SR225s. I belong to the objectivist "Cryo cables = overpriced nonsense" crowd. If you want a real, measurable improvement in sound quality, there's a tutorial on how to bypass some of the low-grade electronics in the line-output signal path with better quality alternatives. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/app...ano-1g-269604/

Thanks for the feedback. I'll look into the Stax headphones, I haven't come across them yet while searching around. I'm going to spend some time on the tutorial link as well, greatly appreciated!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif Based on what I've read, my experience with the HD580, and my familiarity with the type of music you listen to... I would get the D2000. It would be crazy to buy the AKG K701 or a similarly priced Grado.

Thanks for the input 1Time. Originally the Denon's were my top choice when I first started looking for a new set of headphones, but it seems as though the AKG K701's are cheaper than the Denon's now since the K702's are available. Was price the reason for not recommending the K701's? Anything I go with is going to be a huge upgrade from what I have now, so it's really just trying to find a pair of quality headphones that works well with the trance, electonica, industrial genre's of music and the Pico can power. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

George

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoD /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the input 1Time. Originally the Denon's were my top choice when I first started looking for a new set of headphones, but it seems as though the AKG K701's are cheaper than the Denon's now since the K702's are available. Was price the reason for not recommending the K701's? Anything I go with is going to be a huge upgrade from what I have now, so it's really just trying to find a pair of quality headphones that works well with the trance, electonica, industrial genre's of music and the Pico can power. Thanks for taking the time to reply! George

You're welcome. A common complaint of the K701 is its bass. Those who own the K701 do not post about their delight with it while listening to bass heavy music. The D2000 would be an excellent choice. I suggest searching "D2000" and reading up a bit.

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spasticteapot /img/forum/go_quote.gif You really need to try all of them. I'm not too familiar with the design, but a $330 solid-state amp should have no trouble driving any of the headphones above.

yes, 330$ SS amp WILL have problems driving HD650 and K701 to anywhere within their full potential. those two deserve better amping than what pico can give out imo. Furthermore, K701 is ill suited with genres that OP has listed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spasticteapot /img/forum/go_quote.gif However, you may want to add to the list the Stax SRM-001s ($200 will get you a pair...including the amp!) and the Grado SR225s.

Why are you recommending eletrostat when he, in fact, is geting a pico?


I recommend Denon D2000 as well, although they have rather boomy bass.

if you can afford it, audio-technica AD2000 are absolutely wonderful for electronic music including trance.

 

[Luminette]

I'd lean towards D2ks based on everything you said you listened to, the rest are all bass-light, and your pico is already going to emphasize mids, too

 

[Anouk]

If you listen to a lot of bass-heavy music then I am not sure if the akg is right fo ryou. It also needs a lot o fjuice in the amplification department. I have heard, but thats only through another person, that the pico lacks a bit in bass in comparison to the iqube. But the iqube has no dac of course... Have you looked into the ultrasone offerings? for example the 750 or 780 or the new pro900? I really really recommend listening/comparing some headphones before buying though. Maybe you should also look at the grado sr325i, but they dont have a big soundstage and they can be a bit bright.

Greetings, Anouk,

 

[Gazza]

I use a pair of JVC/Victor HP-DX1000 and the Pico struggles to handle it.

It does sound great, however just not what the headphones deserve.

I listen to Metal predominantly.

 

[Happy Camper]

Edwood says a pair of R10s but that's a bit out of your price range.

 

[WalkGood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... HD650 and K701 ... deserve better amping than what pico can give out imo. ... ...

I say that you are wrong, have you tested them together?

Not only does Justin use the hd650s to demonstrate his pico at events like CanJam, but so do most of the other portable amp manufacturers. The hd650s are great reference phones that have a well know sound signature, thus most people can audition amps with the familiar sound signature of the hd650s to identify the differences between the various amps. Do you think for a minute that any manufacture would use them for demonstration purposes if they thought like you do?

By moving the 2-position gain switch on the front panel to high, I listen to my Sennheiser HD650 on my pico via it’s dac from my laptop and it sounds great. I can not go past ¼ volume very long as it’s too loud and I’ve tested almost all the way up without distortion. This is a great combination, it is not as good as my Woo 6 & hd650 combo, obviously not … but far better than you indicate. Nuff said …


Quote from “HeadAmp Pico Portable Amp” thread here
Quote:

Portable headphone amps have gotten smaller, but what about the electronics inside? In making the Pico, I set out to make a very small amp that has the voltage and current capability needed to drive headphones of all impedances and sensitivities, and a very low noise floor important for sensitive in-ear-monitors. In designing the Pico I went through every op-amp that made sense for headphones and I'm convinced the Pico is the best it can be. I don't know of any amp this size that has the drive capability of the Pico.

 

[GeoD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're welcome. A common complaint of the K701 is its bass. Those who own the K701 do not post about their delight with it while listening to bass heavy music. The D2000 would be an excellent choice. I suggest searching "D2000" and reading up a bit.

Thank you for clarifying that for me 1Time. It sounds like the AKG will not fit my listening habits unless I buy a more powerful amp, which I don't plan on doing anytime soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif yes, 330$ SS amp WILL have problems driving HD650 and K701 to anywhere within their full potential. those two deserve better amping than what pico can give out imo. Furthermore, K701 is ill suited with genres that OP has listed. Why are you recommending eletrostat when he, in fact, is geting a pico? I recommend Denon D2000 as well, although they have rather boomy bass. if you can afford it, audio-technica AD2000 are absolutely wonderful for electronic music including trance.

Thank you for your input Rednamalas, I feel like I'm getting a much better idea on where I'm leaning towards with multiple suggestions on the Denon. Do you think the Pico was a bad move? I was looking for a quality portable headphone amp and I already stretched over my amp budget for the Pico, but wanted something decent. Do you have any other suggestions for a portable headphone amp under $500, ideally keeping the entire setup around $800? Unfortunately, I just looked up the AD2000's and they would put me way over budget for this setup. I'll keep them in mind when I'm ready to upgrade though. Much appreciated!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luminette /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd lean towards D2ks based on everything you said you listened to, the rest are all bass-light, and your pico is already going to emphasize mids, too

Thank you Luminette, it looks like the D2k's are in my future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anouk /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you listen to a lot of bass-heavy music then I am not sure if the akg is right fo ryou. It also needs a lot o fjuice in the amplification department. I have heard, but thats only through another person, that the pico lacks a bit in bass in comparison to the iqube. But the iqube has no dac of course... Have you looked into the ultrasone offerings? for example the 750 or 780 or the new pro900? I really really recommend listening/comparing some headphones before buying though. Maybe you should also look at the grado sr325i, but they dont have a big soundstage and they can be a bit bright. Greetings, Anouk,

I haven't looked into the Ultrasone headphones, but will have to do research.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza /img/forum/go_quote.gif I use a pair of JVC/Victor HP-DX1000 and the Pico struggles to handle it. It does sound great, however just not what the headphones deserve. I listen to Metal predominantly.

Thanks for the input Gazza.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper /img/forum/go_quote.gif Edwood says a pair of R10s but that's a bit out of your price range.

Thanks Happy Camper.

Actually during the time I started replying and now, I found a deal I couldn't pass up on the Denon's so I pulled the trigger on them. Now to just wait for the Pico. I appreciate everyone input on the situation, I have a feeling I'm going to love what I hear.

Cheers,

George

 

[WalkGood]

Sure would be interesting to hear from Justin on this point.

 

[melomaniac]

Ah, fwiw, I don't think the OP asked only for (well-founded or hearsay) comments on the cans, but more specifically on what will work well for the proposed use (all day on the laptop with a Pico). - So instead of raining on the Pico or the cans mentioned by the OP, I'd say for all-day laptop use, some of those full-size phones may be more comfy than others. If I have to spend a whole day on the laptop without being able to sit near a speaker rig, I too use my Pico to run music, but I prefer IEMs for the sake of isolation and articulation.

How about addressing this other question: "Is the best way for me to be able to play the Xbox 360 through the Pico amp to get an RCA converter to run into the input of the Pico?" I have been wondering about that since I got my Xbox 360. I use the HDMI out and get middling SQ (in a small speaker system with sub), so I wonder whether the digital out might be better. That would not help with a pico, but another DAC might work there, and also improve on what my old AKGs can do for me in gaming; I might experiment with it and then get back to people here if there's interest, but I suspect other head-fiers have already done so and can save me and the OP some time by at least sharing a glimpse of their experience before every Xbox360 owner's head-fi household gets tired of screeching tires, booming soundtracks, and all the other lovely FX...

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkGood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I say that you are wrong, have you tested them together? Not only does Justin use the hd650s to demonstrate his pico at events like CanJam, but so do most of the other portable amp manufacturers. The hd650s are great reference phones that have a well know sound signature, thus most people can audition amps with the familiar sound signature of the hd650s to identify the differences between the various amps. Do you think for a minute that any manufacture would use them for demonstration purposes if they thought like you do? By moving the 2-position gain switch on the front panel to high, I listen to my Sennheiser HD650 on my pico via it’s dac from my laptop and it sounds great. I can not go past ¼ volume very long as it’s too loud and I’ve tested almost all the way up without distortion. This is a great combination, is it as good as my Woo 6 & hd650 combo, obviously not … but far better than you indicate. Nuff said …

Have I tried both on a Pico? Yes I have.
Was I impressed? For a portable amp, not bad.

As great portable amp picos are I still preferred Gilmore Lite by quite a margin. Of course, I see how people see pico as a giant-killer, as I liked it better than some of SS home amps in 300$ range. However, I believe there are better choices out there to spend 500$ on amping - especially for non-portable cans such as HD650 and K701. They're not closed, not portable - so why bother using portable amps?

Also, for both K701 and HD650, there is so much potential left to be benefited from dedicated home amps. While not everyone can afford to have balanced setup (i.e. b22 had zero bass bloat, zero sluggishness, just very high-end speaker-like sound) there are good tube and SS amps to be had at 500$ range.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoD /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for your input Rednamalas, I feel like I'm getting a much better idea on where I'm leaning towards with multiple suggestions on the Denon. Do you think the Pico was a bad move? I was looking for a quality portable headphone amp and I already stretched over my amp budget for the Pico, but wanted something decent. Do you have any other suggestions for a portable headphone amp under $500, ideally keeping the entire setup around $800? Unfortunately, I just looked up the AD2000's and they would put me way over budget for this setup. I'll keep them in mind when I'm ready to upgrade though. Much appreciated!

Pico is a great move - if you're looking for portable/transportable rig. It's also a great dac/amp combination as well. But I was just referring to how K701 and HD650 are not portable cans and something like glimore lite would be wonderful for either of those cans.

As for AD2000, they're not very picky about amping as much as K701 and HD650, and I liked them through pico quite a bit - if you're looking to upgrade in the future.