Mixing audiophile and pro gear for rehearsing music? Headphones/amp help

[zippydog]

Hello and so glad I found this site/forum!

I work a "straight job", but play in a couple of bands for fun. I play both keys and bass. I've been a long time AV geel with a dedicated home theater, etc, so I appreciate quality sound.

I practice both keys and bass under headphones (Sennheiser PXC450s). Until now, that's been running iPad and instruments into s Mackie mixer, then headphones out of the mixer. That just isn't cutting it for me anymore. Sound clips, lacks definition and clarity. Breakup in lower bass. No bueno. I can have better, me thinks.

Thinking all I needed to do was boost the signal, I bought an aphex headpod and ran it straight off the mixer's line out. This got volume, but it was hard and loud. I was wanting more hi fi.

F\ieat step, new cans. I'm looking at the SEnnheiser 650s pretty seriously. Given their impedance, I still need an amp coming off the mixer.

Suggestions on how best to do this? What amp? should I be approaching this differently?

Thanks so much for any thoughts or suggestions. Since my background is in high end home theater and pro music, headphones are s blind spot, so thanks in advance for helping the noob!

 

[PaganDL]

Hi zippydog,

Welcome...

Decent gear you have to start, have you thought about getting a pro grade usb &/or firewire audio interface which works with both a computer, be it mac or pc as well as an Ipad as that would certainly improve audio quality & signal, can recommend a few if necessary...

As a general rule, mixers by themselves don't have the best or decent head out which is why the headpod only made things hard and loud & I can attest personally as I've demo the unit, very canned...
On the improving audio quality & signal side, I would also recommend a pro grade amplifer as well along with the usb &/or audio interface, not to mention both have good inputs and outputs for personal & band use.

Lower impedence headphones are not only easier to drive but generally the sound quality overall is more natural in terms of accuracy but this is highly subjective & personal & much hot debate elsewhere in the forums. For good headphones with low impedence, some I can recommend are Shure SRH 940, AT MSR 7 & Oppo PM 3

Three good amps I can recommend, I own two, Presonus HP4, RNHP & Burson Soloist Mk II would recommend for more hi fi feel as well as MF HPA would be another.

Hope this helps.