[andre56]

Hi all,
 
I'm new to the full-size headphone group, I've always used in-ears but have always had higher end earphones such as the Sennheiser IE8 and Monster Turbine Coppers etc. I've however decided to sell my IE8's and just use my PL30's for portable use.
 
With the money I have just got a good deal on a pair of Sennheiser HD650's with a Pro-Ject Head Box II and have just received them today. I've done quite a bit of research but one thing I'm struggling to understand is the whole amplification stuff. 
 
Now I was planning to get a Fiio E7/E9 combo as I have heard excellent things about it however this deal came up and it include the Head Box II. Firstly would you recommend selling the Head Box and getting the E7/E9? I know the HD650's are quite power hungry.
 
Other than what amp to get, the other bits that are confusing me are things like how do I connect everything up? what do I need to use as a music source? what cables do I need? etc,
 
As for the source, all I have is my laptop and my iPod touch. Will either be enough to power the headphones or the amp properly?
Also how do I connect everything up? There is a 1/4″ on the front of the amp where I assume the headphones plug to. On the back is Line out and in, left and right. Do I need an RCA to 3.5mm? and which plug do I connect it to?
 
Any help would be much appreciated.
 
Thanks for Looking.

 

[BobSaysHi]

Budget? I'd pick up something a little meatier in the amp department.
 
I'm a DIY guy, and I'd recommend DIY amps over a commercial amp any day of the week, but you probably aren't so I'll leave recommendations to others. The better the amp, the better the HD650s sound.

 

[andre56]

Yeh I realised they're not preferable but I'm on a bit of a budget. Cant really afford to spend £300 or £400 on just an amp.

 

[BobSaysHi]

Quote:

Yeh I realised they're not preferable but I'm on a bit of a budget. Cant really afford to spend £300 or £400 on just an amp.

I'll let someone else chime in for an amp recommendation for Europe. Try looking around this site though.

 

[andre56]

Thanks. Any advice on the other topics? Quite concerned about the fact I only have a laptop and iPod, do I not need a dedicated amplifier of expensive system?

 

[andre56]

Anyone else got any knowledge they would be willing to share?

 

[BobSaysHi]

Quote:

Thanks. Any advice on the other topics? Quite concerned about the fact I only have a laptop and iPod, do I not need a dedicated amplifier of expensive system?

OK, here are all the parts you'll need in your system.
 
Computer -> USB cable or SPDIF cable -> DAC -> RCA cable -> AMP -> Headphone cable -> Headphone
 
If you get a DAC/AMP combo, you skip the RCA cable in the middle. 
 
The DAC is important, especially if your source isn't very good.

 

[andre56]

So is the Pro-ject Head Box II a DAC/AMP combo?

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

So is the Pro-ject Head Box II a DAC/AMP combo?

Nothing about the product page suggest it is a DAC
http://www.project-audio.com/inhalt/en/pdf/headbox.pdf
 
Here's what the parts of the whole chain do:
Source -- where you play the music files. E.g.: laptop, iPod, turntable, CD player.
DAC -- Digital to Analogue Convertor; where your music files in digital format (e.g.: MP3s) get turned into analogue signals. 
Amp -- short for amplifier. Makes the analogue signal stronger, so that when it reaches your headphones, the sound is loud enough to actually be heard. 
 

 

[andre56]

Ok thanks, think I get it. So basically I need either a DAC or a DAC/AMP combo. Next thing then is I am probably going to sell the Head box for whatever I can get. Would you recommend a E7/E9 combo or a Little Dot MK V?

 

[Eric_C]

Sorry, can't recommend any of those--never heard or owned them.
I'm just giving you a general rundown of components in an audio setup.

 

[andre56]

Ok thanks. If anyone else can would be much appreciated.

 

[broc3]

andre,
 
I'm new to this as well and am probably all of 1 day ahead of you in research  ... but I'll try to save you some of that day
 
I am currently debating between a DIY option and the FiiO E7. One of my main reservations about the E7 is that there seem to have been some build problems recently (reported in these forums). There are a handful of other DACs that are mentioned as competitors to the E7 at a similar price point. The following Google search should get you  headed in the right direction "site:head-fi.org wolfson e7 dac"
 
Wolfson is the manufacturer of a highly regarded DAC (digital to analog converter) chip, and while it doesn't guarantee that a DAC is good it is a decent foundation (similarly, don't discount products without the Wolfson chip ... I only include it in the search terms because it should ensure a certain level  of discussion in the thread and it should bias the threads  towards better products in the price range you are  considering)
 
Best of luck from somebody else who is  just starting!