[Sembiance]

Hi, I love music and about a year ago I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.
At about $400 I took quite a leap of faith buying something I'd only read reviews online about, but the first impressions I had were amazing and over the last year I've enjoyed my music like never before.

Anyways, I was listening to Beethoven's King Stephen overture and it got me to thinking... with these CD's being able to play every sound so well, the original recordings I imagine would play a big part in how it sounds.

I really enjoy classical music (Copland, Beethoven, Rachmanioff) and with hundreds if not thousands of CD's available for different recording of different pieces, I have no idea how to tell if one is better than any other.

I don't know if this is the right place to ask or not...

Are there any lines of CD's that are all about 'premium' sounds and very good recordings?

Any formats other than CD's (like DVD Audio or something) that can provide even better recording and sound quality?

Any other advice on how I can get more music to allow me to enjoy my headphones even more?

 

[zachary80]

Different record labels are known for their sound quality, such as Telarc and Decca

If you are into SACD, www.sa-cd.net has plenty of reviews

Thats a start

 

[Sembiance]

I don't know anything at all about SA-CD.... I think I'll need to do some research on that.

Someone on another board mentioned that I'm still not experiencing my music fully without a 'headphone amp'

I'm not sure how that would help? I mean doesn't that just boost volume (which I find already loud enough? ) ?

 

[grawk]

The headphone amp will help with dynamics in addition to volume. You can listen at a lower level and get the same dynamics you would get at higher volumes without the amp. You'll also get less distortion with a good headphone amp.

 

[zeno333]

..they are hard to find in retail stores, but if you see one, any classical music fan should buy it no questions asked..they are that good.

 

[s m @]

Yes, a good headphone amp is as valuable as good headphones. I don't know what you're listening to, but the headphone amps used on discmen/stereo receivers/most computers aren't too hot, to say the least. They're usually done really on the cheap as an afterthought. So getting a really good amp is going to really make a difference. And b/c cans require a lot less power than regular speakers, you can get a great headphone amp for way less than a comparable speaker amplifier. Still, sorry about your wallet.

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s m @ Still, sorry about your wallet.

LOL. Sorry about your spare time, too, because you can do a LOT of reading on this forum about your questions!

 

[soundboy]

Headphones is just part of a playback chain and we all know that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The headphone amp makes up another link in that chain. Generally, the headphone outputs (basically a headphone amp) on a receiver/portable player are not as good as dedicated headphone amps. Since you've some super-duper headphones, you should invest in a dedicated headphone amp to maximize the performance of your Sennheisers. Oh, sorry about your wallet.

As for recordings, I would suggest looking into labels such as SonyBMG MasterWorks, Telarc, DG, etc. No one label has the exclusive rights to great performances and great recordings. The best thing to do is do your research and read reviews, then make up your mind as to whether you want to plunk down the $$$ for that disc.

As for SACD or DVD-A, these are new hi-rez formats that have the potential to sound much better than CD. And the capability for full range surround sound if you have a speaker-based system. However, due to various reasons, these 2 formats have not taken off with the mainstream consumers. In fact, some have said they are on their "deadbeds". I personally enjoy SACDs and there're now currently over 3,300 SACD titles released worldwide, with 85% of those titles being classical music. You can go to either sa-cd.net or superaudio-cd.com to see what titles are available. I find that SACDs don't cost that much more than regular CD releases, and I have the option of playing either the CD layer or the hi-rez layer (on a 2 layer hybrid SACD, which most SACDs are).

To purchase CDs (and a limited selection of SACDs) inexpensively, you can visit yourmusic.com and see if they have what you want. $6.00 + tax for a new CD is a pretty good deal.

 

[pbalcer]

Hi,

The HD600 require good "class A" dedicated amplifier to show thier true potential. You could be amazed at the difference such an amplifier can make. There are many good amps on the market - you will probably encounter names EarMax Pro, X-CanV3, Gilmore Lite, Perraux SH1/2, and many more...
And the next step would be a good audio source...

As for the brand name for good quality music CDs... There are many well-known names: London/DECCA, CHANDOS, DG (Deutshe Gramofon), Archiv, Philips, EMI, etc. However what counts the most is the recording - not the label. It is not unusual that under the same label some recordings are technically "perfect" but uninvolving while others are "noisy/scratchy" but very enjoyable. Good recordings (whatever it means) are often recommended by people on various newsgroups. There is also Penguin guide to classical CDs - a thick book containing info on various recordings with brief reviews.

Cheers!

 

[Sembiance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbalcer Hi, The HD600 require good "class A" dedicated amplifier to show thier true potential. You could be amazed at the difference such an amplifier can make. There are many good amps on the market - you will probably encounter names EarMax Pro, X-CanV3, Gilmore Lite, Perraux SH1/2, and many more... And the next step would be a good audio source...

Thanks so much for responding!

I took a look at Heaphone amps and was AMAZED at how expensive they are.
I saw several that are thousands of dollars!

I'd like to spend under $200 if I can, however if I'll notice a big jump in quality going slightly higher then I'd be willing.

Any advice on specific models to go with my HD600's?

I listen to mostly classical orchestral music.

 

[wakeride74]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sembiance Thanks so much for responding! I took a look at Heaphone amps and was AMAZED at how expensive they are. I saw several that are thousands of dollars! I'd like to spend under $200 if I can, however if I'll notice a big jump in quality going slightly higher then I'd be willing. Any advice on specific models to go with my HD600's? I listen to mostly classical orchestral music.

This is probably the best bang for your buck given your setup and music tastes. Also you will want to opt for the Desktop Module if you chose to order this amp.

 

[bigshot]

I don't generally recommend sound. I recommend music. However, I'll recommend the place to hear the best sound ever... a concert hall.

See ya
Steve

 

[asmox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sembiance I took a look at Heaphone amps and was AMAZED at how expensive they are. I saw several that are thousands of dollars! I'd like to spend under $200 if I can, however if I'll notice a big jump in quality going slightly higher then I'd be willing. Any advice on specific models to go with my HD600's?

check out the Gilmore Lite.

i use one with my hd650's, and i'm satisfied.

 

[zachary80]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sembiance Thanks so much for responding! I took a look at Heaphone amps and was AMAZED at how expensive they are. I saw several that are thousands of dollars! I'd like to spend under $200 if I can, however if I'll notice a big jump in quality going slightly higher then I'd be willing. Any advice on specific models to go with my HD600's? I listen to mostly classical orchestral music.

I reccomend that you contact someone who builds DIY amps, such as Mister X. He built my Pimeta and my M3 and they both go great with my hd580s (which are almost the same as your hd600s), although obviously the M3 is much better. Besides offering a good deal, a builder can also answer a lot of your questions.

 

[pbalcer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sembiance I took a look at Heaphone amps and was AMAZED at how expensive they are. [...]

People have different tastes and what sounds good for me may not sound so good for another person. I could tell you that I prefer the sound of "pure class A" amp (be it tube or transistor amp) but it doesn't mean you would like it as well. Therefore the only thing I can say is: if you have a chance, visit an audio store and try few amps to see what kind of amp suits your tastes the best.

You don't have to buy but at least you will know in which direction to go - there are two main classes of sound signatures in amps: 1) "tube sound" and 2) "transistor sound". In the past the name refered to the devices used in amps. Now you can find amps built with transitors that have (more or less) "tube sound" or amps built with tubes that do not quite sound like tubes.

You could also try to attend one of the meets organized by Head-Fiers and listen to different equipment.

I agree that the prices of the headphone amplifiers are very high. I think it is because the market demand is relatively low. The alternative is DIY ("Do It Yourself") - if you have skills required. You can find many DIY projects on the Internet and some of those amps are better than more expensive commercial products (but are more ugly looking, too

).

Last word: I'm not sure you can find decent commercial amp to power HD600 in the $200 range. Based on the reviews I read, people seem to like X-Can v3 and Gilmore Lite amps for their performance/price ratio. As for myself: I'm using my own DIY headphone amp.

Good luck!