Newbie Says HI...
Mar 29, 2006 at 8:34 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 14

Stevemitchell

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I just discovered this forum a couple of days ago while investigating investing in a set of AKG-701's. I had no idea that headphone listening could be so...so esoteric. It's amazing to see all the products and ideas for headphone listening.

I myself do mostly digital-audio editing, mastering and just goofing around. I use a set of Senn HD-650's for all my listening, editing and such, but then use my DCM old studio monitors for mixing. The entire audio path is optical up to the pre-amp. That's about it. I'm going to lurk for awhile and learn.

Stevemitchell
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EDIT: EEEEEK!! I forgot, I'm also a gamer. Flt Sim and BF2, and the sound module is a Waveterminal 192M, 4in-8out, 24b-192khz.
 
Mar 29, 2006 at 9:07 PM Post #2 of 14
Welcome, Steve, and sorry about your wallet! (The official Head-Fi greeting for newbies.) Sennheiser 650s are lovely, but I found the K701 more neutral and articulate, probably a good match for your work.
 
Mar 29, 2006 at 9:51 PM Post #3 of 14
Welcome to Headfi!

I made a "greetings" thread when I first joined headfi. It never got much response, so I thought I would give you the attention I never got before..
mad.gif


Anyways, this is a great community. Budgetting is definitely a required skill here. Enjoy!
 
Mar 29, 2006 at 9:54 PM Post #4 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens
Welcome, Steve, and sorry about your wallet! (The official Head-Fi greeting for newbies.) Sennheiser 650s are lovely, but I found the K701 more neutral and articulate, probably a good match for your work.


Whoa! A "Sorry about your Wallet" from Tyll himself!


Minor thread jack:

Hey Tyll, I'm just curious. Is there any particular reason that Headroom doesn't carry the SA5K? A lot of far less reputable businesses seem to. Is Sony just a collosal pain, or something?
 
Mar 29, 2006 at 9:55 PM Post #5 of 14
Hi and welcome to head-fi and sorry about your wallet!

you will probably find some interesting reads around here...

Ontop of the AKG 701 suggestion I also suggest investing in a pair of A900's for your gaming purposes
evil_smiley.gif
 
Mar 29, 2006 at 10:19 PM Post #6 of 14
a word of advice: RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Mar 29, 2006 at 10:50 PM Post #7 of 14
You will definitely find some great advise here.

Here's how i do it: get advised, buy the best possible headphone WITHIN my price range and needs, and RUN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE FOREVER.

Or even better, maybe i should consider putting this site on my anti-virus block list
biggrin.gif
 
Mar 30, 2006 at 12:19 AM Post #8 of 14
I am putty to the hobby.

I didn't heed the warnings.

I didn't place my wallet in a secure location not known to myself.

I didn't run away.

I purchased a "Gateway Drug"

I now spend hour upon hour dragging chains up and down the musty corridors of forum searches(ok, not really chains, but a PCDP attached to my MS-1 cable)

I am hooked, there is no escape for me
frown.gif


Head the warnings while you can.

If not....

......Welcome to our forum!!
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--------------
 
Mar 30, 2006 at 2:14 AM Post #9 of 14
Man, I can relate.

I am totally swamped at work but all I can do is obsessively read this forum (and the links it sends me to), searching for the holy grail of upgrade paths for my new "needs." I have done little else for 2 or 3 weeks now; it's pretty scary. I am sleep deprived and way behind on work and home responsibilities. I have no idea who is in the final 4, or if we still have the same president for that matter.

I always enjoyed good music, and HAVE to wear headphones at work due to the loud-mouth accross the hall from me, but I had no idea what I was getting into when I opened Pandora's Box, also known as Head-Fi.

Before stumbling here, I was surviving on Triports and 128kbps mps's on my laptop. I knew the phones weren't as good as the Bose hype as soon as I bought them, (other than being truly comfy, which is important to me), but I had no idea what the hi-fi world had to offer as alternatives. I had already added an Audigy 2 pmcia card, which helped a little, but not much. I did not know there were better sound cards than Creative sells.

Since discovering this forum about 3 weeks ago, I bought a 4 gig Nano, a pair of E3c's w/ 2 packs of replacement foamies, an Apple Remote Radio, ordered a Xin micro 3 (which I hope will be shipped sometime this century), and a pair of Klipsch 2.0 speakers so I can hear the Nano in the shower (which "required" adding a better mini/mini adapter and a pocket dock; also needed if the Xin micro 3 ever arrives).

The aforementioned purchases, coupled with more forum reading, made me realize that I not only need a good set of real headphones to replace the Triports, but I also need a freaking DAC (which I had never even heard of) and an external amp for my laptop (which I didn't know existed). I'm probably going Bithead on that, and soon.

I'll probably buy the E500's shortly after they come out and give the E3c's to my drooling son, passing on the addiction. The E3c's are nice but lack bass. I'm sure an amp will help, but I don't think I will be able to resist tripple driver IEMs.

My son will also get the Audigy soundcard when I get the Bithead. I will also probably buy a 60 gig Ipod, since I am now having to re-rip all of my music because the 128kbps mp3's are utter garbage even on un-amped E3c's. I have spent countless hours reading FAQ's and playing around with different encoding/ripping software, searching for the elusive balance of quality vs. file size, learning the codec lingo, etc. I'm looking at larger external hard drives to hold my music collection which will not fit on my existing drives after re-ripping lossless.

I am going nuts trying to figure out the best headphones to buy. The IEM's work, but they are a pain to yank out of my ears when I get a phone call or somebody dares enter my office and disturb my surfing in an effort to get me to do my job.

I was about to the pull the trigger on the K 701's, and still might, but I'm now thinking that it is quite probable that I will wind up buying more than one set of good cans, and I lack the patience to wait forever for delivery. I think I'll buy the HD 580's, 600's, or 650's since I can get them in a couple of days. Immediate gratification is important to an addict. I have no idea whether they will provide enough isolation to drown out the loudmouth across the hall, because I've never owned anything but closed cans. I always have the IEM's to hold me over if I need more isolation. I want to see how the airy cans sound anyway.

I have been careful to avoid counting up how much all of this is costing me, and I will certainly be raiding the mailbox for awhile to get the credit card statements before my wife can see them.

I have to buy this stuff soon, or I may lose my job for lack of actually doing it, and will no longer be able to support my new obsession.

What tangled webs we weave.

I remember when I was happy listening to 8-track tapes and pitted Zepplin albums on a pathetic all-in-one stero with cheapo 10 dollar headphones.

Would I return to a state of blissful ignorance if I had the choice? I don't think so. A little knowledge, coupled with an obsessive personality and a credit card, is a dangerous mix.
 
Apr 4, 2006 at 6:51 AM Post #10 of 14
Thanks for the welcome.

Bum deal is that one hour and 24 minutes after posting my first message, I was layed off from my job. Talk about being born under a bad sign.
evil_smiley.gif
<SIGH>

I will still be lurking, learning, but I'll also be looking for more gainful employ.

Stevemitchell.
 
Apr 4, 2006 at 7:00 AM Post #11 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevemitchell
I just discovered this forum a couple of days ago while investigating investing in a set of AKG-701's. I had no idea that headphone listening could be so...so esoteric. It's amazing to see all the products and ideas for headphone listening.

I myself do mostly digital-audio editing, mastering and just goofing around. I use a set of Senn HD-650's for all my listening, editing and such, but then use my DCM old studio monitors for mixing. The entire audio path is optical up to the pre-amp. That's about it. I'm going to lurk for awhile and learn.

Stevemitchell
580smile.gif


EDIT: EEEEEK!! I forgot, I'm also a gamer. Flt Sim and BF2, and the sound module is a Waveterminal 192M, 4in-8out, 24b-192khz.




Howdy and welcome...
Now go scale the Beyer ladder with a DT880, The Grado ladder with an RS1, Sony = Qualia, UE = UE10, Shure = E500
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JK, enjoy the toilet cans
 
Apr 4, 2006 at 7:26 AM Post #12 of 14
Quote:

Originally Posted by ComfyCan
My brain hurts...


That was hilarious.

The Senn HD6x0 won't fully deflect the loudmouth across the hall. Something like the A900LTD would be more suitable. The K701's leakage could be used for a counterattack.

Steve, hang in there and come back when everything's chugging along.
 
Apr 4, 2006 at 11:51 PM Post #13 of 14
Elephas said:
That was hilarious.

The Senn HD6x0 won't fully deflect the loudmouth across the hall. Something like the A900LTD would be more suitable. The K701's leakage could be used for a counterattack.

QUOTE]

I couldn't wait for the E500 release after receiving my Xin Micro-III, rendering my E3c's immediately inadequate (even though they now sound better than anything I've ever heard). So, I called Earphone solutions and ordered E4c's.

Recalling your excellant counter-attack strategy to my loud-mouth co-worker problem, I inquired about K-701's, and they had two un-claimed sets in stock. Well, you can guess the rest. I bought the E4c's and the K-701's, which are now in the mail on there way to me.

The receptionist is starting to giving me funny looks. Every day I get some weird package from China or other parts unknown containing "sumajin wraps" and the like. She probably thinks I'm a heroin dealer or something.

Within the next few days, I will be receiving a BitHead, E4C's, K701's, and a stack of CD's from Amazon to replace some of my old favorites that I only have on cassettte.

Madness...
 

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