[Graphicism]

 
Amps with interchangeable op-amps at both the amp and DAC section will sound very much alike. The Zero has the added benefit of optical which not only works with more hardware than the USB but offers a better bit-rate if you ever plan to listen to a SACD recording, Blu-ray and the likes. I haven't heard the newer E7/E9 but the older plastic ones actually degraded the quality of music with the addition of boosted bass and volume. With this in mind I wouldn't think very much to their newer offerings, and while all op-amp based amps/DACs will sound similar you may as well go for the one with more features.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Nothing but good things heard about the HD650 with the E9. As far as the E7 goes, that's MSRP for it.

Heard with your ears or just read on the forums? And posted by who? People who have never used anything else?  Sorry, it doesn't help people to suggest gear you haven't any experience with yourself.
 
Quote:

 
Amps with interchangeable op-amps at both the amp and DAC section will sound very much alike. The Zero has the added benefit of optical which not only works with more hardware than the USB but offers a better bit-rate if you ever plan to listen to a SACD recording, Blu-ray and the likes. I haven't heard the newer E7/E9 but the older plastic ones actually degraded the quality of music with the addition of boosted bass and volume. With this in mind I wouldn't think very much to their newer offerings, and while all op-amp based amps/DACs will sound similar you may as well go for the one with more features.

 
Except for the poor reliability and having the reputation of the first piece of gear I've ever encountered that destroyed someone's headphones as soon as they were plugged in.  Also, if you were planning to buy it to use with an SACD player, you'll be out of luck, as SACD players don't permit digital output when the SACD layer is being played back. Not to mention the Zero would be far lower quality than even a half decent SACD player, so any higher bit-rate will be of no benefit with such low-end gear.

 

 

 

[ZERUNG]

Save some money to get drunk and to get laxx. You only turn 18 once. There is a whole life ahead to do the buying and changing.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Except for the poor reliability and having the reputation of the first piece of gear I've ever encountered that destroyed someone's headphones as soon as they were plugged in.  Also, if you were planning to buy it to use with an SACD player, you'll be out of luck, as SACD players don't permit digital output when the SACD layer is being played back. Not to mention the Zero would be far lower quality than even a half decent SACD player, so any higher bit-rate will be of no benefit with such low-end gear.

 

If I plugged a pair of headphones into a Zana Deux and they blew up it too would leave me cursing the amp. I bought my Zero used and have used it daily for about 3 years, putting goodness knows how many hours of listening time on it... in fact because of it's reliability I use it to burn-in headphones when not listening too them. If a bad batch of Zero's left China faulty I am not surprised, they're cheap and no doubt use poor parts. I would highly doubt the Fiio amps are built any better, and due to their previous models I don't see anything more than a toy.
 
In regards to SACD, I mentioned recording, as in a computer file not a SACD player... as you mentioned if you own a decent player there is little point in buying the Zero.

 

[mrspeakers]

650 mind-used can be easily found for $315, + iBasso D6 or D12 fits the target budget and will sound great, especially the D6 if you can live without coax and optical inputs...  
 
And since it's easy to find used 650s, this would be a great way to get a better system and avoid "budget" dac/amps, which are not likely, as noted, to be reliable, and definitely don't have the resolution of the iBasso products.  There are a couple of other lesser know challenger brands in the same price range, and for a bit more there is RSA but that blows the budget.

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
I can see I need to elaborate here. My source of music will be my MacBook Pro. 
 
In regards to ZERUNG's suggestion; Don't worry, there's a reason why my budget is relatively modest. There will be plenty of money for the celebrating, and well, the other thing I won't talk about in these forums
 
Seeing as the Zero has SO many different opinions and first impressions, I'm not sure if I dare go that route. 
 
The iBasso seems like a very neat device, but I still have concerns that something USB-powered can power the relatively power hungry HD 650. Is there a great difference in performance compared to "desktop" Amps? If it's enough, I'm very tempted to go that route, as it is really versatile being very portable.
 
Would the FiiO combo be terrible?
 
I've basically only heard great things about the Audio-GD products - is there any reason I shouldn't go the Sparrow version A route, and just be a happy camper?

 

[olor1n]

The Sparrow would be a fine choice if its somewhat comparable to the wonderful synergy the Fun has with the HD650. Fwiw, I've had members who've owned both indicate they prefer the Sparrow to the Fiio combo (buried somewhere in the buying advice thread). I'd also suggest you look into the NFB-12.

 

[mrspeakers]

The 650 does not require tons of power because it is efficient. Don't worry about the power, so much. The d6 is the better ibasso for the 650 because it can swing more voltage. Of course it is also portable.

EDIT: just to be clear I never really considered "desktop" amps, only home or portable. The midsize form factor didn't meet my needs. If portability isn't of value there are many affordable options, but I have no input...

 

[Bonix]

i would go for hd 650

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielofDenmark /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I've basically only heard great things about the Audio-GD products - is there any reason I shouldn't go the Sparrow version A route, and just be a happy camper?

The reason is the NFB-12, which is only $200 at the promo price.  Actually, I don't see any reason to get the Sparrow over the NFB-12 which has dual WM8741.  I think they may discontinue the Sparrow soon, they seem to have too many products competing at the same price range now.  If you can stretch though, do stretch for the FUN, the rolling of the opa's is fun and can give you a taste of every thing you read about on head-fi: smooth, dynamic, fast, laid-back, warm, lush, cold, analytical, all types of sounds.  Today for example, after a month of the Earth opa I finally got tired of it's extreme detail and neutrality.  I didn't have to go shopping for another component though, just swapped the opa and the sound is now noticeably warmer and lush.  =]
 
Is there any reason why you aren't considering the HD600?  All impressions on head-fi peg it as a little more balanced but otherwise the same as the HD650, some people prefer it to the HD650.  More importantly, it's cheaper too, so you can afford a better AGD product.  =]

 

[DanielofDenmark]

I'll just have to hope that the promo hasn't ended in April then.
 
I actually looked at the HD600's, but apparently the bass isn't as good as the HD650's, and they aren't as "fun", more neutral.
 
Is this completely wrong?

 

[sphinxvc]

This review sums up the differences quite nicely:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/524569/review-20-headphones-compared
 
If you search for "hd600 vs hd650" on head-fi, you'll hit about one or two threads with hundreds of impressions.
 
As far as I know though, the hd650 is no better than hd600, only slightly different.  The 600s are a bit more neutral.  But in my opinion, the HD650s have a good natural sound across the frequency range.
 
 
 
 

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
I've searched quite a bit, but I haven't read any of the threads entirely until now.. Seems like the HD600 actually out-perform the HD650's for rock, as the bass is too present on the 650's(?).
 
Alot of the threads also recommend Ultrasone and Grado, but I really don't want another Grado. Not because I dislike the sound, but the build quality and the small soundstage makes it sound weird for anything but rock. Are Ultrasone's worth looking at? They seem fairly easy to drive, so I could probably cut back on the amp budget if I went with, let's say, the Pro900's, correct? 

 

[matthewh133]

Quote:

 
 
I've searched quite a bit, but I haven't read any of the threads entirely until now.. Seems like the HD600 actually out-perform the HD650's for rock, as the bass is too present on the 650's(?).
 
Alot of the threads also recommend Ultrasone and Grado, but I really don't want another Grado. Not because I dislike the sound, but the build quality and the small soundstage makes it sound weird for anything but rock. Are Ultrasone's worth looking at? They seem fairly easy to drive, so I could probably cut back on the amp budget if I went with, let's say, the Pro900's, correct? 

The bass quantity on the HD650s I feel is good, but sometimes to me anyway, it can feel a tiny bit uncontrolled. The PRO 900s are easy to drive yes, so you'd just want a nice little amp to give it some juice. Something that would compliment it well.

 

[129207]

I'd get the Sennheiser HD580, which is essentially a Hd600 with different grills. Since the HD600 is in no way inferior to the HD650, the HD580 is no slouch either. If you shop smart, you can get a HD580 for $110
 
So, the most sensible advice I can come up with is (apart from buying vintage gear, which is a bit hit&miss):
 
- Sennheiser HD580 / $110
- Sennheisher HD600 grills / $15
- Yulong D100 DAC&AMP / $399 (get this and you're done. everything after is about extreme diminishing returns 

 and yes, I have heard this baby and it IS that good. Check out the amplifier A/B comparison thread for some sense.) 
 
 
Total $525!
 
 
Leaves you $75 towards a headphone with a different taste than the HD6xx series or maybe even a nice set of IEMs for a totally different experience. Will also leave room for upgrades in the future although I can imagine A LOT of people will be more than happy with this SQ for the rest of their lives.