[mcdj]

I'm mostly a non headphone guy. But I enjoy quality audio. Thus, I am about to take delivery of a Benchmark DAC1, for my Apple TV. (as a side note, I was using a lesser but decent Chinese DAC, and oh what a difference a DAC makes with an Apple TV!)

One of the tricks I played on myself to justify the DAC1 was telling myself I'd be getting a headphone jack/amp, which my Rowland stereo has not. (I will definitely not be getting another headphone amp to supplement the DAC1, whose amp I realize is not ideal.)

Part of me knows that once I start obsessing about a purchase, often times nothing will stop me until I get as close to the best I can for the money. To wit, HD650s, or SA5Ks. The other part of me knows that once the obsession has faded, I may or may not let the new purchase fall by the wayside. I go through phases where I don't play my Xbox, which I had to have...don't use the camcorder I had to have...etc. I'm sure some of you can relate.

This knowledge begs the question, do I really need the best (relative) headphones? Or will second best do? I.E. SA3000 or HD595.

Or will I yet again fool myself into thinking that I don't really need the top of the line, only to continue to obsess after purchasing a lesser model, and end up selling the lesser model at a loss, in re-pursuit of the top of the line?

My musical taste is all over the place, but I lean towards upbeat stuff with beefy production values...Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, some hip-hop, lots of beat driven electronica, a smattering of jazz. The closest I come to rock is Elbow or The Flaming Lips. And plenty of Zep.

Comfort and style is as important to me as SQ. I have a pair of dusty Grados somewhere that sounded ok, but they felt like wearing a pair of stale cupcakes. In the looks dept., I prefer the SA5Ks and HD595s over their siblings. I think Sennheiser must have spent all their R&D money on the 650's sound because they look about as sleek as a boiled potato. (The HD600s look straight out of the 80s' design wise...they are not in the running.) The SA line seems to get a lot of comfort kudos. The 5K's leather pads are actually less of a draw to me than the fabric ones of the 3K. The 595s seem like they could be a little stiff and stifling.

All in all, I would rather spend the extra money now than regret not getting something better later. At the same time, my ears are not micro critical. I can hear the benefits of a DAC, but not the difference between $50 and $500 speaker cables.

One of the things that sold me on my B&W 683 speakers was a write up, comparing them to another speaker up the line, costing 4x the price. The review said the 683s take you 75% of the way there (to the more expensive speaker) for 1/4 of the price. That is math I can live with for most anything, including headphones.

Any advice much appreciated!

mcdj

 

[vvanrij]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcdj /img/forum/go_quote.gif Part of me knows that once I start obsessing about a purchase, often times nothing will stop me until I get as close to the best I can for the money. To wit, HD650s, or SA5Ks. The other part of me knows that once the obsession has faded, I may or may not let the new purchase fall by the wayside. I go through phases where I don't play my Xbox, which I had to have...don't use the camcorder I had to have...etc. I'm sure some of you can relate. mcdj

Yup, I have that 'illness' too, and its not good for you wallet

. Anyway, what you should try to do is look for a store anywhere near you which have some headphones within your price range. The thing is, there is not such a thing as 'the best headphone' in this price range (or maybe any price range). There are also alot more brands you could choose from (AKG, AT, Grado, Denon etc.), which will sound better with different kinds of music and equipment. Also be sure to not be fooled by 'the top-of-the-line' or 'most expensive is best' kind of purchase. Let your ears decide whats best for you.

-Victor

 

[wired00]

i'll add a few cents worth

lol im exactly the same...obsess over something until i've spent far more than i should...

anyway, remember that the HD580, 600 and 650 all "require" headphone amps according to most peeps on here. Whereas the 595's don't. I've also read that the 595's are great for movies + games because they have great bass.

Imo though, if your even considering buying a amp someday you should just go for the 580, or 600. They both use the same driver and you can get the 580's from ebay for $180. If my wife wasn't about to strangle me for my last purchases I'd be snatching up either a 580 right away or a 600 from the For sale section

Of course theres the 650, but I'm sure it will be hard telling the difference between 600 or 650 drivers when listening to movies through your appleTV > dac.

 

[rapzoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wired00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'll add a few cents worth lol im exactly the same...obsess over something until i've spent far more than i should... anyway, remember that the HD580, 600 and 650 all "require" headphone amps according to most peeps on here. Whereas the 595's don't. I've also read that the 595's are great for movies + games because they have great bass. Imo though, if your even considering buying a amp someday you should just go for the 580, or 600. They both use the same driver and you can get the 580's from ebay for $180. If my wife wasn't about to strangle me for my last purchases I'd be snatching up either a 580 right away or a 600 from the For sale section Of course theres the 650, but I'm sure it will be hard telling the difference between 600 or 650 drivers when listening to movies through your appleTV > dac.

Actually, most consider the HD595 to be rather weak in bass. Since you seem to be the type that is only satisfied with the best, I would recommend that you go with the HD650. The 650s are more refined and more bass than the 600s.