[Rafaell]

Hi! Im new to this site, and i signed up just to ask a couple of questions..
Im not a DJ, or anything like that, i just want to discover the good part of the music with proper equipment, so i decided to buy the Sennheiesr HD 650 after reading a couple of threads. I own an iphone as a mp3 player, but i know that its not good enough for these HP, so i decided to invest some more.
 
So please, people who know what to recommend on this topic, tell me, what kind of mp3/flac player should i buy to fully (or closely) feel the power of the HP i bought, and do i need an amp to the player you recommend?
The player price range is 350$ and the amp range is 200$ (i would really love to have a small sized amp, coz its a big deal...)
 
Thank you very much in advance!

 

 

[YakimaJoe]

I'm relatively new to this forum and this hobby as well.  But I've recently accumulated a couple different amps and a couple good sets of headphones.  
 
My best and favorite combination by far is a RWA iMod + RSA SR 71A + HD 650s.  I bought the 80gb 5.5g iMod directly from the Red Wine Audio site, which I know is out of your price range.  But if you can get your hands on one of the older-generation iPods that RWA will modify for you, they charge $250 for the modification.  
 
I've admittedly only listened to Ray Samuels' amps, having sampled a friends Hornet.  Then I bought one on the classifieds here for a pretty good discount off new, and then I bought an SR-71A off of the classifieds here as well because I needed more power to drive my AKG 702s.  The RSA amps new are also out of your price range but, again, if you're like me and closely watch the classifieds here, I bet you can find something in your price range that suits your needs.    
 
In any event, the iMod, HD650, SR-71A combo is pure listening heaven for this audiophile newbie.  I'm looking to expand to a good desktop amp now.  
 
Hope this helps!

 

[Rafaell]

So i've surfed the net and i saw a couple of suggestions about the amps. What can you say about fiio e17? I like that its small and compact, but will it support the hd650?

 

[David Chavez]

Iphone is good enough just get a flac player app and start using flac (also known as lossless)!!!! or songs with 320khz. If you have Cd's put them into itunes in apple lossless format.
And used or new headstage arrow 4g. 200ish used. 280 new. Look at these forms to buy used, just buy from someone with good ratings.
And fiio l9 cable 10ish (this is a line out cable to by pass your iphone's crappy amp it is a big most)
 
From experience trust me fiio e17 will not power your hd 650. And the headstage arrow is smaller

 The form factor will be a big plus if you go with this set up. Heres a example. Note picture isn't mine.

 

[David Chavez]

Another picture without a case or cable.

 

[David Chavez]

And if you want to save some money. 130 new 100ish used (see forms to buy used) You could get the fiio e12. (bigger then the headstage arrow)

 

[David Chavez]

And if you don't care to much about form. Get this beast!  Alo audio Continental 340ish used 530 new. (Came in 3 versions almost the same)
A portable tube amp.
Get V1 used if you want to save money
Get V2 used if you think you might wanna use in ear monitors in the future
Get V3 used/new if you want a brighter V2 (can be used with in ear monitors as well).

 

[Vidmaven]

Two very good suggestions from Mr. Chavez IMHO. I have the E12 and numerous iPods and a 4S iPhone running ALAC to lots of HPs including a Senn HD580. Got a Headstage Arrow 4G and 32GB iPod Touch I picked up in the For Sale section here on the way also. The E12 sounds great with just about anything I throw at it. Just picked the Arrow up to have something a little more form fitting to the iPhone and see what a couple of more $s gets you in the portable amp world. Another nice little amp I have is the C&C BH, about half the size of the E12 but plenty of power and settings to keep me happy. Just my $.02.

 

[David Chavez]

Also you can tell by the pictures people do use there Itouchs and Iphones in there midfi/hifi portable rigs. So no worry there

 

[Rafaell]

Thank you very much! Arrow 4g looks good on the Iphone, as long as you say it will handle my HD650 =)
 
Is there a big difference between iphone 4, 4S and the Ipods? Soundwise? Should i invest in some player that is more suited for these HP? 
 
Maybe that iMod that was mentioned above?

 

[Vidmaven]

iPhone 4S is considered the best iPhone as far as DAPs go from what I've heard. I have a 5th Gen 30GB and 5.5 Gen 80GB iPod that are considered some of if not the best that Apple made. You can get them on the used market pretty easily. They can be easily Rockboxed and sound very good for the price.

 

[David Chavez]

 

[David Chavez]

After a good 2 hours or so of reading I must say the new dac on the itouch 5th generation is better then anything apple has ever made but not by much even beating the ipod classic 5/5.5 generation.  But the lighting port is a issue since there isn't a lighting port terminated lod cable that I know of I guess use a adapter and fiio l9 but that is a bit of a form issue.
 
Also to be honest I'm pretty sure you won't be able to tell much of a difference I say save your self some money.  Trust me save up for better headphones that make a big diffrence not a few hundred for very low returns at least for mp3 players and if you have 5 or 5.5 generation classic rockbox then buy fiio L9 and a amp the end. If you have a iphone 4 that is good enough buy fiio L9 and a amp the end. If you have iphone 5  buy a adapter and fiio L9 and a amp the end. And when you wanna upgrade your phone get a galaxy with a beast of a wolfson dac remember to change setting to use the micro port as a line out, buy a line out cable to connect to that port and your amp and the end.
Hope it doesn't sound to confusing.  

  Also a last note you can put a screen protector on the back of your amp and mp3 player so they don't rub against each other and put a velcro pad on the screen protectors so they stick to each other and you don't have to use the rubber bands that get in the way of the screen. 

 

[David Chavez]

Quote:

Thank you very much! Arrow 4g looks good on the Iphone, as long as you say it will handle my HD650 =)
 
Is there a big difference between iphone 4, 4S and the Ipods? Soundwise? Should i invest in some player that is more suited for these HP? 
 
Maybe that iMod that was mentioned above?

Ranking
1.Itouch 5,
2.Iphone 5,
3.ipod classic 5.5/5,
4.iphone 4/itouch 4.
5. etc etc
Sound wise about 10-2% difference depending which ranking to which your talking about. Something you will notice on a album you listen to over and over again. But never a wow moment.

 

[Rafaell]

Ok, so if you say that ipod 5.5 is a good choice, i guess the iMod has to be better, coz they claim to improve the sound quality and stuff.. So I'm really thinking about buying this one.
 
And about the amp - the arrow 4g is the best i can get in the 250$ range? (not too big) Or should i stop searching for one and just buy this one?