[eighteen_psi]

Greetings!

Based on what I've read (lurking around here mostly) I decided on the newegg deal for a pair of HD 580s. I will most likely be purchasing an amp for them at some point if I am unhappy with them on what I've got now. Reason for purchase was mainly that, since I've become acustomed to the great sound from my home stereo my little sony MDR-A34's just don't do it for me. I auditioned them head to head with senn 580's but I didn't have the presence of mind to investigate what they were driven by. I understand that I won't get ideal sound from a discman or something but what about from my other current sources? I mainly play from a sager laptop through an onkyo se-u55 as my soundcard. I can either take it from the laptop, the onkyo or through my 1978 onkyo a-5 (reciever). My sony's sound best on the onkyo (1/4 volume on it will push them to painful levels) where the laptop will be merely 'loud' at full volume with much less bass and what not. I take it the reciever will be best for the 580's from what I have? Anyone have them running unamped from a laptop or from a similar stereo reciever? I can't wait to get them regardless so I can more my poor sonys to 'gym only' duty!

 

[wallijonn]

welcome to head-fi. sorry about your wallet, 18psi. (scuba diver?)

the onkyo receiver (A5) will most likely drive the HD580s superbly (if the Marantz 1060 threads are anything to go by). i suggest you not get involved with upgrading the cables, but rather go with a vintage cd player (pre-DACs) using discreet transistors, (preferably in Class A) or PCM, or a leading edge SACD player. After all, why spend $180 on cables when you can get a big "jump" in sound by buying a $250 SACD player?

now start treating your CDs like gold.

 

[eighteen_psi]

I love the greeting haha. Headphones are cheep man! (Well comparitively) I'd imagine the 580's will rape and pillage my stereo setup for a whole lot less...I got amazing deals on my gear (I 'fixed' the reciever by replacing a fuse so I got it for $20, got my main sats (ALR/Jordan Entry-S's) for $125 shipped (~$500 list) and I got my M&K sub (v-2b) for $100 because the guy selling it on ebay misspelled "kreisel" so no one found it. All that, plus an expensive tuner, expensive sound 'card' etc. etc etc....I love it...sound is an expensive thing to be obsessed with be it home, portable or mobile (car). God help you if you're into all three

eighteen_psi is the amount of turbo boost I ran in my late beloved 87 thunderbird TC....

I miss that car. Thanks for the inmput wallijonn...I can't wait for them to arrive! BTW...I play dvd-a and cd's with my computer's dvd-rom drive. (I've found it superior with my setup than my father's onkyo sacd player). But I will get a standalone eventually.

 

[GlowWorm]

Great decision eighteen_psi, but your gonna HAVE to get an amp to make those babies REALLY sing, though.

 

[eighteen_psi]

I'd been looking for some cans for a while but when I heard the 580s and 600s and then found the newegg deal with rebate I just had to jump on it. I got everyone else nice xmas gifts so I can get something for me too right? I even rushed them so they'll be here the 24th.

I'm interested to hear what that onkyo is capable of...I'd imagine the headphone jack has more than enough power to drive just about anything since it would probably destroy my sonys at much more than 1/4 volume. The quality on the powered output is supreme...which is why I purchased it...perhaps, I dare say, one of the cleanest solid state 40x2W around. My goals are: listenable without any amp (from my laptop directly or from my Onkyo se-u55, either way) for use on the road and some nice sound at home. I've come to swear by my ALR/Jordan mains for producing sound that's unreal for their small size and need cans that won't make me cry when I put them on afterward. For now I think I'll be pleased with the setup...then again we all know how these things go...more and more and more

. For the heck of it, what are some decently priced amps I should research? How do they compare to output on a nice reciever? Is there a spec I can look up for my Onkyo to see (roughly) how it would compare? What about say..a discman, my laptop etc. Thanks in advance...and thanks for the warm welcome.