[juni0r]

a while ago i posted about the setup that i have, and i got a response which helped. however, as i continue to read about the hd 590 and the supposedly amazing bass it has...i can't help but think that something can't quite be right with what i am using. is it the sound card? is it something i'm probably not setting up correctly? whenever i play around with a EQ and attempt to amplify the bass, it gets distorted. any information that you guys might have would help. also, if its the source, i would like to know any sound cards that may do better for me, at least when listening to music. thanks

 

[Asmo]

I have the senn 590s, and had a audigy 2 over a year ago... the answer to your dilemna is you need a amp.

 

[Mr.Radar]

The HD590's need a good amp to be properly driven (and to bring out their bass). Also, have you burned your HD590's in at all?

 

[juni0r]

yeah, 3 months of near-daily gaming and music use.

edit: any amps that you would recommend? and would the amp have any use aside from the headphones?

 

[Asmo]

depends what you want, some int. amplifers have decent headphone outputs if you are using bookshelf speakers, if not, go with a headphone amplifer based on the meta42, they are relatively cheap and quite suitable for the 590s. Or try to find something a bit better used here on the forums.

 

[juni0r]

my setup is pretty much going to be these headphones, and i may possibly buy a relatively inexpensive 2.1 speaker setup for use whenever i don't feel like putting something on my head... something like the klipsch promedia? i only know a little about headphones and i know even less about computer speakers. but yeah, that pretty much is my situation. i just want an audio setup that can i can use in my room and i can enjoy music with

...movies, games, those are all secondary concerns with this system.

being the newbie, i don't really know how to find an amp based on the meta42, so something that is more readily available would be preferred i guess? thanks for your help so far though

 

[Asmo]

I think a headphone amplifier would suit you best.

Also read the amplifcation sectoin on these forums for some ideas.

Check out the for sale/buy forums here for a used amp, also check out:

http://www.headsave.com/

Great reviews for these amps, I'd recommend the headsave classic, and you can contact the maker for advice for your setup.

 

[juni0r]

i like how it's small

def consider it for a future purchase

thanks for the recommendation.

btw, any small software tweaks like output plugins i should use? using winamp 5 currently w/ directsound output

edit: also for the headsave classic, on the page http://www.headsave.com/classic.html, would you recommend me getting any of the extra options at the bottom? or simply anything else in general that would be worth whatever additional cost

edit2: emu 1212m vs chaintech av-710 -- from what i see here, they both seem to blow my audigy 2 out of the water. how do they compare to each other? (again, sticking with headphone and/or 2 channel speaker performance in relation to music)

hopefully in the future i can contribute more to the community as i learn more

 

[remilard]

Most people use foobar2000 on windows, it is the one thing that makes me think about running windows sometimes, and that says a lot.

As for the classic, I have the Go-Vibe, another headsave amp, with the OPA 2227 op amp and it sounds wonderful with my HD590s. I haven't heard the other two opamps Norm offers but given how good the Burr Brown sound is with the 590s I would recommend to stick with the default or go up to the 627s, again I haven't heard the analog devices chip but based on what I read about its sound it would not be my choice.

You will need one of the power supplys, with the OPA 2227 (or the AD 8620) the 12 volt should be fine, if you decide to go with the 627s you probably want the 24 volt.

If you are using the amp with a soundcard that has a mini stereo plug out, as opposed to RCA, you might want to have the classic built with a mini jack input instead of RCA.

 

[Mr.Radar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by juni0r i like how it's small def consider it for a future purchase thanks for the recommendation. btw, any small software tweaks like output plugins i should use? using winamp 5 currently w/ directsound output

Use Foobar2000 instead of Winamp. Use the ASIO output method (required component). Use the Resampler DSP to 48000 Hz, (use slow mode if your computer is fast enough). Use Strong ATH Noise Shaping dither. If you don't game with EAX or in surround sound, switch to the Kx Drivers.

Quote:

edit: also for the headsave classic, on the page http://www.headsave.com/classic.html, would you recommend me getting any of the extra options at the bottom? or simply anything else in general that would be worth whatever additional cost

Get the AD8620 op-amp (they go better with Senns) and the 24v PSU (unless you have a 24v DC linear regulated power supply (not just a standard wall-wart)) (because the HD590 has a very high power draw you need a high voltage power supply).

Quote:

edit2: emu 1212m vs chaintech av-710 -- from what i see here, they both seem to blow my audigy 2 out of the water. how do they compare to each other? (again, sticking with headphone and/or 2 channel speaker performance in relation to music)

The EMU 1212m is two steps above the AV-710 in sound quality (and those steps aren't small either). If you can afford the 1212m then go for it, otherwise get the EMU 0404 if you can afford it (it's $100 and is inbetween the Chaintech and the 1212m in sound quality), but I highly reccomend the Chaintech if you can't afford either card.

 

[juni0r]

mr.radar, do the two e-mu cards you mentioned have support for the RCA connector in the headsave amp ? does my audigy 2 platinum as well? it has a spdif out on the front panel that appears to be a RCA connector but i'm not sure if it really is...does anyone know for sure?

 

[remilard]

the 590s sound a lot different than the 580s and 600s which the analog devices op amps are often recommended for, so I will reaffirm my support for the burr brown chip. Maybe getting one of the burr browns installed and having Norm send you the AD also (or vice versa) is the way to go. They op amps in headsave amps are socketed so you can switch them without any soldering and pick which one you prefer, you could probably sell the other one and make back a good chunk of the expense of getting two.

 

[Bluestreak]

This thread got my attention becuase I have a similar setup (HD590 headphones connected via my PC rig using a Audigy 1 card), and I get bass distortions as well (similar to what you'd hear from old torn speakers that can't handle even a normal amount of bass anymore) The distortions are most evident when you really turn up the volume (to near max) I dont know if this is normal, or if I unfortunately got bad cans.

Updating the drivers has improved somewhat, but I don't have any stereo receivers on hand or anyone I know where I could go audition the HD590 cans to make sure they're not the culprit. Where could I go to have the HD590s tested to see how they handle bass from a better receiver?

Once ruling the cans out as being the problem, should I swap the audigy for an M-Audio Revo card, or should I just get an amp? I'm surprised to hear that an amp would make a difference here because I had thought the HD590s did not need to be driven as much as say, the HD580s. Would an amp really smooth out the bass for my HD590s?

 

[DevilDog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluestreak Once ruling the cans out as being the problem, should I swap the audigy for an M-Audio Revo card, or should I just get an amp? I'm surprised to hear that an amp would make a difference here because I had thought the HD590s did not need to be driven as much as say, the HD580s. Would an amp really smooth out the bass for my HD590s?

I've never heard the 590s, but I've heard the 570s. Those two are probably more similar than dissimilar. The 570s are the most power hungry phones I know of. The 590s aren't supposed to be quite as bad, but they're not designed to be run using a line out.
Do yourself a favor, get the Revo or Chaintech and even a cheap portable amp. I think in this way spending <$100 you'll make a >$200 improvement.

 

[Budley007]

If you want to experiment with an inexpensive amp before committing more dollars to your endeavor, pick up a CMOY/mint for $10-30. It will atleast give you a small idea of what an amp can do for your cans. If you're more interested in music, definitely upgrade the soundcard.