[Illusionist]

Hello everyone,
I'm relatively new to the world of Hi-Fi music. I have been reading these forums for around 4 months and I'm ready to upgrade my system. Currently I own a Iriver Slimx IMP-350 along with some MX500 earbuds which I bought after my senn 497's broke. I listen to almost all of my music on my computer via my creative labs soundblaster 5.1 live.

So basically I'm looking for upgrades in the headphone department and looking to buy an amp (meta42 possibly). I've heard great things about etymotics and senn hd 580-600's. I also might look at a source upgrade but I'm not really sure if this is neccesary atm.

My music preferences are basically a large range of bass, going into the very low spectrum and clear highs and mids (I think). I know what bass is and treble (highs) but what exactly are midtones in music?

If anyone is willing to help on what to buy I would greatly appreicate it. My budget is not that tight and I could look at going over the 500$ range if need be.

Thanks,
Brent

 

[kartik]

From what you describe, I can't understand why you would want to buy the HD600. If you are looking for clear highs and slammin' bass it is a Grado you want. I personally prefer the incredible clarity and transparence of the grado SR-325, but a lot of people find it hard to adapt to. I'd suggest either the SR-225 or the RS-1 depending on how much you want to spend. The DT-831 has also been similarly described as has the Sony MDR 3000, but I have no experience with those. I know the Grado's sound great and despite what my profile says, I listen to a wide variety of music, from classical to jazz to hard rock and metal.

 

[pbirkett]

It sounds like you might be a Beyer DT990 man to me

 

[lini]

Brent: I'd suggest to replace your SB Live with a Terratec Aureon 5.1 Sky or 7.1 Space - both of these are good sounding, non-resampling, VIA/ICE Envy24HT-based cards with a nice little headphone amp already integrated on the board (but, of course, you could always add an external amp later on, if you feel the urge to upgrade). Price: < 100 Euro. For the headphone, I'd recommend to check the AKG K240S, the Beyerdynamic DT531 and the Philips HP890 (prices ~ 70 - 120 Euro).

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[tortie]

Had the same predicament sa you last month. I cant compare with other setups as this is all I have heard, but get a used meta42 ($200 more or less ) and a good pair of headphones with the money you have left.

Speaking of sound improvement based on my experience, this setup will surely beat that old setup of yours by a wide margin.

Edit: BTW Changing that soundcard helps a lot too.

 

[Hiker]

During the past year I have been buying headphones while neglecting my source and I am really starting to feel this mistake hit me. I am finally upgrading my source and I suggest you do the same. If you really want to still use your computer for music I would check out the M-Audio Revolution and get a pair of Etymotics ER-4P. I don't personally have the Revo, but I am sure that it will sufficiently power the ER-4P (Im not sure how it will do with the ER-4S, maybe someone else can comment here). The reason why I recommend the ER-4P is because you can use them easily with both your computer and your portable cdp. They also don't need an amp like the HD600s would need. I would also advise against the Grados for portable use because they are slightly unwieldly with that thick cord of their's. Go for some etys. Those coupled with the M-Audio Revo should be well under $500.

Hiker

 

[D-EJ915]

He could get the ER4's and a nice amp, and the sound card for less than $500, Compusa had Revos on sale for $80 a while ago...

 

[TimSchirmer]

Used Audiophile 2496- 100$

Gilmore Lite - 250$

Etymotics- 200$

The gilmore lite is the best amp you can get for under 500$ IMO.

 

[Illusionist]

TimSchirmer: Is the Gilmore Light a good all-rounder amp. Would it be suitable for driving cans like grados and Audio-Technica also? Or would a Meta-42 be more suitable for driving high impedance cans?

And thanks to everyone else who has replied to this thread. Your replies have been very helpful.

 

[Hiker]

Quote:

Originally posted by Illusionist TimSchirmer: Is the Gilmore Light a good all-rounder amp. Would it be suitable for driving cans like grados and Audio-Technica also? Or would a Meta-42 be more suitable for driving high impedance cans?

I think the Gilmore Light should be a good all-rounder amp. The Gilmore should be more powerful than a standard Meta-42 and a good number of people feel the Gilmore sounds better as well. However, there are still others that feel the Meta sounds better. Read up on some reviews in the amp forum about both of these since they are in a similar price range. By the way, I have no Audio-Technica experience, but the Grados are not high impedance cans. They can be driven pretty easily from nearly all sources. However, most people feel that the higher end Grados need an amp to sound their best. But don't confuse them with cans such as the Senn HD600 which are high impedance headphones and are difficult to drive without an amp.

One final thing, if you do decide to get the ER-4P, the M-Audio card, and an amp, look into getting a Etymotic ER-4P/S adapter cable. Using the cable when hooked up to your home system will yield greater accuracy and details. Take the cable off when using the Etys with your portable by itself. There are a few places where you can get these adapters one being fixup.net and another HeadRoom.

Good Luck
Hiker

 

[lini]

Brent: For the amp, I'd suggest to go for the Corda HA1MkII - very fair price/performance, and where else would you be able to get support in your mother language than from our amping Dutchman, Jan Meier!?!

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: Nevertheless, I'd recommend to replace your soundcard first in order to avoid a nasty bottleneck. Oh, and be aware that you can get nice package deals, if you buy both amp and haedphone from Meier Audio!