Should I upgrade my amp?
Nov 2, 2002 at 4:59 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

jpelg

Needs a regular fix of 'Fi
'06 Nat Meet Co-Coordinator
Joined
Jan 19, 2002
Posts
8,683
Likes
29
Location
The Elm City
OK, I had the Beyer DT770's. Although they are very fun cans, they are a bit too heavy on the low-end, and I prefer my trusty HD580+Clou combo - much more even-toned across the board, midrange not overshadowed by the low-end. But after switching back, I find myself hungry for that last bit of "oomph!" from the Senn's.

Have I gotten to the limits of my Creek OBH-11? Is my answer to finally upgrade my amp? If so, to what?

Portability is not an issue, so what then? Full-blown, AC-powered META42? JM Corda HA-1 (possibly modded "blue")? HR Home? My natural tendency is stick with SS, but that is not locked in stone. Possibly go for the MG Head and start down the road of tube rolling?

Who likes the basic Senn HD580/600 sound (with upgraded cable)and has gotten the most out of it? How far do I have to go to get a noticible betterment in sound? My musical tastes are across the board, and I look for my main setup to do it all. Clarity is key. Suggestions please.

TIA.
 
Nov 2, 2002 at 5:08 AM Post #2 of 9
May i suggest the following

0020089090frontbig.JPG


They are $2000 below MSRP at headroom
wink.gif



smily_headphones1.gif
biggrin.gif
 
Nov 2, 2002 at 5:21 AM Post #4 of 9
Quote:

Originally posted by jpelg

Who likes the basic Senn HD580/600 sound (with upgraded cable)and has gotten the most out of it? How far do I have to go to get a noticible betterment in sound? My musical tastes are across the board, and I look for my main setup to do it all. Clarity is key. Suggestions please.

TIA.


Melos SHA-1 is a good choice for the Sennheisers. They come up for sale pretty frequently lately. For clarity, it's hard to beat the Sugden Headmaster. In a tube amp, I like the Berning MicroZOTL, but IME that amp requires some serious tube tweaking to get the best out of the Senns.
 
Nov 2, 2002 at 11:11 AM Post #5 of 9
jpelg: I'm not so sure, whether a better amp would really help that much. Maybe you'd fare better and cheaper, if you look into another headphone like the K240S or the DT531 - as there will always be some recordings that sound not so good, when you only have one headphone choice available...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
Nov 2, 2002 at 12:36 PM Post #6 of 9
Quote:

Originally posted by lini
jpelg: I'm not so sure, whether a better amp would really help that much. Maybe you'd fare better and cheaper, if you look into another headphone like the K240S or the DT531 - as there will always be some recordings that sound not so good, when you only have one headphone choice available...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini


Well, I certainly agree that totally different cans should make a larger difference than upgrading your amp. But, if you prefer the HD-580s over other headphones an amp upgrade could give you more of the "oomph!", and "clarity" your looking for. Problem is, there are a lot of amps that sound good with the HD-580s. Happy hunting!
very_evil_smiley.gif
 
Nov 2, 2002 at 5:00 PM Post #7 of 9
Thanks for all the input guys. I really thought I would be satisfied long-term with my current setup. But human nature being what it is, upgrade-itus has reared its ugly head. While the Orpheus is not anywhere within my universe, I was salivating over the HR Max in the 'For Sale' forum, which would be at the high end of my budget possibilities. Thank goodness it has been sold already
wink.gif
!

So now, once again it is "so many amps, so little time". Luckily the NY meet is in a couple of weeks. According to the postings, there should be a number of amps that are on my "want to listen to" list. So what I originally thought would be a headphone-only venture, the time will have to be judiciously divided amongst the amps as well. I hope I am not overwhelmed (this is the kind of problem with which I am happy to deal)!
 
Nov 2, 2002 at 6:48 PM Post #9 of 9
Jpelg, I have the Sugden with the 600's and I hav to tell you it's a magnificent setup. Wonderful, outstanding midrange, good underlying bass, and superb highs. I'll be bringing it to the meet so you can check it out.

BTW. If you want, I could pick you up at, say, the Rye staion and you could drive in with me if you wish. This way you could avoid the subway if you're bringing any equipment.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top