[atx 6speed]

So I bought a Little Dot I+ amp to see what it could do with my beloved Sony MDR-7506s and the results are not what I was expecting. It doesn't sound bad, per se, but I don't hear much of a difference from before when my phones were un-amped.

I can't really blame the forums, though, as my research lead me to believe that amping these particular phones may not be the best idea. I have burned in the amp about 80 hours, bought some 408a tubes and burned those in 50 hours, and got a quality LOD to see if that would make a difference, but nothing's really changed.

At this point I know that while the 7506s are great for monitoring and are a good neutral phone, they may not be what I'm looking for. I'm looking for something a bit more lively...something that would really pop with some alternative or rock music, but wouldn't be totally lost if the occasional bass-heavy track came its way.

I'm aiming for anything between $70-200 as my Sony replacements. I've been looking at everything from the ATH-AD700s to the Grado SR225i headphones in terms of a replacement.

Does anyone have the Little Dot I+ amp and a pair of headphones that absolutely sing with them?

 

[lucky]

Amps don't make as much of a difference as most Head-fiers say they do. Buy the headphones you want, don't look for amps to do anything beyond amplification, and you'll come out ahead of the game.

 

[nullstring]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amps don't make as much of a difference as most Head-fiers say they do. Buy the headphones you want, don't look for amps to do anything beyond amplification, and you'll come out ahead of the game.

I'll agree with that if the distinction is made that amplification is more than loudness. Amps don't output sound. They output electricity. While a macbook, for instance, might be able to supply the electricity needed in order to make the drivers in a pair of headphones to move, that does not mean it had the ability to change the electricity in the fashion required to make the drivers move in what most would call a sufficient manner.

 

[progo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amps don't make as much of a difference as most Head-fiers say they do. Buy the headphones you want, don't look for amps to do anything beyond amplification, and you'll come out ahead of the game.

So you think volume amplification doesn't make difference?

I've found the exact opposite. Even the easiest cans benefit some (sometimes little, sometimes greatly) if they're amplified well. The amplifier's job is to keep the music in clear shape and on the other hand keep the shape "edgy" (so the notes separates from each others). It's about contrast. A powerful amplifier makes it.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amps don't make as much of a difference as most Head-fiers say they do. Buy the headphones you want, don't look for amps to do anything beyond amplification, and you'll come out ahead of the game.

Says the person who powers his headphones with a Macbook.

I bet you still think there isn't any difference in driving a K701 with your Macbook and a quality amp. After all, your Macbook can drive it plenty loud right?

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nullstring /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll agree with that if the distinction is made that amplification is more than loudness. Amps don't output sound. They output electricity. While a macbook, for instance, might be able to supply the electricity needed in order to make the drivers in a pair of headphones to move, that does not mean it had the ability to change the electricity in the fashion required to make the drivers move in what most would call a sufficient manner.

It would depend on your definition of sufficient. For me, I go by the "if it sounds good, it is good" yardstick.

Quote:

Originally Posted by progo /img/forum/go_quote.gif So you think volume amplification doesn't make difference? I've found the exact opposite. Even the easiest cans benefit some (sometimes little, sometimes greatly) if they're amplified well. The amplifier's job is to keep the music in clear shape and on the other hand keep the shape "edgy" (so the notes separates from each others). It's about contrast. A powerful amplifier makes it.

As I've always said, if you need an amp to enjoy your headphones, get one. Not everyone does, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Says the person who powers his headphones with a Macbook. I bet you still think there isn't any difference in driving a K701 with your Macbook and a quality amp. After all, your Macbook can drive it plenty loud right?

Having used it both amped and unamped, I was fine with it from my Macbook. If you need to spend more to enjoy your K701, go ahead.

 

[atx 6speed]

Oh wow, lots of discussion going on here

I'm not quite sure myself how much a difference amping makes because I honestly didn't experience much of a difference with these Sonys. I still believe that amping can be noticed, but these are probably not the right phones. So far I have it narrowed down to these phones:

JVC HA-RX900 - $70
Audiotechnica ATH-AD700 - $90
Grado SR-225 - $200
Alessandro MS-1 - $100
Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro-80 - $170
Sennheiser HD 595 - $190
AKG K271-MKII - $145

The JVCs and the AKGs really seem to have caught my eye...especially the AKGs. Given that this amp works great with low impedance phones and the type of music I like (indie, rock, alternative), which ones would you all recommend?

 

[lucky]

I have the AD700 and RX700; I'd recommend them both as open and closed phones, respectively.

 

[RonMiller1]

I haven't used the others, but I can say that the Grados sound amazing with the Little Dot I+. I've used both the 225's and the 325's with mine.

 

[cegras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amps don't make as much of a difference as most Head-fiers say they do. Buy the headphones you want, don't look for amps to do anything beyond amplification, and you'll come out ahead of the game.

But that's precisely what the amp is all about. I'm not sure whether you're flamebaiting or not, but satisfying the electrical demands of a headphone is precisely what the amplifier is doing. Relying on your macbook to drive a super duper high impedence phone is ridiculous because electrically it just cannot provide.

If [re: IF, as in, you probably don't so that's why you're making such edgy comments] you feel there are faults that stem from this setup, it's the amplifier's fault, not the headphones. Satisfy your headphones electrical needs before you complain about the headphone faults.

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cegras /img/forum/go_quote.gif But that's precisely what the amp is all about. I'm not sure whether you're flamebaiting or not, but satisfying the electrical demands of a headphone is precisely what the amplifier is doing. Relying on your macbook to drive a super duper high impedence phone is ridiculous because electrically it just cannot provide. If [re: IF, as in, you probably don't so that's why you're making such edgy comments] you feel there are faults that stem from this setup, it's the amplifier's fault, not the headphones. Satisfy your headphones electrical needs before you complain about the headphone faults.

You seem resistant to acknowledge that I'm happy with what I hear, and that this means more to me than technical specifications. Why?

As I've said, if you need more to enjoy your music, go for it. But if a pair of phones sounds good to me, I don't worry about much else.

I've never understood why some are so ready on this site to tell others that they can't really be enjoying what they're hearing. :O)

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Having used it both amped and unamped, I was fine with it from my Macbook. If you need to spend more to enjoy your K701, go ahead.

What amp have you tried other than Behringer's $50 mixer that you used?

I'm not saying one can't enjoy their headphone without an amp, but I do have problem when you go around the forum telling people that amping don't make a difference which is obviously wrong.

 

[lucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What amp have you tried other than Behringer's $50 mixer that you used?

That's the one. I don't even use it any more; I prefer just plugging my phones straight in these days.

Quote:

I do have problem when you go around the forum telling people that amping don't make a difference

Nope, I didn't say it doesn't make a difference. They work well for volume and EQ. My point, as always,
is that they're neither necessary nor sufficient for enjoying a particular pair of headphones.

 

[ScottieB]

To the original question - once I heard better headphones, I got rid of my Sony MDRs... they're ok, and good for monitoring (like for video editing, which is why I originally got them) but they're not great for music (not BAD, per se, just nothing really special), and don't really improve much with an amp of any kind. They're really designed as studio monitors, so this isn't too surprising really.

SO, I'm a person who likes a good amp and hears a benefit, but not in the case of the MDRs. The LD 1+ is a pretty nice little amp, if I were you I'd be looking at new headphones. Hope this helps.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nope, I didn't say it doesn't make a difference. They work well for volume and EQ. My point, as always, is that they're neither necessary nor sufficient for enjoying a particular pair of headphones.

Bottomline, you think an amp, even if it's perfectly flat, would only boosts volume.