[takubi]

So I've been wanting to get into the Head-Fi world, and I figure that I should start out with some ATH-M50s, but I was also considering getting a portable amp. I don't have the biggest budget, so I was thinking about the Fiio amps/DACs. The E11 seems like it would work great, but I also thought that maybe I'll try the E7 because it is a DAC as well (keep in mind that I don't have a great understanding of the technology) and these will be used primarily with an iPod but sometimes a laptop too. It's all a bit confusing right now so any help at all would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thank You,
Tommy Kubitschek

 

[namaiki]

I don't think the E11 will help you. A FiiO E7 or E17 might help, but you might not notice much difference if your computer's headphone out is okay and isn't terrible - for instance, static or dropouts.

 

[KG Jag]

What do you have now?
 
What is the format of the music you will be playing?
 
What genres of music do you prefer?  Your selection of the M50's leads me to guess that you prefer a bass driven sound.
 
Are open cans that leak sound OK?  I'm guessing, based on your post, that they are not.
 
Do you want a detachable cable?
 
The M50 offers a "V' shaped EQ, which means that bass & treble are emphasized above neutral and mids (where guitars and vocals live) are recessed below neutral.  Is that what you want?  Cans like the Shure SRH 840 and KRK KNS 8400 offer a more neutral and balanced sound in two seperate (& very tasty) flavors.  Other cans like the Ultrasone HiFi 780 offer strong bass and bright highs in a more balanced package than the M50 provides.

 

[takubi]

Quote:

What do you have now?
 
What is the format of the music you will be playing?
 
What genres of music do you prefer?  Your selection of the M50's leads me to guess that you prefer a bass driven sound.
 
Are open cans that leak sound OK?  I'm guessing, based on your post, that they are not.
 
Do you want a detachable cable?
 
The M50 offers a "V' shaped EQ, which means that bass & treble are emphasized above neutral and mids (where guitars and vocals live) are recessed below neutral.  Is that what you want?  Cans like the Shure SRH 840 and KRK KNS 8400 offer a more neutral and balanced sound in two seperate (& very tasty) flavors.  Other cans like the Ultrasone HiFi 780 offer strong bass and bright highs in a more balanced package than the M50 provides.

 
Right now I'm listening to a pair of Senn HD 448s.
 
My music will be Mp3s.
 
I actually listen to everything; Rock, Alternative, folk, classical, country, rap, techno/dubstep; and everything in
between. I want them to be able to play everything well.
 
Closed cans are preferable.
 
The cable doesn't matter to me.
 
Do you think the Shures and KRKs would be better for me? Also expand on what my rig should be.

 

[takubi]

Quote:

I don't think the E11 will help you. A FiiO E7 or E17 might help, but you might not notice much difference if your computer's headphone out is okay and isn't terrible - for instance, static or dropouts.

Ok, so I need a DAC for my iPod. Cool thanks

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
Right now I'm listening to a pair of Senn HD 448s.
 
My music will be Mp3s.
 
I actually listen to everything; Rock, Alternative, folk, classical, country, rap, techno/dubstep; and everything in
between. I want them to be able to play everything well.
 
Closed cans are preferable.
 
The cable doesn't matter to me.
 
Do you think the Shures and KRKs would be better for me? Also expand on what my rig should be.

The headphones you have are just a step down from that class that you are considering.
 
The best thing you can do is upgrade your music from MP3's.
 
Next I would add an improved can that can play unamped out of you iPod.  For closed that points to the Beyer DT 1350 or Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A.  If open, get the Alessandro MS2i.

 

[takubi]

Quote:

The headphones you have are just a step down from that class that you are considering.
 
The best thing you can do is upgrade your music from MP3's.
 
Next I would add an improved can that can play unamped out of you iPod.  For closed that points to the Beyer DT 1350 or Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A.  If open, get the Alessandro MS2i.

1.That headphone thing makes sense, but remember that my budget right now is not very big, so if you could recommend some good all around headphones in the $100 range (like the ATH-M50s, or the Shures you mentioned), that would be awesome. Also, this is why I was considering an amp.
 
2. Should I upgrade to FLAC files or what. Remember I'm new to this

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

1.That headphone thing makes sense, but remember that my budget right now is not very big, so if you could recommend some good all around headphones in the $100 range (like the ATH-M50s, or the Shures you mentioned), that would be awesome. Also, this is why I was considering an amp.
 
2. Should I upgrade to FLAC files or what. Remember I'm new to this

Yes, you should upgrade to FLAC or a similar high quality format.  This will probably make the most difference in your listening beyond any other single thing.
 
The two best all around headphones in your price range for your intended use are the neutral KRK KNS 8400 and the more bassy (but not as good highs) but still neutral-ishShure SRH 840.  Both have excellent mids.

 

[takubi]

Quote:

Yes, you should upgrade to FLAC or a similar high quality format.  This will probably make the most difference in your listening beyond any other single thing.
 
The two best all around headphones in your price range for your intended use are the neutral KRK KNS 8400 and the more bassy (but not as good highs) but still neutral-ishShure SRH 840.  Both have excellent mids.

thank you so much, one more thing, where's the best place to get FLAC and others. Btw what other formats are there?

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

thank you so much, one more thing, where's the best place to get FLAC and others. Btw what other formats are there?

You're probably asking the wrong fellow, as I am an old school vinyl and CD fan.  I do know about this site, which a fellow Head-Fi member mentioned to me (it also has free samples):
 
https://www.hdtracks.com/

 

[takubi]

Cool, thank you so much for all the help.

 

[shockdoc]

Can I piggyback a quick question on this thread? How are FLAC files different than something like Apple Lossless? TIA

 

[Eric_C]

takubi: before you run out and get a DAC to work with your iPod, please consider the following:
 
Only a few DACs are licensed to work with iPods. These DACs cost more than an iPod Classic, and it's debatable whether they improve the sound--http://www.head-fi.org/t/610051/dac-for-ipod
 
Also, FLAC is not compatible with iPod. You will need Apple's equivalent file type: Apple Lossless. 
If you have the original CDs, you can just re-rip the music on Apple Lossless as your import setting. 
Bear in mind that FLAC and Lossless will take up roughly 3-5 times as much space per song as your MP3s. Are you sure your iPod has enough capacity for this?

 

[takubi]

Quote:

takubi: before you run out and get a DAC to work with your iPod, please consider the following:
 
Only a few DACs are licensed to work with iPods. These DACs cost more than an iPod Classic, and it's debatable whether they improve the sound--http://www.head-fi.org/t/610051/dac-for-ipod
 
Also, FLAC is not compatible with iPod. You will need Apple's equivalent file type: Apple Lossless. 
If you have the original CDs, you can just re-rip the music on Apple Lossless as your import setting. 
Bear in mind that FLAC and Lossless will take up roughly 3-5 times as much space per song as your MP3s. Are you sure your iPod has enough capacity for this?

Ya, see after I got the response from KG Jag, I looked up the stuff about FLAC; and I found out it probably won't work out. But if I were to do it with CD's, what program would I use?
 
So do you think I should just get higher quality headphones (like suggested before) and forget about the amp/DAC. Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A? Any other choices? Would the $100 price range improve the sound alone?

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

Ya, see after I got the response from KG Jag, I looked up the stuff about FLAC; and I found out it probably won't work out. But if I were to do it with CD's, what program would I use?

 
What do you mean? FLAC is just a format; you can rip CDs into FLAC, but they won't play on an iPod. That's just about the bitrate--right now you use "mp3s". When you say that, do you mean you rip CDs in iTunes, and you haven't changed any settings?
If that's the case you most likely have been ripping the songs into .AAC format, not .MP3; that's actually a decent thing, because AAC is quite alright. 
 
Try re-ripping some music at a higher bitrate. It doesn't have to be FLAC-level (the Apple equivalent is Apple Lossless, or ALAC), maybe set it to 256 or 320 kbps. Maybe you'll find the music sounds better this way. But it will take up about 1.5-2x more space per song.
 
Next, before diving into things, consider what you don't like about your current headphones. They're already closed, and you're looking for closed--so, a replacement? In terms of the way your 448 sound, what do you wish they did better?