[soundsound]

Just getting into this and don't want to dive head first. However, I would like to spend up up to $300 for a setup that I will use to play video games, listen to music(all varieties, not much rap) and movies. Right now the plan is to use the outputs from my TV, ipod, computer unless I hear objections. I can provide specs if necessary.

Basically what it boils down to, what do I need to get started with a decent set-up? Considering HD595 to start...

Can't believe how into this some of y'all are, this is an incredible site - thanks for sharing.

 

[jh4db536]

More questions:

What is/will be your definite source? Computer, CDP Transport, Ipod, PS3? Are you set on home or mobile use?

Assuming you start at HD595, you should upgrade source first since it does well unamped. If you have a computer start looking at an external soundcard (USB) or internal card with SPDIF output + an external DAC.

What is the quality of your music files? Mp3? FLAC? OGG? WAV? Windows Linux or Mac?

Let's hear the specs

 

[soundsound]

Definite source will be Xbox360 for games, right now I just have a dvd player for movies(I do have an older/cheap Sony Receiver for audio that I no longer use), Music will be played from a combination of ipod / computer. Portability, however, is not really a concern - the setup will be used mainly in my living room .

 

[Phraxos]

Solid Open Choices:
Sennheiser HD595, Goldring DR150, Audio-Technica ATH-AD700

Solid Closed Choices:
Ultrasone HFI-700, Audio-Technica ATH-A900, Beyerdynamic DT-770

One of the above combined with a decent budget amp should be quite nice. If you don't mind going amp-less on TV and iPod, get a EMU 0404 USB for your computer - it's a DAC & amp in one for a great price.

 

[soundsound]

Thanks Phraxos,

I guess this brings up a larger question that I probably should have started with - Exactly what components do i "need" to have a decent set-up...phones, amp... I am not familiar with the function of each. I don't expect anyone to write a beginner FAQ 101, but if you could point me in the right direction that would be much appreciated.

 

[Phraxos]

Since I have a crapload of homework I'm trying to avoid, here you go:

The first and most important component is the headphone. It has the biggest impact on overall SQ and should almost always be your first buy when building a new rig. The exception to that is when you start to get into the upper-tier, power-hungry headphones, for which an amp is a must - for those you shouldn't bother getting the headphone without getting an amp at the same time. When I plug my Darths straight into my laptop for example, they sound awful - there is a lot of distortion and a complete lack of control over the bass, making any sort of enjoyable listening all but impossible. When I plug them into my Arietta amp, however, all that disappears and they sound wonderfully articulate and musical - whereas I was being constantly distracted before, I can now effortlessly lose myself in the music.

The second most important component is the amp (unless you are running very low-impedance headphones, I'd say <50 ohms). Again, an amp is a must to drive the more power-hungry headphones. It should be noted that the impedance alone is not a good measure of how power-hungry headphones are. The Darths are only 80 ohms, but needed a home amp to shine (my solid mid-tier portable couldn't quite cut it, even though it was ranked to drive cans up to 600 ohms). It's essential to know that amps are not only about power, but quality. Each amp also has it's own sound signature too, which you'll want to research before settling on a purchase. I'd recommend getting a desktop amp, as pound for pound they are much better value than portables.

The third most important component is the source (again unless you have very low-impedance headphones, which don't really require amping). If you are playing music off a computer, you have two basic options for improvement - getting a higher quality sound card, or getting an external D.A.C. (digital audio converter). You'll also want to encode your music files at higher bit rates or use higher-quality formats like flac, apple lossless or aiff for the best possible sound quality. As with everything else, the more you spend, the better results you get, but there are plenty of budget products with killer value out there.

Another consideration - cables and interconnects. Though the general consensus is that cables have the least impact on sound of all these components, I'm reluctant to place it last (so I haven't, it's kind of kept separate) as I've heard first hand what a big difference it could make. I had two iPod line out docks (cable used to connect iPod to amp), a budget SPC wire one and a top-class cotton-insulated one, and the sound quality difference between them was immediately apparent. music just sounded so much fuller on the cotton dock.

Even though I've ranked these, it's important to know that any rig is, to a degree, limited by it's weakest component. This means you should eventually seek to address all of these areas if you want to get the best out of each.

 

[SR-71Panorama]

Spend 300 on HD650s. You can get an amp later.

 

[Phraxos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SR-71Panorama /img/forum/go_quote.gif Spend 300 on HD650s. You can get an amp later.

Not a bad idea - will probably save you money later on... but they'll sound = ( without an amp! (HD650s are notoriously hard to drive, 300 ohms.)

 

[Philimon]

Excellent introduction guide Phraxos. Since finding Head-Fi, I think it is the single best FAQ where all the elements of Hi-Fi headphone listening is explained in a single post. I wish I had found something so informative in such a compact post in my very first day of scrounging through results of searches for answers to my noob-type questions.

 

[GlorytheWiz825]

If you're willing to push your budget to $450, you can get the HD650 with Headroom's Total BitHead. I found this combo to be quite enjoyable and also very flexible as the BitHead can function as a computer DAC/amp as well as a portable amp. If you don't want to stretch your budget that far, you can get a pair of HD580s in place of the HD650s. The HD580s are very solid headphones for its price point.

 

[elnero]

Phraxos, sorry but I think many of the members would tend to disagree with you and rank Source as at least more important than amps and some would even rank it the most important, after all, crap in, crap out. For whatever reason the is a disproportionate amount of emphasis placed on the amp on Head-Fi and far less regard for source than there really should be.

 

[facelvega]

Whoah, whoah. Have you ever had good headphones before? Don't sink a lot of cash until you know you want what they can do. Grab a pair of Koss KSC-75 first to see if you want to start really going down this road. At the very least, they'll be what you use with your ipod, which won't be able to drive whatever full-size headphones you're thinking of anyway.

If the Koss make you want more, then that 0404 USB that Phraxos recommended might be a good idea-- it will instantly turn your computer into a respectable source and should improve your DVD player and other sources as well. Moreover, it'll still be useful as a dac if you upgrade to a proper headphone amp and stop using the built-in 0404 amp.

For headphones, if you grab the 0404 or something comparably good, you can already go for something better than the HD595. But first, tell us if you need open or closed. If your house is loud or there might be other people in the room when you're using it, go closed. Otherwise, open.

 

[Phraxos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnero /img/forum/go_quote.gif Phraxos, sorry but I think many of the members would tend to disagree with you and rank Source as at least more important than amps and some would even rank it the most important, after all, crap in, crap out. For whatever reason the is a disproportionate amount of emphasis placed on the amp on Head-Fi and far less regard for source than there really should be.

Hmm, fair enough. Mind you this ranking is tailored to someone building a first-time rig, indicating what they should prioritize acquiring (and at a fairly low budget at that). While I do rank them, I believe all components are all essentially equally crucial because they each rely and improve on one another. I suppose my misstep was the word "important" - really it should be "what to get first/next/last." I am suggesting an ordering that gives the biggest jumps in SQ first. High impedance 'phones will sound terrible no matter what the source if under-amped, while low impedance phones will get a bigger improvement from a good source then not-entirely-necessary amping (and I do mention low-impedance can owners get source first). For those reasons I stand by my ranking of sorts, but again, they really are all crucial.

Does that clear things up for you? There was bound to be controversy =)

 

[smeggy]

Agreed, don't jump into top end until you know what kind of sound you're after as it can lead to bitter disappointment. The KSC-75 is cheap ($15-25) and good and it will give you a well known reference point to steer from. Many here are very familiar with it and is a very good starting point to work from.

If you're going to plop down a large chunk of cash, at least give yourself some time to get to know what kind of sound your ears prefer. We all like different sound signatures and it can take a little while to pinpoint what will work best for you.

Or you can buy something based on recommendations here and hope you like the results. If not, there is a very active sale/trade forum here to keep you busy

 

[facelvega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phraxos /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm, fair enough. Mind you this ranking is tailored to someone building a first-time rig, indicating what they should prioritize acquiring (and at a fairly low budget at that)...

I'll support Phraxos on this one. Once you have a good system in place, source becomes much more important than before, but until you do, it's silly to invest on that end because the improvements you buy would not be audible and are in fact not cost-effective. I think the mantra "crap in, crap out" has led as many people astray as it has helped.