Suggestion on AMP/DAC?
Dec 26, 2012 at 4:30 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 5

tnastylax

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well im pretty new to the world of the audiophile and i am about to buy some headphones- ultrasone pro900 or sennheiser mm 500x. I was just reading about amplifiers and figured it was easier to just ask for suggestions and info.
 
ive seen alot about fiio products so i assume they are a good place to start? I dont want to spend a ton since im about to spend a bit on the headphones but if an amplifier is something i need then ill manage to blow a bit more of my paycheck. I will most likely be listening to my laptop the most (mac with snow leopard if that matter) but i also have a droid razr which i may use occasionally.
 
Another question i have is if i get the mm500x can i use an amp with them since they use bluetooth? they also can be used with a wire but i was just curious if it was possible to use wirelessly, and if there is something else i need feel free to let me know. if im spending $400 on headphones i want to make them sound as good as possible.
 
Dec 26, 2012 at 4:48 PM Post #2 of 5
The amps won't work wireless unfortunately, as the headphones are plugged into the amp and then the amp - not the source device. I've had set of MM500's previously, but didn't like the sound via Bluetooth...just not as good as a wired connection. And if you're going to use them wired, it's a wast of money to pay the premium for wireless headphones...

Can't comment on the Ultrasones as I haven't heard them. However I would ask what type of music you listen to and what kind of sound you like...I.e bass heavy, neutral , etc?

Amp wise, I have an E17 Fiio which is excellent on my MBPR as well as iTouch and iPhone. On the MBPR I plug in the Fiio L12 optical cable ( the 3.5mm jack on the MacBook is also an optical Link) and this bypasses the MBPR's internal DAC and Amp...sound is good.

For travel, I use either my Ie80's for he I have no space for bigger headphones and otherwise a a pair of Momentum's or more recently Amperiors, however I like a punchy bass sound and the IE80's plus Amperiors give me that .:)

Hope this helps a bit...
 
Dec 26, 2012 at 5:05 PM Post #3 of 5
I listen to a range, indie( radiohead), pink Floyd type bands, punk, metal, and also dubstep. I do love bass but I don't want to sacrifice having.clearer sound just for heavier bass. I'm leaning towards the ultrasone because I really dont need wireless ones I just thought it would be cool. But I can get the e17 and get an optical cable to run with the amp? I'm not sold.on any type of headphone, those were just the ones that popped more to me, I'm still trying to learn about all of It so bare with me.
 
Dec 26, 2012 at 6:24 PM Post #4 of 5
Yes you can run optical from the E17 to your MacBook, will sound better than the on board DAC.

I'd suggest you have a listen to as many headphones as you can. As I've said, I love the sound from the Amperiors, I don't find that they overcome the mids and highs, but give me a nice bass kick. However all these things are subjective and judging by the number of headphones that go on sale here on head-fi after a very short time, folk do buy them without auditioning.
 

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