[Solude]

Audio has always been a hobby of mine. But recently my system has been static, unchanged in 2 years. Now I'm happy with the sound but I think that I'd like to start up the hobby part again.

In case it doesn't make sense above a hobby is defined as an ongoing expense where you play with this or that for entertainment

Now since I'm in a bachelor apartment with the dreaded L shape I'm considering switching over to a headphone setup as a next step in my hobby.

Right now I'm using:
Sony 32 Something Trinitron
Hitachi Something Something 4 Head
Sony DVP-S7000
Adcom GDA-700
Adcom GFP-750
Adcom GFA-5802
Sony 300CD Mega Changer
Creative Live! 5.1 Platinum
PSB Stratus Gold
Monster Power station
Monster Video cabling
Kimber Audio cabling

Basically most of it is on one side of the room with the TV. The computer and mega changer are on the other. What's nice about the Live! Platinum is that I use it to mix the mega changer and game sounds digitally and send it back out to the Adcom GDA-700. Sounds minor but the DACs in the Creative Labs stuff is such garbage that keeping it digtal, what the computer companies are good at, ensured that even with such poor sources the sound is all Adcom.


So that is what is. The room poses two problems, one the shape and two the wall materials are sound dampened internally. Sounds great but you have to relearn all your knowledge. Placing speakers further towards the wall deadens the sound instead of reinforcing it making for some interesting positioning.

Anyway what I was thinking was killing 3 birds with 1 stone

By getting a pair of Senn HD600 and ASL MG HEAD I could try both tubes and headphones for the first time while knocking the room right out of the equation. So on one side I'd have the TV, VCR, DVD playing through the TV (shudder) and on the other the Sony changer, Live! Platinum through the Adcom GDA-700 to the ASL HG HEAD and finallt the Senn HD600. I'd probably have more than enough left over for a few other minor upgrades to the PC or maybe a lesser system for the TV system.

Anyway let me know if I should make a run at this or turn around and have my head checked? Let me know.

Solude

 

[LTUCCI1924]

HI:Solude
Welcome to head-fi. Getting a pair of headphones and an amp would not only solve your room problem but would also give you great joy. I have a decent home theather set up in 5.1 but it cant compair to my headphones and amp. The 580s are a good buy and as for amps its up in the air. Read the post. I use the supreme amp from headroom with my 580s. Do a search (top right of screen) 600-580 and read the post. Then do a search (amps). Good luck with your quest and may you have great sound. And again welcome

 

[carlo]

solude,

so you're thinking about selling off your main system gear? as a suggestion, you could sell the gold(i?)s, still pick up the headphone stuff, and get a smaller speaker that isn't so demanding of a huge room and exact placement. the psb stratus mini will get you better clarity and keep the gold's sound without the bass or quite the same thickness, or you could just step down to the bronze. or, you could go for a dynaudio audience 72, which while not as "fat" as psbs also sound a lot faster, but i'd suspect that it may be too extended for adcom's (imo) dry and slightly hard sound.

if you want to remove the room as much as possible switch to a nearfield setup with monitors.

anyway, my point is that it's too risky to assume that the headphone system you have in mind will give you what the speaker system does. dip in slowly and see instead of junking the current setup.

best,
carlo.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

Definately have your head checked. But after that, take a dip into the pool of headphones.

With that, let me welcome you to Head-Fi! Sorry about your wallet.

Headphones can provide a terrific way to experience excellent quality music that can be extremely flexible (can be very portable or just for sitting still at home). The Senn HD600 are supposed to be excellent cans that most folks think very highly of and are very comfortable. But, there are a lot of choices in headphones and people have different wants, needs, desires, attitudes. The best advice (in addition to perusing this site): demo before buying. Or, buy from a place (like HeadRoom) that has a generous return policy. That's truly the only way to find out what will work best for your specific needs.

You also mentioned an interest in an amp. Suggest that you read the reviews of various amps in the Amps and Source Components section of this site (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/forumd...?s=&forumid=20)

The folks here are terrific about offering advice and posting their experiences with different cans, amps, mods, ICs, etc. You can get an idea what might best apply to you based on their tests and choices/preferences in music. But it REALLY pays to try before you buy. Not too surprising that there are some amp/headphone combinations that work better than others.

Good luck with the search and welcome to an addicting hobby!

Bruce

 

[schiss]

Carlo is right, man. Monitor speakers in the nearfield will take the room out of the equation, and PSB sells so many great pairs you're sure to find something you'll like just as much. I do think that smaller speakers with drivers in closer proximity to themselves will provide a more seamless sound in the nearfield. Try a two-way speaker at about 3-4 feet away from you. I use my KEF bookshelves this way to very good effect... talk about imaging!

But go ahead and get the headphones, anyway! It's a very fun hobby!

Schiss

 

[Solude]

I think I should clarify. I LOVE what I have, but audio is a hobby for me or it was. I'd like to play around with tubes now or headphones or both

The room is a problem but once I figured out the properties I was able to set it up in a weird but functional way. Pretty close to an equal triangle with about 11-12ft between the any of the 3 points. Again very nice, but very been there done that, now.

If you think I wouldn't be able to live with going from all that to headphone. What about just dumping the Adcom pre and amp for a tube setup? Antique Sound Lab good for that too?

Solude