[loki993]

ok, just got some ad700s and they sound pretty good. heres the deal though, I think they are basically exposing the limitations of my computers onboard sound. I want them to sound better, to their full potential

. so im thinking about an amp for them. im totally new to this, I have read post after post and have seen recommendations. there are so many amps out there, on top of that with some you can roll opamps, a concept I understand to a point, but as for which ones, whats a good combo whats bad I have no idea. so heres the deal, id really like an amp that could pump up the bass on my ad700s, hopefully without messing with the highs and mids too much, if at all. it will be used mainly with my computer, but I would also like it to be portable in case I want to take it somewhere with an mp3 player. my onboard sound has line out, coax and optical. so maybe an amp with a dac also. im really not interested in a cmoy, I really like the mini3s, ibasso and other amps with that look and size. I would really hope to not spend more than 150, 100 would be better but who knows. used would not be a problem so take that into consideration with the budget also. there will probably be a time when I get another set of phones to compliment the ad700s, something bassy probably. dt770/990 maybe dt800s, so id like it to be able to drive one of those as well if possible.

what is the real sound difference between running from line out on the pc sound vs usb with a dac vs optical and coax. would it be worth for me to look for an amp with a optical or coax in?? I know ive asked a lot of questions, but im still learning. thanks in advance.


ps....it would great if there was a beginners guide to amps/dacs on this site, you know something that really explained all the basics, the different types of amps, opamps explained that type of thing. i think it would be really useful.

 

[loki993]

little bump.

let me know if you think im crazy also, if my numbers are way off, whatever. like I said im new at this.

 

[loki993]

wow no suggestions at all??

 

[Xoen]

If you stretch your budget a little like maybe around $300, you can get the Headamp Pico, or maybe couple hundred more, you can get one with a built-in DAC. I got a chance to listen to the Pico hooked up to a stock iPod classic from one of the fellow head-fi'ers here using my AD700's and it synergizes with them pretty well while providing enough bottom end. Since you also mentioned about upgrading to another headphone to compliment the AD700's, IMO one of the best compliments for the AD700 is the AKG K701, since that headphone has a wide soundstage that's a little wider than the AD700's, while retaining the detail and transparency in the mid and high frequencies, and definitely provides a nice bottom end in which the AD700's lack. They go for about $250 to $300 new in some sites, at least last time I researched them. You can also go for the AD900's, which does everything the AD700's does, but better and it has more bass. It costs about $250 in some sites as well, but for a little more you might as well just go for the AKG K701 as the compliment since IMO it sounds better than the AT's.

 

[loki993]

Quote:

f you stretch your budget a little like maybe around $300, you can get the Headamp Pico, or maybe couple hundred more, you can get one with a built-in DAC.

yeah, unfortunately I cant stretch the budget that far, maybe to 200, but not to 3 and definitely not to 5.

ive been looking around a bit and ive been looking at the ibasso d2 viper or maybe a predator or hornet, I was looking at the 36 amp review and he said these have amazing bass, obviously these all would be out of my range new so id have to look for used, which I have no problem with. id probably prefer to get a use amp actually, more for my money already burnt in that kind of thing. ive also been looking at the xm5, but this hasnt been around very long so theres probably not many used ones popping up, plus the xm4 was rated toward the bottom in the 36 amp review, dont know how different toe xm5 could be. I think I like it because of all the features it has, but really i dont even know if id ever use them all ever and you can roll the opamps, but that can be done with the d2 so I dont know.

anp body know how those would match up with the ad700s?? any other suggestions??

 

[lostspyder]

AD700's don't really benefit much from an amp - any amp you would get should be in light of a future can upgrade.

As far as amps go, I really recommend spending a few hours and building your own PIMETA with a TREAD power supply. Its straight forward, easy and sounds great for little $$.

 

[loki993]

Quote:

AD700's don't really benefit much from an amp - any amp you would get should be in light of a future can upgrade.

thats part of the reason im looking for one. the other reason is that im hoping that the addition of an amp or amp/dac will improve the sound coming out of my pc which is currently running onboard sound. also im hoping that I could get an amp to give the ad700s a kick in the pants in the bass department, which frankly to me is quite lacking, but their great sounding phones otherwise.

 

[loki993]

looking at the pimetas, they look good, but they seem large, people seem to classify them as transportable. then ive seen some listed at portable pimetas, are these smaller?? I would like a smaller one. how the the portable ones compare to say the hornet, mini3 or ibasso D2?? can one be built into a case like the mini3??

 

[lostspyder]

1) AD700 has to be THE most ('common') unportable headphone I've ever encountered. It is appallingly unwieldy. Where do you expect to be running around with it?

2) A PIMETA can be crammed into a case the size of a portable cassette player including batteries if you wanted to. The portable pimetas are pimetas that people make to be portable, they don't have a smaller circuit board. But, it's not really as portable as some others. It usually requires 2 9v's for power.

Quote:

Originally Posted by loki993 /img/forum/go_quote.gif looking at the pimetas, they look good, but they seem large, people seem to classify them as transportable. then ive seen some listed at portable pimetas, are these smaller?? I would like a smaller one. how the the portable ones compare to say the hornet, mini3 or ibasso D2?? can one be built into a case like the mini3??

 

[loki993]

Quote:

1) AD700 has to be THE most ('common') unportable headphone I've ever encountered. It is appallingly unwieldy. Where do you expect to be running around with it?

you do make a good point. I woudnt be running around with them. the extent of the portability would be being used maybe in a car on a road trip or more likely on a plane. my GF has informed me the they do leak quite a bit though and their isolation isnt the greatest either, more like nonexiestant, but I knew this going in. the portability factor would most likely have to be with another set of phones, which will probably most likely be closed.

anyway, lets throw portability out the window for the moment and say id go with a desktop, frankly this is probably how the phones will be used 99 percent of the time. what would 100-150 get me with a PIMETA. lets say I had someone build it for me so take whatever that cost would be into account, how much would it cost to have one built?? if I decided to do it myself how much better could the amp be??

 

[CountChoculaBot]

Somehow I think the RP-21's could've served you better, since you want more bass and you want to bring them on trips. I wouldn't be caught dead in public with my AD700's on =\

IMO you should consider a DAC Amp solution, like the Zhaolu or Zero.

 

[Ricey20]

Personally I have the A900s & W5000s. ATs are really efficient so they dont benefit much from a amp except in the case of the W1k/5k/L3k, I know my A900s didn't sound much better through my HA5000, Pico, or Mini3.

For a headphone to compliment the AD700s I think you should probably get a used HD580, HD600, or some other Sennheiser thats in your price range(Senns are darker more warm sounding). Also Grados (kinda hard to describe, was more "in your face" vocals for me, vibrant/bright and detailed) or Beyers (very bassy) would give a more different sound as well. AKGs are pretty good too but they sound very similar to AT cans already besides having slightly larger soundstage. I bought the K701s to try and returned them since it wasnt that much different in terms of sound style so wasn't very fun to listen to since I prefer ATs.

As for amps, well, after you found cans that you REALLY enjoy and want to get even more out of them (besides A/AD series of ATs since they dont benefit a whole lot) then you can try to find a amp that compliments it. Right now I'd recommend buying new cans since that is always one of the biggest upgrades besides source. If you really enjoy the AD700s then I'd recommend maybe a CKKIII (rockhopper audio), Mini3, Pimeta, or Pico amp only. If you want a amp that also has a DAC I'd give the Ibasso D1 or D2 a shot. the D1 (249) is more expensive but has optical, coax, usb while D2 (199) only has usb but it is cheaper.

I think the CKKIII is probably best but costs 250, you can check up rockhopper if your interested and it is a desktop amp. Info found The Cavalli-Kan Kumisa III Stereo Headphone Amplifier
If you want to give tube amps a try the Little Dot MKIII is 199+shipping so around 235. Viewing a thread - A New Member of The MK Family: LD MK III
Little Dot MKII is 159+shipping so around 200. Viewing a thread - The Little Dot MK II Headphone Tube Amplifier/Pre-Amp

 

[loki993]

Quote:

As for amps, well, after you found cans that you REALLY enjoy and want to get even more out of them (besides A/AD series of ATs since they dont benefit a whole lot) then you can try to find a amp that compliments it.

I really enjoy my ATs, especially since I figured out the volume was messed up on my computer, that is fixed and theyre sounding great, still not that bassy, but oh well. a separate set of phones would just be to have something different sounding when I want a change, when I decide I want different phones I will probably be looking for beyers as a decent departure from the AT sound with lots of bass.

 

[Asr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricey20 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ATs are really efficient so they dont benefit much from a amp except in the case of the W1k/5k/L3k, I know my A900s didn't sound much better through my HA5000, Pico, or Mini3.

This is an inaccurate blanket statement. A more accurate blanket statement is: Audio-Technicas are low-impedance and thus easy to drive from anything, so an amp isn't really necessary to enjoy them.

The right amp will open up any ATs. I've heard ATs such as the ES5, FC7, OR7, ES7, A900, AD2000, and W5000 all swapped between amped and unamped and I can say that all of them benefitted from being externally amped. Granted it didn't help out the FC7 really, but the others all improved quite noticeably.

 

[Ricey20]

True Asr, I was being a bit general about it. I think he may try to explore other cans in the future so I tried to refrain from recommending amps that are only really good with one type of can, like my HA5000 which stinks with everything else I've tried with it

Oh, and Loki, if you could it would probably be good if you can go to a meet of some sort and try different stuff out. I wish I could but I'm stuck on a island in the middle of the pacific.

Btw Asr, do you like the AD2000s more than the W5000s? I've been considering another pair of AT cans but not sure. Theres only the AD2000s and L3000s im interested in now and the L3ks are hard to find and expensive