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Originally Posted by Crazy*Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It gets my HD580's LOUD. More than I (or I hope anyone) would ever listen.
You hear all this stuff on head-fi that makes you think when you plug in 300 ohm sennheisers into an ipod that its going sound horrendous and you need a $600 dollar amp to justify the headphone. However, I think it sounds amazing. This is a common misconception veterans give to newcomers (myself originally).
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It isn't a misconception. Using my HD600 on my Zune player which has 20 volume levels, using the stock buds it came with comfortable listening level was 6/20. Using my Koss PortaPros comfortable listening level is around 8-10. With the HD600 it's around 15-18 depending on the type of music. This is only in reference to volume, not quality.
Even still listening to HD600s with a portable player sounds like someone trying to shoot a camera with the lens cap on. Moving the HD600 to my rather high power amp is like taking the cap off and focusing it to perfection.
At a recent headphone meet I had the chance to listen to several multi thousand dollar headphone rigs. Some of these rigs reaching $5k and possibly higher. My own system cost me around $1800, but at the end of the day I still vastly preferred my setup. I could appreciate some of the differences the other setups had, but I couldn't justify their expense. It's not always about laying out a huge amount of money, but most will agree that most people who enjoy the listening experience are using bare minimum medium-fi gear, which is a system including source, cables, amplifier, processing (if applicable) and cans totaling in the range of $1000-2500. Beyond this price range you start coming into high end and 'investment' type gear where diminishing returns sets in very steeply.
I make and repair violins for a living and the same is true in that world also. A beginner violin that's around $300-500 will do a good job for a beginner, but the sound is weak and boxy. Stepping up to an instrument in the $1000-2000 range will buy you an instrument that a non-professional would be perfectly happy with for life. Stepping up to even 10,000 violins is noticeable, but not nearly as much as going from that 500 instrument to 2,000.
Right now you have your beginner cans and beginner amp/dac. I would suggest trying to find a meet in your area and taking your headphones and trying them on any and every amp you see there to really prove your point. I too was a nonbeliever at first. I bought my first amplifier plugged it in and wondered if it was even on. I heard zero difference. I was so turned off that I stopped coming to this site for years until I decided to try it again with a different amp design. I bought the most recommended tube amplifier I thought was reasonable pricewise ($200) and could finally hear and appreciate the difference. It wasn't large, but there was no denying it. I've since upgraded to a much more powerful amplifier and that change was black and white. Absolutely huge difference, however as I mentioned above I've listened to those other rigs that were much more expensive that I didn't find enough of an improvement to justify. I found a good spot to enjoy my music at a price I could stand. Now it's your turn.
I hope you don't live life with those HD580s unamped. It makes me cringe, but I did the same thing you are doing right now and eventually learned the truth so I can completely sympathize with your situation. I even started with the same HD580s! My recommendation would be a tube amp. Stay far far away from solid state unless it is very powerful.
Good luck!