[Ruahrc]

Been enjoying my ER4Ps and KSC-35s (both bought from Headroom several years ago) but feeling like it's time to add a little to the collection. Namely, the Etys are great but I'd like something a little more convenient to wear when in a home situation. Also would like to move up into amp territory as right now I only go direct from my iPod/laptop. So I'm contemplating setting up a little listening station in my apartment consisting of some kind of source, an amp, and a nice set of cans. I've kind of narrowed down the options to the following:

Heapdhones:
AKG K-701
Sennheiser HD650s

Amps
Headroom Ultra Micro
Gilmore Lite + DPS

I know the HD650s are a very respectable phone and the AKG K-701 seems to be a great newcomer to the block (it was not out last time I closely followed headphones).

Anyways as far as amps go, I noticed that the price between a Gilmore Lite + DPS and the Headroom Ultra Micro are very close. Are they comparable as amps? The thing I like about the Ultra Micro is that it has a little more upgradability in it as it has a matching DAC that I could move up to eventually. I'd like to try going all-digital now but as it is it would be a significant cost to do so (need a DAC and then some kind of source that can output digital) However the Gilmore Lite + DPS seems like it is able to supply more power to the phones, whereas the Ultra Micro with its wall wart might not be able to handle the demand?

What I'm looking for sound-wise is something like the following: I really love my Etys for their detailed sound. However, I find the bass in them lacking. When I put on my KSC-35s I really enjoy the deep bass response that is easy to hear, whereas in the Etys it's present but you need to actively listen for them. So what I'd like in the new setup is a sound that has as much detail as my Etys have but with a little more pronounced bass. I'm not looking for emphasized bass persay, but rather just something that isn't de-emphasized like I feel the Etys are. Does that make sense?

Lastly I'm trying to consider my source. Right now I have no source as my proposed location for my listening station is not near a computer or any other potential sources. I have an old 2nd gen iPod but it lacks line-out capability so I'd probably need to upgrade it to a newer model to get a line-out. So my concern is that big money spent on an Ultra Micro would be too much for an iPod line out source. Do you agree? I don't even know of any digital sources that I could put over there other than the wireless options like Squeezebox but those are quite expensive and still require a computer to feed out the data. While I have computers in the apartment I'd prefer to have the ability to listen without having to run the computers.

BTW my source media is EAC ripped MP3s encoded using LAME -alt preset extreme. I have moved across the country since ripping my CDs so I left them behind- re-ripping to FLAC or ALAC is possible but not right away as I don't have the CDs with me anymore.

What do you think? Is the Ultra Micro too good an amp for this setup? Any advice on headphone/amp matchings and possible sources would be greatly appreciated.

Ruahrc

 

[M3NTAL]

Tough call.. as far as headphones go. The K701 - much like the ER4 is very detailed and bass light. The HD650 on the other hand is a little darker, but still detailed (in a different way that the K701)

Between both of those - I would pick the HD650 over the K701 for the bass (as you mentioned the KSC35)

But... if I had a choice, I would pick the Sony SA5000 as a third choice. Detail is one of its strengths, also speed. It is kind of like an ER4, but there is more bass impact. The bass does roll off towards the bottom end more than the HD650 does, but depending on your music preferences - this might be non-point.

If you need bass more like the KSC35, the Denon D2/5K puts the HD650 and SA5000 to shame in terms of impact and depth, but detail and texture it does not.

Good luck

 

[Ruahrc]

Would you consider the KSC-35 to be a "bassy" headphone? Or that the ER4P is "bass-light"? Or probably a little of both. I don't want to have another headphone that is as bass light as the ER4Ps (BTW will the bass response of these phones improve with amplification and/or the addition of the 4P->4S converter cable?) but don't want to lose the detail and clarity of the Etys.

My music preferences include a little of everything, which is why I kind of shy away from getting headphones specificalyl geared towards a particular genre, but I think there is a more vocal/classical/acoustic style music in my collection vs. hard rock or punk, etc. I do have some rock stuff though (Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, etc) so I don't want to completely ignore that aspect either. Just looking for a good all-round phone. Remember although I like to think I can appreciate the difference between stock buds and something better like KSC-35s (best cheapest headphone I ever heard!) or ER4Ps- I am definitely not a super discriminating listener who can hear the difference between 320kbps MP3s and FLAC, or the difference between two different power cables (not that I've tried, but I'm imagining it's a pretty subtle difference)

Looking at the frequency response graphs on headroom's website of the K701, HD650, and ER4S (there is no graph for the 4P) it seems like the K701 has better bass response than the 4S, and that the HD650 actually has a little less, at the far low end. Quite a pronounced hump between 20 and 200Hz? I'm also surprised how close the K701 and HD650 are, virtually identical throughout the whole range save for a little divergence across the upper end (although both response curves get quite jittery- and both stay in the very same range). The 4S is flatter at the bottom but has some high peaks in the highs (probably owing to their bright sound?).

Ruahrc

 

[Ruahrc]

P.S. Are there any concerns with power and the Ultra Micro amp line? It seems to me that amps that are advertised as basically having Max circuitry (or at least components), would they be severely limited by the power delivery from the standard wall supply (or even the upgraded Astrodyne power supply)? Would they get significantly better through use of the Headroom Desktop Power Supply? The Glite has an option for a DPS, it seems to benefit from a dedicated power supply, are there any plans to introduce a micro-sized DPS that could help further improve the sound coming from the Ultra Micro? It might be possible to reduce the size of the current DPS to something that would match the Micros, while providing fewer outputs maybe?

Ruahrc

 

[M3NTAL]

Unfortunately - graphs don't tell the whole story of what goes on inside your head. The way the sound is presented and the impact of it all.

It seems like you are looking for ultimate proof before purchase. There is NO way in the world you will get that unless you go and try them out yourself in the real world. Better even with your own equipment.

I usually just suck it up and purchase a pair I am interested in and sell it off if I am not happy with it. It is the only way to find out what they sound like since no local electronics store demo or even have most of these headphones available.

 

[Ruahrc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3NTAL /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unfortunately - graphs don't tell the whole story of what goes on inside your head. The way the sound is presented and the impact of it all.

I'm sure graphs don't tell the whole story either- but surely there must be some correlation between what the measured data (provided the measured data is repeatable and accurate) shows and what people's impressions are- especially when there seems to emerge a consensus among several people regarding the particular "character" of a headphone or amp. If these frequency response graphs or other empirical data that headroom has on their website doesn't say anything about the performance or characteristics of the headphones they sell, perhaps they should consider removing them from the site.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3NTAL /img/forum/go_quote.gif It seems like you are looking for ultimate proof before purchase. There is NO way in the world you will get that unless you go and try them out yourself in the real world. Better even with your own equipment.

Not necessarily ultimate proof before purchase, but perhaps it is my nature as an engineer to gather the most complete set of evidence I can before dropping what is to me a significant amount of money on audio gear. I look for a little more solid proof beyond wordy descriptions given by reviewers who usually don't have any evidence to back up their conclusions. Say the bass is bloated or that the highs are too pronounced? You would expect to be able to see that in freq response graphs- unless it's your ears.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3NTAL /img/forum/go_quote.gif I usually just suck it up and purchase a pair I am interested in and sell it off if I am not happy with it. It is the only way to find out what they sound like since no local electronics store demo or even have most of these headphones available.

One of the reasons I will most likely end up buying cans from Headroom is their return policy. It is not out of the question for me to buy both cans and simply return the one I like less. To be honest I am really looking for more information about the amps, not the headphones at this time.

 

[M3NTAL]

Headroom is a GREAT place to purchase from! You won't go really wrong with any of your choices.

I wish I could help you with their amplifiers, but unfortunately I haven't had a chance to hear any of them

They all look greatly thought out and produced though.