[patrox89]

I'm looking into purchasing some good cans, possibly Grado sr 80, 125 or 225's or maybe sony mdr sa1000, sa3000 or mdr sa 5000 and I will be listening with my computer (audigy 2zs). I know that a headphone amp will drastically improve the quality of all of these headphones. Temporarily, a few months maximum, i was thinking of using the headphone out of my Klipsch promedia 2.1's (beautiful little speakers that could). Ive spoken breafly to Klipsch's tech support about this headphone out and they have said that the entire enclosure that the headphone out is on is just a pre amp and that the real amp is whithin the sub housing. Do you think that this preamp would be good enough for just a few months? I do notice drastic improvement when using my bose triports (can you blame me for wanting new headphones?) when plugged into the 2.1's headphone out compared to directly into my computer sound card.

some noticeable improvements when plugged into the 2.1's
-there is actually a midrange to hear
-bass is tighter, hits harder and is more accurate
-i cant really notice anything different in the highs becuase triports suck =P
-sound is more neutral over a greater range of volume and only distorts at much higher volumes
-overall its a more pleasureable listening experience thru the 2.1's

I'm not sure how much power the preamp puts out but it would easily blow these triports if even turned up to 3/4 volume. i believe that this would be able to provide ample power for 225s or sa5000's.

please let me know if you think that running this set up is even worth it.

 

[SunByrne]

I have the Promedia 2.1s at work, and I have to say, I'm not at all impressed with the headphone out on it, not impressed at all. It may indeed be better than your sound card--many sound cards have horrible headphone outs--but it's still not decent. I bought a used PIMETA and it sounds much, much better than the Klipsch outs.

 

[Hammerstein]

The PM 2.1 headphone out is a far cry from anything amazing, but admittedly it is better than nothing and, if you don't mind how your SR225s or SA5000s sound out of it, you could possibly get away with using it for a while.

It is a bit noisy IIRC (though better than, say, the Monsoon Planar Media systems) but at least it does get some more power than a standard sound card jack.

So, I guess what I'm saying is it might be worth a shot, as long as you intend to upgrade.

 

[Gluegun]

Sell the Promedia 2.1's, the Bose Triports, get some Altec Lansing MX5021's, get an inexpensive headphone amp, and you're good to go!

Also, do you plan on getting headphones for pc gaming? Have you decided if you need isolation or not? That should change which headphones you get... grados arent that great for gaming...

 

[patrox89]

im ebbing out of gaming (trying to at least) and concentrating on my studies more this upcoming school year, and i will be in a room by myself on my computer most of the time so isolation isnt a problem. however i probably will play some cs once in a while and i will definately be wearing the headphones. i had pretty much guessed that these would be the kinds of responses i would get, that the 2.1's will only give me more power to drive headphones but wont increase quality at all. thank you for the help so far.
I probably will get a used amp becuase i will be able to get a higher quality amp for less money and although it might not be as aesthetically pleasing (minor cosmetic scratches and whatever) but a quality amp will perform just the same even if it doesnt look as great, plus, it gives it character.

and i have been leaning more towards the sa5000's simply because they seem like a better all around headphone, whereas grados are definately geared very specifically for rock. Comfort is also an issue for me, small abnormalities can piss the hell out of me (OCD anyone?) so an uncomfortable headphone, no matter how well it sounds, will annoy me. and why settle for a more one sided solution that isnt as comfortable when i could get a very good neutral headphone, sa5000's (maybe a little bass oriented) that are extremely comfy? but anyways, thats a post for the headphone forums.

any imput on a good used amp to try with the sa5000's, i know theyre new and people havent gotten there hands on them that much so right now its mostly speculation, but an all around well liked and very compatible headphone amp to try would be a great starting place. there are a few hi-end stores that ihave access to that i intend to visit to test out some amps once the sa5000's are burned in.
any suggestiongs in the ~$200 used market?

oh and gluegun - theres not a chance in hell i would sell my 2.1's. theyre perfect for what i need them for and they sound amazing. theyre really like a perfect match and i <3 them.

 

[kent1146]

Patrox-

Welcome to Head-Fi. You are getting here just at the right time.

I used to own the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1's. When I owned them, I also owned the Grado SR-60s, and then SR-225's. I don't particularly like the Grados. They are a little too aggressive for me, and gave me a headache after listening for over an hour.

The observations posted about using the Klipsch 2.1's as an amp are accurate. Better than nothing, it will tide you over for a while, but it's noisy, and you would benefit greatly from any dedicated amp.

As for what cans to get... I used my cans (SR-60, SR-225, Sennheiser HD580s) for music and gaming. I used to think that Klipsch 2.1's were awesome (nice, loud sound, sharp trebles, boomy bass, what else could you want, right?). But then I heard Etymotic. And Sennheiser. And then you begin to realize that there is so much more to music than just treble and bass.

To answer your question, you would benefit most from a used PiMeta. It's a great amp for its price, and can be found used from $100-$150 in the For Sale forums. Given your current setup and your aims, that would be your best bet.

However, if I could whatever I wanted with your setup, I would recommend:
- Sell your Klipsch Promedias on ebay. You should get anywhere from $100-$130 for them.
- Get yourself a Chaintech AV-710 sound card for $30
- Decide what headphones you want (I recommend Grado SR-225s, Sennheiser HD580s, or Audio Technica A900s. I'm slowly falling in love with A900s). I recommend you do a lot of research on this site before deciding. This should run you around $150.
- Decide on what amp you would like to pair with your headphones. For the price range, I would recommend a used PiMeta.

It is worth selling your ProMedias to improve a headphone setup. Once you hear good headphones, you'll never touch your Promedias again.

 

[Joey_V]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kent1146 Once you hear good headphones, you'll never touch your Promedias again.

I dont know if I'd go THAT far. You will always like the change of pace between the airiness of speakers vs the intimacy of headphones. You wont be able to part me with my LSI9s even if you gave me an Orpheus (unless I could sell the Orpheus and buy the 8 LSI9s).

Ok ok.. maybe not that drastic, but the point is: the variety of sound is good.

 

[patrox89]

nah no way im selling my promedia's as i've said, they do exactly what i need from speakers (for the next few years at least). Im in high school, gonna be a Junior, and so I'm living at home with 4 other people and must be aware of their ability to hear as well. This is why im going for some nice headphones, i can crank them and even the loudes of headphones couldnt possibly disturb people in other rooms to the extent that i get yelled at. (Even if they did get that loud im pretty sure id be deaf by that point.)

ive got a summer job that will pull in $3500~4000 USD. I want good headphones and amp but i dont want to spend anymore than $500-600 on the setup. Ive got some other plans for the rest of the money, such as new car speakers and sub(s) and a high capacity hard drive so i can rip in FLAC. Id also like to have at least $1000 left at the end of the summer after all expenses, if not $2000 which i think is a very obtainable goal. As i said im living at home and i can eat and sleep for free. Im not driving quite yet so gas isnt a problem. Really, i can spend money on anything i want. Oh, and im getting my sister's car - shes going to college, its a saturn, and even tho i love cars, ill take a free one and spend my money on more lasting and safe investments.

I also have a long time goal of buying some high end speaker set up sometime in the next 2-3 years.

What interests me is the chaintech soundcard, ive heard that its possible to run two soundcards at one time, quite easily in fact, any one got any advice for that?

Oh and i think ive set my heart on the sa5000's. Although there are many fans of already popular headphones, id like to try something new.

 

[auris]

I had terrible results trying to use the Klipsch "pod" controller with a set of Grado 125's I was trying out a couple of weeks ago: insufficient gain and a definite lack of bass response from the headphones. I am currently using a Creative Audigy 2 "Value" soundcard (cost around fifty bucks).

The only way I could get halfway decent sound from the Grado's was to unplug the speakers and plug in the headphones directly into the back of my computer. Unless your soundcard is vastly different than mine, I expect you will have similar results.