[HFCOBRA]

Not looking to spend an arm and a leg and I would prefer not using an amp since that would cost more money.   Looking for 250USD or so.
 
Right now my setup is Sennheiser HD595 with ASUS Xonar Essence STX audio card.  Bought all of these about a year ago and was thinking that it might be time for a small change.  I would prefer to keep the card though.  It sounds nice.  
 
If you think my current setup is fine then please say so!  I am not as well versed about headphones and computer audio as just about everyone on this forum so I need some guidance please.   
 
Thanks a lot.

 

[hodgjy]

A nice contrast to your Senns would be the DT990 32 ohms.  They have a V-shape eq curve and don't require an amp.  They scale well with amping, but can stand on their own without one.

 

[NinjaSquirt]

If you can sell the HD595 and upgrade to a HD650, I'm sure you'd see an improvement. It's also good with bass and is just a great all-rounder period.

 

[hodgjy]

If you want closed for more bass, at the expense of sound stage, the DT770 32 ohms are also nice.

 

[catscratch]

Your current setup is fine. You're not going to do significantly better for $250. I'd spend the money elsewhere, or save up some more until you can go a level up.

HD650 will be a step up but not unamped. I did like the HD650 with a Millett Hybrid and there are a lot of good reports on them with the cheaper Bottlehead amps. If you can DIY these amps (kits are available) you will end up with something that sounds terrific on the cheap. They are sold prebuilt as well for only a little more, and are still a very good value.

Alternatively, you can go for a better source but again for $250, there aren't that many that are a significant enough of a step up to warrant the expense.

 

[HFCOBRA]

Thank you!  I even got an answer for what sort of amp I might look into if I sold the 595's to afford the 650's.  
 
I will take these posts into consideration so thanks again!

 

[HFCOBRA]

Quote:

Your current setup is fine. You're not going to do significantly better for $250. I'd spend the money elsewhere, or save up some more until you can go a level up.

HD650 will be a step up but not unamped. I did like the HD650 with a Millett Hybrid and there are a lot of good reports on them with the cheaper Bottlehead amps. If you can DIY these amps (kits are available) you will end up with something that sounds terrific on the cheap. They are sold prebuilt as well for only a little more, and are still a very good value.

Alternatively, you can go for a better source but again for $250, there aren't that many that are a significant enough of a step up to warrant the expense.

 
I hate to ask, but could you send me a link to the two amps that you posted?  Also, does it matter what connection I use?  3.5mm or 2.5mm I mean.  (at least I think that those are the numbers)   Basically what I am trying to say is does it matter if I use a plug in for an iPod or a guitar?  Does one offer better quality over the other or would an adapter take away a noticeable amount of quality?

 

[catscratch]

HD650 comes with a 1/4 inch plug and a 1/8th inch adapter. I doubt the adapter makes a noticeable difference. Likewise, I'd hold off on the unnecessarily expensive recabling jobs because again the difference will not warrant the cost at this level.

Bottlehead kits and prebuilt amps are sold here: http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php

I'm actually not 100% sure what the best place to get Millet Hybrid kits is at the moment, but look through the DIY forums, and finished amps do come up for sale quite often.

The HD600 is also an option. I think it does quite a bit better than the HD650 on lower-end gear. The HD650 scales better and from a good amp will offer detail, soundstage, and instrument separation that the HD600 can't quite match, but from less than stellar gear the HD600 should outperform it. The two headphones are quite similar overall, so really it's a matter of what works best for you. There are also different production versions of each, and... well it's complicated, but here's a good review site which I will take the opportunity to shill pimp: http://www.innerfidelity.com/

Basically, you'll find headphone measurements as well as subjective reviews, so it's a bit more trustworthy than your average review site, and will give you a good starting ground to make sense of the general mess that's the headphone hobby today. A little bit of knowledge will spare you some bad financial decisions and will really help out in the long run, so it's a good resource, and there others like it - just take the time to look.

Lastly, when you do decide to upgrade, remember that the source is just as important. Garbage in = garbage*gain out. It doesn't really matter when you don't have the resolution to hear it, but since headphones offer better detail per dollar than speakers, you will notice a bad quality source more quickly as you start to upgrade.

 

[HFCOBRA]

Quote:

HD650 comes with a 1/4 inch plug and a 1/8th inch adapter. I doubt the adapter makes a noticeable difference. Likewise, I'd hold off on the unnecessarily expensive recabling jobs because again the difference will not warrant the cost at this level.
Bottlehead kits and prebuilt amps are sold here: http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php
I'm actually not 100% sure what the best place to get Millet Hybrid kits is at the moment, but look through the DIY forums, and finished amps do come up for sale quite often.
The HD600 is also an option. I think it does quite a bit better than the HD650 on lower-end gear. The HD650 scales better and from a good amp will offer detail, soundstage, and instrument separation that the HD600 can't quite match, but from less than stellar gear the HD600 should outperform it. The two headphones are quite similar overall, so really it's a matter of what works best for you. There are also different production versions of each, and... well it's complicated, but here's a good review site which I will take the opportunity to shill pimp: http://www.innerfidelity.com/
Basically, you'll find headphone measurements as well as subjective reviews, so it's a bit more trustworthy than your average review site, and will give you a good starting ground to make sense of the general mess that's the headphone hobby today. A little bit of knowledge will spare you some bad financial decisions and will really help out in the long run, so it's a good resource, and there others like it - just take the time to look.
Lastly, when you do decide to upgrade, remember that the source is just as important. Garbage in = garbage*gain out. It doesn't really matter when you don't have the resolution to hear it, but since headphones offer better detail per dollar than speakers, you will notice a bad quality source more quickly as you start to upgrade.

Thank you.  I already listen to all my music with FLAC.   Just getting a little bored with the 595's and thought that I could take a look at what it would cost to upgrade at all.