What to upgrade? A HTIB, a new receiver, an Oppo Blu-ray player, or something for my Senn 598s?

[Amnesiac1]

Here's my situation. I want to make an upgrade to my set up, which as of right now includes:




2011 Thunderbolt iMac


Samsung - LN40A4650
(purchased in 2008).
 

Playstation 3 (also purchased in 2008) - the original, not the Slim.
 

Logitech Z5500 (hooked up to the PS3 via optical cable).
 
So, where should I allocate my money? What should I upgrade? What needs to be upgraded? I'm thinking perhaps not the Bluray player but first a decent receiver and some speakers. But maybe not... I mean, if I can get something comparable to 7.1 out of my current 598s, then that would be good, too.

I'm fine watching movies and the like through my headphones, but I won't get 7.1 unless I get an amp or something, right? I also would like to burn a vinyl player, and in that case I'm not sure if it's best to stick with my headphones or get a speaker system.

So, to be clear, my main goal is to make an upgrade that would allow me to hear better quality music (the vinyl player is a part of that, surely, so any recommendations with regards to that would be great) and upgrade the audio quality when watching Blurays and the like (can the Senn HD598 simulate 7.1 with an upgrade or should I just aim for a receiver + speakers?).
 
Thanks.

 

[SONIC BOOM]

I know they go good with simulated suround sound but I dont know if its 7.1
EDIT fixed stupid typing error 

 

[Amnesiac1]

Thanks for the reply.

Can anyone else offer any advice or recommendations?

 

[olegausany]

If you want vinyl record player i recommend Audiop-Technica ATLP120USB if you want not very expensive one but it also recommended to get external phono preamp cause even $40 made by ART sounds better than built-in one. Modern receivers, except some top ones and very expensive don't have it

 

[Amnesiac1]

So, Audio-Technica ATLP120USB + a new amp for my headphones? What, exactly, would I need in addition to the vinyl player to be able to get great sound w/ my HD598s?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Thanks for the reply.
Can anyone else offer any advice or recommendations?

How are all these devices of yours hooked up to each other?
How much of a budget were you planning on?
Or is the budget undecided?
 
An Astro Mix-Amp (optical input) should work with your Mac and PS3 to provide surround sound to the HD598 headphones.
 
Or sell off your Logitech Z5500 and buy an AV receiver and 5.1 speakers.
The Klipsch HD 5.1 speaker set is on sale for $280 with free shipping.
If you got a Yamaha receiver, it would comes with Yamaha's Silent Cinema, which is surround sound for headphones.
A 2 or 3 year old Yamaha receiver for around $200 would do a good job.
So no need for Astro Mix-Amp or any other external DAC or headphone amplifier.

 

[Amnesiac1]

Quote:

How are all these devices of yours hooked up to each other?
How much of a budget were you planning on?
Or is the budget undecided?
 
An Astro Mix-Amp (optical input) should work with your Mac and PS3 to provide surround sound to the HD598 headphones.
 
Or sell off your Logitech Z5500 and buy an AV receiver and 5.1 speakers.
The Klipsch HD 5.1 speaker set is on sale for $280 with free shipping.
If you got a Yamaha receiver, it would comes with Yamaha's Silent Cinema, which is surround sound for headphones.
A 2 or 3 year old Yamaha receiver for around $200 would do a good job.
So no need for Astro Mix-Amp or any other external DAC or headphone amplifier.Clo

Interesting. To answer your question, the 5500s hook up to PS3 via optical and PS3 to TV via HDMI.
 
I don't really want to buy a new set of headphones, though, as I quite like the 598s. I'd just like to improve the 598s in combination with:

- vinyl player (any recs?)
- PS3/Bluray viewing
- iMac -- CD/mp3/FLAC listening.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Interesting. To answer your question, the 5500s hook up to PS3 via optical and PS3 to TV via HDMI.
I don't really want to buy a new set of headphones, though, as I quite like the 598s. I'd just like to improve the 598s in combination with:
- vinyl player (any recs?)
- PS3/Bluray viewing
- iMac -- CD/mp3/FLAC listening.

The Mix-Amp is one of the very few external DAC/Amp that comes with surround sound.
Turdle Beach has the DSS & DSS2
If the TV has optical out, you could leave the Mix-Amp hooked up there.
Digital optical & coaxial and HDMI are the only real way for surround sound output.
RCA and mini-jack can't output surround sound (unless the surround sound has been preprocessed for 2 channel headphone).

 

[olegausany]

Don't know how good headphones outs in modern receivers are but Audio-Technica is the cheapest really good vinyl record player is anything else will be much more expensive plus you will have to use phono preamp while ATLP120USB has built-in one

 

[Amnesiac1]

Thanks for the recommendations.

PurpleAngel, are you saying that I could get the Mix-Amp and that this would go just fine in conjunction with an iMac, PS3, and vinyl player? Or are you saying that the HD598s won't be able to output anything resembling surround sound regardless of the amp I hook it up to?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Thanks for the recommendations.

PurpleAngel, are you saying that I could get the Mix-Amp and that this would go just fine in conjunction with an iMac, PS3, and vinyl player? Or are you saying that the HD598s won't be able to output anything resembling surround sound regardless of the amp I hook it up to?

If something has a digital optical output, chances are it will work with the mix-amp.
But the device will need to output a 5.1 channel (digital) output, which the mix-amp will change to Dolby Virtual headphone.
The HD598 will not produce surround sound without something that creates surround sound (5.1 or 7.1 channel) for headphones, which the mix-amp will do.
Most DAC/Amps are 2-channel (stereo), so will not offer any surround sound features.
Some mix-amp owners will hook up a headphone amplifier to the mix-amp if the mix-amp is not powerful enough to power their headphones.
The HD-598 are only 50-Ohms, so voltage requirements are not that high.

 

[Amnesiac1]

So, in other words, the Mixamp will suffice for the HD-598, and I will need no extra headphone amplifier?

And this Mixamp will improve my listening when it comes to iMac, PS3 and vinyl?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

So, in other words, the Mixamp will suffice for the HD-598, and I will need no extra headphone amplifier?

And this Mix-amp will improve my listening when it comes to iMac, PS3 and vinyl?

Mix-amp should be better then not using any amplifier at all.
I understand in theory how the mix-amp works, but as I do not own a Mix-amp, I do not want guarantee anything.
Headphones more demanding voltage wise then the HD598 have worked on the Mix-amp.

 

[Amnesiac1]

OK, thanks. Perhaps I'll make another thread on this closer to my purchasing, focusing more on whether or not a Mixamp is the best choice.

 

[Amnesiac1]

Bump.