[JDGAFFLIN]

What is your source? (Player, etc..)

 

[Earbuds]

It's my laptop, which is why I need the Dac in the iBasso. I'll sometimes use it with my iPod. I don't care if it sounds bad on my iPod, though.

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDGAFFLIN /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you guys are being a bit to rough on the OP, if in fact, he is being serious. Damn, think about why you got into this hobby in the first place. You weren't born with golden ears. Some of the level of pretentiousness here is ridiculous. I mean I'm reletively new. And I do my fair shair of research. But how about actually helping the OP out, instead of the snobbish attitudes? To the OP.. I've decided to take the path of experiencing the different ranges of items avaliable, to find a sound that suits me. But I can tell you this: If the music you dig sounds good with cheapo $5.00 buds, imagine the enjoyment you'll get from that same song with the music encoded at a decent bit rate, through a decent source, with a set of cans specifically developed to let you hear the detail that is actually present in the music you love. So yes, there is a difference. But the fun of it all is discovering the sound signiture that suits you. Happy listening.

JDGAFFLIN,I don't think anybody was trying to pick off on the OP.
I will repete some words from one of my previous posts in this thread,the OP may not be an audiophile OR havn't yet been exposed to audiophila. ofcourse he can try a nice set of headphones and see if he like it and go up from there if he wants to, but I think that the normal way is to want to have a good sound first (knowing that there IS much better sound out there from listening to different stereo systems) and than go and try various posibilities.

the OP is not considered an audiophile at the moment since he said that he finds his earbuds sound amazing! this might change ofcourse

there are people that are NOT audiophiles and will be happy with any equipment you give them as long as it's playing the music...like walking in the street and listening to a cellular phone's built in speaker. they can't care less about the sound.

for me, and for all audiophiles, the sound is an integrated part of the music.
50% music and the rest 50% is the sound.

 

[Trysaeder]

I wish I went for the K701 as my first phone, then later when I want to upgrade, I'll be thinking "I wish I went for the T1 as my first phone", and so on.
Good decision to start pretty high, saves a bit of money, but you have to know what you're doing.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Why don't you try an AD700 first? I can guarantee that if you're listening to well-recorded, uncompressed music you will notice a massive difference, even from the iBasso/AD700 combo.

The more money you start to spend on this hobby, the more discriminating you should be. This means two things: first, understanding what your personal preferences are - everybody is different.

As an example: I love the K701 - I don't find the treble harsh, I love the soundstage, and I find the bass punchy and perfectly adequate for most of the music that I listen to (especially because I listen to a lot of instrumental music and simple vocals). I don't like the HD650 - I find the bass a little slow and overwhelming and I find that it intrudes too much into the midrange and treble, making the headphone sound dark. It sounds better than my K701 with some rock because of the way it's balanced, but I don't think it sounds nearly as good for the stuff I listen to. All this is only my opinion - some people will have the exact opposite tastes, loving the HD650 and hating the K701. Only once you understand what you tend to like should you start spending serious money.

Once you understand what you like, then you need to understand what equipment is most likely to get you there. This requires taking some time to familiarize yourself with all the options out there and what people say about them.

There's no harm in starting slow and allowing time to understand your preferences and learn about the market. This is the approach I would recommend, rather than just buying a K701.

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why don't you try an AD700 first? I can guarantee that if you're listening to well-recorded, uncompressed music you will notice a massive difference, even from the iBasso/AD700 combo

I think it is a good advice. EARBUDS... I mean to the op,not earbuds

don't jump a head,try an audiophile starter rig first, these kind of headphones are more appropriate for the starting audiophile since they have less analytic sound signature and designed to enjoy the music more than analyse it. you will also appreciate better headphones as you will climb up the letter afterwards.
getting something like the k701 for start can be an overkill for you...you may not like them to begin with.

 

[tranhieu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earbuds /img/forum/go_quote.gif For my first headphones, what do you think of this? Amazon.com: AKG K 701 WHITE HEADPHONES: Electronics I'd rather not buy the cheaper ones first, since I'd be throwing $100+ away if I decide to buy the better ones. Also, for an amp/dac, how about this? iBasso I read that it takes A LOT to power the AKG K701s, but I don't really need the best of the best, I just need something that sounds at least 2x better than my earbuds. Will the iBasso D10 and the k701s combined be at least 2x better than my earbuds?

No no no mate. One step at a time. The joy of being an (amateur) audiophile is to be able to experience different kind of sound, your feelings are what that matter, not to have the best of the best. I was somehow like you 2 years ago, reading all the stuffs about the flagship phones while what I had at that time were the cheapish xmod and the hd495

And doing that will do your wallet a favor as well

Cant answer your question though. The last time I listened to a 'normal' pair of earbuds was around 2 years ago. But one thing you should note: there're many people who encounter a good set up the first time cant see any difference between it with a low-life one! That's a fact. Thus dont be disappointed when you find yourself unable to distinguish between a 5$ pair and a 150$ pair.

And talking about the best of the best, I highly doubt that the k701 can be called so. In any case, they're just a mid-end pair of phones that need lots of juice.

 

[JDGAFFLIN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plonter /img/forum/go_quote.gif JDGAFFLIN,I don't think anybody was trying to pick off on the OP. I will repete some words from one of my previous posts in this thread,the OP may not be an audiophile OR havn't yet been exposed to audiophila. ofcourse he can try a nice set of headphones and see if he like it and go up from there if he wants to, but I think that the normal way is to want to have a good sound first (knowing that there IS much better sound out there from listening to different stereo systems) and than go and try various posibilities. the OP is not considered an audiophile at the moment since he said that he finds his earbuds sound amazing! this might change ofcourse there are people that are NOT audiophiles and will be happy with any equipment you give them as long as it's playing the music...like walking in the street and listening to a cellular phone's built in speaker. they can't care less about the sound. for me, and for all audiophiles, the sound is an integrated part of the music. 50% music and the rest 50% is the sound.

\

I get what you're saying in terms of saving money buy going higher end first, and to some extent, I agree. I guess my point is, being relatively new to this hobby, is that there are so many options. Finding a sound signiture that the listener enjoys is important, IMO. Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.

 

[plonter]

this reminds me,when I started my way as an audiophile i thought about getting the K701 and the DT880, because i read some great revies in them on the headroom site. well...I didn't get those at the end and got the D5000 and the RS1, and BOY! was i happy for that

 

[stuckonsound]

Don't go for a K701 as first serious headphone. It needs a good source and amp to sound right.It also requires a lot of burn in time before it settles into it's sound signature. As to your original question, I think there are two main reasons for looking into higher end headphones or speakers. One is you want the most realistic reproduction possible. To get as close to a live performance sound as you can, but at your own leisure whenever you want. The second is to be able to discover all the layers and nuances of the recording. Many artist put a lot of work into developing an interwoven sonic texture. Higher end equipment makes it possible to see more of what's there.

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDGAFFLIN /img/forum/go_quote.gif \ I get what you're saying in terms of saving money buy going higher end first, and to some extent, I agree. I guess my point is, being relatively new to this hobby, is that there are so many options. Finding a sound signiture that the listener enjoys is important, IMO. Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.

totally agree with that.

 

[kunalraiker]

I would recommend a pair of Grado SR225's, considered as grado's sweet spot and get an iBasso D4, you will thank head-fi

 

[Earbuds]

I'm not sure about the SR225's. I've read that they have a bad soundstage(or base? not sure which one it is.) compared to the sennheisers and akg.

To be honest, I'm not sure what it means, but I've seen a lot of people complaining about it/marking it as a con.

 

[Mr Joboto]

Don't jump to the K701s because the outlay for them and a proper amp (they need LOTS of power) ending up in a sound you may not like could end up pretty costly. For me, I started off with the KSC75s, loved the sound sig, and eventually got a pair of MS-Pros which shares a similar sound sig, except much better, of course

In the end, it's really up to you though.

 

[Mr Joboto]

Oh, now we're getting specific with soundstage concerns, etc, so for starters, what music do you actually listen to?