[arjun]

Alright, well this is certainly my second post on these Head-Fi forums, and hopefully I don't seem too incompetent.

Anyway, so a year and a half ago I bought the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro as my first set of entry-level audiophile equipment. I've been using these headphones for computer use, such as gaming, music, and occasional movies. I also sometimes use it with my iRiver IHP-120 MP3 player (I also have the Koss KSC-50 for use with that). Well, I'm going to be going back to school in two weeks and I wanted to upgrade my sound equipment. Right now I'm using the onboard NVIDIA nForce sound card with a cheapy extension cable for use with my HD 280 Pro. The sound seems pretty decent to me; I've noticed that I get a great range of bass, but it's not as strong as I'd like it to be. I know that the HD 280 Pro suffers from this symptom, but I thought that getting a new sound card and headphone amp would drastically improve my situation.

Keep in mind that I do have great speakers for my computer, the Swans M-200, so I'm on the right track.

But anyway, with all this commotion about the Chaintech AV-710, I figure why not, it's only $25. But what kind of headphone amp should I couple with the AV-710? I've heard about the Headsave Go-Vibe, Headroom Airhead, etc. But I don't know what would be the best option considering my current HD 280 Pro is not really all that amazing in the audiophile world. I'm also interested in buying a new set of open air headphones for use with the computer or MP3 player. I'm jus tnot sure yet... but in any case, perhaps I should keep that in mind when choosing a headphone amplifier right now? It would be great if I could use this headphone amp for both use with the AV-710 and my MP3 player. Also, my budget is not big, so anything that's got great quality and price is preferred.

Any guidance is greatly appreciated, sorry if this thread is a little redundant! I was hoping to get the best advice for my specific situation. Thanks!

edit: I also realized that I'm going to need to upgrade my current extension cable, for going from the sound card to the headphone amp. Any particular brands that are good value for mini interconnects?

 

[Mr.Radar]

For ICs I've heard good things about the price/performance of Headphile interconnects.

As for the amp, Headsave amps are probably the best bang for the buck. Better quality than Headroom's lower end amps at a much lower cost. You can't go wrong with a Vibe or Classic, especially if you have a Grado headphone (they're suppost to be very synergistic).

 

[kalzone]

I'm with Mr Radar on the amp and headphone recommandation. I think the Grados sound very good and easy drive (low impendance). Of course, you might not like the way they sound. People say that they're too bright but they are some of the best headphones for Rock music. I own the SR-325s and I couldn't be happier. As for the amp, it's also a headsave built on the meta42 design. i'm rockin' the kasba!

 

[arjun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalzone I'm with Mr Radar on the amp and headphone recommandation. I think the Grados sound very good and easy drive (low impendance). Of course, you might not like the way they sound. People say that they're too bright but they are some of the best headphones for Rock music. I own the SR-325s and I couldn't be happier. As for the amp, it's also a headsave built on the meta42 design. i'm rockin' the kasba!

Any particular Grado you have in mind for me in my price range? I listen to a lot of different styles of music, but mostly some form of rock--be it hard, punk, or just modern.

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Another nod of approval for the Headsave amps. And what I did for IC's was simply watch the Cables, Speakers, etc. For Sale forum here on a daily basis. I ended up with the IC's in my signature for very little money and they do add to the sound of my systems.

A_Sr.

 

[Mr.Radar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjun Any particular Grado you have in mind for me in my price range? I listen to a lot of different styles of music, but mostly some form of rock--be it hard, punk, or just modern.

What is your pricerange? It doesn't seem to be listed in either of your posts.

 

[dshea_32665]

I just received my JMT portable today which is being used with my M-Audio transit and Ety 4s headphones. Wow. The difference was subtle at first but after listening for a bit and doing A/B testing with and without the amp, I can now hear a major difference. The amp does everything people say, it adds more depth and bass to the Ety's. The portable is very affordable is a PIMETA amp. I would recommend it highly after my initial impressions.

Cheers,
dshea

 

[arjun]

My pricerange is up to $70-90, for the open headphones only.

As for the JMT portable, could you provide a link? I tried Google but didn't come up with anything relevant. Thanks

 

[dshea_32665]

JMT's site is www.jmtaudio.com.

dshea

 

[arjun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshea_32665 JMT's site is www.jmtaudio.com. dshea

thanks!

 

[Mr.Radar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjun My pricerange is up to $70-90, for the open headphones only.

For the headphones you should see if you can come up with another $10 and then get the Alessandro MS-1 (based on the Grado SR-125) for $99 shipped. It's considered the best value in the Grado/Alessandro line by many and I've read nothing but positive comments about it.