[dead of night]

Hi. I just bought a top level, high quality headphone amp. I am using it with a 1987 CDP, the Kyocera 510 and HD480 headphones. Which upgrade should I do first, upgrading to the Arcam CD73, or the HD650? Which upgrade would create the most significant increase in SQ?

 

[wnewport]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dead of night Hi. I just bought a top level, high quality headphone amp. I am using it with a 1987 CDP, the Kyocera 510 and HD480 headphones. Which upgrade should I do first, upgrading to the Arcam CD73, or the HD650? Which upgrade would create the most significant increase in SQ?

The middle ground would be better. HD580's and a lower priced source would yield the most improvement. Unless you have heard the 650's and are sure that is the sound you want.

 

[nm2285]

HEADPHONES make the greatest difference, without question. Now, if you're using your source as your amp as well...then you certainly may not get the full potential out of the headphones without a better amp. However, electronics can never make as significant a difference in sound as a significant upgrade in headphones.

 

[Welly Wu]

Get the Arcam CD73 because it will allow you to extract as much sound performance from your existing Red Book CD collection regardless of whether you decide to purchase the Sennheiser HD650 down the road or build a high fidelity stereo system. Also, let me tell you a story. I have both the Grado SR-60 headphones and Ultimate Ears Ue-10 PRO earphones. I also have the Delphi Roady2 XM Satellite Radio tuner and Tivoli Audio Henry Kloss Model One AM/FM Radio plus a highly modified ModWright LLC Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi univeral DVD-Video player that plays both DVD-Audio and SA-CD. When I plug my Grado SR-60s into the headphone jack located in the back of my radio, the sound quality is pretty good, but it is nowhere near high fidelity in any sense of the word. When I plug in my Ue-10 PROs, the sound quality improves, but it still does not sound like naturally occuring sound that I am accustomed to hearing from my reference universal source component.

I am now listening to Sinead O'Connors Throw Down Your Arms Red Book CD with my Ue-10 PRO which is hooked up to my reference system (please see my user profile as I have a lot of equipment). The sound is glorious. It is so smooth, detailed, articulate and effortless that I have enjoyed this CD and every type of disc that I play through my reference grade universal source component. I took the time to listen to the same music earlier today through my Grado SR-60s and the headphones sounded tremendously more musical and enjoyable not because they are top of the line Grado headphones (that would be the discontinued Grado Professional Series 1), but my highly modified source component which cost me $2800.00 USD can make music sound musical.

So, that is my story. Do not be mistaken in thinking that the source component is a trivial component in a high fidelity or high end AV system. Invest in the the right source component for your budget and it will repay you with endless hours of musical delight while still permitting you to experiment with different headphones or earphones and headphone amplifiers when you acquire more funds.

I hope my story is helpful. I am sticking to my own advice by investing in a much higher grade source component, the Denon DVD 5910 at $3800.00 USD because I am convinced that the music (or film) always starts at the source.

 

[gordolindsay]

I'd say go for the Arcam. The source really is important. Before I got into this mess known as head-fi, I had no idea. The more I get out and hear different sources, the more amazed I am at how big a difference the good ones actually make.

 

[TMHBAT]

Get the Arcam. Even a very good 1987 CDP is at the end of its life, mechanically and digitally. You won't regret stretching to get into Arcam's FMJ line. It is nice stuff. Also, Arcam makes it easy to upgrade the CD73 to the CD192 if you wanted to go that way down the line.

 

[jpr703]

That's hard to say. There's no easy answers, a good system is all about balance--a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

 

[cotdt]

both very important, but headphones most important. however, if you already have a very nice headphone, then source is more important.

 

[applebook]

IM experience, the headphones matter the most because (A) will sound better than (B) or (C)

(A) Great cans, mediocre source, no amp.
(B) Terrible cans (think Triports), good source or DAC.
(C) Terrbible cans, good amp (Hornet, G-Lite or better).

A budget audiophile rig should look something like this (IM experience): Source that's 4+ times the price of the cans with an amp that's about 2+ times the price of the cans.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applebook IM experience, the headphones matter the most because (A) will sound better than (B) or (C) (A) Great cans, mediocre source, no amp.

How would you even plug in the headphones?

I'm all about source first. I've heard cheap cans through nice front end and it was still good.

I vote, get a cheap headphone for now to pass the time and the bulk of your money on the source.

 

[dead of night]

Thanks for the replies, everyone, I am here, studying, thinking.

 

[Bosch]

Another angle to consider: if you ever get speakers and an amplifier, your source can be slotted into that set-up too, even if on a temporary basis, for 'quality' listening or when friends come over.

 

[gtortorella]

The source is the most important component in your system. Though, jpr703 is correct in pointing out the "weakest link" issue. When on a budget, one could try to even things out a bit, but usually ends up choosing where one's "weakest link" is going to be. I would not let the "weakest link" be the source. In my view, the source should be your "strongest link."

 

[J-Pak]

I would get the headphones first then upgrade the source. I use my headphones straight out of my laptop's headphone jack sometimes and it sounds very acceptable. Obviously not as good as my stand alone sound card, but it's not terrible.

 

[mulveling]

LOL, someone (I forget who exactly) on these forums recently said head-fi is like "source-first run amok". Reading some threads like this, I'd have to agree with him. The source is a very important component (hell, I own a $$$$ source), especially in high end systems, however the transducers have always been a significantly larger determinant of sound quality in my mind. Cheap transducers have always been a much bigger bottelneck than cheap sources in my experience.