Rockofeller
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2006
- Posts
- 58
- Likes
- 11
Any help on this decision would be greatly appreciated! I have a pair of Sennheiser HD595's. They are from about ~2005 and I think they sound excellent. Since I sometimes listen to them out of my iPod, I don't want to upgrade headphones. That said, I would like to see how much quality sound I can wring out of them when playing them through my mac computer. I have decided on spending <$150 (and lower would be nice). Here are the options I'm currently considering:
Music Streamer II DAC
Fiio E10 DAC/AMP
I don't have an amp, but I understand that amping gives little improvement to the 595's. Still, it might be that the DAC/AMP together make more of a difference than would going with the music streamer II without amping.
As far as music goes, if I could increase the sound quality appreciably on these three albums I would be forever happy:
1) John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
2) Thelonious Monk - Alone in San Francisco
3) Nathan Milstein - Bach Partitas & Sonatas
What truly excites me when listening to my HD595's (vs. lower quality sound) is the intimacy with the music that I feel - as if I were in the room with the artist. I want to feel like I'm right next to the artist. Every sigh and toe tap is exciting to me. As you'll notice about the above music, it's all small group (or even solo instrument!). This characterizes much of my favorite music.
Any advice? Thanks all!
Edit: I forgot to mention that, although I've never noticed an effect on my experience, I know that I have worse hearing out of my right ear as opposed to my left (not hugely different, but noticeable talking on the phone, for instance). I read that the Fiio E17 (which is above my budget, really...) has the ability to adjust the right/left balance. Would this solve my problem? Do you think it makes much of a difference for someone with my minor hearing issues?
Music Streamer II DAC
Fiio E10 DAC/AMP
I don't have an amp, but I understand that amping gives little improvement to the 595's. Still, it might be that the DAC/AMP together make more of a difference than would going with the music streamer II without amping.
As far as music goes, if I could increase the sound quality appreciably on these three albums I would be forever happy:
1) John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
2) Thelonious Monk - Alone in San Francisco
3) Nathan Milstein - Bach Partitas & Sonatas
What truly excites me when listening to my HD595's (vs. lower quality sound) is the intimacy with the music that I feel - as if I were in the room with the artist. I want to feel like I'm right next to the artist. Every sigh and toe tap is exciting to me. As you'll notice about the above music, it's all small group (or even solo instrument!). This characterizes much of my favorite music.
Any advice? Thanks all!
Edit: I forgot to mention that, although I've never noticed an effect on my experience, I know that I have worse hearing out of my right ear as opposed to my left (not hugely different, but noticeable talking on the phone, for instance). I read that the Fiio E17 (which is above my budget, really...) has the ability to adjust the right/left balance. Would this solve my problem? Do you think it makes much of a difference for someone with my minor hearing issues?