Quote:
Originally posted by kelly
I realize my prior post was somewhat incindiary but I am, myself, somewhat offended by fanatacism. Yes, I realize that is a somewhat subjective and offensive word, so let me define it here as I'm using it. Let's take a young audiophile who has in his possession a Sony CD player, a Sony receiver, a Sony headphone, Sony speakers, a Sony TV, a Sony DVD player, etc. Now, you may easily be convinced that one or more of these items is the best bang for the buck--you may be right, each is probably worthy of some debate in a certain context. If, however, you bought only Sony products, in my opinion, you're a fanatic. Why? Because if you had any sense about you, you'd easily find other components that were better priced and did the job better at least some of the time--and if it's only the logo/label that draws you, you're a fanatic. |
But Kelly, you're declined to search for alternative explanations. I can think of a
number of other explanations why someone might have all Sony products that have nothing to do with fanaticism. In some parts of the world (even parts of the US), the brand selection is limited. A friend of mine visited Molokai, Hawaii... how many alternatives to Sony do you think were available on the island? Or perhaps you bought a Sony TV, liked it, so you bought a "matching" system at the suggestion of the salesperson.
Or, most likely of all, given the average consumer: you don't really CARE, or don't have the TIME, to compare all available options, sound quality, etc. You know Sony, it's cheap at your local superstore, it works well together, so you buy it and enjoy it. Sad to say, but that right there is the mindset of most U.S. consumers. My friend with the Sony boombox probably gets as much enjoyment out of listening to his music as I do out of my supersystem.
Quote:
| What it does mean, is that I feel that Team Sennheiser is guilty of giving out bad advice to newbies en masse due to the above mentioned fanatacism. |
I don't know exactly who is on this "Team Sennheiser"
but I think the above statement is quite different than the reality here on Head-Fi. If you look through the myriad of threads here, most people who own the HD600 or HD580 are quick to point out that you really need a good amp for them to see any of their potential.
Side note: I'm one of those who has said, time and time again, that if you know you won't be getting an amp, don't buy the HD600 or HD580, because you can find other heapdhones for the same price or less that will sound better unamped than the HDs. I've taken a lot of slack for saying that. However, if a person plans on getting an amp eventually, I don't think it's irresponsible or "fanatic" to recommend the 580/600. They'll sound better than what they're used to even unamped, and they're a great investment since they'll sound better and better as you upgrade your system.
... and the truth is that people like Gaineso probably enjoy their HD600 out of an "inferior" amp as much as I do out of my Max
Quote:
| A f'rinstance. One of the posts above mentioned using the Little. [snip] I listened for a while with the HD600--trying to convince myself that a newbie headphone hobbyist could "get by" on this amp and that the HD600 would "grow with them" as many here have suggested. With complex music, even at low volumes, the Little began to clip. Now this isn't the Little More Power, it's just the basic Little, so maybe the More Power can do it right, I don't know, but advising newbies to buy the Little because it's Headroom's entry level amp and using it with the Sennheiser HD600, Sennheiser's top of the line and most demanding headphone, is in my opinion irresponsible. |
Key words: "your opinion." I
do recommend the Little. I owned a Little with the HD580 for about three years. It sounded great (ESPECIALLY to people who weren't "audiophiles"), and never, in three years, did I EVER get it to clip. In reading through the various reviews and impressions of the Little here on Head-Fi, I have yet to find a single person say that it clips with the Senns. So clearly your experiences are not the norm, Kelly.
The great thing about the Little is that it sounds very good with the HD600 -- and will really sound great to someone who is just getting into headphones -- but it also has a great upgrade path that blows away any of the other amps in its price range.
