[Gatticus]

I've seen time after time people claim that Sennheiser HD595's don't need an amp because they are only 80ohm. I was using an EMU 0404 USB which has a ClassA amp in it but I wanted to see if adding an Audiolab 8000A made any difference. Well, it did. The bottom end opened right up and the sound is smoother and warmer now with extended bass. I saw someone on here complaining about lack of bass on HD595 a few months back. My guess is he thought that because he was not using a worthy amp. Plugging the 595's into the 8000A I finally feel like I am doing them justice.

 

[Sh0eBoX]

they claim it doesn't need an amp because it's very easy to drive. and btw it's not 80ohm, rather it's 50ohm (or there's a 120ohm version). meaning you don't need an amp to get them to play at an adequate volume. that doesn't necessarily mean that sound will not improve under proper amplification (which, i have personally experienced, the HD595s made a drastic improvement in SQ when amped with a Little Dot 2++)

 

[Gatticus]

Oops, right, 50ohm. I keep saying 80 because that is what I saw Sennheiser list them as on their international web site once. Must have been a typo or they at one time were 80ohm.

Anyway, I have had someone try to tell me on a hardware site that 595 won't improve with an amp so wasn't just talking about people who say they are loud enough without an amp. He was obviously wrong and the fact is the lower the impedance then the more the power draw so saying a headphone doesn't need an amp just because the are low impedance is just wrong.

 

[Esidarap]

I'm sure it also helps that you've dialed up the bass on those tone controls you've got there.. that'll definitely "open right up" the bottom end.

 

[manhattanproj]

has anyone tried it with a porta corda? any significant improvement?

 

[Gatticus]

See that tone button right next to the bass control? It is set to flat. The bass and treble setting has no effect at all. If you are going to be a sarcastic dick you better make sure you are 100% correct next time so you don't look like such a fool.

 

[Gatticus]

Hmm, after further comparison between the EMU and Audiolab amps I have to say the EMU has clearer mids and highs and the bass isn't too shabby either. The Audiolab is definitely warmer with deeper bass though.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatticus /img/forum/go_quote.gif He was obviously wrong and the fact is the lower the impedance then the more the power draw so saying a headphone doesn't need an amp just because the are low impedance is just wrong.

There are low impedance phones that aren't very efficient that need an amp - K701s anyone? But on the 'need' front, there are phones that need an amp to sound good and there are phones that sound better with an amp. The HD595s don't need an amp to sound good... which is one of their strong points.

 

[dura]

A few weeks ago I heart the 595 directly from a DAP; sounded very lacklustre, it clearly needed more juice.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are low impedance phones that aren't very efficient that need an amp - K701s anyone? But on the 'need' front, there are phones that need an amp to sound good and there are phones that sound better with an amp. The HD595s don't need an amp to sound good... which is one of their strong points.

What he said. There are phones that sound like poop without an amp, but the HD595's are not one of them. They do get considerably better with a good amp and thus some people find it to be a necessity. It's all a matter of how you define "need" and everyone looks at that differently.

 

[MaZa]

Grados also dont require strong amplifier to sound loud and good, but proper amplification helps them alot. Same thing with HD595 and K240S. K240S sounded like crap from my portable device IMO.

 

[Gurra1980]

Of corse they get better when they you use an amp, it all depends on how good quality the amp is, nothing about how strong it is. For example my 650 gets so loud out of my rotels headphone out that I can destroy my eardrums, but the quality is not good, neither with 595 or 650.