[TomN]

Hey guys, I'm a real newbie so please bear with me. Before I knew about this site I asked for and received a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones for Christmas to use with my iPod. Now that I am better informed, the Bose are on their way back and now I'm looking for something to replace them. I am considering either the a900's or one of the Senns, but I'm not entirely sure which pair I can use on the iPod without an amp. Oh and these will be used at home only so portability isn't a factor. If it helps I listen to classic rock, country, and jazz. Thanks!

Oh and I did search for a couple hours to see if I could find an answer, but I think I got overwhelmed with all the information.

 

[fr4c]

Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry about your wallet.

if you'll be driving the headphones right out of your iPod, then the best bet is gonna be A900. they are probably the most efficient "HIFI" cans you can find below $200, IMO.

 

[mkmelt]

I have used my Sennheiser HD-497 with the iPod (mini), without an amplifier, can can report they performed very well. For $60 retail, also available for about $40 on eBay before shipping, the HD-497 is a good value. The HD-497 provide much of the "signature Sennheiser sound", that many headphone listeners enjoy, for 1/2 to 1/3rd the price of the more expensive Sennheiser models including the HD-580 and HD-600 without requiring a separate amplifier. The bass is not quite as extended as on these more expensive models. Also, the HD-497 does not reproduce all of the dynamics of the music as well as these other phones can when provided with suitable amplification.

The headband and other non-driver portions of the HD-497 are made of plastic. The phones are adjustable for different sized heads but may not fit comfortably on every head. I find them comfortable and can wear them for up to perhaps 2 hours at a time. After that they can start to feel a bit warm and the light amount of pressure they exert on the outside of the ear starts to limit their comfort. The factory cable is 10 ft. long and can get in the way, especially for portable use. They are not really compact enough for regular portable use, however, they are inexpensive enough that I leave them at work, and would take them on a trip, and not worry about them becoming damaged, lost, or stolen.

 

[Skarecrow]

My reccomendation is the Alessandro MS-1. They are driven particularlly easily out of a portable jack (I usually listen to mine at 2/3 of full volume on my portable). Sound incredible for a $100 pair of cans, and they even come with a 1/8" jack so no adapter needed. Take this for what you may, but I see very little difference between the MS-1s unamped off of the portable and amped on my home setup. Whether that means the MS-1s don't benefit much from an amp... or don't need an amp to sound good... depends on your own point of view. Regardless, I think they make excellent cans if you're using a portable.

 

[TomN]

I wanted to thank you guys for the suggestions and information on this and all the other posts. I kinda went in the other direction and am now enjoyng my new Ety ER-4P's. I'm still getting used to the fit and sound, but so far have been very pleased! I miss the thumpy bass a little, but the clarity of the music more than makes up for it.

I'll eventually get a pair of full sized cans, probably the a900s or the MS1, but at the moment my budget needs a chance to recover.