Newbie intoduction

[admin_exported]

Hi,

Just thought i'd say hello.

My name is Rick, i'm from York. I purchased my first Hi-Fi last year from Richer Sounds Leeds and very happy with it.

Don't really know much on the subject but hoping a good read through these forums will give me some knowledge.

My setup is;

Cambridge 540V2 Amp - Cambridge 640V2 CD - Cambridge HDDVD86 - Celestion F30 Speakers

Cambridge Pacific interconnect - Silver anniversary XT cable - QED Airloc plugs

I'm on a budget so not sure what to get next. Actually thinking about a pair of headphones as i'm in a terraced house and don't like to play music too loud too late. I noticed there was a offer in the mag where if you subscribed you got a pair. Is this any good? They looked a bit more like a set for a mp3 rather than a home system though? is that the case or would they be suitable? Any other recommendations.

Thanks in advance!

p.s - I must admit to not filling in my home address completley in the registration form. Is that info publicly viewable? Doesn't seem very security concious!

 

[Andy Clough]

Hi Rick, welcome to the site.

If you're after a good, affordable pair of headphones for your home system, I'd try the Goldring DR50 (£30) or DR100 (£40). Both are five-star Best Buys. FYI, Goldring products are distributed in the UK by Armour Home Electronics (01279 501111).

PS: Don't worry, the info on your registration form isn't available publicly.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks,

Saw the DR-50's in this months review, look good and well within my price range. Will see if I can get a test somewhere and let you know how I get on.

I note the 50's are open and the 100's closed. Might seem a silly question but whats the difference? I'll be listening at home with no other noise.

Ta.

Actually the Goldring website shows both models as open back.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Rick,

The open ones might suit you better as you can then hear the phone ring or the doorbell ect, the closed ones tend to block out outside noises.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Bluetorric.

I've also seen the Grado 80's for £100. Thats prob the most i'd be willing to spend on a pair of cans.

Worth considering or overkill for my budget system and untrained ears?

 

[Anonymous]

Hello mate!

Glad you are enjoying your system...

One thing I would say when trawling through hi-fi forums is to take what anyone says with a slight pinch of salt, including me of course. The reason being one man's meat may well be another man's poison.

For example there is a recent thread where I extoll the virtues of a Sugden A21a and another member thinks it boring. Just differing opinion. The best advice is to see what people say but never, ever buy on the strength of recommendation or review without listening to it first and making your own mind up...

Alex.

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="Andy Clough"]
If you're after a good, affordable pair of headphones for your home system, I'd try the Goldring DR50 (£30) or DR100 (£40). Both are five-star Best Buys. FYI, Goldring products are distributed in the UK by Armour Home Electronics (01279 501111).

PS: Don't worry, the info on your registration form isn't available publicly.

[/quote]

Agree. I had the DR100's. Lovely neutral. Only problem I had was they are very insensitive. Changed to 595 and although better I might just have sticked with the Goldrings as I hardly use them.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Black Knight"]
Thanks Bluetorric.

I've also seen the Grado 80's for £100. Thats prob the most i'd be willing to spend on a pair of cans.

Worth considering or overkill for my budget system and untrained ears?
[/quote]

As per my previous post, have a listen!

I doubt they would be 'overkill' and don't worry about 'trained ears', just choose what makes you enjoy the music the most. The way I personally evaluate kit is to decide whether or not I enjoy the music, not by assessing things like 'bass depth', 'imaging' soundstage' 'noise floor' and other such hi-fi terms...

Alex

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="BigGuads"]
For example there is a recent thread where I extoll the virtues of a Sugden A21a and another member thinks it boring. Just differing opinion. The best advice is to see what people say but never, ever buy on the strength of recommendation or review without listening to it first and making your own mind up...

[/quote]

Absolutely agree. Unless of course it is my opinion which is always right

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="drummerman"]
[quote user="BigGuads"]
For example there is a recent thread where I extoll the virtues of a Sugden A21a and another member thinks it boring. Just differing opinion. The best advice is to see what people say but never, ever buy on the strength of recommendation or review without listening to it first and making your own mind up...

[/quote]

Absolutely agree. Unless of course it is my opinion which is always right

[/quote]

Well, the only time I've been wrong was when I thought I was wrong but it turned out I was right 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

LOL and thanks

Is there a jargon buster anywhere on the site. Did see one in the mag once, was helpful but not conclusive.

Got a fair idea on 'soundstage' but the rest of what you just mentioned might as well be Geordie!

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="drummerman"]
If you're after a good, affordable pair of headphones for your home system, I'd try the Goldring DR50 (£30) or DR100 (£40). Both are five-star Best Buys. FYI, Goldring products are distributed in the UK by Armour Home Electronics (01279 501111).

[/quote]

PS. You may find you have to use a separate headphone amp with the DR100, depending on how loud you listen to music, they distort at highish volumes through an amps headphone output. The cheaper 50's are more sensitive if I remember right.

 

[Anonymous]

Headphone amp? It gets more confusing by the min.

Can you explain why the distortion comes about?

How does a headphone amp work differently to a intergrated amp?

Any models/prices???

 

[drummerman]

Headphone amps as opposed to built in outputs have more power available to drive Headphones. The distortion mentioned is due to an underpowered headphone amp not the headphones. A decent one is about £70 from project.

Its only worth spending a lot on this stuff if you're going to use it.

 

[Anonymous]

I suppose one of the benefits of seperates is that you can add or change a little at a time.

I imagine i'll be using cans quite a bit so I'll consider adding a headphone amp at a later date. For now i'll just buy the headphones themselves. Hopefully i'll get time tommorrow to visit my local outlets (Vickers & The Sound Organisation)

Thanks for the advice, looing forward to being able to listen to great music late into the night!!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Welcome on board!

We're working on a jargon buster for the new version of this website, which goes live this summer.

In the meantime, I think you'd really benefit from our new Ultimate Guide to Hi-fi (see here), which has a major jargon-buster plus all the hottest kit in every category (and for every budget).

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Black Knight"]
LOL and thanks

Is there a jargon buster anywhere on the site. Did see one in the mag once, was helpful but not conclusive.

Got a fair idea on 'soundstage' but the rest of what you just mentioned might as well be Geordie!
[/quote]

It might as well be - hi-fi terms matter not a jot in my opinion so don't worry about it, it's the music that matters!

You are probably better off auditioning kit without ever even thinking of it in 'hi-fi' terms.

 

[Anonymous]

Another recommendation for the Grados. Very nice headphones. Be aware that they have a shortish lead, so you may need an extension.