which Headphones (and which Headphone amp?)

[Stevie9]

Hi,

I am in the market for a new pair of headphones. I currently have a very old pair of Sennheiser HD530 mk2 and they are old and faithful - but my set up will be going through some changes that will leave them wanting.

I am fiercely loyal to Sennheiser - I think they make the best .. but I know some will disagree. So I guess this post will be for Sennheiser fans.. or not.. if you have an opinion I would love to hear it.

I love open back headphones as to me they are less sweaty and sound more open and transparent.

I am prepared to spend around £400 on a pair.. and will upgrade later to use a headphone amp.

Is there anyone out there that can vouch for using a head phone amp? Is there a massive difference in using one?

My main amp will probably be Rega Elex-r.

thanks.,

 

[dalethorn]

Hi,

I am in the market for a new pair of headphones. I currently have a very old pair of Sennheiser HD530 mk2 and they are old and faithful - but my set up will be going through some changes that will leave them wanting.

I am fiercely loyal to Sennheiser - I think they make the best .. but I know some will disagree. So I guess this post will be for Sennheiser fans.. or not.. if you have an opinion I would love to hear it.

I love open back headphones as to me they are less sweaty and sound more open and transparent.

I am prepared to spend around £400 on a pair.. and will upgrade later to use a headphone amp.

Is there anyone out there that can vouch for using a head phone amp? Is there a massive difference in using one?

My main amp will probably be Rega Elex-r.

thanks.,

Some people I know say they like the sound of some of their headphones better through an amp that has a headphone jack, but also powers speakers. My guess is it's because those amps have extra power for dynamics that a lot of headphone amps lack. So with a headphone amp you'll probably get a different sound, which you may or may not like. The Sennheiser HD600 is the nearly perfect open headphone, and the HD650 is its cousin that was made to be "warmer, bassier, less bright". YMMV. If you do get a headphone amp, be sure to check the "Impedance Curve" at Innerfidelity, so in case that curve has a big variance at different frequencies, your amp has the extra power to handle it.

 

[Stevie9]

Hi,

I am in the market for a new pair of headphones. I currently have a very old pair of Sennheiser HD530 mk2 and they are old and faithful - but my set up will be going through some changes that will leave them wanting.

I am fiercely loyal to Sennheiser - I think they make the best .. but I know some will disagree. So I guess this post will be for Sennheiser fans.. or not.. if you have an opinion I would love to hear it.

I love open back headphones as to me they are less sweaty and sound more open and transparent.

I am prepared to spend around £400 on a pair.. and will upgrade later to use a headphone amp.

Is there anyone out there that can vouch for using a head phone amp? Is there a massive difference in using one?

My main amp will probably be Rega Elex-r.

thanks.,

Some people I know say they like the sound of some of their headphones better through an amp that has a headphone jack, but also powers speakers. My guess is it's because those amps have extra power for dynamics that a lot of headphone amps lack. So with a headphone amp you'll probably get a different sound, which you may or may not like. The Sennheiser HD600 is the nearly perfect open headphone, and the HD650 is its cousin that was made to be "warmer, bassier, less bright". YMMV. If you do get a headphone amp, be sure to check the "Impedance Curve" at Innerfidelity, so in case that curve has a big variance at different frequencies, your amp has the extra power to handle it.

Thanks Dale.. I haved saved that link for future research. I was looking at the HPA100/se.. lets see how it pans out.

S..

 

[tomstu]

Hi Steve!

If you are a Sennheiser fan I highly recommend the HD600. It is a great headphone and it is worth every buck. If you are running on a budget you might consider a used HD580 which is not that different to the HD600. Please note that the HD600/HD580 is designed to sound very neutral. If you prefer to have some more bass, the HD650 is a better choice. Besides Sennheiser, I also recommend AKG K701s. Nowadays they are really affordable and they sound great. They are worth trying.

Regarding the headphone amp, I really would use one if you run a high quality headphone. Lots of the headphone outputs found in stereo amplifiers or receivers lack of quality in terms of output level and damping factor which results in altered sound.

Kind regards

Thomas

 

[Stevie9]

Hi Steve!

If you are a Sennheiser fan I highly recommend the HD600. It is a great headphone and it is worth every buck. If you are running on a budget you might consider a used HD580 which is not that different to the HD600. Please note that the HD600/HD580 is designed to sound very neutral. If you prefer to have some more bass, the HD650 is a better choice. Besides Sennheiser, I also recommend AKG K701s. Nowadays they are really affordable and they sound great. They are worth trying.

Regarding the headphone amp, I really would use one if you run a high quality headphone. Lots of the headphone outputs found in stereo amplifiers or receivers lack of quality in terms of output level and damping factor which results in altered sound.

Kind regards

Thomas

Cheers Tom,

I now have the HD650 and the Fidelity Audio HPA100se on my Christmas list. I cannot wait !