Author Topic: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....  (Read 25408 times)

Offline Response Audio

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Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« on: November 23, 2010, 05:08:15 PM »
 what do you have? I am trying to get a handle on what high quality headphones people here at AN are using. What are you using for a headphone amp?  ;)
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2010, 05:42:57 PM »
AKG 701

no amp :(

I was using a prototype from Sol Samet but it was abandoned when we learned the actives sounded a littl harsh up high. So it's in limbo now.  So I'm back in the market.

I am considering the shiit HP amp, or a diy tuber based on aikido.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2010, 05:45:23 PM by richidoo »

Online BobM

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2010, 03:38:08 AM »
Senn HD600's with a Mini-Max head amp.
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Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2010, 03:50:39 AM »
Senn HD600s but only have an old Headroom Supreme amp at the moment so do very little listening via the Senns of late.  Thinking about the Schiit Asgard headphone amp.  Anyone using it?

I do use Senn PX100s at my desk plugged into the computer or my iPhone.  Nice portables for the price.

Online BobM

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2010, 06:08:29 AM »
There's a slew of different head amps that work well with the HD600's. Just wander over to Head-Fi and browse the forums for a ton of recommendations, not all costly either. They also have a great classified section where good things come up for sale quite often.

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djdube525

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2010, 07:14:09 AM »
At one point I had an Senn HD595 (these were so comfy) for home with a Blueberry Audio Amp and a ATH-A900 (huge) for work. Not sure how or why... but that all dwindled down to some smaller portables (ATH-FC700a) which I'm not happy with... just not comfortable.

So I keep waiting for the elusive smaller, reasonably priced (I'm cheap) pair of headphones. I keep waiting for a great deal on a pair of ATH-ESW9s... I've also been mulling something larger like the BeyerDynamic 880s (32Ohm).

Nothing super fancy by any means.

Dave

manaox2

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Re: Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2010, 11:10:41 AM »
Sennheiser Hd 650, stax lambda normal bias, stax SR-007

Main amps have been an AMB m^3, millett max hybrid, and SRM-T1

Also have a pair of sennheiser px-100 mk II for on the go.

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Offline tmazz

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2010, 04:30:29 PM »
I have a set of Stax SR-84 but I rarely use them because they have a speaker level input and require me to disconnect my speaker cables off the back of the power amp which is usually just more trouble than it is worth.

I use a pair of Grados (SR-60) and a pair of JBL Noise canceling headphones with my ipod
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Offline dangerbird

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2011, 05:06:24 PM »
Senn HD 600 or 650's with a Singlepower PPX 3.

Offline tmazz

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2011, 08:46:37 PM »
I have a set of Stax SR-84 but I rarely use them because they have a speaker level input and require me to disconnect my speaker cables off the back of the power amp which is usually just more trouble than it is worth.

I use a pair of Grados (SR-60) and a pair of JBL Noise canceling headphones with my ipod

FYI - I have give up on using the Grados and the JBLs with my ipod. Both have been supplanted by a pair of Bose IE2 earbuds. I have never before found a pair of earbuds that didn't either fall out of or hurt my ears. But the new Bose design is comfortable and stays put. The SQ is more than good enough for ipod use and they are certainly much easier to carry around than a pair of traditional headphones.
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Offline richidoo

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2011, 08:54:06 PM »
Cool design on those IE2s. Do they seal fairly well?

Offline tmazz

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2011, 10:11:05 PM »
Cool design on those IE2s. Do they seal fairly well?

I really don't have much to compare them too since every other pair of earbuds I've ever tried either fell right out or started to hurt within minutes. I had pretty much given up on earbuds and one day at lunchtime I was in J&R Musicworld and there was a Bose rep there hawking this new earbud design. I told him of my problems and he urged me to just try them on. Well they were comfortable, did not fall out (then with pretty hard yanking on the cords) and the rest was history. Since they rely on those soft "hooks" the fit into the outer ear and therefor do not need to put pressure on the inner ear to stay in place, I would imagine that they don't seal as well as some others. However with the exception of a really noise environment , like a subway, I don't find the ambient noise leakage all that bad. Perhaps if I had experience with a better sealing model I would feel differently, but for me, who always had trouble with in-ear models fitting, I feel the fit and comfort more than outweigh whatever leakage there is.
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Online BobM

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2011, 06:16:41 AM »
If anyone is looking for relatively small, foldable and compatable headphones to use with portable devices, but don;t want earbuds, then I highly recommend the Koss SportaPro and PortaPro. They are inexpensive and I really can't hear much of a difference between the two, so I would go for the cheaper SportaPro's.

And then there's the koss lifetime guarantee. If it breaks send it back to Koss with a check for $7 and they'll send you a new pair. I've done this 3 times already with no issues when the cord started fraying or a piece of plastic breaks. I use these daily on my commute to they take a beating.
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Offline richidoo

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2011, 06:32:24 AM »
Thanks!

stringdriventhing

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Re: Serious Headphones --- who uses them and....
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2011, 11:30:24 AM »
I'm just putting the final touches on assembling a speaker-based system for more casual use. A secondary system, for more "critical" listening sessions, is past the planning stages and awaiting the necessary $$$. This system will be 'phone-based and will possess the dual advantages of allowing for later-night listening and, most importantly to me, will avoid the on-going plague of room acoustics issues I've wrestled with for quite a while. My wife and I rent the house we have lived in, contentedly, for the past 22 years. Unfortunately, remodeling a room to maximize audio playback quality is out of the question.

After having spent a good many hours studying at various websites dedicated to headphone use, I've arrived at the following configuration:

Audeze LCD-2 "orthodynamic" headphones. The current reigning champs of headphone forums, easily surpassing top offerings from Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Grado, etc. Orthodynamic designs, while fussier in terms of proper amp matching, are currently considered the most balanced full-range cans. The Audeze is the top ortho design. These are less pricey, at $945, than several top "standard" headphone designs, and like most ALL headphones being sold to consumers, will greatly benefit from after-market cabling upgrades.

http://www.audeze.com/

The Centrance DACmini headphone amp. This is getting uniformly positive feedback from LCD-2 users as being a suitable "match" for the orthodynamic design. Plenty of output to drive the phones to satisfying levels and includes both a well-regarded USB DAC and preamp capability for inclusion of speakers into the system. Some time this year Centrance is due to introduce a variant that will also include an onboard speaker amp. The DACmini is currently being sold for a "reasonable" $795.

http://www.centrance.com/products/dacmini/

To these two main components I'll add a Mac Mini music server, a pair of small room speakers, and whatever cabling is required. If I stop to consider how much one of the most highly regarded speaker designs might cost me, and compare to the sub $1.5k the very highly rated  LCD-2s will cost with cable upgrade, it would appear that headphone-based systems are a much more cost-effective portal to the world of high-end playback quality. I won't argue the relative virtues of speakers vs headphones, NOT when it is readily possible to have the best of both worlds! - String