SENNHEISER HD580

[Darkatom]

Could someone somment on wether my X-FI xtreme music 5.1 sound card can properly run these headphones the way they're meant to be listened to or is an amp needed? I keep reading about poeple saying a sound card is enough, while others recommend an amplifier :confused: . I'm not really interested in purchasing an amp (even if they're are some inexpensive ones)and am really just looking for some great straight plug headphones.

[Mister X]

Not like they are gonna sound horrible without an amp but you need an amp to get the most out of the HD580s.

[StaticSurge]

Yeah you're most definately going to need an amp, those headphones can't be driven properly by any soundcard. They're pretty high impedance compared to the 5x5 line if I remember correctly

[kelim]

What would a person like me need to run a nice set of headphones like those Sennheisers? I'm a total noob to this kind of stuff. The highest quality piece of sound hardware is my X-Fi.

[Treyshadow]

The X-Fi Xtreme Music can handle about 80-100 Ohm Headphones. I have these cans as a backup.

Since the HD580s are 250 Ohm cans, an amplifier will be a better match than the X-Fi by itself, however yes the X-Fi can drive the cans to more than decent levels. Bass however seems a bit lacking since these are not bass heavy cans in the first place.An amp brings the bass back so it is that much sweeter.

[kelim]

Any entry level amps you could recommend that won't break my bank? Sub 100 would be nice.

[Mister X]

I would suggest allocating a little extra $ to your budget for the Portaphile X3

http://www.portaphile.com/x.html

It has very good synergy with the HD580s out of the box and it also has a clear upgrade path for when you feel so inclined.

[kelim]

Good gawd that looks so confusing.