HD595 - Amp really make that much of a diff?

kaluminati

Gawd
Joined
Dec 11, 2004
Messages
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I was thinking about getting some sort of headphone amp for these, but my ? is does it really make all that much of a difference with a $150 amp? I've been told that it does, and it doesn't.

Obviously it's going to make some sort of difference, but how much in games, and in Music? Right now im using an x-fi platinum sound card. Please someone elightenme.
 
I own the 595's and a self built Cmoy, and I'd say the cmoy released the last 20% of the 595's potential. The 595's are easy to drive headphones, and don't need a really strong amp. An amp does improve it though, but I have no idea how large the difference is between a +-$50 cmoy and something more expensive.
 
The new 595s are 50ohm, so if you bought them recently, odds are it's a 50ohm like mine. They will drive fine off a decent soundcard. I run mine off integrated so the cMoy made a huge difference in the sound for me.
 
in the $150 price point, I'm going to assume your looking at something like a high quality pimeta. With the 595's this would be about the right level amp to get the most out of your cans w/out overkilling the budget. The highest I would go amp wise with the 595s would be a mid level ppa, anything higher and I'd be looking @ grabbing a set of 650s first if you want to stay w/ the senn sound.
 
mmmm. pimeta amped 595's
I've got a pair and boy are they nice. Amp isn't necessary with the 50ohm, but it's always nice for any cans
 
Yes. I noticed a big difference between unamped and amped even with a $60 Pocket Amp V2 from www.electric-avenues.com. I listened to the same song over and over and swapped back and forth at key parts. Plain as day.

There was also a diff between the PA2 and the Gilmore Lite.
 
I notice a big differnce in any headphone I plug into my amp. Even 10$ shit phones that come free with cd players. So yeah, I say it will make a worthwhile differnce. Furthermore, getting an amp allows you to get an outboard dac, and most any 150-300$ NON-OS DAC will slaughter an X-Fi's dacs. Grab a Pimeta and then a DAC-AH or Dialogue II and be amazed. I have both an X-FI and NON-OS Dac (Dialogue II) and the differnce is rather massive. I have a pretty high end headphone amp though.
 
Too bad headphones still don't replace a really good surround setup. And those DACs are only stereo. Still. I think I'm going to take a DIY DAC design, and modify it to use the triple SPDIF outputs on the Creative cards to do 5.1.
 
Yeah 5.1 is it's own thing. Though I'd take headphones over any multimedia surround. Once you get real surround setup like what you've got though, it's different, they fill their respective roles with much regard. I think i'd still prefer phones for music, 5.1's for everything else.
 
Yeah the 595s sounded much richer, much fuller, a good 30% to 50% better on my Pimeta with Tread.

I still prefer the sound of the HD580s if you are going the pimeta route. If you are getting that much amp or more, the HD580s pull away from the 595.
 
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