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Headphone Amp for 595s

H

Harddriver

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
88
I'm about to purchase a pair of Sennheiser HD-595 and I'd like to get an Amp to power them. I don't want to spend that to much on an amp, though. Only $50 or less would be optimal.

Thanks.
 
That will be hard at that budget. Save your money will you can get something worthwhile.
 
guppy said:
Yes, you do. A soundcard is also a DAC. A Cmoy amp is about the best you will find on such a low budget. Spend another $50.00 and you can get an iCute headphone amp by Fubar.
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Haha the Cmoy is really ghetto. Can I get a link to the Fubar iCute?
 
I guess it couldn't hurt to buy/build a cMoy amp (I did) but the 595s don't really need an amp, especially with a decent source.
 
Harddriver said:
:eek: :facepalm:

Hmmm... is there anything around $100 and not $200?
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what do you already have installed in the PC, soundcard wise?

willing to upgrade your PC?

some unorthodox options that are sure to get flamed one way or another:

vintage receiver - somewhat hard to find in good condition, gotta know what you're looking for, will give you more than enough power, and probably good SQ, assuming your soundcard doesn't bleed noise (and you don't create a ground loop plugging the bastard in)

vintage casette deck - cheap, generally solid performance, takes up a bit of space on your desk, big whoop

decent PC soundcard - will handle HD 595's (unless you're an audiophile, in which case nothing but a headphone amplifier could ever possibly even hope to connect to them under penalty of death ;)), will probably take your entire budget, doesn't add extra stuff to your desk

save your money - will give you more money, which can be used in exchange for goods and services in the future, for example a headphone amplifier (but, you know, not having it RIGHT NOW is obviously going to end the universe :p)

headroom amp - fits your $100 budget, will work (unless your existing solution bleeds noise or you create a groundloop), shouldn't have any issues and nothing will break or burn to the ground

theres always options out the ying-yang

and, just because I was irked to read it:
its Cute Beyond by Firestone Audio, FUBAR is another product line that Firestone produces, its a line of stand-alone D/A converters and integrated headphone amplifiers
 
Harddriver said:
I have a Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi so...
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which one? some of them aren't bad at all for driving headphones, and some of them can be expanded with Creative's front bay/breakout box, which includes a headphone amplifier among other things
 
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There is no "iCute" anymore. Also, it was never called "iCute". It was just Cute. Many confuse the graphic with the letter i.

There are now 2 headphone amps from Firestone, the new styled class A Beyond with the Burr Brown op amp, and the brand new class B Curve. I just ordered one, not sure which as I have to decide before Todd get the money order and mails it back to me. ;)

03beyond1black1.jpg
04curve1black1.jpg


Why buy decent headphones then get a piece of shit amp? Not cool.

Anyway, Harddriver, if you REALLY are that cheap...which I doubt (595's aren't cheap) then go over and check for some used amps at Head-fi.org.
 
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Nighted said:
Why buy decent headphones then get a piece of shit amp? Not cool.
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well, when you're defining "piece of shit" by price, because it really makes no difference as long as the amplifier can handle the load presented to it ;)
 
That Total Bithead would be a good choice and a lot of people at headfi like it. Only real downside is that you have to replace batteries for it. That EMU 0202 gets power from the USB port and for the same money I would go with that. But don't expect it to be enough for HD650 if you ever upgrade to those headphones, or another demanding headphone.
 
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MisterSparkle said:
Well, you're bringing up an area that Audiophiles will love to burn you at the stake over. :p
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honestly I could give a damn, I've compared the ridiculou high end to the moderately expensive to the downright cheap and make my opinions based firstly on facts and secondly on my own experience, not what Stereophile wants me to buy this month :)


guppy said:
That Total Bithead would be a good choice and a lot of people at headfi like it. Only real downside is that you have to replace batteries for it. That EMU 0202 gets power from the USB port and for the same money I would go with that. But don't expect it to be enough for HD650 if you ever upgrade to those headphones, or another demanding headphone.
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I thought that had a DC input function?
for this thing:
http://www.headphone.com/products/accessories/other/airhead--total-airhead-power-supply-120-vac.php

0202 would probably be a cheaper solution given the ~$20 for that power supply + the airhead's ~$100 by itself
 
For 595's, I wouldn't bother with an amp if you're staying in the low end. I think for under $100, get a XP amp. It is very good for the money.
 
Laxx said:
For 595's, I wouldn't bother with an amp if you're staying in the low end. I think for under $100, get a XP amp. It is very good for the money.
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Can I get a link to that? Google didn't really have any results.
 
Laxx said:
For 595's, I wouldn't bother with an amp if you're staying in the low end. I think for under $100, get a XP amp. It is very good for the money.
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This.

Low end, they won't benefit much from something in the likes of a PA2V2 or a CMOY and I especially wouldn't bother with an amp if you're straying to the high end. Save your money and buy yourself a new pair of cans, it's not worth matching the HD595s with a high end amplifier. They don't scale at all.
 
So it's not even worth getting an amp for the 595's because they aren't good enough for one? I guess I can deal with that.

Is there any other way I can get better sound out of them?
 
Don't get me wrong, an amp will improve them, just not enough imo to make it worth while. They're the kind of cans that you either like them or you despise them. If you don't like them, no amp is going to improve them to the point that you do (Unlike the HD600/650/AKG K701 which improve tremendously while properly amped).
 
Harddriver said:
So it's not even worth getting an amp for the 595's because they aren't good enough for one? I guess I can deal with that.

Is there any other way I can get better sound out of them?
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What he means is that HD595 are efficient headphones so an amp doesn't improve them much compared to headphones that are demanding and need an amp. Honestly, for under $100.00 that EMU 0202 USB is probably going to give the best bang-for-buck improvement.
You are getting a decent DAC, a ClassA headphone amp and it is external so lessens any possible issues with EMI greatly. I used HD595 with EMU 0404 USB amp and it did improve them in the bass area end but not a lot. Before that I just used X-Fi for headphones. I still use EMU 0404 as DAC and have LubnchboxPro tube amp ($200.00) and DT990pro and audio-technica ATH-M50 headphones. I sold the HD595 to a friend who uses the Fubar Cute amp with them. The LunchboxPro is not much more money though and outputs twice as much power as the Cute amps and is plenty for headphone like HD650. Don't think you can buy the Lunchbox amps new anymore though so used would be the way to buy them unless you are going to Russia.
 
595's are efficient and don't need amping imo. Save your money, seriously.
 
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