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Headphone Amp vs Receiver Amp

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Gawd
Joined
Sep 25, 2003
Messages
535
I currently have a Harman Kardon AVR-135 and am currently using it with my headphones for music, and my 5 Athenas for Movies.

I'm thinking of getting a headphone amp like a GoVibe and was wondering if it would sound better than the receiver or would it be the same or worse.

And is it a good idea to go from receiver to headphone amp to headphone? Or should I just go from the source straight to the headphone amp?

I am currently going from my computer > HDA Mysitque 7.1 Gold > Digital Optical connection > HK AVR-135 > Headphones.

I would like to go through the receiver because it is my DAC, but don't know if it would alter the sound by going through the receiver's amp and then going to the headphone amp. Maybe I should just use the analog connection from the soundcard to the amp? But then I would have to switch back and forth if I want to use my speakers or headphones.

So is it worth getting a headphone amp when I already have this reciever?
What about using a amp with my Zen Micro and some $20 earbuds? Would that be overkill?

Thanks.
 
Just out of curiosity, what headphones are you using with your HK135?

You sometimes have to ask yourself, deep down using common sense, would it be better to put the extra money to use with just getting better headphones altogether or keeping the ones you already have and trying to realize their "full potential". Sometimes their "full potential" is pointless compared to better headphones not at their "full potential". :cool:

Anyways, just to answer some of your other questions, unless your receiver has a better DAC (digital to analog converter) as opposed to your sound card, then it would be better to just connect it straight to the analog output on the soundcard and let it convert the signal (some people say the wolfson DAC is decent... I have never used it). Or if you really had some money to spare, you could get a headphone amp with built in DAC, or a stand alone DAC. But your starting to talk about $$$... and personally I would only consider such things if I first had great headphones, and secondly had enough money to spend.

All in all though, before you even think of getting something, ask yourself "Am I happy with my current audio reproduction?". It's true what they say, sometimes ignorance is bliss. ~_^

~Hope this helps
 
I would be using the Senns HD-555.

Is the Mystique DAC better than the HK 135?
 
I'm not even sure if your using the wolfson DAC on the sound card.

I'll recommend you read this first http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=75655
Once you make sure you have the settings correct, you can use foobar2000 and see if you notice a diffrence.

Then see if your sound card has a feature where it will do a S/PDIF passthough to the receiver using a digital cable and have the receiver's DAC process the signal. Then you can compare the two and see if you can hear a diffrence.

Before getting a headphone amp, I would recommend you bring your heapdhones, a CD your familer with, and try and listen to the headphone amp. Then see if you can find a place that sells better headphones. Only then can you determin where your money would be put to better use (if you still want to upgrade).

~Hope this helps, and have fun
 
towert7 said:
You sometimes have to ask yourself, deep down using common sense, would it be better to put the extra money to use with just getting better headphones altogether or keeping the ones you already have and trying to realize their "full potential". Sometimes their "full potential" is pointless compared to better headphones not at their "full potential". :cool:
Click to expand...

Have you tried a headphone amp? I find it interesting that you would consider a well-amped headphone at "full potential" is pointless compared to better headphones not at "full potential". Proper amplification can do wonders. Would you take a unamped HD650 over a Pimeta and HD580? I would not.

In any case, I'm assuming you're using the digital connection on the X-Mystique? I'm not sure how the analog part of that card sounds as I don't own one, but if you plan on using digital, you'll have to use the receiver in the link for it's dac.
 
strid3r, your right. I have never used a headphone amp in my whole life (and any past lives that I know of). I almost got one from Mister X, but plans changed

If I had ~200$ to ploop down on a headphone setup, I would take my DT990pro from the sound card over a 5$ headphone and the BEST amp you could possibly think of (even if it broke the 200$budget). You can't improve upon what is physically not possible with the driver.

Start getting into higher end headphones, and I have no idea. But I just like to recommend people consider just spending the money on better headphones, as it may yield better results all in all. Each person has to decide on their own what is better.

~Hope this helps
 
Dont know if the GoVibe will yield better results than the HK135. I do know however, that my HK330 didnt have a very good headphone out and was bested by the Headamp Gilmore Lite and my current Headamp GS-1.

Of course, we're talking $299 and $749 respectively so that's beyond the point.

I havent tried the GoVibe... but I wouldnt be surprised if it bests the HK135's headphone out. We're looking at maybe $5 worth of parts in that headphone out anyway.

BTW, I wouldnt take the 580 with a pimeta over the 650s. To me, an unamped 650 is still very listenable although rougher around the edges - so to speak.

Thats my opinion though and strid3r differs. It's cool like that.
 
If you had $200 to spend on a headphone setup, why would you buy a $5 headphone and a $195 amp? Would you buy a Geforce 6800 Ultra to put into a Pentium 2 machine?

Since you have never listened to a headphone amp, what's it matter if you're talking about the BESTEST BEST amp evar? It wouldn't matter what amp I recommend or can think of, because you still wouldn't know what it sounds like.

The HD555 is considered by most to be a decent can, and I don't see why amping it would not produce a positive difference. In my experience with headphone amps and headphones, I have always noticed a positive difference in sound. Even on budget cans like the SR60, HD497, EX71s, I have noticed a difference.
 
HD555 will benefit from an amp - for sure. You will get a more focused everything... and the focus improves and allows depth and width to become even more apparent as you go up the SS amp ladder. As for tubes, who knows - I'm not a fan of tubes and I never will.

With regards to the OP's question... I would personally go with something like a Pimeta over a GoVibe and use that to amp the HD555. If not, then I guess the GoVibe is better than the headphone out of the HK then.

But I would try my best to go for the Pimeta.
 
O Btw, I think that upgrading headphones will yield more of a sound difference over upgrading the amp. ONLY upgrade the amp AFTER you've found the headphones that you want to keep since I feel that money is best spent on the phones first and the amp second. No point in getting a cheap $20 Sony phone and hooking it up to my $750 GS-1 amp (yes, I've done this and I do it sometimes when my brothers borrow the HD650). It still sounds like crud no matter how much better focused the sound is from its stock sonic signature. Of course, this is an extreme example. If I had a budget of say - $300... I would spend 2/3 on the can and 1/3 on the amp. If my budget were $1000, then I would spend 1/2 on the can and 1/2 on the amp. Reasoning behind the variable ratios is that I feel that cans begin to become a preference of sonic signature rather than a vertical upgrade at about the $500 mark, whereas the amps just keep on going up until about $1000 when the differences begin to hit diminished returns.

Source upgrades fit in there somewhere too.... but for me, I would do the source after you got the cans and amps settled.
 
That's interesting that you'd take the unamped HD650 Pinipig, cause I was pretty up in the air about the whole audio upgrade path thing myself. That was until I got to attend the headfi meet and listened to some of the amps. The Singlepower amps in particular (amongst others) really opened my eyes (or ears) to what an amp could really do.
 
strid3r said:
That's interesting that you'd take the unamped HD650 Pinipig, cause I was pretty up in the air about the whole audio upgrade path thing myself. That was until I got to attend the headfi meet and listened to some of the amps. The Singlepower amps in particular (amongst others) really opened my eyes (or ears) to what an amp could really do.
Click to expand...

Singlepower amps - like any tube amps - add a certain coloration to the sounds along with the improved current output that you dont get when unamped. The tubes give the cans a sound - and this is perhaps why you find amps more worthwhile than me. I prefer SS amps since I dont like tube-rolling just to find my sound signature. I want something that doesnt change the sound and just gives me the current I need to keep the can going at a higher potential.

My opinions - of course.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I am currently using Foobar2k with Kernal Streaming. Does the Mystique support ASIO yet?

If I were to go through the Receiver, then to the headphone amp, then to the headphone, am I able to bypass the Reciever's amp? Or would I be amping the source twice? Sorry if I don't know what I'm talking about lol.

Or maybe it's best to go Analog from the soundcard to the headphone amp and enabled the digital connection to the reciever when I want to use my speakers.

How much does the Pimeta go for? The GoVibe is under $100 which is why I was interested and also it's small.

I haven't got the HD 555 yet but was thinking about it. It is only $200 CND. If there are better headphones for about that price range I wouldn't mind looking into. I've seen some decently priced Grados but never tried them. Which Grados would you guys recommened? Are they comfortable, I currently am using my old Senns HD 570 (maily used it for gaming years and years ago) and love how comfortable it is, and the HD 555 looks as or more comfortable.

Edit: This audio stuff is turning into one expensive hobby....
 
Whatever you do, dont go through the headphone out.. the result is very very abysmal as I experimented with that with my HK330.
 
What's the best way to go through the reciever to the headphone without using the headphone out?

Or is it better to just not go through the reciever at all if using a headphone amp?
 
Dont go through the receiver. The more electronics the signal has to go through, the worse and the more colored it gets once it reaches the final amp and the headphones.
 
Seeing as how you hav'nt purchased the HD555 headphones yet, I would recommend you go an listen to some that are 100$ more from sennheiser or any other headphone's you find comfortable. Then compare it to the HD555 and 100$ headphone amp if possible.

The beyer's and Sennheiser's with the velour ear pads seem to be some of the most comfortable in the price range.
 
Oh.. you havent bought the cans yet? I must have missed that fact when I skim-read your post.

In that case, I recommend that you get the HD580 from ebay for about $150. These are a level about the 555 in my opinion. You dont have to get the amp right away if budget is low, but when you do.. try for atleast the pimeta. PM misterx for it since he builds very good amps or go to www.rockhopperaudio.com and buy from them.
 
HD580 is a good price as it is not too much more than the HD555.

The Amps look good at rockhopperaudio but I don't like the knob :p the all round ones look better that I've seen pics of. But for $200 USD, I gotta make sure I'll use it a lot....

And I live in Canada, so gotta find some retailers for the HD580 since I don't use ebay. My local store has the HD555, that's why I was thinking of getting that. But HD580 seems like a good choice if I can find a retailer that ships to canada. Same goes for amp.

How do the portable amps compare to the bigger/regular size ones? And is it overkill to amp some $20 panasonic headphones? what about some canalphones?
 
If I use the optical out from the HK receiver to a headphone amp, would that bypass the amp of the receiver?
 
You wouldn't be able to output a digital signal straight to the headphone amp. You'd have to get a DAC for that.
 
since, questions are being asked here:

i also have an hk-receiver, and i am looking to get a pair of senns 650's. so it would be recommended that i get a seperate amp and NOT run it through my hk-receiver?
 
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