headphone question also, amp required?

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Weenis

I said WEENIS, not...
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Apr 10, 2006
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Hey guys.. I have a couple questions.

I know a decent amount about audio and am going to research more into it later but I figured I'd ask some of the pros :).

I have my pc hooked up to a receiver (sony HTIB receiver before they got gimped.. from about '03) since it amplifies, if I hookup my headphones to said receiver I should not need an amplifier correct?

Also.. I had a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pros.. (sold them due to someone really wanting them and me not needing them at the time) I'm finding I would like a nice pair of cans again and I'm not sure what to go with.. I like noise attenuation factor the 280pros offered, and sound quality. I was reading a lot of people like Audio technica AH500-900s..

I was wondering 2 things, what would be comparable to the 280Pros or better in the range of AT cans? And is there really a lot of difference between the 500s and the 700s thats worth it? (not a complete audiophile I just appreciate good sound and quality products)

Thanks in advance!
 
I am not well versed with AT products, so I'll leave that to someone else.

Regarding the question about the amp, I would say that you only really need an amp if you want to bring the best out of any headphone. As to which amp is for you, that depends on your headphones (it would not be prudent to spend 1K on an amp for a pair of $40 headphones) and your budget.

That being said, I'm sure your receiver has a pretty decent headphone out.
 
Thanks for the quick reply.. yeah the headphone out is 1/4 inch RCA... not that it has any factor other than size but I'd assume its pretty good..

I dont want to spend above teh 120 range on cans.. and if necessary i wouldnt want to spend that again on an amp if possible to get great sound.. I'm not beyond anything DIY either, would be great to make something like that and a fun project.
 
Weenis said:
Thanks for the quick reply.. yeah the headphone out is 1/4 inch RCA... not that it has any factor other than size but I'd assume its pretty good..

I dont want to spend above teh 120 range on cans.. and if necessary i wouldnt want to spend that again on an amp if possible to get great sound.. I'm not beyond anything DIY either, would be great to make something like that and a fun project.
Click to expand...

For a DIY amp, there are lots of guides on building a cmoy or a ppa. MisterX is the resident expert in this field.

PM him if you are truly serious about an amp and he can guide you.

Alright folks, the guy is looking for AT cans at the $120 price range.... help him out.
 
Appreciate the suport and thanks for the info :)

Not dead set on AT cans but I hear they are great, and they look comfy too.

I don't even know what cmoy or ppa are, have some reading to do :)
 
Those Audio Technica cans don't really scale well when an amplifier is added, from what I've heard (urgh... read, even). What sort of sound signature do you like? If you're a bit of a bass-head like me it might be worth getting some DT 770 Pros, which do[/] improve a lot when an amplifier is added to the mix.
 
Well I don't HAVE to amplify them.. just saying that its a route i'd be willing to take. I like things clean sounding.. I don't need overly powerful bass but its gotta be good.
 
I'm a big fan of the Audio Technica A500s and recommend them to all sort of people I know. So far I have yet to hear a complaint. Also, they don't require an amp to sound their best. I've since moved on from AT to some HD650s but I do still get the desire to get a set of the a900s to be a closed alternative to my open HD650s.
 
I just want to make sure that the ATH A series arent going to be uncomfortable.. the HD280 pros were really comfy and I loved that about them.
 
No they are more comfortable than the 280 if anything. Not much bass though they do have decent mids and sound stage. The RP-21 or Goldring 150 are better though. The RP-21 has the biggest sound stage of all of them and is designed to be worn for long periods which is why I recommended them.
 
I'm worried about not having sufficient bass.. i don't need it to be like a mini subwoofer in my cans.. I just want the music to sound the way it should.

I can't remember how good my 280 pros sound anymore :( its been too long since i had good cans. All i have now is cheap earbuds that came with my ipod
 
Hearing the music as it should sound in reality = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I spent about $1000 for my Stax setup. My headphones are powered by a speaker amp at 30 Watts per channel.

Now, again, best sounding, comfortable headphones in your price range are the RP-21, Goldring 150. Best sounding headphones but less comfortable are the Sennheiser HD-25 MKII.

None of these need an amp but all will improve with a mini3 amp from misterX.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=262264
 
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