Talk to me about headphones..

[NickK]

The mrs has bounded the idea of getting me a pair of headphones for my birthday. She initially suggested wireless but I'm thinking of audio/computer headphones. I've had old Siennhisser and have a pair of old AKG K240mkIIs, and the AKGs could actually work again if I replaced the detachable chord. I've a MiniFuse 1 interface that I use to drive headphones (it has a guitar input too but that's beside the point).

So I'm trying to think if it's worth replacing the AKGs with something more modern or simply ask for a chord and something else. Budget won't be massive <200 would be about right. I haven't played games for years, but do listen to music. I don't listen too loudly but like clarity and neutral frequency response.

In the old days HD600 or others seemed to be the daddy but it seems things have moved on.

 

[Ayahuasca]

The HD600 remains an excellent choice today, especially if you're looking for a neutral frequency response.

Although planar magnetics have become popular in recent years, they aren't necessarily superior.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

If the AKGs met your needs, a new cable would be a good starting point.

If you’re hankering after a shiny new pair of cans, there’s a LOT more choice now.
Personally, I’m not a fan of Bluetooth, as even the latest can’t deal with 24bit music, and you end up reliant on the DAC and amp built into the headphones.

Post that, you need to think about whether you want in ear, on ear or over ear. As per normal, each has its own pros and cons.

Ref the HD600s, they’re still well regarded, and at their price point, competitive.
Another similar option are the Beyer DT990s, but they’re even cheaper.

Note that the efficiency of a headphone is most easily shown by its impedence. The lower the impedance, the easier it is to drive, though again, that results in an audio compromise if you go too low.
Low is around 30ohms, high around 250 or above.
I believe that both the 600 and 990s prefer a dedicated headphone amp to make them sing.

 

[Rroff]

Problem with headphones is finding something which sounds pleasing to you. The HD600s are amazing headphones but the sound isn't for everyone, they also are a bit fussy with what equipment is driving them - just chucking them on the average mainstream audio device and you'll tend to get muddy bass/mid-range and heavily veiled treble.

The HD560s are a steal at the moment and often available with a little bit of a discount on top of that - good for gaming and music with a decently detailed and analytical sound but some might find them a little raw sounding - which is where the HD505 and HD550 come in with more musical tuning though as you go to the 505 and then 550 they become a little less suited to gaming as a trade-off, and the 505 have better comfort. The 505 also resemble the 600s but with a more modern V shaped frequency response but don't have that certain something which makes the 600's mid-range so special.

There are a lot of competitive offerings these days from the likes of Meze, Fiio, Hifiman, etc.

 

[NickK]

The lower the impedance, the easier it is to drive, though again, that results in an audio compromise if you go too low.
Low is around 30ohms, high around 250 or above.
I believe that both the 600 and 990s prefer a dedicated headphone amp to make them sing.

There's two impedances that can interact - the amp impedance needs to be lower than the headphone impedance to prevent frequency roll off and provide enough current to drive that lower frequency. This is why headphone amps like Chord use multiple parallel amplifying components to reduce the output impedance of the amp.

A higher impedance headphone will need a larger voltage swing (peak to peak) to drive them. This is why the smaller headphone amps that don't offer a large enough output will result in a quieter sound.

Although this depends a little, the higher impedance voice coils use thinner gauge wire and will often present a tighter flux winding (even some have a lighter voice coil itself) the result is more detail and nuance. This is why my guitar amp uses a 16R rather than an 8R speaker as the sound of the same model of speaker but different impedances sounds different. Lastly the lower ratio in the transformer between tube and speaker can result in less distortion.

It does seem that the HD600 loves low output impedance and high swing ability. Food for throught.

 

[Rroff]

It does seem that the HD600 loves low output impedance and high swing ability. Food for throught.

The HD600 puzzle me, though it may come down to supply voltage based performance of amp devices like opamps which are sometimes characterised for different supply voltages. Amps with low supply voltage like +/-5V usually don't get the best out of them but if it was insufficient voltage for the output gain my understanding is you'd get clipping on the output which would produce a distinct effect. Slew rates/voltage swing is part of it but I don't believe is the whole story.

 

[NickK]

The HD600 puzzle me, though it may come down to supply voltage based performance of amp devices like opamps which are sometimes characterised for different supply voltages. Amps with low supply voltage like +/-5V usually don't get the best out of them but if it was insufficient voltage for the output gain my understanding is you'd get clipping on the output which would produce a distinct effect. Slew rates/voltage swing is part of it but I don't believe is the whole story.

Most modern opamps have way more slew rate capability to cope with MHz, and you only need something like 5V/uS slew rate for audio.. however not all measurements are equal and it all depends vs current rate etc.

I could make a paralleled rail-to-rail opamp with 12 or 18V but then limit the current delivery, that way it'd get the attack bite but wouldn't destroy the headphones with too much current. Food for thought but it becomes a game of diminishing returns.