headphone amp

Rroff said:
I really don't rate my 600s with BF4 or for that matter any competitive gaming - definitely need headphones that have a wider and more artificial sense of separation and a driver that sounds more responsive. For music though especially if you have a decent quality/lossless source of some well mastered music the 600s are just another level with the right amp.
Click to expand...


Well said. I rate the 600 over the 650s as I prefer the sound. But they are both terrible for games IMO. Probably among the worst I've heard.
 
might be my imagination but the AKG 701 seem to be closer in volume to the HD600s now, although the difference between the 701s and the 650 might have been bigger but I've sent those back now

was looking on the Schiit page, having pre outs would be much better for my setup but the Magni 2 uber is currently out of stock....not sure if that's temporary or not. The cheapest amp with pre outs is the Asgard 2 which is getrting kinda pricey!
 
Last edited:
yeah, i think solid state would suit me better, no interest in changing tubes etc...would be almost impossible not to if i had a tube amp!

might not matter...I was hoping the line out and phones socket worked at the same time, look likee the line out is muted when phones are plugged in
 
Last edited:
builder22 said:
might be my imagination but the AKG 701 seem to be closer in volume to the HD600s now, although the difference between the 701s and the 650 might have been bigger but I've sent those back now
Click to expand...
Well, human ear is bad absolute meter and has even worser memory...
As for any possible "burn in" effect my experiences are conflicting.

You didn't yet mention what's the use for headphones.
E.g is it just music or also lots of gaming?
 
I've no experience with the AKGs and "burn-in" but in my experience with the HD600s they don't really change that much from "burn-in" a tiny different to the bass but that is it.
 
use is 99% music....listening, playing guitar and (digital) piano, occasionally some minimal techno recording/experimenting

ordered the Magni 2, should be here in a few days, have read good and bad but not going to find out without trying The Asgard etc is just too much (plus i dont think the pre out/phones work simultaneously)
 
got the Magni 2 today....too early to say for certain but if it's better than the E10k's amp it's not by much, normal listening level anyway, the Magni goes louder so having more headroom is prob a good thing but I can't hear any real difference. At this point I'd be amazed if anyone could tell the difference in a blind test. Obviously the Magni is a stand alone amp which I can use for other things so it will stay

tested using the E10's DAC line out to the Magni, setting up a loop (so comparing the same thing) then just plugging the phones in to either the E10 or Magni, maybe will notice a difference over time with actual music listening....

edit - the line out on the E10k must be part of the amp as no signal comes out of it when the volume is set to off (level remains constant until it's switched off tho), but the PC can still see it, and shows it still playing throught the E10....better do another test.... I dunno if this affects anything...just seems strange it switches off with the amp volume set to 'off'. I'd have though the only thing that would switch off woiuld be the amp headphones out
 
Last edited:
Once you get to a reasonable level of sound quality in Audio equipment, there are no "night and day" differences, no matter what some people will say.
 
yeah....the headphones were a wow moment but no the Magni, although there's nothing wrong with it, it will get plenty use

I'd say both the E10 and Magni (through the E10 or a UCA202 Behringer) with the HD600 sound great

kinda missing t
 
Last edited:
Had to return the K701, a creak developed in the right ear assembly...couldn't hear it unless listening at low level (and moving head/jaw) but it was annoying.
Some sticky tape or something must have been out of line inside the cup too, you could hear it sticking when moving it around.

Very happy with the Magni tho!
 
If you've got the budget for it, go tube. Don't worry about obsessing over tube rolling many come with good stock tubes and if they don't there's cheap offerings you can go for and you're done.

SS isn't more accurate than tube. Most SS amps actually lean the sound out and well made tube amplifiers have a more natural timbre, soem with higher output impedance like OTL can add that tube wetness which can be pleasing but can still can still sound accurate in other areas.

Sadly there's no way to know one amp from another without listening to it as many will measure similarly.
 
xRaptor_PunisheR said:
SS isn't more accurate than tube. Most SS amps actually lean the sound out and well made tube amplifiers have a more natural timbre
Click to expand...

A properly transparent/accurate amp actually sounds quite dry, raw and boring - most people don't actually want a properly transparent amp for music entertainment. Though you can't really emulate tube rolloff without additional DSP opamp based SS amps these days can have a range of signature with many recent opamps having a decently full sound. The reason SS gets a bad rap is generally due to either poorly made, over hyped, discrete based amps that aren't actually all that or the popular NE55xx or OPA132x based opamps which while they tend to be fairly accurate also somehow suck all the life out of the sound IMO. In some SS amps the leanness comes from a poor choice of DC blocking capacitor which can often be an overlooked or underestimated part of the design.
 
been messing with the hi-lo gain setting on the Magni...I had read that always use the lowest gain setting if you have enough volume but the Hi setting seems to either clean up the bass or pronounce the mids/highs more..not sure what exactly but the sound just seems clearer/closer.... makes details easier to hear at lower volume. Or I'm imagining it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom