headphone amplifier question

[Elvis's last movement]

I have a pair of Denon D5000 headphones and I listen at work to MP3 files on my laptop.

Would a headphone amp improve the sound I get currently? How is the sound improved? How does a headphone amplifier do it?

Thanks
Lance

[Stratmangler]

I found this on Wikipedia and it just about sums up the situation


Consumer headphone amplifiers

Headphone amplifiers as referred to here are commercially available separate devices, sold to a niche audiophile market. These devices allow for higher possible volumes and greater audio clarity than the smaller, cheaper amplifiers that are used in most audio players. (In the case of the extremely-high-end electrostatic headphones, such as the Stax SR-007, a specialized electrostatic headphone amplifier or transformer step-up box and power amplifier is required to use the headphones, as only a dedicated electrostatic headphone amplifier or transformer can provide the voltage levels necessary to drive the headphones.) Most headphone amplifiers provide power between 10 mW and 2 W depending on the specific headphone being used and the design of the amplifier.

[technobear]

If you're listening to MP3's then you are wasting your monery with Denon D5000's, let alone a headphone amp!

You cannot polish a turd!

Don't spend one single penny more until you are listening to lossless music files.

[Elvis's last movement]

If you're listening to MP3's then you are wasting your monery with Denon D5000's, let alone a headphone amp!

You cannot polish a turd!

Don't spend one single penny more until you are listening to lossless music files.

I have loads of lossless music files that I can copy onto my hard drive, I guess I can download foobar.

[technobear]

Can we assume you are plugging the Denon's straight into the laptop?

If so, you will have lots of background noise and the sound will be fairly lo-fi if it's a typical laptop.

Adding an amp will make it no better although it may firm up the bass a bit.

You really need to add a DAC. One that includes a decent headphone output would obviously be neat.

Does your laptop have S/P-DIF output?

If not then you would need a DAC that has a USB input (and also a decent USB cable as I recently discovered. I can recommend the Kimber USB).

[Techno Commander]

You cannot polish a turd!

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQSfkDlByWVtJGWKI-1c0vZtSKXdMDezzWR9kkeX0REdF7i8VNgQ :)

[Elvis's last movement]

Can we assume you are plugging the Denon's straight into the laptop?

If so, you will have lots of background noise and the sound will be fairly lo-fi if it's a typical laptop.

Adding an amp will make it no better although it may firm up the bass a bit.

You really need to add a DAC. One that includes a decent headphone output would obviously be neat.

Does your laptop have S/P-DIF output?

If not then you would need a DAC that has a USB input (and also a decent USB cable as I recently discovered. I can recommend the Kimber USB).

My laptop is probably ordinary, so I need a DAC with a USB input? Thanks I will investigate this.....

[Welder]

There is nothing wrong with listening to mp3 Lance. The higher bit rate the better but the truth is a great many people can’t hear the difference between a 320 mp3 and a lossless format.
Before the audiophiles lead you astray go and compare some lossless rips with your mp3 files and decide for yourself. You could save yourself an awful lot of money and angst.
Audio is a hobby and just like any other hobby you will always get those who say your particular choice is a pile of shit. The plain truth is you can have as much fun driving a mini cooper as you can driving a Porsche.
Have a look at some of the pictures of peoples systems in the Gallery here. Do you honestly believe that all that expensive kit enables them to enjoy music any more than you?

I would agree this much though, that this chain; Laptop, outboard Dac, Headphone Amplifier, is likely to give you a better sound overall than headphones straight from your laptop.

[Elvis's last movement]

There is nothing wrong with listening to mp3 Lance. The higher bit rate the better but the truth is a great many people can’t hear the difference between a 320 mp3 and a lossless format.
Before the audiophiles lead you astray go and compare some lossless rips with your mp3 files and decide for yourself. You could save yourself an awful lot of money and angst.
Audio is a hobby and just like any other hobby you will always get those who say your particular choice is a pile of shit. The plain truth is you can have as much fun driving a mini cooper as you can driving a Porsche.
Have a look at some of the pictures of peoples systems in the Gallery here. Do you honestly believe that all that expensive kit enables them to enjoy music any more than you?

I would agree this much though, that this chain; Laptop, outboard Dac, Headphone Amplifier, is likely to give you a better sound overall than headphones straight from your laptop.

John, thanks for the response its much appreciated....I haven't felt like listening to any music (mp3s) on the laptop was an audio experience equivalent to sniffing a turd. I love the sound I have been getting from the headphones. I upgraded from a £30 pair of Sennheisers PX100s and was stunned by the sonic improvement. Having said that, I took the view that the poster who said this meant that there are some improvements to be made to the source.

Anyway, I have a Beresford doing nothing - I have been playing CDs connected directly into my EAR amplifiers. Presumably I plug the Beresford into a USB port on the laptop, and whack my headphones into that. I will try this tomorrow at work. This might be problem solved!!!

Thanks again,

Lance

[Spur07]

John, thanks for the response its much appreciated....I haven't felt like listening to any music (mp3s) on the laptop was an audio experience equivalent to sniffing a turd. I love the sound I have been getting from the headphones. I upgraded from a £30 pair of Sennheisers PX100s and was stunned by the sonic improvement. Having said that, I took the view that the poster who said this meant that there are some improvements to be made to the source.

Anyway, I have a Beresford doing nothing - I have been playing CDs connected directly into my EAR amplifiers. Presumably I plug the Beresford into a USB port on the laptop, and whack my headphones into that. I will try this tomorrow at work. This might be problem solved!!!

Thanks again,

Lance

Lance, it depends what Beresford you have. The 7510 is not noted for the quality of its headphone output.

[technobear]

If you were to compare the D5000's with a £100 headphone, say ATH-M50's, on a high end system you would clearly hear what the Denon's give you. It's the very thing that MP3 compression takes away. It saps the life and realism out of the music so the D5000's are wasted. You could be using M50's and you would be just as gobsmacked (I know, I do use a pair).

The comment about turd polishing was a metaphor. It doesn't mean MP3's are turds. It means that no amount of money spent on headphones and amps will ever make an MP3 sound like the lossless file it was made from.

The point I am making is that you will never hear what the D5000's are truly capable of if you don't use lossless files (and a high-end source).

[StanleyB]

I have been using the more expensive D7000 with mp3 files quite happily via both the TC-7520 and Caiman fitted with a Gator and AD826 opamp. The results are far from disappointing. My source is an expensive Sony VAIO laptop, but I wouldn't call it a high-end source. Satisfaction level is however very high.

[Elvis's last movement]

A quick update from me.

The Beresford TC-7520 is likely to stay at work permanently. The difference between the laptop/and headphones and the laptop/Beresford/headphones is astonishing.....thanks to everyone who replied to this thread.