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Labarum
23-05-2009, 14:55
Been thinking of buying some decent Headphones.

Nice Sennheiser 650 or Grados -- £300

But then I would need something to drive them cos my Beresford 7510 will fall over.

Buy a 7520? Attractive option. Or EMU 404 USB will also drive them.

But for a little more I could have basic Stax Electrostatics with energiser.

And then I note there is a Stax in ear phone for even less.

Has anyone heard these various options? Can anyone advise?

And where can I audition them?

John
23-05-2009, 15:16
The 7250 is suppused to drive AKG 701 well and these are really well balanced headphones so worth adding to the list
http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-headphone-type/full-size-headphones/
A good introducrion to headphones and what to expect soundwise

sponge
23-05-2009, 17:23
Hi Brian, The 7520 is more than capable. I use both AKG K701's and Senn. HD600's (I prefer the 600's over 650's - Not quite as bass heavy) and with a bit of experimenting with op-amps you can get just the sound you like.
I love both these cans, but they are very different - The K701's are very revealing and detailed with a huge soundstage. The HD600's are a little more laid-back, superbly comfortable on the bonce and never tiring to listen to.

These are both open phones of course, but if your preference is for closed cans, take a look at Denon's or Audio Technica's offerings - They are both producing some superb kit.

Ken

Labarum
23-05-2009, 17:44
Hi Brian, The 7520 is more than capable.

I don't doubt it, but for a little more I can have a Stax setup.

Now is it worth it? Only my ears can tell me, but what others ears tell them?

Thanks for the tips on other dynamic headphones.

Covenant
23-05-2009, 18:30
Just a cautionary word. Be careful if you are tempted by earphones off ebay.
I bought a a pair of Shure earphones which I thought very poor. When I went on the manufacturers website they warned about fakes. I contacted the seller who immediately refunded the money.
There again at my age I should have remembered the old saying-if it seems too good to be true it probably is.

Magna Audio
23-05-2009, 19:47
Right I can tell you my Phones history and that may help.

I started off with Grado SR-125's - had a couple of amps. Creek, Chinese GW J1, Little Dot II+ to name a few.
Then got some HD650's and never felt they were good enough.
Then I got a Musical Fidelity X-Cans V3 with Rock Grotto mods (Caps and stuff). Still not happy.
Then tried some tasty looking Audio Technical ATH-W1000's 2nd hand (£400 odd new) wood ones.
I got a Graham Slee Solo amp (supposed to drive the HD-650's so well) and still I felt there could be more.

Then I found STAX! Even the basic 202's blow all the other's I've tried out of the water. I have the 2nd or 3rd up tranny amp.
You can pay real mega bucks for some of them but law of diminishing returns.
It was kind of instant - this is it. This is how phones should sound.
Totally non fatiguing, excellent sound. They are just right!
Job done. Don't feel the need to try others any more.

Of course they are not phones they are Earspeakers. The amp is an Energiser:-)

They are very open so no use if someone wants to sit in the room at the same time you are listening or vice versa.

I got my amp and phones 2nd hand with very little usage for £350 - less than the price of the AT's alone!
Good luck.

Don't just watch out for Ebay but some of the affiliated sellers of Amazon have problems.
I bought some AT ATH7's and they were counterfeit. The seller refunded and ceased trading them when I informed them with photo evidence I got off Headfi.

themystical
23-05-2009, 20:16
Off course if you are after the best.....you should listen to the AKG K1000's. I sold my Stax Omega 2 set-up after using these! Pity they have stopped making them.
There are also the new Senheisser HD800's which are supposed to be excellent and far better then the HD650/HD600's. These should be out any time soon!
The US based Headfi site will give you a lot more opinions and reviews.
All the best.

Labarum
23-05-2009, 20:23
Are there any integrated designs - DAC+Amp+Transducers?

Or any planned?

Magna Audio
24-05-2009, 18:59
The two integrated Dac + head amps I have tried have been the Beresford 7510 (I understand the 7520 to be better) and the Benchmark Dac1.

The Slee beat the Benchmark's amp for me.

lupo_yellow
03-06-2009, 15:48
I have a set of Sennheiser 650's and I have recently bought the 7520 to use as a headphone amp. I am pleased with the sound.

Before the 7520 I owned a Bantam XC headphone amp and T amp combined, and the 7520 sounds better to my ears.

Kevin

The Vinyl Adventure
04-06-2009, 19:50
i have been playing around with headphones and amps recently

bought a nva ap10 compared it to the 7520... not a lot between them to be honest! this i find makes the 7520 an excelent option at £200 compared to the £260 for the ap10 concidering what else the 7520 does on top of its head amp features

unfortunatly that ap10 wasnt compatible with my kit/had a fault and melted and as much as i would like to get it back after repair or replacement the missis wont let me.
so, i now use a creek obh-11 with uprated psu for analoge source phones listening and a 7520 for digital source listening

the creek is much more heavy on the bass and not as black (if thats the right word in) in the quiet bits
the 7520 (with 4562) is very open sounding and i def prefer it to the creek but i cant listen to the record player through it

as for cans, im currently not to happy with my grado 125s .. the bass is beautifull, gets right in your head but i find the detail in the treble a bit muddled

had a listen to a pair of 225i (un-runin) and wasnt blown away with those either - less bass than my 125s .. the treble was better but still a bit muddly. this could of course been down to the fact they were new out the box!

currently waiting on a guy in audio exelence to bring in his senn 600's to have a listen too.. beyond that im stuck

so to conclude
7520 seems a good option but i dont know where to go with cans themselves...

StanleyB
08-06-2009, 09:35
The sad fact is that one needs more than one set of cans in order to cope with the wide range of recordings out there. The HD650 and K701 combination is what works for me. I would even go so far as to say that the K701 is the one to try with the TC-7520.

Stan

Vicioussid
05-10-2009, 06:15
I think, like Stanley suggests, that you almost need different cans for different genres. Open and wide for your more atmospheric music /classical, acoustic and perhaps live and then tighter and more attack for metal, rock and R&B type.

Thoughts??

Labarum
05-10-2009, 06:47
. . . I would even go so far as to say that the K701 is the one to try with the TC-7520.

Stan

Stanley, you steered me away from the 701s!

But I must say I am delighted with the Sony MDR-F1s you suggested.

My wife is less keen on these open ear speakers - the sound spill is significant.

NickB
05-10-2009, 07:20
I bought some 702's from the good old US of A for about £170 and have to say they are fantastic. Takes me right back to listening to Hawkwind,King Crimson Santana and Groundhogs after "lights out" in my teens. Oops thats giving my age away.

Have listened quite a lot and am still trying to find the "lack of bass" when using with my Caiman which has run in now and sounds fantastic.

Nick

Labarum
05-10-2009, 08:09
Anyone tried the Caiman with any of the Stax electrostatic headphones?

Labarum
09-10-2009, 20:00
What closed back headphones would members choose to go with a 7520 or Caiman?

I guess in ear phones (iPod style) would effect the same silence in the room, and could be used for travelling too. There are some high quality ones. Would they match the best studio phones? What would you choose?

Phil Bishop
11-10-2009, 08:50
I have to say the AKG 701's have impressed me most, mainly because of the clarity and enormous soundstage. However, I think I am still waiting for them and my Senn HD650's to fully break in.

Has anyone played around with re-cabling the Senn 650's? Does it make a difference as some suggest?

Phil

Themis
11-10-2009, 09:19
Has anyone played around with re-cabling the Senn 650's? Does it make a difference as some suggest?
Hi Phil,
650's cable is a good quality OFC (copper) cable. Me too, I wonder how could possibly a re-cabling make things better ...

(moreover re-cabling is sometimes more expensive than the original headphones...)

Werner Berghofer
11-10-2009, 09:21
Phil,
I have to say the AKG 701's have impressed me mostI’m with you, I’ve never used a better sounding headphone. However, after approximately half an hour of wearing them the padded genuine-leather headband starts to feel very uncomfortable on my head.

I’m still looking for a solution.

StanleyB
11-10-2009, 12:44
I was thinking of trying out the HD800, which I consider to be a blatant copy of the MDR-F1 technology at more than five times the price. But forking out more than a grand for a set of cans might be far too much for my piggy bank:(.

Labarum
11-10-2009, 12:50
But forking out more than a grand for a set of cans . . .

That's the profit from a lot of Caiman sales, Stan.

trailer
09-11-2009, 14:35
http://www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk/display.aspx?infid=4534

StanleyB
09-11-2009, 17:12
Anyone know where I can get a HD-800 at a discount?

Carson
10-12-2009, 14:19
I would seem the 2 main favourites here are the HD650's and the K701's.

This is nice for me to hear as I have been thinking of upgrading my ageing Goldring DR150's to one of the sets above.
Problem is, I am not sure which one is best suited to my kind of music. Most of the time I listen to rock/pop (like Dire Straits, Maroon 5, Seal, Crowded House, etc), Laid-back Trance (Kind of a mix between chill-out and dance music), Jazz and chill-out.

I have heard that the 701s provide a nicer sound stage, yet the 650s are a little easier on the ears.

Does anyone have an opinions regarding which set of cans is better suited to my music? Or any others to that matter? (I'm swaying more towards the K701 or K702 at the moment)

Kris
10-12-2009, 14:34
Don't forget to at least consider the excellently sounding and rarely mentioned Ergo Earspeakers. The best I've ever heard and very comfortable. the only downside is you have to keep your head relatively still.

The AMT is rather expensive, but the Ergo2 is 3/4 the way there at £189

Here's a review of the Ergo 2 : http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/headphones/ergo2.html

And here's the UK distributers webpage: www.stoneaudio.co.uk/browse.asp?manufacturer=Ergo

Also have a read of this post (and the rest of the thread) http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/ergo-2-a-254716/#post3212182

webby
11-12-2009, 23:06
I was gonna start a new thread but I guess it's ok if I post here.

I was listening with my Grado SR80's today for around an hour or so and I'm finding them quite uncomfortable. It's as if the foam padding is not enough to keep the plastic innard from pressing onto my ear.

Do any other Grado owners have this problem?

Themis
11-12-2009, 23:08
Perhaps you can try gently "bending" them a little, so that the foam presses less on your head ? ;)

webby
11-12-2009, 23:16
Perhaps you can try gently "bending" them a little, so that the foam presses less on your head ? ;)

Yeah, I thought about that cos they are still new in terms of use, so they do press quite hard. I'll try bending them out.

Thanks

Alex_UK
11-12-2009, 23:39
I have SR60s which I think are similar - I've got a right fat head and not noticed a particular issue - I think they do slacken off a bit with use.