Best headphones with 7520 or Caiman

[Labarum]

Stan recommends

Sennheiser

HD280 £99

HD650 £220

Audio Technica

DT880 £190

DT990 £130

Sony

MDR-F1 £160

Which, as far as I can see is only available on eBay from Japan

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Any additions?

Any opinions?

[sanchezxxx]

AKG k-701 sound great on the 7520 with Caiman op-amps. Very happy with performance.

[Alex_UK]

I've been impressed with my bottom-of-the range Grado SR60's - but I've not tested them against anything comparable, and I'm probably the victim of hype... but I'd certainly look to move up the range when I can (the SR60 (now SR60i) - £70-80 on ebay new.)

[The Vinyl Adventure]

i have the grado 125's that i quite enjoy with both 7520 and caiman

alex - i seriously recomend going down your local audio-t (or whoever locally stocks grado) and have a listen to any possible upgrades within the grado range. i know of people who much prefer the 60's to the 125's ..

[Alex_UK]

That's interesting, thanks Hamish I'll bear that in mind - must admit I'm very pleased with the SR60s, so logic dictates "more of the same", but logic of course is defied by the laws of diminishing returns!

[Spur07]

Labarum,

how would any of those stack up against a pair of stax? I've been seriously thinking about investing in a pair of headphones.

[Labarum]

Labarum,

how would any of those stack up against a pair of stax? I've been seriously thinking about investing in a pair of headphones.

Ah, Stax. I too would like to know how a the cheapest Stax compares. Finding a retailer where you can audition all the headphones that interst you is near impossible.

But £495! STAX SRS-2050II BASIC SYSTEM

http://www.stoneaudio.co.uk/

Unless you go for the in-ear option

£249 Stax SR-001 MK2 Earspeaker

I did consider the 2050 thinking that I would not need a Headphone amp better than that in my Standac 7510, but the Caiman came along and I went for that in the knowledge it would drive any pair of phones well. And, of course when I heard it I realised the better DAC chip takes the little black box into a different league.

I had £500, being the annual income from my book, and was prepared to spend that on the headphone option I will need when I become a flat dweller next month, but I have now spent half that on the Caimon,

So it's the Earspeaker or a good pair of Dynamic Headphones.

The AKG 701s are well spoken of, but they are not on Stan's list. When I quizzed him he said "An aquired taste, and an expensive one." He mentioned the Song MDR-F1 of which I had not heard.

As far as I can see they are only available on eBay from Japan at £160

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Reviews mention the open sound stage and the comfort in wearing but find them light in bass and lacking in detail. I will not be listening to rock music so bass might not be an issue - lack of detail would be, especially given the superb resolution of the Caimon.

http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/bigreview.htm

As I said, getting to audition the options is not easy, and even if you listen in a shop, you don't really know till you have had them a month!

[Simon P]

I think a lot of it depends on what you want from your headphones really. I can comment on the headphones I've got that I use with the Caiman.

I have a pair of BeyerDynamic DT-880s which to my ears are very detailed, especially with the Caiman. I think they're great when I'm messing around trying to make tracks on my computer, particularly in terms of being able to get right inside the sound and pull the parts of a mix apart. But to my ears they're a bit bass light for some of the more bass heavy stuff I sometimes listen to, like dubstep and reggae. In my opinion, this is purely down to the headphones and not the Caiman - the Caiman provides more bass (control and depth) than my Stello DA-200 and Darkvoice 336SE study setup. The 880's are great for more analytical listening. But listen to something like Jose Gonzalez 'Veneer', and some of his scraping up and down the fretboard puts my teeth on a edge a bit with these. Your taste in music may be a deciding factor as far as the DT-880s are concerned. Listening to Miles Davis or Dave Brubeck they sound great on the Caiman. Listening to Bob Marley or King Tubby, I just want a bit more bass.

For listening pleasure rather than analysing, I love my Denon AHD-5000's they have a wider stereo image than the DT-880s, and the top end is less pronounced. I absolutely love the sound of them with the Caiman - to my ears it's a very good synergy. On the other hand, I'd completely understand how for some people the bass on them could be a bit overwhelming. They're a fair step up cash-wise as well, though I suspect that the similar, but more affordable AHD-2000s might have a very similar sound ... er I am speculating wildly here, I just made that up ...

I think they're both good headphones that work well on the Caiman, but I enjoy them for different reasons. I certainly wouldn't describe either of them as neutral though. For me personally, I prefer the Denons, but as with all HiFi it's a matter of personal taste.

NB: I've not heard other headphones to compare them to, such as the ubiquitous Senn HD650s or various Grados, which always seem to be very well regarded, so keep in mind my limited experience of headphones before taking my completely subjective opinions as accurate

When all is said and done, I reckon that any half decent pair of headphones will sound good with the Caiman - it's a great piece of kit both as a DAC and a headphone amp. Frustratingly (in a way), it has made my Little Dot Microtube headphone amp redundant.

Simon

[Labarum]

I have bought a pair of Sony MDR -F1 headphones. Bought blind on Stan's recommendation. Now there's trust!

They arrived 0830 Hrs today. Bought on eBay from USA but dispatched direct from Tokyo.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It took seven days and would have been five if a weekend had not fallen badly.

First impressions? Very comfortable and sound very very nice.

Thanks for the tip tan - I didn't even know they existed.

I take it they are not difficult to drive, like some of the other HiFi phones, so the 7510 or even an iPod might drive them nicely, I guess?

[StanleyB]

I take it they are not difficult to drive, like some of the other HiFi phones, so the 7510 or even an iPod might drive them nicely, I guess?

They are 25 ohms, so reasonable amount of power required. The 7510 drives them fine and they even work on my laptop headphone output.

Odd headphones, the F1's. But be prepared to be glancing over your shoulders from time to time whilst listening to them. The surround sound like reproduction can sound very life like at times.

Stan