Topic: The All Purpose Advice Thread (Read 139949 times)

Hammy · « **Reply #560 on:** September 26, 2014, 10:36:02 PM »

I listen to some of the same music. Classical symphonies, Grateful Dead, JJ Cale, etc. And more.

That's all good music for the HD600. Well suited. The challenge with the HD600 is having an amp that can drive them so they don't sound limp. Acoustic guitar is one thing that the HD600 needs a good amp for. Wimpy amps make a steel string guitar sound a bit like it has nylon strings. Don't want that with music like JJ Cale. If you've got an amp that give the HD600 the right snap to be able to do acoustic guitar then it's a very nice headphone. Otherwise the HD600 can be a bit on the boring overly smoothed side of things if you have a wimpy amp.

Byrnie · « **Reply #561 on:** September 26, 2014, 11:49:32 PM »

Given you're just starting out I toobwoukd recommend the HD598. You get roughly 90% of the HD600 performance for like half the price. Use the rest of your money to get an Asgard 2 or to save up for one. The DACPort is nice also IMO.

Claritas · « **Reply #562 on:** September 27, 2014, 01:20:24 AM »

Thad, I've tried a friend's AD900 only once but I don't consider HD555/558/595/598 an improvement. They all sounded smeared and blurry to me, and I'm never inclined to listen to them for long.

I'm a big fan, however, of HD600 even from a meh whatever DIY amp like the O2. Everything sounds good to me on it, even harpsichord. And it scales really well, especially with good tubes. I think it's the better investment.

Hands · « **Reply #563 on:** September 27, 2014, 01:46:56 AM »

I think the HD600 is a big jump over the HD5x8 line. Dunno what it is, but the 5x8s just don't sound as clear or powerful to my ears. That said, I think the HD600 is a great headphone! I highly recommend it. If you find them too tight, no problem. Stretch them out over something for a few days and bend the exposed metal of the headband when you extend the cups down. Very light clamp that way (too tight for me stock). If you think they have too much or too muddy of mid-bass, throw some damping in the cups.

JoelT · « **Reply #564 on:** September 27, 2014, 02:56:48 AM »

I would choose the HD600 as well, no contest. For the price it's, well...just a really a great all around headphone. It scales tremendously, the tonality is generally excellent (I'd rank the tonality above quite a few much more expensive headphones), and you don't have to drain your savings account to make it sound good. I loved it with Valhalla 2, and could honestly live pretty happily with that combo. As Hans detailed, the clamp isn't an issue if you carefully bend the metal extension portion of the band - I wouldn't worry about that aspect too much.

I've been going back and forth if I should sell my pair. They don't get a lot of head time anymore, but I always enjoy them when I pull them out. Choices...

No_One411 · « **Reply #565 on:** September 27, 2014, 05:12:35 AM »

I currently have a couple rigs to work with. Funny how much you start buying once you start working and making an actual salary...

Home: Anedio D2 -> Schiit Vali -> HD800
Work: Schiit Wyrd -> GO720 -> Gustard H10 -> Paradox Slants and Enigma

Oh...I've also got a UERM coming in thanks to some help from CEE TEE.

My question here is...where do I go from here? I want to upgrade the Vali but it just sounds so damn good. Can't help but feel I need to start getting into tubes to improve the HD800 even further...

Thad E Ginathom · « **Reply #566 on:** September 27, 2014, 09:27:40 AM »

Thank you all for the the HD600 advice, which I skimmed, and will now go back and read slowly.

I forgot to mention that, amp-wise, I have an ifi iCAN. Depending on the music (and sometimes from track to track) I use both the XBass and the 3D settings. The XBass seems to give the ATH AD900 another dimension in both rock and orchestral, although occasionally it gets overbearing and I have to reach out and switch it to one dot or flat.

I will now go back and read slowly

Hammy · « **Reply #567 on:** September 27, 2014, 09:29:19 AM »

The HD600 is a big jump over the HD598, especially for classical. The HD598 looks good on frequency response graphs. But on listening the mids sound sucked out and lacking and muddy or blurry. That's not a combination that works for classical. So much of the texture of classical music and orchestra sound is in the mids.

The HD600 does classical well. It has enough detail retrieval to give you the texture. It's tonally correct. Better than the K701/K702 which can make french horn sound wonky. And the HD600 is likely a headphone you'll keep as a reference for 20 years. I'll never get rid of mine. Any of the Schiit amps will drive them well. Even the Magni or Vali.

Thad E Ginathom · « **Reply #568 on:** September 27, 2014, 09:51:16 AM »

It's all great advice, and somehow all my unspoken questions got answered, except perhaps one. I think I'll now check out the logistics and, if there's space in that luggage, go for it.

The one unasked and unanswered question... Nobody said, "Whoa! Save the money and buy the HD800 when you can!" Of course, the price difference is pretty huge and I did say I couldn't afford it.

I don't particular want to step onto a perpetual upgrade ladder, and would like to keep the iCAN for a while: it is less than a year old. Maybe a change to the ODAC might be in order and foreseeable. A possibly-affordable experimental spend would be the cheaper knock-off Lehman, Matrix (I think?) but... I also need new desktop monitors, and that needs an HD800-rivalling budget.

Now I'll go back and read it all a third time

purplegoat · « **Reply #569 on:** September 30, 2014, 09:37:55 AM »

Ahoy,

Right now I have a Yulong DA8 -> Yulong A28 -> Balanced Norne Vanquish Cable -> HD800

I really don't like it, it's too warm and not neutral. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a setup I can get for around 1500usd that would be better/more neutral (big emphasis on neutrality, I want this for mixing/mastering). Balanced preferred especially since I already have the Vanquish but whatever's best!

Author Topic: The All Purpose Advice Thread (Read 139949 times)

Hammy

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Byrnie

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Claritas

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Hands

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JoelT

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No_One411

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Thad E Ginathom

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Hammy

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Thad E Ginathom

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purplegoat

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