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headphones/headphone systems for dummies

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 2:05 pm
by onedown
hello, everyone. posted this in another forum where rtsy and myself are members of, and he suggested to me that i go to this forum for additional inputs. so here goes.

i'm studying the feasibility of setting up a modest (and hopefully affordable) headphone system, but know very little on how to go about it. as to how far i'll be willing to go would depend on your inputs. i'm hoping you can help me out by answering a couple of my questions below. please feel free to add more pointers, in case i missed out on some important factors.

supra-aural vs. circumaural -- what are the advantages of one over the other? are these terms the same with open and close, respectively?

headphone amp -- would like to give this a try. hopefully, their cost won't be beyond my reach. where (preferably with in makati) can i audition entry-level amps, to hear for myself whether its worth saving up for?

source -- i'm inclined to use a portable CD player as my source. assuming i'll be using a headphone amp, would it be prudent to use a portable as my source, or it would be wiser to ditch the amp and spend the money for CDs instead? if i were to use a portable, would there be a difference between using the headphone output and line oout in connecting it to the headphone amp?

thanks.
:)

Headphones

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 3:49 pm
by dogears
Newbie din ako so here's a newbie answer [on some of your questions]:

source: Me distortion yata if you connect your hpamp on a pcdp's headphone output but you can always try it for yourself.

hpamp: I was also looking for one but was unsuccessful. However, I was in touch with rajan before and was contemplating on getting his Total Airhead(?) na hindi naman natuloy due to 'budget realignment' :wink: I'm not sure if its still available from him plus another 'better' unit.

I am using my Grado SR-80 with a Sony pcdp [D-121] right now in the office 8)

Re: headphones/headphone systems for dummies

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 10:04 pm
by rtsyrtsy
onedown wrote:hello, everyone. posted this in another forum where rtsy and myself are members of, and he suggested to me that i go to this forum for additional inputs. so here goes.


Was my answer to you posted at http://www.pinoydvd.com/yabbse/index.ph ... 5;start=80
any use?

The HD495s are about the same price as the HD497. Check places like Audiogon to see how much immaculate pre-owned ones cost now. :P

Have you chosen from supra-aural, circum-aural, or in-ear models?

How much is the portable CDP you are looking at? I know Rene Rivo had a Marantz CD63 going for about PhP6k. You may try to convince me to sell my beloved NAD 502 for a comparable amount. :D

PostPosted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 7:31 am
by rajan
Short and easy answers:

1. supra vs. circum - there is no significant sound difference except that the circum will isolate outside noised better. my advise is to get the one which is comfortable for you after your choice of best sound

2. open and close is quite different from the above. the above describes how the earpieces will sit on your ears. the open and close one describes the way the drivers are enclosed in their enclosures.

3. I don't think there are commercial amps available locally. if it solid state you maybe able to find the professional ones pero I would think they would be very expensive. the only commercial ones that I know of are the ASL tube headphone amps which were available with Rene Rivo.

4. if I would spend on a headphone system, the bulk of my spend should be with the headphones. upon picking which headphone sound is best for you, then that is the time you decide for a headphone amp. the headphone out of the pcdp does not give justice to the reasonable sound which can come out of the pcdp. the grado's being low impedance can be used without headphone amps. the sennheiser's even the low impedance ones would benefit with an amp. using a headamp will give a more controlled sound, not wooly and loose.

5. a "desktop" cdp has more resolution and less grain than a pcdp. with the prices of pcdp's nowadays you can try russel's offer and the marantz.

i hope the above helps.

dogears, ikaw pala yan, ngayon ko lang na connect. ps nakay ed na yung unit ko. yes, meron pa ako pero just like you said mas mahal kaya hindi ko ma-offer baka walang kumagat.

PostPosted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 9:35 am
by onedown
dogears, thanks your feedback.

rtsyrtsy wrote:Was my answer to you posted at http://www.pinoydvd.com/yabbse/index.ph ... 5;start=80
any use?

Have you chosen from supra-aural, circum-aural, or in-ear models?

How much is the portable CDP you are looking at? I know Rene Rivo had a Marantz CD63 going for about PhP6k. You may try to convince me to sell my beloved NAD 502 for a comparable amount. :D


rtsy, yes, i read your reply there. it was through your reply there that i got to know about this forum :). from the link about headphones you gave me, i'm inclined to get an open, supra headphone.

i've haven't really gone window shopping for a portable yet, but i think some portables costs almost the same as a pioneer console. with regards to your NAD, i've read about how good NADs are. though funds are tight right now, i'm might consider it. can you offer me a price which is difficult to resist via PM? i'll check out rene's gear as well.

thanks.

:)


rajan wrote:Short and easy answers:

3. I don't think there are commercial amps available locally. if it solid state you maybe able to find the professional ones pero I would think they would be very expensive. the only commercial ones that I know of are the ASL tube headphone amps which were available with Rene Rivo.

4. if I would spend on a headphone system, the bulk of my spend should be with the headphones. upon picking which headphone sound is best for you, then that is the time you decide for a headphone amp. the headphone out of the pcdp does not give justice to the reasonable sound which can come out of the pcdp. the grado's being low impedance can be used without headphone amps. the sennheiser's even the low impedance ones would benefit with an amp. using a headamp will give a more controlled sound, not wooly and loose.

5. a "desktop" cdp has more resolution and less grain than a pcdp. with the prices of pcdp's nowadays you can try russel's offer and the marantz.

i hope the above helps.

dogears, ikaw pala yan, ngayon ko lang na connect. ps nakay ed na yung unit ko. yes, meron pa ako pero just like you said mas mahal kaya hindi ko ma-offer baka walang kumagat.


rajan, thanks for your inputs. i've heard so much about rene and i'll get in touch with him one of these days.

i could had saved a few thousand bucks, had my over a-decade-old portable technics player didn't conk out. so, i'll just have to start from scatch. i guessed correctly about consoles generally sounding better than portas. so i'll just have to decide between better sound and portability.

thanks again.

:)

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 6:21 am
by Guest
rajan wrote:3. I don't think there are commercial amps available locally. if it solid state you maybe able to find the professional ones pero I would think they would be very expensive. the only commercial ones that I know of are the ASL tube headphone amps which were available with Rene Rivo.


I think the X-Cans v2 is still available. I last saw them at Sonny Tuazon's.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 8:41 am
by onedown
just an update, folks. was able to buy a generic headphone amp from one of the stores at park square. can't really say how it compares to true headphone amps like the x-can or the ASL as i haven't listened to headphone amps before.

for my source, i'm using a cheap, generic VCD player. i'll have to settle for this for the meantime until i can save enough cash for a CD player. anyone here can give me a feedback about Teac CD players?

thanks.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 8:50 am
by dogears
:shock: so where's the info on the generic haedphone amp? what brand? which store? how much? :wink:

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 11:44 am
by onedown
dogears, i got the amp at phasetron. it's a 100% generic. no brand, not even the name of the store. the fellow at phasetron said it was just assembled. sorry if i can't post the specs. it didn't had a manual. the fellow there, while very helpful, friendly, and polite, didn't know the tech specs of this amp either.

the price? well, it costs less than your grado :) . i'll send you the exact price via private message after i post this.

:)

PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2003 4:55 pm
by onedown
anyone here tried auditioning the philips hp 840 headphone? would appreciate comments.

thanks.

:)

Philips HP890

PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2003 6:05 pm
by Gabriel
I haven't tried the 840 but I have its bigger brother the 890 and I can say that its really great. Bass is super and if you use it with a really good cd the records really shine through. The downside is badly recorded cds such the Best of the Corrs cd sound real awful. I got it because of an old thread in the yahoo pinoydiophiles board.

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 8:45 am
by onedown
thanks for the feedback, gabriel. pardon me but, do you mind telling me how much you paid for you headphone? also, is the philips 890 available here in metro manila? i'm looking for a good sounding headphone that won't cost an arm and a leg.

thanks.

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 9:22 am
by arnoldc
i own an HP 890. Read my thoughts about it from this archive - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pinoydiop ... ssage/4073

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 12:12 pm
by onedown
arnold,

thanks for the link. unfortunately, i can't view it since i'm not a member of pinoydiophiles. but thanks, just the same.

:)

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 12:45 pm
by arnoldc
hi onedown, here's my initial post...

From: "arnold_cruz" <arnold_cruz@y...>
Date: Sun Dec 1, 2002 1:54 pm
Subject: Disappointing Sennheiser Headphones

I went to Music One again (this time to seriously buy a Sennheiser)
only to be disappointed. I checked both HD 457 and HD 497. The
first thing that hit me was the construction, which to me was not
impressive. The pictures on the web site, is better compared to
personally seeing these headphones. To me the ear foam is cheap, the
wires are cheap (OFC according to web site), the connectors not even
gold plated. And when I heard them, they were unspiring to say the
least. I thought the price though were reasonable at P1,995 for the
457 and P2,995 for the 497, until...

I went to O at Powerplant and saw these Philips heaphones. I tried
the models HP800 (P1,105) and HP890 (P1,650). Well to me, even the
HP800 sounded better than the Sennheiser HD 497 (costing 3x more).
I bought the HP890 which has FR of 5Hz to 30kHz, detachable LC-OFC
cable, and gold plated connectors, plus a nice headphone stand.

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 1:47 pm
by onedown
arnold,

thanks a bunch for reposting your comments here. raising a tube (or glass) for your help. :)

i'm actually saving for a senn 457, but now you mentioned that the philips headphones sounds better, i'll check out the 840 as well. saw one a few weeks back at O greenbelt, gathering dust. one question though--how's the comfort level of the philips, compared to the senn?

thanks again.

:)

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 2:16 pm
by arnoldc
very comfortable, try it for yourself. i can't speak for the sennheiser.

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 2:23 pm
by dogears
Here's a review of Philips HP890 in hifichoice
http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_print.asp?ID=1572

I am also looking for this model kasi i'm very curious how would it compare to the Grado SR80.
AKG270 is also worth a listen though more expensive than HP890

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2003 3:52 pm
by onedown
thanks, arnold. will surely give philips a try. just hope it's still available.

dogears, thanks for the link. actually, the one i saw was the 840. still, your link would provide a good reference point. can't really recall if there was an 890. nevertheless, i'm giving the 840 a chance since it's cheaper than the senn 457 i'm planning to get.

thanks again, folks!

:)

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2003 8:36 am
by onedown
arnold, follow-up question. silly of me, forgetting to ask soon after i read your comments. soundwise, how big is the difference between the HP800 and the HP 890?

thanks.