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Comments
@el_bo sorry you seem to be looking for an argument. Maybe try on another forum? If my opinion has offended you I'm genuinely sorry, but I think I've already made my point (twice), so there's not much more to say:
@richardyot, your time spent on this is much appreciated. For most listens I think I have volume room
for the 650. I’m liking the 560s but the comfort is not so great. The clamping probably would loosen up, but they’re tight around the ears, too. Do, I will give the 650 a try.
Sharkoon doesn’t seem to be available online, but the Soundblaster 3 is. I see I’ll need an adapter for the usb dongle. Will this work?
And this is the correct gadget, right?
Thanks again for all the help!
I'm just trying to bring you back to your original statement that you gave in response to my original comment. And this is now the second time you've quoted yourself without the pertinent points with which I'm clearly taking issue.
To refresh your memory:
el-bo said: "As far as I'm aware, even cans that can be driven un-amped can sound better when amped'.
richardyot replied: "For the most part that's just a hi-fi myth"
You being happy with sufficient gain from the iPad headphone jack is all well and good, but didn't address my original point. Nor did your post about blind-tests between expensive speakers (or wine) and cheaper versions.
So, no...not looking for an argument. Just challenged you on what I think is a claim without evidence - evidence you seem to suggest is missing from all the reports of amp enthusiasts, which you summarily dismiss on not much more than a couple of anecdotes.
I thought we were just having a discussion, and I think my points have been relevant to that discussion. Certainly haven't got the interest or the energy to argue for the sake of it. So, yeah...let's just leave it there.
OK fair enough, I can clarify the above statement
If the headphone can be driven un-amped, then what benefits would an amp bring? IMO none, the job of the amp is simply to drive the headphones, and if the headphones can be driven from the headphone jack or the Apple dongle then there is nothing more that an amp can do to improve the sound, other than being able to drive the headphones to a higher volume.
Obviously this is specifically in the context of Apple devices, which have decent headphone jacks that can deliver over 1 volt of power and have low impedance. Basically if you can get enough volume from the headphone jack in an Apple device then all a headphone amp can offer is more volume, because all the other measurements (frequency response, distortion, output impedance etc) are already great.
That's the correct gadget (Soundblaster 3) but the wrong dongle - you don't want to plug that into the headphone jack, it needs to go in the Lightning or USB Cport. The dongle you need is the Apple CCK or USB C adapter:
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MD821ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-camera-adapter
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MJ1M2ZM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter
Ah, I see @richardyot. I thought I would be plugging it into the iPad headphone Jack.Ot of curiosity,what is the difference.?
It's a digital interface, so it needs to plug into a digital port. The headphone jack is analog, and generally you don't want to plug any kind of dongle or amp into it.
@richardyot, you are my dongle guru. So the soundblaster overrides the iPad DAC?
Yes.
The sound card is a digital to analog and amp. For the best quality you want to give it the digital signal from the iPad. If you use a dongle that plugs into the headphone jack you are take an analog signal (that already passed through a DAC and amplifier).
So, you get better fidelity by not passing through an extra and unnecessary ADC, DAC and amp.
Like I've already said, there's nothing wrong with only wanting more gain, just as there's nothing wrong with wanting to record straight D.I'd microphones and guitars or wanting to use the most clinical, utilitarian compressors.But when I say "better" I'm not just talking about more gain. In the strictest sense, yes, the job of an amplifier is to AMPlify the signal. But they can impart, intentionally or otherwise, much more to the signal. That is why there is a huge market for amps, pre-amps, guitar-amps and many modelled, 'Mojo' processing plugins.
Well, the verdict is in @richardyot @CapnWillie … the 650s are… f’ing incredible. A big difference, which I immediately heard, from the 560s. Firstly, much more comfortable. Secondly, the sound is like the difference between a Toyota Avalon and a Mercedes 350. Much more luxurious feeling. A lot richer in the bass and sub bass (bordering on too much at times, but not over the line). The treble a touch more subdued than the 560s. The mids just right for my ears. Soundstage and instrument separation excellent, but not sure if it is superior to the 560s. It was love at first listen. My search is ended.
Of course, I understand how you would need to EQ these for mixing. It’s a colorized sound (now there’s synesthesia for ya) for sure. As a pure listening experience these seem just right for me. They don’t sound very good for listening to the news, but thanks irrelevant.
The volume is fine in almost all cases. Some classical music was not totally satisfying, but I can live with that. It amazes me that Apple’s preamp/amp/DAC does such a great job. Kudos to them for making the Pithecanthropus marvel it is. The Soundblaster did not increase the volume at all. Do I need sometlike a Dragonfly if I feel I need more volume over time?
Questions…
How do you distinguish left from right? I don’t see any markings and thinking I need to resort to tape.
The cable, being dual and extra long, is pretty weighty. Can you suggest a good 3 ft cable?
Thanks for the advice, Richard. It has been a fun journey!
Glad you like them, they're terrific headphones and very hard t beat without spending a lot more money
The Soundblaster should give you a little more volume but maybe for very dynamic classical music it's not enough, in which case I don't think a Dragonfly would cut it either. You will need a more powerful headphone amp to deliver more gain.
As for the cable I use one of these, they work great:
https://www.amazon.com/NewFantasia-Replacement-Sennheiser-Headphones-1-2meters/dp/B01D76YYKA/
Distinguishing left form right is quite easy: the earcups are angled forward so you can see which way round they should go at a glance.
@richardyot i ordered the Fantasia cable. Looks great. The L&R… well, I never would have noticed that. Thx for the insight. Loving these cans!
My custom in ears have different colored earpieces so I never have to fumble for L and R. It does get confusing with headphones sometimes, especially when you’re not used to them yet!
@el_bo I’m liking my Koss KSC75s. Almost as detailed as the KRK KNS 8400s which I also own. They’re a throw-away $20 cheap and are on-ears, i.e they literally clip onto your ears.
Upper mids are a tad shouty but EQ well. Cable is dreadful and tangles easily and comfort’s not the best for extended sessions. As you’d expect, not much isolation or sub bass to speak of. But for your use case they’re something to consider.