up-coming audioholic looking for some advice

[blinky57]

hello guys,
im looking at creating my own audiophile setup, i love getting lost in music and i figured its about time to start

i've been looking at several different types of headphones but i have some basic questions i was hoping someone could help me out with (since im kinda jumping for 0-60 in 3 sec flat) (keep in mind price is not an issue for me)

1.im looking at investing the money in the Sennheiser HD800's. if anyone owns/ uses them. could you please give me your comments on them (if their worth the price and how they handle media from a basic setup like a laptop/ ipod (i hear if its not a physical media, like a vinyl, the HD800 are so good that digital medias sound grainy)

2.do i need to find special media that is higher then standard consumer media (ie itunes music) to get the full benefit from the headphones.

3. how much should i look at investing in an amplifier/ do you have any that you'd suggest?

4.im also looking at the Sennheiser MX W1's for a more wireless experience (often have some problems with tangled wires or moving around so the idea of being able to have high quality sound without the hassle of worrying about damaging the wires (a problem that frequently is the downfall of my cans) appeals to me greatly.)

thank you for your advice/ time,
-steve

 

[highfigh]

hello guys,
im looking at creating my own audiophile setup, i love getting lost in music and i figured its about time to start

i've been looking at several different types of headphones but i have some basic questions i was hoping someone could help me out with (since im kinda jumping for 0-60 in 3 sec flat) (keep in mind price is not an issue for me)

1.im looking at investing the money in the Sennheiser HD800's. if anyone owns/ uses them. could you please give me your comments on them (if their worth the price and how they handle media from a basic setup like a laptop/ ipod (i hear if its not a physical media, like a vinyl, the HD800 are so good that digital medias sound grainy)

2.do i need to find special media that is higher then standard consumer media (ie itunes music) to get the full benefit from the headphones.

3. how much should i look at investing in an amplifier/ do you have any that you'd suggest?

4.im also looking at the Sennheiser MX W1's for a more wireless experience (often have some problems with tangled wires or moving around so the idea of being able to have high quality sound without the hassle of worrying about damaging the wires (a problem that frequently is the downfall of my cans) appeals to me greatly.)

thank you for your advice/ time,
-steve

You'll really need to listen to them for yourself. Wireless has come a long way but some companies have a cord that can be disconnected and that avoids the problems from getting up and walking away from where the phones are plugged in. Been there.

Re: digital media sounding 'grainy', welcome to the world of MP3 and it's losses. What bitrate was it? Anything below 192KHz will sound bad through good equipment. 128KHz is OK for ear buds and that's about it. If possible, use .wav, AAC, FLAC or one of the other lossless codecs for digital music.

 

[blinky57]

to the bit rates: itunes uses acc files by default (least i think so)

also im wondering if there are shops where you can demo high end headphones. almost every "retailer" for sennheiser is an apple store or a bestbuy.. i doubt they are packing a $1,400 headphones. i live in central florida

thank you

 

[the grunt]

1.
The Sennheiser HD800s like my HD600s have a nominal impedance of 300 ohms and need power to work at their full potential. IMO they would be a waste of money if you plan to run them directly off your laptop or ipod.

2.
On mine I can tell if I’m listening to 128bit or 192bit. Also, 320bit if I A/B compared to FLAC.

3.
If you’re going to spend $1400 on headphones an amp would be a good idea almost a necessity if you‘re running off a laptop. I haven’t been looking for a while but you could try here for some amp suggestions:

http://www.head-fi.org/

4.
Can’t help on the wireless but I hear what you’re saying about wires. On more than one occasion I’ve walked off forgetting I was wearing them until I reached the end of the cord.

Even though money is no object you should try to find a high end audio shop and demo them and other top brands if you can. Who knows you may find another headphone you like more. They may also have amps you can demo them with to hear how they sound together.

Cheers,
Dean