iMac>?>Sennheiser 595HD headphones

[Dament]

Hi,

I would like to improve the sound of my headphones while listening on my iMac 27 inch 2010 2.8GHz Quad-Core to music (16/44.1 FLAC and 320MP3 + some 24/96 FLAC files).. Would it be better to buy an external amp and DAC? Will this make an big difference in sound quality? I have an low impedance (50ohms) headphones Sennheiser 595HD, any suggestions?

 

Thanks.

 

[Dament]

Humpf.

 

[HiFiInsider]

An Apogee Duet 2 will make your day.

 

[AudioDoctor]

How much you want to spend on this device? There are may options, at many prices.

 

[Dament]

It really depends on the difference it would make, but I'd prefer not to spend more than €100

 

[AudioDoctor]

;-)

 

Kidding.

 

I have no knowledge of any devices for that price, but that doesn't mean someone else won't. The cheapest I would go is a Apogee Duet 2 for $600 USD.

 

[ESL]

Look, you really should rethink your budget. My advice is to save for something that does the job and lets you enjoy the music for $400-$600.

 

However, if you are really stuck at $100, and we all have been at some point, then I would suggest the VRM Box if you can find one:

http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio_interfaces/vrm_box/

I gave aware a pair of Beyerdynamic DT660 to my brother-in-law and being stuck for something that would get him up & running on a "my first hifi" basis, I ran across this box at a local dealer. Strictly speaking it isn't an interface but if you run it with the mixing simulations defeated, it sounds OK. Best matched with bright headphones, so you are advised to listen first.

It worked Plug n' Pray with both Mac & Windows.

 

Martin

 

[Dament]

Hi, I do have more to spend but since my headphones didn't cost more than 210 dollars and they sound OK, since the impedance is only 50 ohms, right out of the iMac I thought that it wouldn't be necessary and it would not cost much to get the most out of these easy to drive headphones?

 

[Dament]

Hahha, you are already calculating €100 as being $100.. it's still more like $145 at this time

 

[HiFiInsider]

Anyone tried this?

 

http://www.amazon.com/NuForce-uDAC-2-Silver-Headphone-24bit/dp/B003Y5LY1C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323534939&sr=8-3

 

[Dament]

Thanks, looks good! Does it make any difference to use Toslink vs USB or not since it's using asynchronous jitter reduction?

 

Oh and how does an amp drive 16 to 300 ohms properly? Can it vary the impedance when connection different headphones or is it somewhere around 150 so it can do all (which would cause no good bass on my 50 ohm headphones)

 

Also, I read that you should connect 50/8=6,25ohm impedance to my 50 ohm headphones because 1/8 is the best factor for the least distortion?? Am I messing here? Thanks

 

[bikemig]

I can't recommend the nuforce udac 2; it isn't bad (and I have used it with the Sennheiser 595) but the difference between the udac 2 and the headphone out from your mac is, I think, negligible. I'm using the Audio GD Fun which makes a marked improvement. Just because your cans are relatively inexpensive doesn't mean that you need an equally inexpensive amp and dac. You want something that can drive different cans since you may buy something else (the audio gd fun can for example) and you want something where the sound and build quality is first rate. Buy something good or just be happy with your current set up.

 

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[Dament]

Thanks for your answers! Very helpful. Now if I listen to my iPhone with Sennheiser 595HD would it improve quality to buy this: http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-usb.html?

 

 

[orgel]

I have one of those. I use it to connect my iPod Classic to my "secondary" system. Are you saying you'd connect the PocketDock to the iPod and plug the Senns into the PocketDock? My guess is that it might make a very small positive difference in SQ, but nothing mind-blowing.

 

--David

 

 

 

[bikemig]

I suspect David is right. If the iphone works like the ipod, you get a marginally better sound quality by using a line out (which is what the send station does), then through the variable out or headphone out. I use one of these with my ipod, http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-L3-Line-Cable-iPhone/dp/B003UCESP8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324588160&sr=8-1, and it should, at least in theory, work better than the headphone out. In practice, I can't really hear much of a difference.

 

[Dament]

Also I have a Myryad Mi with a 3,5mm jack headphone output, don't know about the impedance though.. Ideally, since my headphones are 50 ohm I need a 50/8=6,25 ohm output impedance? Would using this jack be better than headphone out iMac?