Why was this posted in here? I think I remember looking into those headphones when checking to see which pair I should buy. I forgot but I think those need a strong amp.
moonboy403
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The D2000 needs an amp to shine too. Practically any headphone above a price point of say $150 needs an amp to shine.
I disagree with that. The reason headphones need amps are when the source cannot provide a large enough voltage swing not because of their price point. If their impedance is high and swings throughout the FR, then there is a need for an amplifier.
For headphones like Grado and Denon, you won't be getting much benefit from amps, especially compared to beyer and sennheiser which see vast improvements with amplification.
Originally posted by: sdifox
In case you want them tooI ordered a pair. Now I need to find my headphone amp.
Are you going DIY or just buying?? Tubes vs. Solid state??
sdifox
No Lifer
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Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: sdifox
In case you want them too
Are you going DIY or just buying?? Tubes vs. Solid state??
I have a solid state portable one somewhere in my house, I just need to find it. Bloody PCBs all look alike
failing that, I'll probably build a slid state. I have a 4 year old. Things that glow are the ones that get touched.
Originally posted by: sdifox
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: sdifox
In case you want them too
Are you going DIY or just buying?? Tubes vs. Solid state??
I have a solid state portable one somewhere in my house, I just need to find it. Bloody PCBs all look alike
failing that, I'll probably build a slid state. I have a 4 year old. Things that glow are the ones that get touched.
Well, that's because they look cool
Really? Surprised to hear that. I been reading the Denon headphones need an amp to shine. Confused?
sdifox
No Lifer
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Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: sdifox
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: sdifox
In case you want them too
Are you going DIY or just buying?? Tubes vs. Solid state??
I have a solid state portable one somewhere in my house, I just need to find it. Bloody PCBs all look alike
failing that, I'll probably build a slid state. I have a 4 year old. Things that glow are the ones that get touched.
Well, that's because they look cool
I was debating if I should devise one that draws off the usb port... but I am worried about the noisy power supply that is the PC. Then again, that is the source, so whatever noise exists is already there anyway.
I am not even sure it would make a difference. It's going to get very limited use, ie late night gaming. So maybe I'll just upgrade the soundcard
Or get a really long quarter inch extension cable from my Marantz AV9000 which has a headphone jack.I remember playing with tubes in my dad's electronic parts retailer/mid level distributor. But we didn't ell any tube gear, just parts.
Originally posted by: sdifox
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: sdifox
Originally posted by: Tiamat
Originally posted by: sdifox
In case you want them too
Are you going DIY or just buying?? Tubes vs. Solid state??
I have a solid state portable one somewhere in my house, I just need to find it. Bloody PCBs all look alike
failing that, I'll probably build a slid state. I have a 4 year old. Things that glow are the ones that get touched.
Well, that's because they look cool
I was debating if I should device one that draws off the usb port... but I am worried about the noisy power supply that is the PC. Then again, that is the source, so whatever noise exists is already there anyway.
I am not even sure it would make a difference. It's going to get very limited use, ie late night gaming. So maybe I'll just upgrade the soundcard
I remember playing with tubes in my dad's electronic parts retailer/mid level distributor. But we didn't ell any tube gear, just parts.
I wouldn't be as worried about the noise as I would of the fact that the USB port doesn't supply very much power ~ 5V. Certainly not as much as a CMOY. Although for portability, with a laptop, that'd be pretty sweet especially because there are small USB sockets which would fit easier on a small circuit board.
Since the DT770 has a power handling of 100mW...
I dunno if I am thinking about this correctly, but over the mid-bass region, the impedance is maximum at 300 ohm. Minimum, it is 240 ohm in the lower treble.
5V/300 ohm ~ 17 mA
5V/240 ohm ~ 21 mA
17 mA * 5V = 85 mW
21 mA * 5V = 105 mW
These would be appropriate for constant amplitude sine waves, not music. Of course I dunno what IEC 60268-7 says about sensitivity which is listed as 96dB but without a stated voltage.
It is possible that 5V would be enough from the USB port, I dunno about power losses from within the amplifier as I doubt the amplifier is 100% efficient (I am sure it isn't). And, of course, everything I just said could be incorrect as I am not an electrical engineer. Hoping one would correct this
sdifox
No Lifer
- Sep 30, 2005
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Originally posted by: Tiamat
Since the DT770 has a power handling of 100mW...
I dunno if I am thinking about this correctly, but over the mid-bass region, the impedance is maximum at 300 ohm. Minimum, it is 240 ohm in the lower treble.
5V/300 ohm ~ 17 mA
5V/240 ohm ~ 21 mA
17 mA * 5V = 85 mW
21 mA * 5V = 105 mW
These would be appropriate for constant amplitude sine waves, not music. Of course I dunno what IEC 60268-7 says about sensitivity which is listed as 96dB but without a stated voltage.
It is possible that 5V would be enough from the USB port, I dunno about power losses from within the amplifier as I doubt the amplifier is 100% efficient (I am sure it isn't). And, of course, everything I just said could be incorrect as I am not an electrical engineer. Hoping one would correct this
That is off the wiki on USB so I am guessing you can draw 500mA safely.
moonboy403
Golden Member
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Have you tried it with and without an amp? The D2000 has a recessed midrange without an amp. Moreover, the bass somewhat tighten and along with the highs extend considerably. A general consensus is that the D2000 needs a low impedance amp that can provide a large enough voltage.
With Grado, level matched, in my experience, to my best ability there was no improvement for me. When the levels were slightly mismatched, the louder one sounded better with more bass every single time. Of course, i guess it depends which opamp you are using as these can change the sound character for different coloration.
Since both grado and denon are of low impedance, it is obviously imperative that the output impedance of the source or amplifier is very low.
None of these headphones are considered insensitive, so you don't need too much voltage to get reference levels at all.
moonboy403
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Have you tried the D2000 with an amp?
I'm not the only one who thinks that the D2000 needs an amp, the consensus at head-fi tend to have the same conclusion about the D2000 as I do WITH the addition of an amp. The most obvious improvement for me was that an amp brought out the distant sounding vocal of the D2000(burn-in improved it considerably but still not enough).
I'm not the only one who thinks that the D2000 needs an amp, the consensus at head-fi tend to have the same conclusion about the D2000 as I do WITH the addition of an amp. The most obvious improvement for me was that an amp brought out the distant sounding vocal of the D2000(burn-in improved it considerably but still not enough).
No, I do not own the D2000 yet. I stand by my statement that headphones like Grado and Denon with stable, low impedance profiles will not gain as much benefit from external amps as headphones like sennheiser or beyer which have high impedance and in some cases, very widely varying impedance profiles across the FR. I am of the opinion that amplifiers should pass a neutral signal. Coloration belongs to the headphones. Many people at headfi do not share my opinion.
Whether or not an audible difference is an improvement is up to your audio "palette" if you will. I strive for a neutral sound, so many amps that "sound good" by making things sound "warmer" are not what I consider an improvement, just a coloration difference.
With the price of many retail headphone amps, if a pair of headphones need an amp to sound good, the headphones are not up to your audio standards and should be upgraded first. With a pair of Denon D2000 or even D5000, the FR trace is near ideal for perceived neutrality due to its proximity to the ear, the impedance is near ideal for an easy load.
Many people enjoy a warmer midrange, if so, they don't want a neutral headphone and perhaps should invest in a headphone that already has that color. For example, the upper end sennheisers have a more opened up upper midrange quality to their sound that is very popular among headphone listeners.
Of course, if you need that upper midrange quality to the sound and are in a situation where the D2000 is the headphone you should use (perhaps due to its sealed design), then yes, you'd probably have to look for a solution that adds color in that frequency range.
After this babbling, I only want to impress the point that everybody's ears are different, and many people can agree on what they feel sounds good while others can disagree. I consider audio from both an objective and subjective approach with each backing the other up.
i haven't seen many objective measurements of headphone amps - their FR, distortion, and how reactive they are. I feel this would be a very helpful tool in knowing which headphone amp would pair synergistically with headphones. Many people on headfi have flavors of the month/week/day. To me, this is not a valid scientific approach as you are just floating around your target while not actually acquiring it. The lucky people may acquire their target, but that is pretty rare. I'm not willing to invest in a difference unless I can prove to myself that it is, indeed, an improvement.
But that's just my opinion in a sea of many others
My #1 reason for getting the Denon D2000 headphones was comfort. My Sennheiser HD280 pro were very uncomfortable at first putting a clap on my whole head hurting after a while. After a while it wasn't as bad and I tried stretching them out but they still were far to uncomfortable to wear for more than maybe a few hours.
Thats another problem I had with my Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones. With the Denon D2000 headphones not anymore.
sdifox
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I was going for a Sennheiser 595 but my friend told me it would be tight for me. I hope the DT770 work out, my cheap ass Sennheiser 433 (which I got free from the good old give money away .com days) foampad are gone and not too comfy any more. I guess I could just add some random foam on it but I am too lazy.
PS DT770 deal dead, back to 200... good think I got it when it was 108. Shipped yesterday yeay.
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