Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
Wed, May 11 2011, 11:09PM
Could anyone please advise on two separate, but related, queries relating to headphones and earphones for classical music listening? I have bought an iPod Classic and would like to upgrade the standard issue in-ear earphones for something better. Any recommendations? Is it worth spending £60-£120? This is not my main source of listening as I also have a main good quality stereo set up and a Bose Wave Radio CD player, so the iPod is for listening away from home or in the garden/patio. Also, when I try to use my old, but good, Sennheisser HD570 headphones, the volume from the iPod is very low, which I am told is a voltage problem. I am getting conflicting info from different sources, and the only solution so far to the Sennheisser problem came from the Apple helpline which suggested an FiiO E1 amplifier. I have tried talking to Bose, Sennheisser and Apple, as well as various internet hifi specialists, and am none the wiser and suspect the people I am talking might not be classical music fans.
Thu, May 12 2011, 4:48PM
#2
RE: Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
Hi - The HD570 appear to have an impedance of 64ohm which means they will sound a bit quieter compared to 32ohm of similar sensitivity. But I would double check in your Ipod settings menu that the volume limit is not set to a low level.
Ted
Sun, May 15 2011, 4:22PM
#3
RE: Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
I have an ipod classic and was for ever fretfull about the inability of the machine to produce a faithful piano sound.I have now found,for me, a reasonable compromise.
I use Apple lossless format when ripping cds.I listen to string quartets and piano sonatas/concerti.
I watched e-bay very closely and purchased second hand a Graham Slee Voyager headphone amplifier.A bit of a lump.Matches the surface of the classic but twice as deep.
A decent connection from ipod to amplifier.Fiio l9.
To finish off a new pair of Audio Technica Ath ES 55 over ear(but quite discreet)headphones.
I have to watch which records to rip..ECM pianos still seem to have,to me a harsh tone......but that could be my old ears.
If it is simply more volume you require i think a Fiio F5would help
Hope this helps
n
Tue, May 17 2011, 12:50PM
#4
RE: Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
IN replying in another thread (What headphones do you use) I said:
I've just bought a pair of Grado SR80i headphones and am a complete convert. I love the transparent, balanced, natural rendition across the spectrum. Even MP3s straight out of the computer headphone jack sound marvellous. String music in particular is incredibly pleasing.
After some months of listening I still stand by that. While I'm not using these headphones with an iPod I am using them with iTunes and an iMac and so would assume the output to be at the very least similar. The sound is glorious and I have never found the need for a headphone amp.
Sat, May 21 2011, 11:56PM
#5
RE: Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
I have been listening to iPod music for a few years and have always found the sound to be of adequately high quality with various headphones. For serious listening when outdoors I use a pair of Audio-technica ATH AD900 headphones. Incidentally these are referred to in the June 2011 issue of Stereophile in an article by Sam Tellig. Recently I bought an iPod Classic because of its 160 GB memory. My iPod Touch with 64 GB filled up, and I wanted to have one storage iPod besides the main computer storage. I also still have my 30 GB Classic from some years ago and it sounds great.
Unfortunately the latest version does not. The piano music immediately sounds harsh, and no amount of comparison between the latest Classic and my other iPods causes me to change my mind.
This has been a big and unexpected disappointment to me.
It turns out that Apple use a different DAC and amplifier in this version of their Classic. Why they downgraded the sound is beyond me, and it is most unlike Apple.
So if you don't like the sound, blame it on the Classic, not the headphones.
Wed, May 25 2011, 8:06PM
#6
RE: Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
As always it depends on how much money you want to spend and where/how you listen (at home or on the move?). I have to agree with the person recommending Grado headphones for a no-holds-barred listening experience. But for an excellent cost/convenience/sound combination the set-up of Koss KSC75 phones with a Headroom Total Airhead is amazing. I just carried them through a 3 week holiday and was very happy. Only snag is the phones don't seal off ambient noise. For flying or on trains I use Etymotic ER4S phones which give me sound close to my Grado RS1s running off my home system. But they're costly and finicky. The KSC75s are dirt-cheap and rugged. I've worn them skiing, kayaking, hiking.
Debate continues on the merits of headphone amps. To my ears the difference in sound, especially at the bass end, is not even close. Listen to organ music through headphones attached directly to your player and then insert a decent amp. The changes in frequency spectrum, at the same volume, are unmistakeable.
If you can't find the Koss KSC75s (their marketing and distribution is a shambles) Sennheiser PX100s offer even better sound but they're more than 3x the cost and bulkier.
Incidentally I bought a Sansa Clip on the advice of people on this forum, and playing flac-encoded recordings through it I'm staggered at the quality of reproduction.
Wed, Jan 2 2013, 11:53AM
#7
RE: Headphones amplifier and earphones for iPod
When out and about I use the Bose MIE2i earphones - they fit extremely well and don't fall off. More importantly, the sound quality is amazingly good, full and good in the middle and high range. If you don't need the remote and microphone you can opt for the cheaper Bose IE2. I find the volume level of the iPod Classic to be too low for classical music, but with those earphones it's just about enough, especially indoors of course. They fit so comfortably that I can wear them for hours withough even noticing I have them on. In that respect it's the best headphone I've had so far.
I've heard many good reports (including one from a recording engineer) about Senn HD25 MkII for use with iPods . They have a suitably low impedance, about 60ohms I think.
iPods apparently have a very good analogue output, so I would expect this combination to give seriously good sound.
Robin