bjorn Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 I mostly listen to records through my speakers, but for those times when that's not practical I've been using my AKG K551's through the headphone output on my Rotel integrated. The sound is OK, but definitely very bright, so much so that I can't listen very long. Some albums are pretty much ruined. Just to rule out the turntable/cart, I compared an album that I also had on CD, and that was just as bad, if not worse. Any thoughts? Seems weird that an amp that retailed at nearly $1200 (RA 1070) would have a poorly balanced headphone output. The headphones could be part of the problem, but they don't sound particularly bright when I use them with my phone or laptop. The AKG's are designed more for mobile use, could it be that the amp's output is geared toward more power hungry cans? Thoughts would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Bjorn get out of here with your headphone wantin' ass. I would just stop and consider how often you actually use em. You can always buy a nice tube kit to make a mini amp? Double the fun? Since I know you enjoy crafting for your audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 If they're designed for mobile use chances are they're going to sound bad on a proper headphone amp as a proper ones going to resolve a lot more information than a mobile one. Getting a dedicated off board headphone amp will probably make things worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjorn Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 7 hours ago, ajxd said: Bjorn get out of here with your headphone wantin' ass. I would just stop and consider how often you actually use em. You can always buy a nice tube kit to make a mini amp? Double the fun? Since I know you enjoy crafting for your audio. Yeah! I think some kind of DIY kit would be awesome. I think I would use it enough to make it worthwhile. My wife and kids don't really get my music, so I don't end up playing records as much as I'd like. Headphones kind of solve that problem. 3 hours ago, allenh said: If they're designed for mobile use chances are they're going to sound bad on a proper headphone amp as a proper ones going to resolve a lot more information than a mobile one. Getting a dedicated off board headphone amp will probably make things worse. You may be right... though detail resolution is outstanding, the AKG's are really good in that department. I meant more that they are efficient enough to be driven without a dedicated headphone amp. It's just the tonal balance seems off coming from the Rotel. I'm thinking of grabbing some Sennheiser HD 600/650's at some point, curious if they'll have the same issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 7 hours ago, bjorn said: Yeah! I think some kind of DIY kit would be awesome. I think I would use it enough to make it worthwhile. My wife and kids don't really get my music, so I don't end up playing records as much as I'd like. Headphones kind of solve that problem. You may be right... though detail resolution is outstanding, the AKG's are really good in that department. I meant more that they are efficient enough to be driven without a dedicated headphone amp. It's just the tonal balance seems off coming from the Rotel. I'm thinking of grabbing some Sennheiser HD 600/650's at some point, curious if they'll have the same issue. I'd try the AKG's in something else first to see if you get similar issues. I've found this with a few headphones in that they are designed for mobile use and they do the Bose trick of shifting the tonal balance up to make it sound like you're getting the detail that shouldn't really be there with the mobile device. Headphone manufacturers are going to sell a shed load more units for mobile use so it pays them to adjust the device for the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 I just tested my K551s with the dedicated DAC/amp I use for the K701s and the 551s sounded just fine. My guess would be it's the Rotel's headphone out that's the problem here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjorn Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 11 hours ago, slinch said: I just tested my K551s with the dedicated DAC/amp I use for the K701s and the 551s sounded just fine. My guess would be it's the Rotel's headphone out that's the problem here. Cool! What kind of DAC/amp are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 This one: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CreonWh I bought it because I needed an audio interface, but both the DAC and the headphone output really surprised me. Granted, if I was buying something specifically for headphones I'd likely go for something else, but since headphones are just a last resort for me, this fits me well. But yeah, I've had it for a few months now and this was the first time I tried it with the 551s. I fully support the move to HD 600 or 650 though (I'd go for the 600 myself, I find them to be closer to the AKG sound which I really like). The 551s are very good cans to use on the go, but for relaxing at home they really aren't up to par. bjorn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 On 10/3/2016 at 5:36 PM, bjorn said: Yeah! I think some kind of DIY kit would be awesome. I think I would use it enough to make it worthwhile. My wife and kids don't really get my music, so I don't end up playing records as much as I'd like. Headphones kind of solve that problem. If you get rid of the wife and kids... then you solve that problem. Think about how many records/pieces of equipment you have, vs how many wife and kids you have... It's a numbers game. Billich0986 and slinch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tardcore Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 I think the point everyone is trying to make is that you should buy my AKG Q701s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 18 hours ago, ajxd said: If you get rid of the wife and kids... then you solve that problem. Think about how many records/pieces of equipment you have, vs how many wife and kids you have... It's a numbers game. Well mine are in trouble then, I must tell the wife her time is up, the child I've already sold, noisy thing. I'll report back on the results when I can stop them hitting me with those big sticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 No, you do not need a headphone amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyhambone Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 You do. Mine's one of my favorite things in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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