New headphones for recording - do i an amp too?

[shredtheater]

I just picked up a pair of new Sennheiser HD650's. They are 300 ohms. Ill be using them for mixing and general listening on my ipod. I understand that i need a headphone amp to get the most out of them for general listening but is this true regarding mixing? My interface is a humble Apogee one, volume is definitely increased connected to that direct compared to just plugging into my macbook direct or ipod.

If so, any recommendations?

 

[levous]

Your Apogee should put out enough juice for the cans but I use a fiio e6 with all my good headphones and it makes a big difference. For $20ish, it's a no brainer.

You don't need an expensive headphone amp to boost the levels though I am sure an A/B test would convince one otherwise. If youre looking for something that pugs in, the Sampson headphone distribution 4 way splitter (like $50) is nice to have for when you want to listen t a track with a friend.

Or you could order a build your own tube headphone amp and for a few hundred you'll have something you can pass on to your kids

 

[BlackZeppelin]

Are you mixing demos, or music that you want release to the public?

I have HD 650's - they are nice mid-level headphones and fine for demo work, but I wouldn't rely on them for pro-quality mixing - they are too colored and inaccurate (so, if you are mixing with them in lieu of using high quality studio monitors in a properly treated room, your mixes will be way off - trust me, I know this from experience!). I am currently running mine directly from my RME HDSP AiO soundcard and they work fine.

My plan for next year is to upgrade to Sennheiser HD800's (which are supposed to be much more accurate than the HD650's) and get a pro headphone amp (I am leaning towards an SPL Phonitor, which I have owned in the past and liked a lot; should never have sold my old one!). Of course, this is a big investment - at least US$2,000 if I buy used - but I don't like to skimp on these things.

 

[shredtheater]

Are you mixing demos, or music that you want release to the public?

I have HD 650's - they are nice mid-level headphones and fine for demo work, but I wouldn't rely on them for pro-quality mixing - they are too colored and inaccurate (so, if you are mixing with them in lieu of using high quality studio monitors in a properly treated room, your mixes will be way off - trust me, I know this from experience!). I am currently running mine directly from my RME HDSP AiO soundcard and they work fine.

My plan for next year is to upgrade to Sennheiser HD800's (which are supposed to be much more accurate than the HD650's) and get a pro headphone amp (I am leaning towards an SPL Phonitor, which I have owned in the past and liked a lot; should never have sold my old one!). Of course, this is a big investment - at least US$2,000 if I buy used - but I don't like to skimp on these things.

Thanks. Demo's mainly because they would be more accurate than mid level monitors in a untreated room but if i can get them to sound rocking id release the tracks to fans - probably not for monetary purposes. the HD800's were 4 times the price so well outside my price range. Personally I still dont subscribe to the you need 'this' to do pro quality but I understand there are better options out there. Im really just a musician dabbling in production to get some new tracks and ideas out there. The HD650's seem like a good investment at my level and sound better all the time. The reviews were good but i know they wont be completely flat. IAt least with using them for general listening I can have an idea what a pro mix should sound like, although getting there myself might be a little tricky lol. I just wanted to know if there was anything that would help me maximise there potential that i wasnt aware off.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

Don't get me wrong, HD650's are really good headphones - but I have been let down trying to mix with them - my mixes always came out really imbalanced, even when I was using a Phonitor.

If you don't want to invest in a Phonitor, check out SPL's 2Control - you get a very good quality headphone amp w/two outputs (with the Phonitor's crossfeed feature) and a monitor control system (if you are also using monitors). Another good option is the SPL Auditor, which is a Phonitor sans all the bells and whistles - just a high quality headphone amp. Still a little on the pricey side, but about half the cost of a Phonitor (which is the cream of the crop of headphone amps).