EarAbridged Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Hi all, I haven't actually got any audiophile headphones or an amp yet but I was thinking of buying some Sennheiser HD600 cans and also a quality second-hand vintage amp (perhaps a Sansui) for around about 250 to 400 bucks. I was wondering if those two would work together: I'm pretty sure that amps have headphone sockets built in them, right? Additionally, I was thinking of buying this amp so that I could also set up a two channel system down the line when I find the right speakers... just wanted to know that this makes sense. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naidan Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Sounds like a good starting point for both a 2 channel and headfi listening. Not sure about the Sennheiser cans but Head-fi.org is a great forum for headphone reviews who can tell you alot more about what is on offer. In regards to your amp, headphones and speakers, this post is probably better suited in https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/forum/117-beginners-purchasing-advice/ Otherwise, have fun and good luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregWormald Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 Be careful, the built-in headphone sockets in very many amps are cheap and nasty compared to a dedicated headphone amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarAbridged Posted April 1, 2020 Author Share Posted April 1, 2020 (edited) 23 minutes ago, GregWormald said: Be careful, the built-in headphone sockets in very many amps are cheap and nasty compared to a dedicated headphone amp. do you reckon that would apply to vintage amps by sansui, pioneer, marantz, etc? Edited April 1, 2020 by EarAbridged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 7 hours ago, EarAbridged said: do you reckon that would apply to vintage amps by sansui, pioneer, marantz, etc? Back when I had cans(about 3 years ago, Hifiman 500's) I had a dedicated amp for them, a Burson but I also had (have) a few Sansui's as well and the cans sounded fine through all of them. I think your idea has merit and if you buy a Sansui, then you will not lose money on the deal if you decide to sell it in the future. That's a very decent set of cans you've got there, I trialled them once and preferred them to their higher priced brothers(800's and 1000's). $250 wont get you much in the Sansui range(the desirable ones anyway) and $400 will get you into entry level. $600 will get you some seriously nice Vintage bling. I think your on the right track for sure. Good luck and post some pics up when you get set up. *Post a WTB and see what's on offer here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarAbridged Posted April 1, 2020 Author Share Posted April 1, 2020 Nice to know I'm on the right track. Ah interesting, what does something in sansui from 400 to 600 give that the lower price ranges doesn't? Is it more than just power? A general increase in quality I'm guessing? Fantastic idea with the WTB, I'll do that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregWormald Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 9 hours ago, EarAbridged said: do you reckon that would apply to vintage amps by sansui, pioneer, marantz, etc? Yes. (Sorry.) It is however often specific to models, not just brands. Unfortunately the usual reviews of amps rarely include the headphone performance, so even good general performance in a vintage amp may not tell you anything about the headphone socket. Do connect to some of the headphone specific forums where you can possibly get information about the amps in which you are interested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muon* Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 My Sansui Au-505 used to have had a nice sounding phone stage, the socket was the lager type and robust. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts