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Hi all
Does anyone have a recommendation for a set of headphones that would work well direct from the headphone out of a McIntosh MA6500 ? I have some Sennheiser HD600 that aren't very exciting to listen to from the headphone out, sound a little dull. Looking for something a little more lively. Thanks
Follow Ups:
The 600's are really good.....what you need is a decent headphone amp. The headphone out jack on those ..even new components are afterthoughts.
Your 600's are very smooth... and can come across as dull, especially if you're used to cans with more prominent mids, like Grados. The 600's are really good, and benefit from the right amp. McIntosh never published any specs for the headphone circuit, and don't even mention it in the service manual, so I can't comment on its suitability. It might make sense to find an amp that can bring out their best - they're worth it.
The Bottlehead Crack amp is designed for high-impedance headphones, and can make them sing. It's a single-ended triode, output transformer-less design built around the 6080/5998/421-A dual triode. It goes for $300-415 depending on options, and is an easy assemble-it-yourself kit. It's heaven on my HD800 cans. I've added the Speedball constant-current power-supply upgrade to mine, along with cloth-insulated silver wire approved by the guru on the mount, special electrolytics, a resistor-ladder volume control, and a Corda crossfeed circuit to mine. (Thanks to Meier Audio for publishing the schematic for that.) Note that the Crack is designed for high-impedance headphones only, and the Speedball add-on requires some precision soldering. Bottlehead and its very active user base provide outstanding support.
WW
"They got a handful of gimme and a mouthful of much obliged." Alberta Hunter
I was unsure whether or not to raise the issue of matching the HD600s to the driving amp rather than the other way round as the OP has not given any idea of his budgetary constraints. However I do agree with you if your strategy is feasible for him.
I too use a tube headphone amplifier with my HD 600s and HD 800S which allows them to shine - in fact I think the most fun I have ever had with cans. In my case an Icon HP8 Designer Edition ( available from Music Direct in the USA, Designer Edition increases the price a little ) but that selection raises the cost for the OP further.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams
Budget? Type of music that you favour?
Looking around the web for recommendations for cans that suit the headphone output of the MA6500 the most common one is for HD 650s which are very close in almost every way to the HD 600s. So it looks like you may have particular needs which make a recommendation difficult.
I have not found any technical specifications for that headphone output aside from the fact that it exists as a feature. That makes a recommendation even more challenging. I have a suspicion that you may just have to try various 'phones on a suck it and see basis.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams
Does your Mac have a USB port? How much do you want to spend?
You need to look at the Schiit Audio website. If your Mac has a USB port, consider also adding a DAC.
Schiit makes good headphone stuff that is reasonably priced and sounds great. Headphone amps start at $100.
There is a company that makes a headphone amp specially for Sennheiser 600 series headphones. Its the Ifi Signature Zen Can 6XX amp and it is $250. Check out the Ifi Audio website.
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