Sometimes the source of the WAF doesn't want to hear any music. Actually it is almost all the time, but she does like Knopfler!

So, I have tried a few headphones and have an amp on order. I currently have Westone UM2s and Sennheiser HD-595s.

Anyone have any phones they really like?

(from a wanderer away from Head-fi)

Oh, sorry - I see a similar topic in the "Advice" department.

I have Senn HD-650 (usually connected out of Onkyo805). Love them. No amp yet, but it might come at some point. Which one did you end up buying?

The Headsix - it is a fund raiser for head-fi

Go to head-fi and it will be near the top.

What do you think of your A1400-8? They sound pretty impressive from what people say.

Thanks for tip for the Headsix.

My impressions of A1400-8 can be found at:
http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=13706&Number=192630#Post192630

Wid is a headphone guru, maybe he will chime in.

My office setup consists of a Little Dot MKII (tube amp) powering a set of Sennheiser HD-650's. I'm pretty new to the headphone+amp scene, but I absolutely love this setup. I almost (almost) perfer the sound over my home Axiom setup. Can't get the depth and 'spaciousness' of the home speaker system, but the overall quality of the sound is delightful. Creamy, buttery, sexy, & warm. Like biting into a perfectly marbled, aged, prepared, & cooked steak.

I've also demoed/borrowed a pair of AKG 701's for a couple of weeks from HeadRoom. They were truly excellent headphones as well. Just not quite as 'creamy' as the HD650's, but it really boils down to personal tastes.

On a more modest budget, I'd heartily recommend a pair of Grado SR-60's. For the $65 or whatever they are these days, they're a steal.

Oh, and Head-Fi is an evil place. Truly a place where bank accounts and credit cards fear to tread.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about headphones. It sure is an easy way to take the room out of the equation and also reduce power needs. Does anyone make 5.1 headphones?

My main set up is a pair of Grado SR 325is powered by a Soha tube hybrid amp. To get the sane sound from a stereo set up would cost a huge amount more money. I have tried quite a few different sets to find I am partial to the Grado sound. Lets see if I can remember them all.

Senn HD 500
Senn HD 570
Senn HD 497
Senn HD 280 pro
AKG K501
AKG K 81 DJ
Koss KSC 75
Koss Portapro
Koss The Plug
Koss A150
UE Superfi 3
AL iM 716
Grado SR 60
Grado SR 325i
iGrado

I think that's all. Out of all of them I have kept all the Grado models, the Al and the Koss KSC 75s.

I have the Senn 595's and Senn HD 25-1 II's

The 595's are my open headphone, and the HD25-1 II's are my closed/portable cans. They are both excellent for what they do. IMO the HD 25-1 II's are the best compact on-the-ear cans you can get for the isolation and sound quality they provide.

Zalman makes 5.1 headphones, but from what I have heard they are not of audiophile quality.

If you get any audiophile-grade open headphone (They let in sound from the outside - no isolation), the soundstage floats around your head. My 595's are REALLY good for movies, they put you right in the action. I don't find myself missing "surround" effects...sounds come right from around my head, so great for movies.

Additionally, some of the way that your brain processes sounds and figures out that they are behind you/ahead of you is often by slight head movements, so the premise of 5.1 headphones probably won't get you much improvement over nice open headphones. I haven't tried 5.1 headphones, but that would be my guess.

Of course, headphones are an addicting hobby, just like audio speakers...except they are a lot cheaper...which makes it easy to try out new headphones amps...so be careful.

I would suggest visiting headfi.com...great headphone community.