Amp would be the Cayin. Once you have that I would suggest trying different heads till you get the best fit to your listening tastes.
Headphone/Amp Combo for under $800
Hi All,
Headphone newbie here. I've bought a lot of hi-end audio equipment over the years, but never a set of phones. I'm looking for a neutral (free from boosted bass/treble) sounding headphone/amp combo for use mainly with music, and some TV. I listen to a vareity of music, including singer/songwriter, folk, rock, classical, acoustic, and jazz. I am willing to spend about $800 or so (maybe a bit more) for the combination. The amp will be fed from the line-out from a Tact RCS 2.2XP preamp (it doesn't have a tape-out) or possibly a digital out if the headphone amp has a D/A converter.
I've done a bunch of research, but is quite daunting and I don't have anywhere nearby to audition them. I don't know a lot about the different amps around and what are good headphone/amp combinations so thought I'd solicit opinions here. I definitely prefer a more neutral sound free from artificial bass spikes or elevated treble, which I find very fatiguing. I also would like a nice soundstage, and maybe and a mid-level presentation (not too forward or distant). I think I'd prefer around-the ear over on-the-ear phones, but am open to open or closed back. I am open to all the usual headphone suspects including Sennheiser, AKG, Audio Technica, Grado, Beyer, etc.
I would appreciate any feedback on headphone/amp combos that might qualify for the price point.
Thanks much in advance!
Headphone newbie here. I've bought a lot of hi-end audio equipment over the years, but never a set of phones. I'm looking for a neutral (free from boosted bass/treble) sounding headphone/amp combo for use mainly with music, and some TV. I listen to a vareity of music, including singer/songwriter, folk, rock, classical, acoustic, and jazz. I am willing to spend about $800 or so (maybe a bit more) for the combination. The amp will be fed from the line-out from a Tact RCS 2.2XP preamp (it doesn't have a tape-out) or possibly a digital out if the headphone amp has a D/A converter.
I've done a bunch of research, but is quite daunting and I don't have anywhere nearby to audition them. I don't know a lot about the different amps around and what are good headphone/amp combinations so thought I'd solicit opinions here. I definitely prefer a more neutral sound free from artificial bass spikes or elevated treble, which I find very fatiguing. I also would like a nice soundstage, and maybe and a mid-level presentation (not too forward or distant). I think I'd prefer around-the ear over on-the-ear phones, but am open to open or closed back. I am open to all the usual headphone suspects including Sennheiser, AKG, Audio Technica, Grado, Beyer, etc.
I would appreciate any feedback on headphone/amp combos that might qualify for the price point.
Thanks much in advance!