Audio New Headphones..Do i need a new mp3 player as well? Budget ~8-10k

J

jjoyz

Disciple
As the thread title says, I need to buy a new pair of headphones..been looking at the Audio Technica ATH-M50. It seems to be getting a lot of good reviews..

Headphones would be used for music,games and movies with music being the topmost priority..mostly listen to rock and metal ranging from 80s bands to more modern stuff..

Ive only used iems thus far, more specifically the pl-50 and re2 alongwith a fiio e5 amp but dont want more iems as..
I've sometimes had difficulty getting a good grip + my earphones tend to go bad God knows why + need to try something new :)

My source isn't that great :ashamed:..currently have the rockboxed ipod 30gb + Htc desire hd and a pc with onboard audio..I've been using the Htc for music(use the poweramp music player and equalizer)..I don't like the ipod.. :no:

Sooo this is what I needed to ask--Do i need a new mp3 player(sansa clip,fuze or any other) if I go for the ATH-M50?..or will my htc be sufficient?If I do please recommend a player for the same..

Also, do I need an audio card for my pc?
Well, right now I'm only looking to buy the headphones and player(budget 8-10k) ..can stretch it a little more if really required i.e. only if I require a better player.
Audio card can wait..

So..thats it..I'm confused..need some help..thanks for reading..waiting for the replies :)
 
Well i'd say get a better source first cuz you have two decents iems right now and you can start reaping the benefits of a good player right away, with a headphone like the M50 you'd certainly be able to use it with the ipod but thats about it, just use it. They need a good dac and slight amplification to truly amaze.

Something like a Sansa fuze is a great pmp for its SQ and UI. PristineNote's selling it right here.. You can contact him regarding stock availability and price.

If your not really keen on the whole portability part, then the Audinst MX1 is an excellent dac+amp which can drive almost all headphones out there from what I gather (Cuz quite frankly how many times will you wear that headphone while commuting in the heat and rain, most people end up using it indoors). Also available through here. But the audinst mx1 is only if your gonna be playing music from a desktop or a laptop. You cannot use it with an ipod cuz it only takes usb input. But the product is excellent VFM and delivers an excellent soundstage and bass compared to products twice its price like the Cambridge Audio rigs. Also look at the Yulong D100 if your ok with sourcing it from outside India.

I will apologize for sidetracking a bit and not coming straight to your query about headphones, from what I've understood after trying a lot of headphones between the 8-15k margin is that they all require a good dac to reveal the intricate details along with a good amp to drive it to deliver a fuller sounds with a good bottom end(lower frequencies).

Sans a good amp, you might as well go for a M35 rather than a M50 and save that money ;)
 
I got ATH M35 from pristine note recently. Its amazing for movies.its real VFM. most reviews says that M35 is lower version of M50.so, you can think of it..(i use my sony vaio laptop as source.)
 
Is your iPod the legendary 5th gen iPod ? If yes you might not really need a better PMP- source . Otherwise you can buy a Clip+ ,Fuze+ depending on your needs :).

More than the portable source its your desktop source which needs immediate attention if you plan to get a good pair of cans and use it with the PC. For a strict budget of 8-10k . You can probably fit in a ATH-M50 + NuForce UDAC . Ofcourse something better like the Audnist as suggested by Benny would be the best you can get, but will also have to double your budget :D !

If you want to keep it under 10k , uDAC + M50 is the best I can suggest to you !
 
Thank you for the replies guys...well the Audinst MX1 will be out of my budget...the nuforce UDAC seems like the best option with the M50 or should i go for the M35?
decisions decisions...

I'll check with pristine note about the availibility of these products...thanks for the replies..any more suggestions welcome..

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Can I use the nuforce UDAC with my mp3 player?
 
The uDAC when connected to PC via USB - its DAC (digital to analog conversion) + headphone amplifier function can be used. You can not connect the uDAC to an external source like iPod or media player.

The uDAC overall has a slight midbass hump and overall a warm signature which should go well with the M35 . With the M50 also it should be decent but you might find the bass a little overwhelming , which can be solved by EQ'ing :)

Best of Luck and welcome to the world of audio nirvana :D
 
Thanks faheem and benny..i didnt have much clue about dacs until now..

i'll most probably be going for the nuforce uDAC and one of the two headphones..pristine note has them in stock..can't wait to get my hands on them..

Thanks again :)
 
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