A New Pair of Phones


I am the first to admit that I am not a head phone guy. I just don't get it - why listen to a pair of speaker cans when you can tap your toe to some gut thumping bass.

Alas, we now carry quite a few headphone amplifiers and someone has to comment on them and that someone is me. Oh yes, my new phones are AKG 701s which replace my Grado SRS 225s

Let me say that the AKGs are a world of difference on some of these amps. And let me go so far as to say that the art of headphone - amp matching is a much more arduous art than the art of amplifier-speaker matching. This art's refinement is so much so that your phones can sound thin, tinnny and our of sorts with the wrong amp. Its more than just a roll-off of highs or a softening of the bass.

Friends of the low impedance Grado are not friends of the high impedance AKG - except for one Doge 6120 head amp, who seems to be friendly to all.

The BL Audio is no friend of the Grado, but endears itself, to the AKG - except for the fact that the volume control must be adjusted to the 1:00 position. The BL Audio is delicate, light and pretty darn quite. So unique is the little guy that I dare use it as a passive preamp for a CD player and will be comparing it to my Ming Da MC 2A3

The Bada sound stage is a delicate dance with the AKGs it throws a sound stage wide and deep and yet gives me just wonderful details and warmth.

The Doge 6 is the best all around. It has a slightly warm bass that is needed with phoned (MHO) and silky smooth highs. I equipped mine with Phillips 6BQ5s and 5751s - ah...

The new Ming Da is in a class by itself and it shines above the Doge in just about every aspect except the high end where me thinks the Ming Da is slightly rough around the edges.

And that's the way they sound........

With AKG 701s, at least....