No need. I give up.
If you want to debate it further PM me. No need to further derail the thread.
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I love my HD800S headphones, but they are a bit demanding to drive, and a bit unforgiving and “harsh” on less than stellar associated gear.
I have the Cayin HA-1A MK2 tube headphone amp which makes them sound magical, I think they sound best driven by tubes.
If you are not ready for another grand on a good amp, maybe consider the HD600-650 They are a lot less critical.
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Crazy thread, which is to be expected whenever audiophiles are involved. My condolences to the OP.
I have owned several Marantz home theater receivers, all with a headphone output which have turned out to be very, very good. So, no, not all all-in-one devices can dismissed out of hand. Perhaps the Cambridge Evo 150 does indeed have a good headphone output, but I can’t say because I haven’t heard it.
Both excellent choices. And yes I’ve heard both.
Best advice so far.
My two cents: I own the Sennheiser HD 800 and they really benefit from using some DSP in the form of a convolution filter. Convolution filters are FREE and are quite to set up and use with Roon. Well worth trying.
Have you tried (or compared your Marantz receivers to) a dedicated headphone amp?
I use the Roon Parametric EQ (10 bands). What’s the difference between this and Convolution in terms of audio quality? Does it make any difference?
Yes I have (I have several desktop headphone amps: Benchmark DAC3 HGC, Oppo HA-1, Focal Arche) and the Marantz’s headphone output is very good, meaning I could easily live with it, with the ability to drive even the most challenging headphones. I mostly use headphones with the Marantz when watching TV late at night in order to not disturb my sleeping spouse.
Unfortunately I could not find any specifications for the headphone output of the Marantz. However unlike the Cambridge EVO 150 the headphone connection on the Marantz is 6.3mm
Basically my point is that dismissing the headphone output of the Cambridge EVO 150 out of hand without giving it a listen may prove to be foolish.
Convolution filters for headphones are somewhat more sophisticated than a parametric EQ. Basically a convolution filter for a given headphone (each headphone requires its own unique convolution filter) is designed to bring the frequency output of the headphone as close as possible to the Harmon curve, a frequency response curve that is considered “ideal” for headphones, in other words it’s a flat frequency response curve. What are doing with parametric EQ is adjusting the frequency based on your own personal preferences. My suggestion is to listen to your headphones using a convolution filter, provided that one is available, and compare that the sound of listening using your parametric EQ. It appears that Roon’s DSP function allows one to have both parametric EQ and convolution filters enabled, however I don’t know using both at the same time is recommended but you can give it try nonetheless.
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I have several headphone amps, including the Benchmark DAC-3 HGC. I’d be curious as the output of the Marantz and EVO 150 headphone amps. Many built in headphone amps are lacking in output power, having issues running hungry headphone… I spoke in generalities which was a mistake on my part. Thanks for your reply.
And so am I but alas I could not find any published specifications on the headphone output of either amp. As I stated earlier, the Marantz has no trouble driving high impedance headphones to high volumes. With a headphone output as good as it is I’m surprised that Marantz doesn’t make a bigger deal of this feature in their marketing.
I couldn’t track down any headphone amp specs on the EVO 150 either. I reached out to Cambridge Audio and requested the info via their website. If they respond, I’ll post it and @ you so you will see it.
Cheers ----Robert
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Thanks a lot for the information. I’ll research more about it. You’re right about Roon allowing the convolution filter. It does. I guess I need to find the HD800S wav files, zip them, and upload there.
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I just configured the Convolution in Roon. I had to install the macOS version because it won’t allow uploads through my iPad. Anyway, I downloaded the two .wav files from this website, made a zip file, and uploaded them into the Roon. The procedure is holding the icon of your audio zone, then a DSP option will show in the menu. Click DSP, then Convolution, and upload the zip file. The sound is better than the previous Parametric EQ I had configured. Thanks again @Jazzfan_NJ for the tip.
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I just read this thread and followed the instructions for Grado SE1000e. What fun! I don’t use headphones a lot but I have been more since I got a Magni 3+ amp. Thanks for all the contributors to this great thread!
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I’m trying out the parametric EQ settings for my NAD Viso HP50 headphones and like what I’m hearing so far. 