Thread: SACD on headphones, part 2

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Post by grsimmon January 16, 2013 (1 of 11)
I remember seeing at least 1 other thread in the past about SACD on headphones, hence the part 2.....

I'm interested in upgrading my bedside system, which is a headphone rig. Headphones of choice are currently Ultrasone Edition 8, possible future Beyerdynamic T5p (models must be closed due to sleeping wife). Both models are around 30 ohms.

I'm thinking of SACD models that have a headphone jack / volume control. Sony 5400ES or Marantz 8004 come to mind. I'm wondering a few things, any headphone fans out there can comment....?

1) are the headphone jacks of these models enough to drive these headphones? I've read / heard that the need for a headphone amp is greatly overstated / overhyped by gearheads and retailers. I've also "heard" that the Marantz models in general have excellent headphone outputs?


2) Wondering if there is an also a sonic benefit to using just the headphone jacks, not connecting to a headphone amp. No excess wires or electronics, just coming right off the analog output of the SACD player.

Anyone with any experience, recommendations on models, other info. - thank you in advance. Just please don't direct me to the website head-fi.com! :)

Post by Fugue January 16, 2013 (2 of 11)
The built-in headphone output drives my Byerdynamic DT 880 phones just fine, but for most of my listening, I use my electrostatic Stax headphones, which have their own amp. I connect them via the XLR outputs. I'm sure some high end dedicated headphone amps have better quality circuitry--being able to discern a difference would be up to the individual.

Post by akiralx January 16, 2013 (3 of 11)
Fugue said:
... for most of my listening, I use my electrostatic Stax headphones...

Me too (my only way of listening to SACDs in fact), but they leak sound so much the OP's missus will be suffering sleep deprivation within days.

Post by grsimmon January 16, 2013 (4 of 11)
I'd love to use Stax but yeah, the whole missus thing......and sleep deprivation would begin in minutes, not days :)

Edit: for anyone interested, headphone company Audeze is developing a closed model. Should be interesting, but I suspect they will be way too big/heavy for my preference.

Post by Fugue January 16, 2013 (5 of 11)
akiralx said:

Me too (my only way of listening to SACDs in fact), but they leak sound so much the OP's missus will be suffering sleep deprivation within days.

I should clarify: I meant I use my Stax for most of my headphone listening--I use my speakers for about 95% of my sessions.

Post by stokitw February 12, 2013 (6 of 11)
My main headphone is Grado GS-1000.
For casual listening, the headphone out on 5400ES can do the job.
Yet for the critical listening on headphone, I still prefer an dedicated system.
I am using Grace Design m903, an expert on low-impedance phones.

Post by Fitzcaraldo215 February 12, 2013 (7 of 11)
grsimmon said:

I remember seeing at least 1 other thread in the past about SACD on headphones, hence the part 2.....

I'm interested in upgrading my bedside system, which is a headphone rig. Headphones of choice are currently Ultrasone Edition 8, possible future Beyerdynamic T5p (models must be closed due to sleeping wife). Both models are around 30 ohms.

I'm thinking of SACD models that have a headphone jack / volume control. Sony 5400ES or Marantz 8004 come to mind. I'm wondering a few things, any headphone fans out there can comment....?

When I fantasize about such a system, there is only one I would consider. That is the Smyth Realizer system, which reproduces Mch from a pair of stock Stax stereo headphones. I have not heard it because of limited dealerships,but credidible reviews by Kal and by Gary Reber in Widescreen Review have my heart pounding. Amazing and totally unique technology! It ain't cheap, probably pushing $5k with the phones and extra long cables,but now accepts HDMI directly, so there is nothing else to buy, except the player, whose DACs would not be used - an Oppo 103, perhaps, or the Sony 5400.


Believe me, as a high school and college student, before I could afford a stereo pair of speakers, I got more than my fill of the "inside your head" sound of cans, with my set of the original Koss headphones. There is no going back to that for me. The Smyth system eliminates that completely, and it provides the dimensionality of Mch. Turn your head, and the sound stays fixed in front of you. It can simulate the sound of your main system, because it is calibrated there. Or, it can simulate the sound of any other rooms - a friend's awesome system or a friendly Pro's control room - storing the selectable calibrations done there for recall. I hear that it is widely used by Pros in Mch mastering in Hollywood, so as not to tie up a control/mastering studio, but with a calibrated simulation of the same room.

Post by Fidellemus February 12, 2013 (8 of 11)
The text of this post has been deleted by the moderator. Reason:

The link doesn't relate in any way to your post so I'm assuming it's spam.

Post by canonical February 12, 2013 (9 of 11)
SA-CD.net's resident headphone expert is Arnaldo:

http://www.sa-cd.netwww.sa-cd.net/showuser/5457

... having tried out most of the Ethiopian sheep skin varieties, Ultrasones etc on the path to Stax.

Best to ask him ...

Post by Polarius T February 13, 2013 (10 of 11)
Right. He could even hear the big difference it made to have that rare Ethiopian sheepskin adorning the head band, compared to the same model in lowly plastic finish that the pros in the business prefer.

Talk about...ruthenium ears?

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