[Senpai3330]

I don't know much about the newer generation iPod classics, but my friend pointed toward my DT880 yesterday and said, 'Hey I haven't seen those before, can I try them on?" [non audiophile, but then again neither am I.] So I pull up my media library and told him go ahead, but he insisted on playing his own music so I unplugged them from my E7/E9 and handed him the jack.

What came out was quite surprising because his iPod was not only able to drive them to acceptably loud listening levels, but the sq was even acceptable. It sounded noticeably duller and unengaging, but the majority of the sound remained intact.

Is it just because I'm not able to appreciate the upper scope of what this pair of cans can do so I only perceive a very small improvement with proper amping?

 

[TMRaven]

Perhaps both.  MY DT990 600Ω can be driven to acceptable listening levels and dynamics though the iMac and iPod as well, but there's a clear night and day difference in punchiness and crispness when amped with my humble little rig.  I took it to a local music store and plugged it into a peachtree iDecco, and I could even hear more of a difference.  In short, they scale extremely well.

 

[scompton]

They might be acceptable, but it's far from ideal and will only get worse as the battery drains.  And the battery will drain rather quickly.  I don't own 600 ohm Beyers, but I do own 600 ohm AKGs and some insensitive vintage orthos.  The iPod tends to clip when trying to play very bassy music with either, but especially the low sensitivity orthos.  With acoustic music and a full charge, the SQ is acceptable and volume is not a problem at all.  I do listen at fairly low levels.

 

[TMRaven]

Oddly enough I'm listening to the DT990 600Ω, and I'm not finding much clipping on bass heavy songs-- if at all.  I'm using a 4th generation iPod touch.  It's just a soft kind of bass though, and not hard-edged like it could be.

 

[rawrster]

I loaned out my DT880 to another member here and just for kicked he tried it out of his Cowon J3. It lasted about 30 minutes before it died.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

 Is it just because I'm not able to appreciate the upper scope of what this pair of cans can do so I only perceive a very small improvement with proper amping?

Yes. This should tell you more about the E7/E9 than the iPod.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Quote:

I loaned out my DT880 to another member here and just for kicked he tried it out of his Cowon J3. It lasted about 30 minutes before it died.

the member died? 

 

[Senpai3330]

Yes. This should tell you more about the E7/E9 than the iPod.

I was really hoping you wouldn't bring that up. I just cured my upgraditis....but an introduction into the world of tubes might be nice.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Yes. This should tell you more about the E7/E9 than the iPod.

My guess is that the E7 would have at least some of the same issues as portable player, short battery life and possible clipping.  Any small, battery operated device will have this problem.  Since the E9 isn't battery powered, it could work fine.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

My guess is that the E7 would have at least some of the same issues as portable player, short battery life and possible clipping.  Any small, battery operated device will have this problem.  Since the E9 isn't battery powered, it could work fine.

Clipping aside a portable or small component source has no weight too the music, in other words it lacks body and with a neutral headphone like the DT880 the differences would be quite apparent. With a colored sound like a D7000 for instance you either won't care or won't be able to tell due to the sloppy inaccuracy of the headphones.
 
A tube amp would be nice OP, you don't have to spend a lot for a great sound.

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Clipping aside a portable or small component source has no weight too the music, in other words it lacks body and with a neutral headphone like the DT880 the differences would be quite apparent. With a colored sound like a D7000 for instance you either won't care or won't be able to tell due to the sloppy inaccuracy of the headphones.
 
A tube amp would be nice OP, you don't have to spend a lot for a great sound.

 
As I stated before, I don't have experience with 600 ohm Beyers.  My Sextetts and K240 DF, sound fine out of a portable amp using a wall wart for power.  The sound slightly better out of my desktop amps and vintage receivers.  But if I level match, the difference isn't that big.
 
 

 

[NimbleRabit]

I believe the ipod (especially the newer ones) have been found to be pretty powerful, capable of outputting respectable voltage.  On top of this the Beyers are relatively sensitive headphones (listed at 96 dB/mW I believe), so it makes sense that the ipod  would be able to power them.  As far as the sound quality is concerned that's a much more subjective thing, but yeah I'm not surprised the ipod can power them.  I wouldn't expect the volume to be able to get up particularly loud though, and it's possible clipping might occur as the ipod is forced to output higher voltages.
 
Some quick googling shows that ipods are supposedly able to output .5 volts RMS cleanly with under 1% THD (low distortion).  With that output they could power 600 ohm headphones with 96 dB/mW resistance up to 100 dB.  So it should be entirely possible for an ipod to power the dt880 600's as I believe 100 dB is relatively loud, although I'm not 100% familiar with decibel levels.

 

[spekkio]

I don't know about iPods, but I've tried driving my Beyer DT990 600ohms from a Sansa Fuze and there has been no issues (rockbox volume is at -5 dB). To my ears it sounds almost the same as when driven by my desktop amplifier, except the treble is far more dampened in the Fuze's situation. I guess impedance may play less of a role here.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

To my ears it sounds almost the same as when driven by my desktop amplifier

Which is what?

 

[scompton]

Quote:

I believe the ipod (especially the newer ones) have been found to be pretty powerful, capable of outputting respectable voltage.  On top of this the Beyers are relatively sensitive headphones (listed at 96 dB/mW I believe), so it makes sense that the ipod  would be able to power them.  As far as the sound quality is concerned that's a much more subjective thing, but yeah I'm not surprised the ipod can power them.  I wouldn't expect the volume to be able to get up particularly loud though, and it's possible clipping might occur as the ipod is forced to output higher voltages.
 
Some quick googling shows that ipods are supposedly able to output .5 volts RMS cleanly with under 1% THD (low distortion).  With that output they could power 600 ohm headphones with 96 dB/mW resistance up to 100 dB.  So it should be entirely possible for an ipod to power the dt880 600's as I believe 100 dB is relatively loud, although I'm not 100% familiar with decibel levels.

 
100dB is only safe to listen to for a couple of hours, so, yeah, that's loud.  When I was googling the other day, I say .75 volts and 1 volt numbers for the iPod classic, which is what I have.  The only time I've noticed severe clipping from the iPod was with my Audio Technica ATH-2 vintage orthos.  I was shuffling and some very bassy electronic music come up and the iPod couldn't handle it.  I clipped so bad that the song was unrecognizable.  The ATH-2 is 32 ohms and 97dB/mW. 
 
I also have one organ CD that the iPod can't play without clipping, no matter what headphone I use, or if I use line out.  It just clips.  It doesn't clip from my computer.
 
I never heard clipping with my 600 ohm AKGs out of the iPod, but I also don't remember looking for music that would cause it.  I only need to put the volume a little over half to get the levels I listen at.   I also don't remember if I've done volume matched comparions between the iPod and other amps with the AKGs.  I have done it with other headphones and not really noticed that much of a difference.