| BUYING GUIDE & REVIEWS - HEADPHONES & HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERS |
| PRICES SHOWN ARE THOSE AT THE TIME OF REVIEW |
| Headphones |
£ |
Year |
Verdict |
| Beyerdynamic DT931 |
£150 |
Jul 01 |
Deliver a detailed and clear sound. Good bass extension although treble can be a tad harsh sometimes. Comfortable to wear and ideal for long lsitening periods. |
| Ergo Model 2 |
£140 |
Apr 99 |
Wonderfully lucid and transparent panel-like sound. |
Grado Reference
Series RS2 |
£750 |
Sep 02 |
Expensive, but superb sounding. The RS2s are superbly transparent, detailed and sophisticated. |
| Jecklin Float 2 |
£100 |
Apr 99 |
Clarity and openness are their traits, rather than slamming bass, but still good value. |
| Sennheiser HD 497 |
£50 |
Sep 02 |
Good value and affordable but not quite the best at the price. |
| Sennheiser HD-580 |
£200 |
Nov 98 |
In the company of a smooth, warm system the 580s can shine. |
Sennheiser HD600
Avante Garde |
£250 |
Jul 01 |
A valve like headphone, they're sohpisticated, making many others sound brittle. Not for hard house DJ's but more for the marathon session audiophile. |
| Sennheiser HE60/V70 |
£1000 |
Feb 95 |
Electrostatic that set a class standard and can put a case for chucking out your power amp and 'speakers. |
| Sennheiser Orpheus |
£10000 |
Jul 01 |
Creates a sound thats quite unique in neutrality, transparancy and detail. One of the best sonic experiences around, like strapping a pair of Quads to your head! Without doubt the ultimate headphone! |
| Vivanco FMH-6800 |
£80 |
May 98 |
Have a lot of potential but basic operating problems have to be cleaned up first. |
| Vivanco SR850 |
£50 |
Nov 95 |
Excitement that is rarely heard in headphones, but have a little trouble with heavy orchestral loads. |
| Headphone Amps |
£ |
Year |
Verdict |
| Creek OBH-11SE |
£230 |
Jun 02 |
Will drive 2 headphones at the same time using a Class A amp wilth zero feedback. Good ambience and space with a high level of detail. A very finely crafted little gem from the house of Creek! |
| Sugden Headmaster |
£530 |
Jun 02 |
Also doubles as a basic but high quality preamp with 3 line inputs. Smooth, full and rich sound married with a good sense of detail. An unusual and highly recommended bit of kit. |
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