Using an Asus Xonar U7 USB DAC/amplifier (compatible with headphones up to 150 ohms) does not provide the satisfying bass of an integrated amplifier (compatible with headphones up to 2,000 ohms)

but once you have a reasonable source, and a reasonable amplifier - these are still some of the best sounding phones that I have ever listened to

Most portable audio players WILL require an amplifier to get the best performance out of these headphones (I recommend the PA2V2 portable amplifier from Electric Avenues).

But, if you want to have a taste of what the audiophiles listen to with their $20,000 on up home rigs - this is one of the ways to get close - but you need a reasonable amplifier that is designed for high impedance headphones, and a good music source

However, my FiiO X1 needs to be at nearly maximum volume to drive these properly so I would suggest a portable amplifier for mobile listening

Typical use is with a Zune 30gb, powered by a Little Dot MK1 portable amplifier

- get a reasonable amplifier, and you will be very happy

I reccomend the Asus Xonar and a pretty expensive headphone amplifier

I ordered a FilO E11 Portable Headphone Amplifier and just with that little amp, these headphones sound great

If this is your first foray into high-end audio, you're listening at home, and you can afford a decent amplifier, buy these cans before you splurge for any others

Speaking of amplification, as these are 300 ohm headphones don't plan to get the best from them without a suitable amplifier

I got a portable headphone amplifier these and they are absolutely amazing.

m80ti's with a very nice amplifier

Have these paired with a Teac HA-P50-R TEAC Portable Headphone Amplifier and am still going through my music library right now just to hear every detail in songs that I have been missing using lesser headphones

If anyone has any critical comparison experience of these headphones with a stronger amplifier and its effect on the sound I would love to hear about it

But some better amplifiers will do a better job

With a decent headphone amplifier, the HD600 is preferred by many over other headphones in higher price categories

The HD 600 is way too inefficient to be powered off of a portable (try the HD 497 or Grado S60) even with most readily available portable headphone amplifiers, and way too accurate to listen comfortably to a crappy low bit rate MP3

Once you start to use the Sennheiser HD 600 headphones, you will most likely feel that this was one of the best music listening headphones at the price point of approximately $350.00.To obtain the maximum sound quality of the Sennheiser HD 600 headphones, you will need a good quality stereo pre-amp and or stereo amplifier

And while not truly the most portable of headphones, the Grado's for classical (and still quite reasonable for rock and alternative) and the Momentum's for rock and alternative (I confess I don't like them as much for classical as I do the Grado's for rock and alternative), AND the HD600's for more critical, at-home listening with audio equipment that has enough amplifier ooomph to properly push them

m50x, sennheiser hd 280 pro, and vmoda crossfades as well, and these blow all of them out of the water.you'll need an amplifier to do them any justice.

Available at a very attractive "street price," the HD-600 are a completely respectable headphone, especially when paired with a good dedicated headphone amplifier.

I can already tell that by its effortlessness these headphones will do much better with a more expensive headphone amplifier and a way better source than the audigy 2 (which admittedly is quite a good low cost card)

The flip side is that when you feed them good source material through a clean amplifier (as I write this I'm auditioning a Rega Ear), the HD600s cook.

I have around 7 pair of professional/audiophile headphones and these are as good as it get's in my opinion

i really wanted a very nice pair of headphones for checking my mixes on as well as for listening to music on without throwing off my ears

In short: These are as good as it gets -IF- if your reason for wanting headphones doesn't include recording

I use these in my home studio for late-night composing and mixing, as well as for pure enjoyment.

These headphones handle it all as well as you can imagine, and will expose items in your favorite songs you had never heard before.

Not to mention their open-back design and 300 ohms of impedance mean you shouldn't be using them while traveling, though this doesn't bother me as I use the at home

Although there has not been sufficient time for burn-in the phones are superbly accurate (especially in the midrange: vocals, woodwinds, etc.) as well as in the wonderfully detailed highs (in an odd turn of events I happened to find that the HD 600 was not much less in the highs than my Koss electrostatics)

If you're going with a stationary home DAC, then make sure that it has balanced outputs, and get a true balanced amplifier (Headamp GS-X is a good model, as is the Heardoom Max Balanced, or perhaps a cheaper but still excellent SFT-build balanced M^3)