Topic: A way to improve your MP3 player sound quality

[BobW]

how is a headphone amp better than plugging them into say, a 100Wx5 receiver?

There are pluses and minuses to everything in this world....
Since you've asked....

Headphones would be free of unwanted room acoustic effects, reflections, and cross-talk.
Some feel that we only have two ears, and multi-channel simply adds complexity in attempt to cover-up bad recording technique.
Doubt me ?

Playback with headphones.
Play a recording made near-coincident with which you  slowly opened the spread-angle of your mics.
The image will travel from front to behind you.
Now narrow the angle.
The image compresses into the center of your skull until you are listening to monophonic sound.

Four speakers are not always necessary.
The fifth is simply compensation for poor bass performance in speaker design.
Subs will corrupt transient sound placement in the LF region, but most consider the effect of little consequence.

Bigger is not always better, less is sometimes more
YMMV

[nihilistic0]

how is a headphone amp better than plugging them into say, a 100Wx5 receiver?

There are pluses and minuses to everything in this world....
Since you've asked....

Headphones would be free of unwanted room acoustic effects, reflections, and cross-talk.
Some feel that we only have two ears, and multi-channel simply adds complexity in attempt to cover-up bad recording technique.
Doubt me ?

Playback with headphones.
Play a recording made near-coincident with which you  slowly opened the spread-angle of your mics.
The image will travel from front to behind you.
Now narrow the angle.
The image compresses into the center of your skull until you are listening to monophonic sound.

Four speakers are not always necessary.
The fifth is simply compensation for poor bass performance in speaker design.
Subs will corrupt transient sound placement in the LF region, but most consider the effect of little consequence.

Bigger is not always better, less is sometimes more
YMMV

I think you misread my question

I really enjoy listening to music on speakers, whether it be stereo or music mixed in 5.1.  I also enjoy listening to my headphones

I was asking if a headphone amp for a pair of Sennheiser HD485's would be a worthwhile investment, as opposed to plugging them into my amp (ie NOT a discman or mp3 player)

I notice a nice improvement in sound over plugging them into my Klipsch 2.1 PC speakers, and they sound damn good, but I always like to improve my playback quality (within reason, of course. no huge budgets here)

[BobW]

Now I get it.
I can't help but think that the Cayin HA-1 would be worth a listen, but she is spendy at $750

On the economical side, it is possible to get the HPA board from Benchmark if you are willing to homebrew the related parts and make it work. I have been waiting for mine for over 5 months from a Benchmark repair shop,as apparently dealers don't sell them, only the repair facilities. The two in the DAC-1 sound really good.

A Cmoy or any of it's cousins could be a big step up, but they are getting more expensive as the headphone revolution takes hold.
The choice of Omp used is important to the coloration of the sound.

To your point, it really depends on the amp. 
Some headphone outputs are awful, some are excellent.  The impedance of the headphones may be important as well, relative to the amp used. 
So, test and listen for yourself, using your Senns.
Your ears will guide you.

[mhibbs]

I have a Total Airhead and really like it.

http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/the-mobile-line/

This is a pretty slick portable dock w/ lineout that I've been thinking about buying to use w/ the Airhead.  Has anyone see line out cables?

http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-fw.html

[JasonR]

If anyone has an Otari DTR-8S, Fostex D5 or Tascam DA-20mkII, check out the headphone amp that's on these.  I've got the Otari, and as long as the switch on the rear is set to +4 (pro levels on the analog outs), the headphone amp on this thing sounds awesome.  It's easilly on par with my Headroom Supreme (save for the lack of the cool Headroom filter).  Given the common componenents, I would expect the D5 and DA20mkII also have the same killer headphone section.

- Jason

[slayerrocker]

Maybe, but sometimes I listen to the ipod in a quiet library, and frequently plug it in to stereos all over the place. *I* can hear the difference, I think most others can too.

-Noah

Totally agree with this. I find that my old MP3 files were so noticeable when I plugged into a stereo. My IPod is more of a hard drive than a portable self contained music player.