Headphones for PONO

Yeah, there are times where it feels like the music is being played all around me, a very 3D and realistic effect. I listened to the Abbey Road side 2 medley last night and I was hearing things I had never heard before, which is kind of unbelievable since I've been listening to Abbey Road for decades.

 

Do you have any suggestions for a Kate Bush album and mastering that works well with the PonoPlayer style balanced sound? I don't own any Kate Bush albums. It's time to get some. But I don't know what to get. Records and masterings that work well with the PonoPlayer style sound would be my first choice to get. If the sound works well with the magic of the Pono balanced mode then that's a sign it's a good recording and a good mastering.

 

The one I was listening to that made me post was Never For Ever, the mastering I believe was a vinyl rip. There were a series of her albums released in Japan on mini-LP in 2005 that have gotten very good marks. There were also more recent 2011 reissues on her label, Fish People, but I'm not sure what mastering they use. If you can track down those 2005 Japan issues, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

Would off the shelf Audio Technica M50X phones work properly in balanced mode with cables from Surfcables or do they need to be modded internally?

 

Looks like a fair amount of internal modifications if this is accurate Balanced Headphones for About $130 - All »

 

Anything I can buy that's ready to go without mods for under $300?

 

Sennheiser HD 600 Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Headphones - NEW & SEALED! »

Close to $300...

 

I use either my Ety IEM's or my B&W P5's when traveling. My SHure's and Senn 700's are too bulky. I've been tempted by the AT's as well. I don't think they are particularly exceptional in any way, but I don't see any real flaws in them either. Kinda makes them perfect travelers. I don't think I would drag megabuck cans all over the planet.

 

Plus about $100 for balanced headphone cables that have the correct balanced connections for the PonoPlayer.

 

The SurfCables web site has a list of headphones that they can convert to balanced use with the Pono. The list is here. The Sony MDR-1R is mentioned with the note "Yes, no problem. Please email us for details.". I don't know what's involved to make them balanced. I haven't ever heard them either. Don't know how they sound. But they're available for about $200 - $300 and then add in the cost for a balanced Pono cable and whatever is necessary to convert the headphones to balanced. Email SurfCables to find out what's involved.

InnerFidelity has a review of the MDR-1R here. The MDR-1R made their Wall Of Fame list for closed headphones, although it has been knocked off the wall by newer headphones since.

 

Another idea, if you could stretch your $300 budger a bit.

If you could use an Amazon $150 Gift Card:
Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Professional Headphone with Amazon.com Gift Card with Greeting Card - $150 (Winter) ($400)
Amazon.com: Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Professional Headphone with Amazon.com Gift Card with Greeting Card - $150 (Winter): Musical Instruments »

Pono Player Headphone Cable Balanced Mode Sennheiser HiFiman Audeze Alpha Dog ($46.50)
Pono Player Headphone Cable Balanced Mode Sennheiser HiFiman Audeze Alpha Dog »

$400.00
- 150.00 Amazon Gift Card (no expiration)
= 300.00
+ $46.50
= $346.50

or price without the Amazon Gift Card:
Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Professional Headphone ($329)
Amazon.com: Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Professional Headphone: Musical Instruments »

Pono Player Headphone Cable Balanced Mode Sennheiser HiFiman Audeze Alpha Dog ($46.50)
Pono Player Headphone Cable Balanced Mode Sennheiser HiFiman Audeze Alpha Dog »

$329.00
+ $46.50
= $375.50

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, the Amazon deal is a no go for Canadian buyers.

For those of you running a balanced setup on the Pono, would you say it's worth the effort?

 

I didn't consider that.

On the Pono - with Sennheiser HD650 and HD600 the sound went from very nice (although marginally powered) with single ended mode to the kind of sound I have wished for when trying to really get into headphones, with balanced mode. (I had been trying to be fully satisfied with headphone listening, off and on, for about 40 years. This finally did the trick.)

Very involving, I can listen with pleasure for hours and they have a kind of magical (I can't think of a better word) quality with balanced mode. With the Sennheisers - well worth the effort for me with the Pono. (And I went with $100 balanced cables.)

I also bought HiFiMan RE400i headphones last Black Friday. I don't know quite what I make of these yet. I haven't spent a lot of time with them. Even with that, balanced cables made them sound much better to me than single ended cable on the Pono.

 

Thanks Dino! One more question - is there a substantial difference between the cables you linked to up thread ($46.50) and $100 cables?

 

I really don't know what - if any - difference in sound there is between the cables.

I chose the $100 cables because they were made from Cardas cables and I have seen Cardas cable upgrades for Sennheiser headphones for decades. I thought that they might be better.
I also liked the color of the $100 cables. Sometimes things like that are worth it to me.

 

You might check with John at Surfcables. I believe they will modify M50's for balanced use. Their costs have always been reasonable, imo.

 

Yes, balanced with the PonoPlayer is worth the effort. It really is. The amp circuit in the Pono is inherently balanced. The full benefit of that amp circuit only happens when you listen to it using balanced headphones or balanced XLR interconnects to a balanced pre-amp.

 

Get this bundle: HiFiMan Products »

That's a Hifiman HE-400S with balanced cables for $350 US. As far as I know that's the cheapest you're going to get balanced capable headphones with the cables included. The 400S plays nice with the Pono, better than the HD600 (I prefer the HD600 overall but the Pono doesn't have quite enough power to do it justice IMO).

The other option would be to get a refurbished Oppo PM-3. You'll need to call Oppo to get a refurb, but they do have them and they're in great condition, should be about $320. Then you'll need the balanced cable, about another $100. I think the 400S is a better deal because you get everything from one source for a cheaper price and the headphones are comparable in quality.

 

Good stuff. One other thing I need to consider is isolation. I need something I can use at work without disturbing others. Sounds like the Sennheisers and Hifiman are out on that count. What about the PM-3s or others?

 

I use a Sennheiser Momentum "over-ear ver 2.0" for isolation. Single ended but a nice sound.

 

The PM-3 will definitely isolate the sound going out and outside sounds coming in.

 

You'll want a closed headphone for that. The PM-3 is a very good choice for that as long as you're not a treble-head. The PM-3 is a little bit rolled off in the treble, which isn't a bad thing. Too much treble is worse than a little too little treble.

InnerFidelity has a Wall of Fame for various headphone types. The PM-3 is on the wall of fame for closed headphones.