Headphone recommendations for listening to Linda Ronstadt please.

Done! ​

 

Who plays SACDs as SACDs & listens on their headphones?

I found Linda acapella on YT. "What's New" is passable/best extraction.

 

Me for one, though I have my SACDs ripped to hard-disk and play the .dsf files these days.

 

ElectroRonstadtic Headphones is what you want.

 

Sennheiser HD560s tried with my MFSL "Hasten Down The Wind". Fantastic. Both.

I think I'm a Sennheiser addict now. I could hear Linda breath, singing as the main attraction. Bass was fine though other 'phones have more bass, but its not bass I want to hear, its Linda, though in full tone. How would 600s compare, or 6xx/650s?

With the MSFL CD, Linda's voice is very faint and echoy in both my Bose 'phones, QC25 & AE2, but not with my classic Pioneer SE2s. Trying a new adapter plug as both Bose are 3.5 ended. Could it be the Apple volume switch each has messing the sound relay? Ordered a non-Bose cable with no volume switch for the QCs.

So any more will be Sennheisers most likely. But which next, still prioritising Linda's voice above all else. Being open air headphones, and with sensitive hearing, I play at lower volumes.

 

Bought some HD600s. Need to find a Schitt Loki...the hard part.

What is the Bellari EQ570 like?

 

Until you have listened to the HD600s, you won't know if you need EQ.

If you do need EQ you also can do that in the digital domain via something like JRiver.

 

Good point. I have a fortnight to wait so have the 560s to experiment with in the meantime

 

Been listening to my MFSL Linda gold CDs on my HD-560s. Using the Audio Fidelity "Heart Like a Wheel" (plugged into my Kenwood amp) as a yardstick, both are on a par except for Linda's voice.

MFSL CDs have Linda's voice too quiet compared to the AF, which though not loud, is not sounding backstage, but more front line or ahead. Loud tracks show the largest differences, where MFSL has it hard to hear Linda's words. "Hasten Down The Wind" is best & closest to HLAW on the AF DCC.

I have yet to try the vinyl equivalents, looking for an AF LP of HLAW, if there is one.

 

Yes! Today my WN SACD came, hoping for even better!

 

I have the mini-LP of LITUSA, so can compare that to Kikuchi's remastering of Linda's earlier albums now.

 

Sennheiser HD600s, awesome. They produce a slightly deeper richer sound than my HD560s. However the 560s are better at lower volumes, so are my bedroom pair as they don't disturb the cat!

But those 600s... I can't imagine any better for Linda's voice, without losing her vocals getting drowned out. The 560s at higher volume settings loose a bit of vocal finery to harshness, and soundstaging becomes less 3D, but that all depends on my tolerance.

Now to find some good wireless around-ear cans that do Linda's singing justice, any suggestions?

 

What would be a good headphone pre-amp/amplifier for getting the best from Linda? Tube or not.

 

These "Linda" questions are getting pretty cringy........

 

@Ham Sandwich can also advise you (better than I can), but Focal Arche is on a unbelievable run-out deal in a combination with the original Focal Clear. I would suggest immediately buying that pairing without any hesitation whatsoever.
If you retain your 600s, the Phonitor X is great (so is an original Phonitor if you can get one - it better suits the Sennheiser's higher output impedance), the Burson Audio stuff is also excellent. The Fidelice is excellent too, but, I suspect, more than you want to spend.

 

An issue with tube amps for the HD600 is that the ones that have good transients and good imaging and separation are the expensive ones. The cheap tube amps sound mushy and foggy in comparison. At the lower end of the price spectrum it is easier to get a good amp for the HD600 that is solid state than to find a good tube amp. A hybrid amp in the price range of the Schiit Lyr could be an option if you want some tube 2nd harmonics. A good hybrid can flesh out the vocals and get the vocals to sound a little fuller and have some additional depth. That's due to the 2nd harmonics that tubes do.

 

OP, since you seem to be serious about making your HD headphones work for you, two tips: (I) ZMF recently released aftermarket pads for HD6XX, they are amazing and improve the sound significantly, there are three flavours, do some research and order the ones which are right for you, I personally have a lambskin perforated on my HD650; (2) get an aftermarket cable, the one which comes with the phones is 'a piece of lamp cord', as someone called it. you're in the UK, right? OIDIO is on the pricier side, but they are amazing, highly customisable cables which are light, flexible, well built, not microphonic in the least and sound well, I run one of those for my Verum 1 headphones, best cable I own.

hope you find this useful.

 

Many thanks. Its strange my HD560S are better than 600s on my current equipment. Is the Ifi Zen any good?