to generally answer your question from the title: yes.
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thanks! i think…
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good point - we should just answer the question 
I fully agree.
To expand on this a little more, in general I think the influence on what you hear is:
Headphones > Amp > DAC > Format (lossless vs lossy vs hires)
Of course the edge cases where any part of the chain is really REALLY bad will blow this order of influence out of the water. Old 64kbps napster mp3 files will sound bad on anything. YouTube music is fine. Running it from your laptop through some decent headphones will be enjoyable. If you get a decent starter dac / amp combo (ie the Schiit Fula is a good one to consider, you mentioned FiiO K5 Pro which is solid, and many many others), you’ll get a lot of benefit from nicer headphones.
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My understanding is as follows (and if I am wrong, I would greatly appreciate being corrected by members of this community!)
You NEED amps for high impedance headphones (e.g. HD 600 are 300 ohms. Your current headphones are 16 ohm, and thus are highly efficient and should neither need nor benefit from an amp/dac. Most computers can handle something like 60 ohms max - 32 is pretty standard, and over 60 will be an issue) and/or headphones that are less efficient and thus produce under the sound pressure level that you might want (usually measured in db. Under 90 is fairly inefficient, so that you will have difficulty pushing them to levels that would sound ‘live’ with a phone, computer headphone out, etc.) For running planar headphones, an amp will also be useful - thus the Highfiman are usually rated at 25 ohm and 91 db, but would benefit from an external amp. This is, as I understand it, likely due to the unconventional nature of planar magnetic headphones which use a large diaphragm, and thus benefit especially in the ‘lows’ from extra power.
Getting HD 600 headphones is pricey, in no small part due to the need for an amp, and if you have not heard open back headphones and don’t know if they are your thing and don’t know if you want to chase the audio dragon, might be jumping in with both feet, so to speak. These are usually mentioned as reference headphones, so you would certainly not be wasting your money or regret having them around even if the sound signature is not to your liking, assuming you like the idea of trying out different audio and pursuing this hobby. However, the requirement of an amp does mean that this is quite expensive compared to other options as a ‘starter’ set, and these are certainly not the kind of headphone that you could ever wear outside of the house.
My recommendations of the Koss KPH 30i (or Grado 60/80) is somewhat dependent on their cost in your neck of the woods. I know that bought through Amazon in Canada, these headphones are $60+ dollars. People recommend them because they sound very good for the price but in the US they are around $30, and so even with some $10 Pads, this is an insanely good deal. Given the price difference, however, I feel they moves them from ‘eh, it’s a few lunches’ to ‘nah, I can save up and get something far better’ since the aesthetics and build quality ARE those of $30 headphones.
[Again, members of this community, this is my understanding, so let me know if I am talking out of my rump - or agree, for that matter…]
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Thanks!
Here where I live the Grado 60s and the Koss KPH30i are not even available so I would have to import them which means that they would cost quite a lot more than they do in the US sadly.
The Grado 80s are available for 130€ ($158.53) tho.
Also what about the Koss Porta Pros?
They cost 30€ ($36.58) here.
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To my ears these sound good, but reviews are mixed. I personally enjoy them. Also, they are very open - you’ll hear everything around you. Maybe double check the return policy?
The Porta Pros are well reviewed. Some people like them better than KPH30i.
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Will do!
Thanks!
Elementze is likely onto something with the porta pros. They (as well as the KSC75) use the same driver as the KPH30i and are also open back. If you can get these cheap, you will be able to see if open headphones are your bag and give you a taste of what higher end headphones can offer. I wouldn’t buy the Grado 80s for $160. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and they were my first open back headphones - I tried them out at a local audio store while demoing some etymotic iems and walked out with the Grado 80s with a new lease on life! Nonetheless, unless all headphones are obscenely priced where you are, I doubt these would be the best bang for the buck. Remember, these are made in Brooklyn, which is part of their appeal to people like Z, and because they are built in the US are cheaper for US residents.
Out of curiosity, how much were the HD600s you were looking at? Are they comparable to the HD650 (would mention the 6XX, but not sure if Drop ships to Europe. I myself just ordered the 6XX yesterday as they are $220 USD.)
What about other local European brands such as AKG - are these possibly more reasonably priced in your neck of the woods?
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I forget how bad availability is in some areas. Really frustrating!
One idea - the buy/sell thread on this forum is AWESOME! Honest people giving good deals to fellow audiophiles. You could post a “Want to Buy”, indicate you are in europe, new to headphones, and looking for some good starter cans. Someone in Europe may have something available to sell you, possibly even better than what’s being proposed here, and ship them to you for a good price.
Just another option to get around the locality challenge…
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The HD 600’s I was looking at were 365€ ($445.08). Th HD 650s cost 309€ ($376.79).
For example the AKG K701 cost 129€ ($157.30) and the AKG K712 PRO cost 222€ ($270.71).
I also checked the prices for some of the Beyerdynamic’s headphones and the DT 880 PRO 250 Ohm cost 216€ ($263.39), DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm 129€ ($157.30) etc.
Edit: added the price of HD 650s
I might give that one a try at some point.
Right now I will try to get some cheap sub 50€ cans I guess and then I will try to buy something more expensive second hand.
These were my first - you never forget your first! They are a solid starter set. Closed back. “V” shaped sound. I’ve always compared them to riding down the road in an old Cadillac, laid back, easy going, float over the potholes. The velour pads are comfortable. It’s a set you could keep quite a while even after you upgrade. They are unique.
I tried the 250ohm version and didn’t like them nearly as much. the 80ohms were the sweat spot for me.
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