open headphones

[Brainiac5]

Hi,

I'm looking for headphones to connect directly into the Onkyo 606. I've more or less narrowed it down to either the Sennheiser HD 650 or the AKG 702. Maybe someone can help me with a couple of questions.

- Do you think the 606 would be able to drive them adequately for now? I understand that I will not be getting the most of them but will I be getting enough?

- I've never had open headphones before. Do they leak a lot of noise? Would it be annoying to someone in the same room? in another room?

- Any preference between the two?

[Drubbing]

THe 702 are well known as a bugger to drive. They require serious dedicated amping. The 650 aren't quite as bad, but still need plenty of power, as both require good voltage swing to activate the drivers and open up their full capability.

A good quality receiver probably has the grunt, but the headphone out stages are wildly variable in quality - even on very good ones, simply because headphone usage isn't their main purpose. If they're poor they will be a weak link in SQ delivery.

With open phones, someone in the same room may be able to make out what you're listening to, or will hear something from the phones, depending on the volume they're played at.

The 650s are regarded as an allrounder for musical genres, the 702 excel at Jazz, classical and very fine detail. But you should get more opinions on that.

You could also save a bit if you fancy the 702, by getting the 701. The 702 is the same but has a detachable cable that jacks up the price a bit.