# Audient ID22 + Sennheiser HD600. Amp needed?



## Counterpointer (Sep 2, 2018)

Hello!

I have realized that I need a pair of headphones for mixing and mastering since my room is too small to get a proper acoustic enviroment. After some research I have decided to buy Sennheiser HD600 and after some reading it's pretty unclear to me whether I have to buy a heaphone Amp or not. Some Audient ID22 users claim that there is plenty of juice in the headphone output and Audient themselves claim that it should be able to drive a pair of 600ohm headphones, and hd600 is only 300ohm I believe. Others say that you HAVE to have a proper amp to get them to work to their fullest.

I would be grateful if anyone with true insight would chime in on this. Perhaps even someone out there uses audient id22 and hd600 and can tell me how it works?

Kind Regards


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## gsilbers (Sep 2, 2018)

headphone amp might be overkill. better to get sonarworx that has the hd600 profile. i think that will give a better sound than a dedicated headphone amp. 
The audio quality might be a little better or maybe about the same. maybe get a headphone amp that you know you can return and try it out. 
I doubt audient would of skip out on a good headphone amp on that unit. but i dont have it.


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## Counterpointer (Sep 2, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> headphone amp might be overkill. better to get sonarworx that has the hd600 profile. i think that will give a better sound than a dedicated headphone amp.
> The audio quality might be a little better or maybe about the same. maybe get a headphone amp that you know you can return and try it out.
> I doubt audient would of skip out on a good headphone amp on that unit. but i dont have it.



Thanks for your reply! I was actually thinking of getting the sonarworks software. Do you have it and do you use the hd600 as well? If so, was there a big difference in terms of sound?


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## mc_deli (Sep 2, 2018)

Hang on... using a Sonarworks profile for an "average" pair of HD600 cans will not miraculously fix any quality issues and/or frequency response problems from an impedance mismatch with your headphone amp. Theoretically the correction curve could make the sound worse!

(My HD650 cans sound a bit rubbish through my Babyface first gen that has a poor headphone amp and impedance mismatch, and as much as I worship Sonarworks for my monitors, switching it on for the cans is well... meh) 

Someone with more energy can tell the maths.


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## gsilbers (Sep 2, 2018)

Counterpointer said:


> Thanks for your reply! I was actually thinking of getting the sonarworks software. Do you have it and do you use the hd600 as well? If so, was there a big difference in terms of sound?



its ok. it only helps gets a more flat eq curve so mixes translate better in different speakers. so not going to make it sound "better" per say. its good to have normal speakers and take breaks and listen to other music before going back and forth. that way it helps with perspective which is something lost when mixing with heaphones. which to me is the biggest issue when mixing with any headphones.


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## Counterpointer (Sep 2, 2018)

mc_deli said:


> Hang on... using a Sonarworks profile for an "average" pair of HD600 cans will not miraculously fix any quality issues and/or frequency response problems from an impedance mismatch with your headphone amp. Theoretically the correction curve could make the sound worse!
> 
> (My HD650 cans sound a bit rubbish through my Babyface first gen that has a poor headphone amp and impedance mismatch, and as much as I worship Sonarworks for my monitors, switching it on for the cans is well... meh)
> 
> Someone with more energy can tell the maths.



So, what you're saying is that I should get a headphone amp and make sure I don't risk impedance mismatch?


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## Counterpointer (Sep 2, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> its ok. it only helps gets a more flat eq curve so mixes translate better in different speakers. so not going to make it sound "better" per say. its good to have normal speakers and take breaks and listen to other music before going back and forth. that way it helps with perspective which is something lost when mixing with heaphones. which to me is the biggest issue when mixing with any headphones.



Of course. I didn't actually mean that the music sounds better, but more about what you said about honest translation. What I meant to ask was if it is such a difference in sound that it justifies buying sonarworks software. Does it correct enough to get a sense that it improves the mixing process and help to make choices?


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## gsilbers (Sep 2, 2018)

Counterpointer said:


> Of course. I didn't actually mean that the music sounds better, but more about what you said about honest translation. What I meant to ask was if it is such a difference in sound that it justifies buying sonarworks software. Does it correct enough to get a sense that it improves the mixing process and help to make choices?



Some like it more than others. There is a free trail so you can give it a go and see how the mixes translate on car speakers etc. I liked it for speakers and heaphones. but nowadays im in a good studio space and use the headphones as is for reference.


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