Headphone Amp Necessary?

[Xollop]

hey all,

I'm looking into some AKG K702's for mixing/sound design/edit use with my Mbox2 Pro.

I know a lot of people recommend getting a headphone amplifier for use with ipods, computer audio and the like, but...

Is it necessary to use a headphone amp with an Mbox 2 Pro?

My only concern with putting that between the Mbox and the K702s was coloration of the sound or additional noise, as the whole point of getting them is accuracy and quality. Maybe not an issue, but I'd appreciate any product plugs that would fit the situation if necessary.

Thanks and Merry Christmas to all!

[Dism]

Originally Posted by Xollop

hey all,

I'm looking into some AKG K702's for mixing/sound design/edit use with my Mbox2 Pro.

I know a lot of people recommend getting a headphone amplifier for use with ipods, computer audio and the like, but...

Is it necessary to use a headphone amp with an Mbox 2 Pro?

My only concern with putting that between the Mbox and the K702s was coloration of the sound or additional noise, as the whole point of getting them is accuracy and quality. Maybe not an issue, but I'd appreciate any product plugs that would fit the situation if necessary.

Thanks and Merry Christmas to all!

I wouldn't worry about a headphone amp. The idea behind getting a headphone amp for consumer grade crap is more for accurate gain staging without distorting the signal. You don't have to worry about that on an MBox.

I would also not recommend mixing with headphones... but that's a whole other story. If you want to invest in something to help you mix, I'd recommend getting some near-field monitors.

[Xollop]

Good to know.

Yeah, you don't have to tell me about why mixing on headphones isn't ideal.
But budget, space etc is more of a concern currently and quite frankly those will be better than the 7506's I'm currently shoving all my work through.
I had a decent pair of studio monitors that I just couldn't fit in my new setup and I greatly miss the peace of mind.

Half the time I'm doing production sound and the other half sound design/editing, so I've got 2 very hungry mouths to feed.

but good, one less thing to buy.

[sahilkochhar]

Hello,

I am currently using the AKG K702 with my MBOX 2 and they are not very loud before they start distorting. Do you have any luck with your MBOX or did you end up getting a headphone amp? If so, which one? I was really hoping these would be a little louder before they start to crackle..