Monolith 1070 (planar) with Sound Blaster AE-5

[Harv]

Hey

I am thinking of purchasing the Monolith 1070 (planar headphone) https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B082TND9DT?smid=A4XRJ8S0WXSO0&psc=1 and will be connecting it to my Sound Blaster Ae-5 Plus sound card. I have no external amp.
I was hoping someone could tell me if my sound card will be able to provide sufficient power to drive the headphones at their optimal amount, or do I need an external amp?

Thankyou for your time

 

[IAtaman]

Hello and welcome

Monolith 1070 spec sheets says it is 60ohm and has efficiency of 96db/mW. 1.25V and 25mW should get you to 110dB which is not super demanding.

AE5-Plus seems like a nice piece of kit. Good documentation of specs is not one of its strengths though - no clear info on output power capabilities of its headphone amp. Spec sheet says it can drive headphones up to 600ohms however, suggesting voltage should not be an issue and 25mW is not gonna be a problem either so all in all it should be able to drive 1070 fine I think - but I am not 100% positive.

Now I have somewhat answered your question, allow me to ask one please. If this is your only headphone, you will have a lot of great options for AU$500 - why 1070 specifically?

 

[Harv]

Hello and welcome

Monolith 1070 spec sheets says it is 60ohm and has efficiency of 96db/mW. 1.25V and 25mW should get you to 110dB which is not super demanding.

AE5-Plus seems like a nice piece of kit. Good documentation of specs is not one of its strengths though - no clear info on output power capabilities of its headphone amp. Spec sheet says it can drive headphones up to 600ohms however, suggesting voltage should not be an issue and 25mW is not gonna be a problem either so all in all it should be able to drive 1070 fine I think - but I am not 100% positive.

Now I have somewhat answered your question, allow me to ask one please. If this is your only headphone, you will have a lot of great options for AU$500 you will have - why 1070 specifically?

Thankyou for your response and welcome, I appreciate it.

In response to your question ... Essentially I want to try a set of planar magnetic headphones. My current Senheisers (non-planar) are about 4 years old and I have never really been that happy with them and I want to upgrade to something (hopefully) better, and try something new at the same time.

Additionally I was thinking of trying an open back headphone setup. I have only ever previously used an open back set of earphones (not headphones), all other headphones have been closed, and I assumed an open back setup was purely to let sound in so that I could be more aware of my surroundings. The articles I have been reading seem to suggest that an open back setup alters the "sound stage" (if I am using that term right) and creates a more immersive listening environment so that sounds emanate from around you rather than within your head.

So why the Monolith 1070? Essentially it was the around the right price range for me and seemed to have good reviews, the caveat being you needed enough power to drive it. It also comes in both open and closed versions which is good for me as I have not decided on which setup is best for me yet. Audio engineering is not my area of
expertise so I guess I am being guided by whatever I can find on the internet.

In short, I am not wedded to the Monolith 1070, it just seemed to be the best I could find, based on my own limited knowledge and price range.

If you have any comments/suggestions please feel free to share them, any guidance you may have is appreciated.

 

[IAtaman]

Essentially I want to try a set of planar magnetic headphones. My current Senheisers (non-planar) are about 4 years old and I have never really been that happy with them and I want to upgrade to something (hopefully) better, and try something new at the same time.

I get what you mean. What Sennies you got?

Additionally I was thinking of trying an open back headphone setup. I have only ever previously used an open back set of earphones (not headphones), all other headphones have been closed, and I assumed an open back setup was purely to let sound in so that I could be more aware of my surroundings. The articles I have been reading seem to suggest that an open back setup alters the "sound stage" (if I am using that term right) and creates a more immersive listening environment so that sounds emanate from around you rather than within your head.

Open back headphones do not have the deal with some of the complexities closed back headphones have to deal with, which makes it possible for them to sound more "open" easily, as if the sound is not being emitted inside your head, but it comes from somewhere outside of it, so to speak. Nonetheless, those experiences are very personal, yours might be very different to mine, but I think we can both be sure that an open-back headphone would be a different experience to a closed back one.

So why the Monolith 1070? Essentially it was the around the right price range for me and seemed to have good reviews, the caveat being you needed enough power to drive it. It also comes in both open and closed versions which is good for me as I have not decided on which setup is best for me yet. Audio engineering is not my area of
expertise so I guess I am being guided by whatever I can find on the internet.

In short, I am not wedded to the Monolith 1070, it just seemed to be the best I could find, based on my own limited knowledge and price range.

If you have any comments/suggestions please feel free to share them, any guidance you may have is appreciated.

Well, 1070 might be a good headphone, might not be a good - I don't know. One of the reasons I have no ideas is because there is not a lot of information about it online - it is not one of the tried and tested cans. If you had 5 headphones and wanted to buy something different, I'd say go ahead and buy it. If you want to try a open back planar magnetic for the first time, maybe start with something better tried and tested? I would look at Hifimans for examples - Sundara, Edition XS, HE series - you can find a lot more information about these headphones online, and your chances of going wrong is a lot more slim.

 

[Dunring]

I had an AE-5 years ago as a daily driver and also the 1060C a couple of times. Check the weight of them vs what you're used to, because those are going to be pretty heavy by comparison. The Monoprice is ok, but Hifiman refurbished direct from them with a warranty is going to be much better bang for the buck. I'd really recommend the Hifiman HE5xx which I'm wearing now, lighter, larger soundstage, and with the Oratory1990 profile popped into APO/Peace they sound great. Also you'll have enough power for them with an AE-5.

 

[Harv]

I get what you mean. What Sennies you got?


Open back headphones do not have the deal with some of the complexities closed back headphones have to deal with, which makes it possible for them to sound more "open" easily, as if the sound is not being emitted inside your head, but it comes from somewhere outside of it, so to speak. Nonetheless, those experiences are very personal, yours might be very different to mine, but I think we can both be sure that an open-back headphone would be a different experience to a closed back one.


Well, 1070 might be a good headphone, might not be a good - I don't know. One of the reasons I have no ideas is because there is not a lot of information about it online - it is not one of the tried and tested cans. If you had 5 headphones and wanted to buy something different, I'd say go ahead and buy it. If you want to try a open back planar magnetic for the first time, maybe start with something better tried and tested? I would look at Hifimans for examples - Sundara, Edition XS, HE series - you can find a lot more information about these headphones online, and your chances of going wrong is a lot more slim.

I have a set of PXC 550's, they are wireless, as opposed to the corded ones I had before that (again Senheisser, cannot remember the model number). I never liked the cords hanging down all the time (I wear them for work and recreation, so they get a lot of use) and I wanted to try a wireless solution. Unfortunately the sound quality was no where near that of my previous set, I assume the wireless aspect had something to do with that. So this time I am going back to a corded solution and hopefully better sound quality.

I checked out your suggestions and am currently looking at the Edition XS. It is a bit more expensive than I had anticipated but still doable, so I am currently trying to get my head around the particulars of the comparative metrics involved and hopefully make an informed choice

I found this thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hifiman-edition-xs.27903/page-32 and am working my way through it. I have also found a few comparative reviews online for the three editions you mentioned. Once I have a better handle on these I will go back and try and compare with the Monolith, if I cannot do this in any meaningful way then I will take your advice and go for the HiFimans.

If you are not adverse to a further question, may I ask how much sound an open back headphone will leak? Are there any metrics to measure this ie db leakage from db output. Essentially I will be using these within a closed room or office but do not want sound bleeding through into other rooms. What about if you are using a desk mike? Will sound be audible (echo from voices).

Thanks for all the help and advice.

 

[Harv]

I had an AE-5 years ago as a daily driver and also the 1060C a couple of times. Check the weight of them vs what you're used to, because those are going to be pretty heavy by comparison. The Monoprice is ok, but Hifiman refurbished direct from them with a warranty is going to be much better bang for the buck. I'd really recommend the Hifiman HE5xx which I'm wearing now, lighter, larger soundstage, and with the Oratory1990 profile popped into APO/Peace they sound great. Also you'll have enough power for them with an AE-5.

Thankyou for your response and advice.

I had read that weight was an issue with the 1060 and 1070's.

At the suggestion of @IAtaman I am currently looking into the HiFiman range - Sundara, HE series and Edition XS. Seems like you are in agreement

Do you know if the HE5xx (or indeed the Edition XS) have the ability to replace the earpads ?

I will look into the Equalizer/Profile you mentioned. Thankyou for this. I was intending on using the Sound Blaster equalizer but if APO/Peace is better I will use it instead.

Cheers

 

[IAtaman]

I have a set of PXC 550's, they are wireless, as opposed to the corded ones I had before that (again Senheisser, cannot remember the model number). I never liked the cords hanging down all the time (I wear them for work and recreation, so they get a lot of use) and I wanted to try a wireless solution. Unfortunately the sound quality was no where near that of my previous set, I assume the wireless aspect had something to do with that. So this time I am going back to a corded solution and hopefully better sound quality.

I checked out your suggestions and am currently looking at the Edition XS. It is a bit more expensive than I had anticipated but still doable, so I am currently trying to get my head around the particulars of the comparative metrics involved and hopefully make an informed choice

I found this thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hifiman-edition-xs.27903/page-32 and am working my way through it. I have also found a few comparative reviews online for the three editions you mentioned. Once I have a better handle on these I will go back and try and compare with the Monolith, if I cannot do this in any meaningful way then I will take your advice and go for the HiFimans.

Yes, good idea I think, read it through to see what people say about them and don't worry too much about fringe opinions.

I got a pair of Edition XS. I like them. They sound very good and they respond well to EQ. Their built quality is not the best, plastics creak at times, but nothing that interferes with normal listening. If you have the opportunity to go to a shop where they can try them out, it would be the best since fit and comfort matters as much as sound quality for headphones you intend to use for long periods of time.

If you are not adverse to a further question, may I ask how much sound an open back headphone will leak? Are there any metrics to measure this ie db leakage from db output. Essentially I will be using these within a closed room or office but do not want sound bleeding through into other rooms. What about if you are using a desk mike? Will sound be audible (echo from voices).

Thanks for all the help and advice.

This is an audio forum, ask away

Amount of leakage depends on the headphone. I am not aware of any "industry standard metrics" for measuring leakage but sites like rtings.com do measure it. Here is their measurements for Edition XS.

Sound will not bleed into other rooms - they are headphones after all not speakers. If there are people near you, they will hear what you hear however. And if there are noises around you, you will hear them as well - which might be a pro or con depending on your use case.

Sound from open back headphones do not interfere with desk mics under normal conditions. (25°C, 1atm, sensible mic setup)

 

[Harv]

Yes, good idea I think, read it through to see what people say about them and don't worry too much about fringe opinions.

I got a pair of Edition XS. I like them. They sound very good and they respond well to EQ. Their built quality is not the best, plastics creak at times, but nothing that interferes with normal listening. If you have the opportunity to go to a shop where they can try them out, it would be the best since fit and comfort matters as much as sound quality for headphones you intend to use for long periods of time.


This is an audio forum, ask away

Amount of leakage depends on the headphone. I am not aware of any "industry standard metrics" for measuring leakage but sites like rtings.com do measure it. Here is their measurements for Edition XS.

Sound will not bleed into other rooms - they are headphones after all not speakers. If there are people near you, they will hear what you hear however. And if there are noises around you, you will hear them as well - which might be a pro or con depending on your use case.

Sound from open back headphones do not interfere with desk mics under normal conditions. (25°C, 1atm, sensible mic setup)

Well I have finally done about as much research as I can and have decided to go with the HiFiMan Edition XS (Open Back).

I am a little nervous about the open back design, but based on your advice/comments I think it will be ok.

Thankyou for the link, it was quite helpful in putting noise leakage into perspective for me.

Apparently the Edition XS will arrive this Saturday, so I am looking forward to burning it in over the weekend.

Once again thankyou very much for all your help, I think you have guided me towards a much better choice than I would have arrived upon on my own. Appreciated.

Cheers