Hi Drew!
DH> Enough arguing!!!  So lets talk about some real audio.
Oh man! You're no fun at all. Oh OK, if you want to talk some serious
shop, here goes.. You were asking (while I was distracted bickering):
DH> It's widely known that running amplifiers below certain load
DH> levels (usually 4 ohms), the amplifier has less and less control
DH> over the speaker movement, causing distortion.  This is mostly
DH> seen in groups of subs wired in parallel, down to an ohm or so.
I don't believe that is actually true, but often it results in
distortion, since the amp is working much harder at a lower impedance,
often exceeding the capabilities of the amp, which was why you made
the observation above. Actually, damping factor (control over the
speaker in essense) increases the lower the impedance. This is a
good thing for subs, as the amp is able to dump more power to the
speakers and have better control. The difficulty is that most amps
aren't designed to work lower than about 4 ohms, and below two ohms, it
starts to look more and more like a direct short to the amp. I don't
like to see amps run under 2 ohms. The reason is that most amps are just
not stable enough to handle it, the reason why electrostatic speakers
are so hard to work with most of the time.
DH> Also, I'm off to college in less than a month, and I've been
DH> debating what's better in a dorm room.  The Seinheisser (I can
DH> never spell)
That's alright, I figured it out all by myself, not like some who can't
figure something out unless it is EXACTLY correct.
DH> HD 580's are a sweet pair of headphones, but when I read the
DH> review in Audio (or was it Stereo Review?) about the NHT
DH> SuperOne speakers, I started drooling.
Nice review, eh? What they sound like is far more important than ANY
review.
Having been in a similar situation a number of years back, I got a
primo set of headphones first since one can always listen at the level
that is right for you. I'm not familar with the pieces you mentioned,
but Sennheiser (I looked it up) are often "open air" kinds that allow to
hear some of the room sound and would be better for most uses. I
like closed cans in the studio, but for most everything else I liked the
open air kinds, since I think I hear things in the room like doorbells,
ringing telephones, people sneaking up on you and such.
You also don't need an amp and won't bother roommates, neighbors, when
you want to listen to tunes anytime. So get good headsets first is my
advice to you. I use AKG-240's as my best headphones, and have a few Rat
Shack el cheapos, and a set of Yamaha R5M's are in the mail to me for
evaluating their new digital mixer line for pro audio (nice stuff but
never heard the headphones before! Will give you a review when they get
here).
If you have lots left over, then the amp and speakers would be nice, but
you'll get the highest quality sound with the headphones. Besides you
might need the money for your education! I sure did!
 Bonnie *:>
 PRACTICE SAFE SOUND - For more information on protecting your hearing
call:HIP-Hearing Is Priceless, by the House Ear Institute (213)483-4431
Write for Free Ear Filters to 2100 W. Third St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
--- QScan/PCB v1.18b / 01-0249
---------------