Originally Posted by joesmokey
It's about that time to upgrade for me. Here's my current rig:
Headphone: Ultrasone HFI-650 Trackmasters
Amp: Xin SuperMicroIV
Source: iPod 5g
Cable: Cryo Micro Dock
Giving myself a budget of $500 for a new set of headphones, and while I listen to all types of music, I mainly listen to trance and metal, so bass and a great sound from electric guitars is important.
I like my Ultrasones and love how accurate they are at reproducing sound, but accuracy gets boring sometimes and I'd love a set of cans that are fun to listen to. I'm not exactly great with the terminology, but I don't think that the 650s do a great job of reproducing highs (or maybe it's that their too bright) as there are definitely times I wince when listening to female vocals. The other main complaint I have about the 650s is with the bass. It's accurate and controlled, but it's not punchy enough for me. These are the most "audiophile" headphones I have owned and I haven't had a chance to listen to anything beyond them, so all my impressions of other phones will be from reading the forums.
Right now I don't really have anything narrowed down, though the BTs have me interested (990s possibly). I prefer getting an open can design this time as it will mainly be for home listening. The Sennheisers also peak my interest, though I don't know if they would leave me bored similar to the Ultrasone's.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
It would have been wiser to start a dedicated thread instead of posting here but oh well.
I don't know what you mean by BT 990s.The only 990s I'm aware of are Beyerdynamics, and those do provide seriously piercing treble, too, and from your description that's not what you are looking for.
The Senn HD 6X0 series is the opposite as far as treble is concerned but in fact tend to sound boring when driven by mid-fi upstream electronics, and that's what you currently have IMO.Nice for portable purposes but not exactly high end by home audio terms.
In your situation your best bet might be a Denon D2000.
Lots of fun to listen to them, especially in combination with your favorite genres.
Great bass.A
bittoo much by audiophile terms, but who cares?
Just the right amount of treble to keep metal aggressive without piercing your eardrums.They do sound exciting without being fatiguing.Just the right balance for me.
They are not overly revealing of the quality of upstream electronics and mediocre recordings (many metal recordings are mediocre at best) still are listenable.
I do have more than one rig considered to be high end but nevertheless the Denons do get a fair share of my listening time.Sometimes I just want some simple fun instead of my (over-)sophisticated dainty Omegas.
Here's a
link to a novice review that might be more useful for you than the usual nitpicking audiophile blah.
The Denons are closed cans though, but don't sound claustrophobic.