What is the affordable 'best' of each manufacturer. - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

charliex · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 06:40 AM

Okay, since arriving on Head-Fi several months ago, my wallet has been getting emptier and emptier, and my thirst seems to never be fully quenched as I continue to explore different headphones and different manufacturers. I know that I will never be able to financially reach the heights of a Senn Orpheus System or Sony Qualia 010 or even a Grado PS1000. So in my fiscally restrained search for top of the line headphones to meet my varied needs I feel that I am satisfied with my current choices from 3 manufacturers:
a) Sennheiser HD 580 with 600 grills and 650 cable
b) Grado HF-2 (anxiously awaiting)
c) Audio Technica ESW10JPN's
So, my question is - what other manufacturers and models should I consider in my middle-of-the-road search for sonic satisfaction? ie) Denon, BeyerDynamic, Stax etc.

chinesekiwi · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:00 AM

Going by brands is just silly tbh.
Going by how you like your music, what sound signature you prefer, what music you listen too = far better.
But since you're playing that game:

Beyerdynamic: DT880(600 ohm) / DT48.

kool bubba ice · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:02 AM

IMO, the affordable 'best' from Beyerdynamics would be the DT48 for 60-150 used.. AKG 501..Sennheiser 580.... AT AD700.. Ultrasone.. 780..

nullstring · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:24 AM

so, wait, what are you looking for?
best bang in each manufacture?
"affordable best" is such a subjective term.

doping panda · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:35 AM

I remember when "affordable best" meant an AD700. Now, I'm about two weeks away from placing an order on an HF2 and currently looking for a job to save up to buy an HD800. God, I love/hate this place.

charliex · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:38 AM

Okay - a little more info. I listen to classic rock, prog, blues - everything from Nick Drake to Atomic Rooster. And I do prefer open cans but am not closed to closed so to speak. Lately I have been turning more to the sound sig of Grado, Alessandro and Audio Technica.

estreeter · #7 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliex

Lately I have been turning more to the sound sig of Grado, Alessandro and Audio Technica.

1. My ES7s dont have a whole lot in common with my MS1s

2. Dont know how the comparisons go further up the tree, but the impression I get is that the A-T fanatics arent overly taken with the Grado sound.

3. I accept that you can like both (I do), but you did say 'sound sig' : that implies that you think they have more similarities than dissimilarities. Gotta be a whole new thread in that alone ......

socrates63 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 08:09 AM

If you're into the AT sound, then grab a AD2000. I've seen Grado heads fall in love with it.

hifidk · #9 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 08:13 AM

Since "best affordable" is highly subjective, I will just write down my opinion on "best affordable headphone" from each manufactures.

AKG - K601
AT - AD900
Beyer - DT880
Grado (Alessandro) - SR225, MS1
Senn - HD580

Never tried Denon yet

moonboy403 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 05:19 PM

Affordable best:

1) Stax SR-Lambda + Adaptor combo for around $300

2) AKG K501 for $150ish

It's true that the AD700 is very enjoyable for $100, but it really doesn't come close to either of those I mentioned.

themanbeast · #11 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by intoart

Stax headphones require special amps and do not work with conventional headphone amps. Saying that you can get them for $300 is therefore misleading, since that is for the phones only.

The flagship AKG is the K701, and that is nowhere near as good as the AD700 (I know because I have owned both), so how could the K501 possibly be better?

Edit: I just checked on ebay, and the Lambdas are $650 (for just the phones.) Are you quoting used prices? If so, that is just silly since you are comparing against phones that others have quoted new.

I still own both of these cans, and I disagree with this statement. However, you need to pour more money into the K701 to have it surpass the AD700. I liked the AD700 more until I got my Meier Cantate, which represents a $500 price hike on a phone already more expensive.

lucky · #12 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:09 PM

As someone else who also owned both the AD700 and K701, I'd take the former over the latter any day. The argument that you need to spend $500 to make a $300 phone sound "better" than a $100 phone merely indicates how underwhelming so many expensive phones are.

atothex · #13 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky

As someone else who also owned both the AD700 and K701, I'd take the former over the latter any day. The argument that you need to spend $500 to make a $300 phone sound "better" than a $100 phone merely indicates how underwhelming so many expensive phones are.

The last sentence is very wrong. HE90 vs ibuds straight from an ipod: which one sounds better?

CDBacklash · #14 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucky

As someone else who also owned both the AD700 and K701, I'd take the former over the latter any day. The argument that you need to spend $500 to make a $300 phone sound "better" than a $100 phone merely indicates how underwhelming so many expensive phones are.

If this is your opinion, you dont belong here. You've bought your phone, you dont need to tell us how good it is, I am sure someone on head-fi actually recommended it for you.
A number of members here will pay a lot of money to get that last 10% of sound quality which IS there and IS worth while. If you need to argue that enjoyment has nothing to do with SQ you obviously dont understand music. It's not just about the notes, it's about the nuances and tones as well. The better we can perceive all of these the better music is.
Music is a very large/important part of life for many members here. Whats wrong with spending more than $1000 to enjoy something like that?

You're essentially saying that buying an expensive ring for your wife is not worth it, simply because even a Cheezel is a ring.

Why buy a nice cake, when the cake with month-old cream is so much cheaper?
It'll taste like a cake, but itll taste like **** compared to the expensive one.

I do not own any particularly expensive equipment, but I have heard some and if I had the money, I would definitely buy it.

You need to stop being a tool and forcing your opinion on everyone; especially when your opinion is based on one of the most-limited scopes on the site. Keep your opinions all you want, but when you are as drastically misinformed as you are (trying one of the hardest dynamics to drive without an amp for example) but don't keep spreading mis-information.

lucky · #15 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atothex

The last sentence is very wrong.

Hey, suit yourself. Most folks not on Head-fi wouldn't consider having to spend $500 to make $300 phones as enjoyable as $100 phones an argument in favor of the $300 phones, but you're free to believe you're scoring a deal on that bridge.