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did my research, need opinions now (closed, circum-)

post #1 of 16
12/6/09 at 3:36am
Thread Starter 
EDIT: ath-a700's and ah-d1001's are currently the same price on amazon. still listening to suggestions but leaning toward these two.

given i'm slightly obsessive compulsive (some of you can relate, yes?), i have put a lot of work into finding my first pair of decent headphones. i've done my research (many hours for many days), but now i'm hoping to get some direct input from this crowd because you guys seem kinda awesome (and knowledgeable). if you could help, it would be appreciated. thanks in advance, hopefully.

ideal specs:
- circumaural
- closed
- powered by ipod WITHOUT amp (not planning on getting one [leave me alone])
- isolation to some degree
- sturdy (an issue with some sony's, i hear)
- comfortable (didn't think this was an issue until i tried the senn hd 280 pro's, ouch)
- primarily using with ipod but i'm a competitive gamer (which means, i THINK, that it needs to have a decent soundstage, yes?)
- ~~100$ (roughly [amazon will hook me up])
- i listen to all types of music, so yeah, not leaning in a specific direction

currently looking at a certain pair of denon's as well as audio technica's (maybe you can guess) as well as shure's but i don't wanna say which ones because i don't wanna influence what you guys say. so, what do the pros out there recommend? <3
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post #2 of 16
12/6/09 at 3:50am
On another thread I worried that the Denon D1001 would not be good for gaming, but several posters disagreed with me, and since I am not a gamer, let's assume they are right.

I am sure you will enjoy the D1001's.
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post #3 of 16
12/6/09 at 3:59am
JVC HA-M750 would get my vote for sturdiness.
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post #4 of 16
12/6/09 at 4:22am
Not sure I can help much, as I find the HD280 pro quite comfortable, my old pair even more so than my newer ones (which include a mic, and which I use for gaming when I need to communicate on Ventrilo -- these are actually model HMD 280-13). My recommendation would be for the 280, except for the minor detail that you don't like them.

On the otherhand I find Ultasones excruciating. For that reason I would never buy another pair of Ultrasones again, no matter how good they may or may not sound.

No Denon that I know of will give respectable isolation. My D7000, excellent in most respects, do not.

I've not had a problem with sturdiness with any headphones, other than $14 ones from Radio Shack.

When I had a working iPod Suffle a few years ago I used the HD 280 pro and some fairly good noise cancelling Sony in-ear ones (sorry I do not recall the Sony model number off hand).
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post #5 of 16
12/6/09 at 12:18pm
I bet you've already seen my similar threads, but if not, you should check them out.

I finally decided on the HD448 because it and the SRH440 were the only top options I could get in Canada for ~$100, and the HD448 have a nice short portable 1.2m cable.
They are a little hard to drive through an ipod, but it's very possible.
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post #6 of 16
12/6/09 at 12:30pm
headroom has pair of open box shure srh840 for 119 shipped
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post #7 of 16
12/6/09 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank I View Post
headroom has pair of open box shure srh840 for 119 shipped
Not shipped. +~$15 for US, or +~$35 for Canada.
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post #8 of 16
12/6/09 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
@wavoman - i was sold on the denon's until i heard that their isolation sucks. i did see your other thread (and the mixed opinions in it) regarding whether or not they're good for gaming. hm... OH, and are they in fact around the ear even though they are advertised as on the ear?

@mythless - i admit i haven't looked much into jvc, but that's why i mad this thread. looking now, thank you.

@lavcat - i was hoping to avoid this epic search for headphones because i was set on the 280 pro's (big senn fan [perhaps ignorant senn fan too]). went to guitar center, tried them on, those things really clamped onto my head (perhaps i have a big head...). bearable, yes, but i also tried a pair of ath-m50's and a pair of allen&heath's and neither of them felt that tight. can't disagree they have the best isolation though. agh.

@archimeaties - didn't think the 448's could be driven, thought it was impossible. thanks for that note... and now another set of cans to check out.

THANK YOU guys. keep the opinions coming, just be honest. that's why i made this thread. experiences, etc, gimme watcha got.
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post #9 of 16
12/6/09 at 1:43pm
My recommendation would be: the Sony MDR-7506. They are quite well-known as good studio quality headphones that last very long (your observation about Sonys being not as sturdy is generally true, but imo does not apply to this model )

I have had this pair for quite a while now with no issues with the build quality (~2 years).

In terms of sound, the MDR-7506 to me are very neutral, they do not over-emphasize the treble or bass in any music. Great overall sound signature given the price.

Amazon Link
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post #10 of 16
12/6/09 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by d_w31 View Post
My recommendation would be: the Sony MDR-7506. They are quite well-known as good studio quality headphones that last very long (your observation about Sonys being not as sturdy is generally true, but imo does not apply to this model )

I have had this pair for quite a while now with no issues with the build quality (~2 years).

In terms of sound, the MDR-7506 to me are very neutral, they do not over-emphasize the treble or bass in any music. Great overall sound signature given the price.

Amazon Link
cr@p... yeah... those ARE actually worthy opponents. i was afraid this search would never end for good reason.
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post #11 of 16
12/6/09 at 2:38pm
The JVC HA-M750 are decent for the price in the US but are almost double the cost in Canada, for their Canadian price I think there are better headphones available such as the Shure 440.
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post #12 of 16
12/6/09 at 2:40pm
Thread Starter 
editted the original post, and i'll say it again here:
ath-a700's and ah-d1001's are the same price on amazon.
which of those two would be better?
still listening to suggestions of course.
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post #13 of 16
12/6/09 at 3:19pm
I can't speak on the Denon but the A700 has very recessed mids that just made them sound wrong to my ears. But they are very comfortable as are all wing based headphones from Audio Technica.
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post #14 of 16
12/6/09 at 3:39pm
FWIR the Denon 1001 are great. A few cons:
below average isolation
more expensive than comparable phones
don't remember about SQ...
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post #15 of 16
12/6/09 at 9:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by THE bean View Post
@lavcat - i was hoping to avoid this epic search for headphones because i was set on the 280 pro's (big senn fan [perhaps ignorant senn fan too]). went to guitar center, tried them on, those things really clamped onto my head (perhaps i have a big head...). bearable, yes, but i also tried a pair of ath-m50's and a pair of allen&heath's and neither of them felt that tight. can't disagree they have the best isolation though. agh.
I've been listening to my Denon's for a couple hours, but just switched to the 280 pros as a test. For me the 280 pros fit just right, while the Denons are if anything a little loose (something I hope to remedy tomorrow if the JMoney pads arive). I'm a big girl but my cranium may be a little smaller than that of most folks here. Even so I find my newer pair of 280's somewhat too tight.

I have read that people recommend putting the 280's between a large ball or a stack of books to stretch them.

In my opinion the most important attibute of a headphone is that it is comfortable. I hope you find what's best for you.
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