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High quality closed headphone, no amp needed help

post #1 of 28
2/26/10 at 3:57am
Thread Starter 
Hi, i am trying to buy my first set of high quality headphones. I always love listening to the highest quality music and have a very large music collection of rock with a little bit of rap. (Anywhere from slow mellow to hard rock. ie. third eye blind to a more hard alternative band). I love having a rich full sound that surrounds me as I am listening. I am okay with the bass not being amazing, but still gives a great overall blend

My maximum price is around $300 give or take $30.

I normally listen to music through my macbook pro or ipod touch and was really hoping to find a portable full sized headphone that really did not require an amp to have good quality. I am on the go a lot and so an amp (even portable) would be too bulky to take with me. But i do listen to my computer a lot as well. Therefore i need a headphone that has a bit of give and can get a good enough drive from an ipod that is loud enough without risking quality. One that could still play over outside noise while I am out and about. I researched a bit and saw the ultrasone hfi 780 is able to play on an ipod quite well and it is also quite compact and easy to stow (folds up). I just dont know if thats the right choice since i heard it can get a bit uncomfortable to wear after a while. Is there anything better up to around 300 that would be good.

Again I was looking for several things:
1.does not require an amp
2. can be easilly stowed and is not too bulky
3. Closed since I will be in slightly noisy environments
4. Can achieve enough drive from an ipod touch

Any recommendations or help in what I should do would be great and I would really appreciate it. Thanks.
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post #2 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:15am
Senn 280s
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post #3 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:19am
The Senn 280 has an amazing sound for the price, seriously. I'm testing it out right now with my iphone, and wow, I forgot what good sound, esspecially from an iphone/itouch. The 280's do a great job of isolation, as I use them for on location sound recording. If you enjoy deep bass, the 280s provide that, but also have great mids and highs. They easily compete with more expensive headphones. Probably one of the best buys out there. They fold up well, and have a great durable build quality.
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post #4 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:19am
If you are okay with on ear, get your hands on an athES7 or something like the sennheiser HD25ii

you cant get all that in a full sized can, you will regret it if you are asking for something not bulky but still retains nice quality. My ultrasone pro 750 is bulky, damned comfy and runs GREAT off a sansa fuze. I don't know if an ipod can run them as well as a sansa fuze can. :[ So for that reason, invest in some on ears, the es7 are easy to drive and pretty cheap, either that or the HD25ii because either way you can still afford a sansa fuze, sell that ipod lol, get a fuze and enjoy the awesome driving power.
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post #5 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:31am
Another good option might be the Denon D2000, but those are not as portable as the 280s. Although the D2000's are much better looking than the HD 280s.
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post #6 of 28
2/26/10 at 5:50am
esw9, hd 25
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post #7 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:38pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the help guys. Im thinking i may go all out put in the extra money so im getting the best. Would it be worth going for the ultrasone pro750 (i can find them for $340 new). I know those are very portable and comfortable. i realize that these recommend a amplifier though. So are there any small headphone amplifiers that are relatively cheap ($99 maximum but hopefully cheaper) that would work with them or any others?
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post #8 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 
the denon2000 looks like a good competitor as well . Only thing i am slightly skeptical is them being maybe a little too big, but i could deal with that because i love the looks and people say they are quite comfortable. So ultrasonepro750 with headphone amplifier, denon2000 with or without headphone amp, or maybe something else you guys would recommend.
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post #9 of 28
2/26/10 at 4:52pm
Ultrasone PRO-750 will do alright, chances are the Ultrasone HFI-580 will sound better without an amp. They are very portable but not all that comfy for some, they are quite tight on the head.

D2000 are definately a no go without a decent amp, they are however a lot comfier.

If you're thinking about an amp does it need to be portable? Desktop amps are a lot cheaper and generally better overall.
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post #10 of 28
2/26/10 at 5:13pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, if Im going to buy an amp, i need a very very portable one that can fit in my pocket thats really slender and not real thick. I think something like the ibasso T3 kind of size or smaller. I feel that the ibasso may be too much money though. I am looking for headphones that are comfy, pretty portable (denon d2000 is probably the largest ill go and thats why im looking at the pro 750), and if i have to buy an amp, one that is very small yet gives you the bang for your buck. Sorry for being quite picky, but i just want to make sure i learn about my best options that fit me
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post #11 of 28
2/26/10 at 5:44pm
Eh there's not really any 300 range headphones that will do great without amping. I'd req the Shure 440 for that, which is only around 90 or 100 bucks.
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post #12 of 28
2/26/10 at 6:50pm
Never been impressed by my Pro 750 unamped.
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post #13 of 28
2/26/10 at 7:17pm
Pioneer Monitor 10R...
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post #14 of 28
2/26/10 at 7:29pm
I have the ATH-M50's.
They are around $100 bucks or less on line and meet all your requirements, except they cost a lot less than $300. They will sound great out of your ipod.
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post #15 of 28
2/26/10 at 7:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichieLitt View Post
Eh there's not really any 300 range headphones that will do great without amping. I'd req the Shure 440 for that, which is only around 90 or 100 bucks.
Shure SRH440 is a very good closed headphone. Does not require an amp, isolates well and sounds very good. I like them better than some of the other closed cans I have owned (Sennheiser HD25, Denon D1000).

All in all a very good can for a nice price...
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