[Rawrbington]

i disagree about the 32ohm 770s.
they have a good amount of bass, about on par with my 600 ohm 990s(a lot more sub bass but less mid bass than the 990s) and are pretty avg without amping.
i think the pro 80s sound better unamped than the 32 ohm premiums.
but the 32s will get a tiny bit louder
 
i'd like to edit this above information with the disclaimer that my portable music player is WEAK.
so maybe i was really selling the 32 ohm version short.
but i still never found them bass light at all.
not on the same level as the pro 80s
but far from bass light to me
 
whats the formula for vrms?
if you have mW and output impedance what do you do with em to calculate?

 

[Throsh]

Quote:

I do like the sound of my Sennheiser HD-558, there are 50-Ohms, so will work off most headphone jacks.
You do know the HD-558s are open headphones.
CALs (Creative Aurvana Live), nice sound, closed, 32-Ohm.
Both Sound best with a headphone amplifier, but will work fairly decently without one.
 
 

Thanks for the advice. Open means you can hear background noise am I right? that would be no problem as I'll only be using them in my room, I have some phonak IEMs to use outside. 
Anyone else got any thoughts?
 
"Hi guys, first post here.
I'll admit upfront, I know nothing about headphones. I'm looking for a pair of headphones (up to £140/£150 ish) for listening to music on my stereo, I'll also use them with my laptop but their main use will be with my stereo. I listen to a lot of different types of music, my favourite genre is metal - thrash, death and heavy metal are my favourites. They obviously need to sound great when listening to metal. My favourite non metal and rock artists/bands are The Smiths/Morrissey, The Beatles and LIGHTS, so obviously they'll have to sound good with other genres as well. 
I've just been looking at the Sennheiser 558's on amazon, they have great reviews, are these any good?
Thanks for the help upfront."

 

[linuxid10t]

Just wanted to let people know, if you are considering the Sennheiser HD518, there is a fairly large reason to make the jump to the HD558 or HD598.  I was at my local Microcenter the other night and saw the HD518 and noticed something I didn't notice before.  The fabric for the padding on the HD518 is really cheap looking and feels the same.  The HD518s pads are a cheap fabric, while the HD558 and the HD598 have velvet pads.

 

[rabidgamer]

I just bought a PC360 and I'm happy with them for gaming, but not so much for music... a bit too laid back imo, so I'm considering getting a pair of headphones for music listening as well.
 
I'm considering the Beyerdynamic DT880's,  just not entirely sure what all the differences are with the pros vs premiums, 80/250/600 ohm etc, and is the sound quality drastically different with all of them? The only amp I have is the Mixamp 5.8, and my sound card on my pc is a SoundBlaster X-FI Xtreme Audio... so I believe that rules out the 600ohm ones unless you can recommend a good (cheapish) amp that could power them? or maybe run along side the Mixamp? Would the FiiO E9 have enough juice to run them? and is the E7 an option, as portable would be better... could use them at college.
 
I mainly listen to pop/rap and some soft rock (Gorillaz/Kasabian/Coldplay/RHCP etc) and never go near heavy metal or any hard rock really, just not my cup of tea. Would these headphones suit those genres?
 
I'm pretty much a noob etc, and I used to listen to music with my AD700s but they really lacked bass (I don't want a lot of it, just want to know it's there) but loved the clarity etc, just the treble was a bit harsh iirc.
 
Any help would be much appreciated...
 
(DT880's + FiiO E9 will set me back £270 over here, so a lot of cash for a student lol)
 
Thanks.

 

[rokr32]

Hello everyone,
 
first time poster here but have been lurking around for quite a while. 
 
Anyway, I've decided to buy good headphones to listen to music. I've always had excellent gaming headphones as I used to play competitively but you can imagine that they're not so great for music.
 
What i listen to: Rock and Electronic (House, Electro House, Dubstep and DnB)
I listen to electronic music 80% of the time so I need a headphone that has a very good bass.
 
My price range is from 200-500 dollars. I've been looking at the Denon ADH2000 and the Beyer T70p. I'd have gone with the Beyer automatically but I read that they have the beyer "signature" where the bass is not so deep? I didn't quite understand that..
 
I'll mostly be using these unamped on my iphone or on my PC (hence the t70p). Also, I want over-ear closed-back ones as they are much more comfortable for me and i don't want everyone to be able to hear what i'm listening... even though a little leak is no problem. However, from a basic search done yesterday, i believe it's hard to find good closed ones in my price range.
 
Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. 
 
Thank you !

 

[mrsenor]

I've used this site before over the years, but have no never posted. On the market for the first time in a few years so I figured I'd ask for some advice from the experts.

I'm looking for a good set of headphones that:
1.) don't leak much sound
2.) good isolation (though doesn't have to shut me off from the world)
3.) are comfortable enough for my large head/ears (6'4" with matching noggin)
4.) bass isn't the main thing. more concerned with crisp sound in general (if that even makes sense). I listen to just about all music, save some dubstep, country, or metal.
5.) is good on the go. these will primarily used at class, work, walking around different places (not running, mind you), working around the house.
6.) as such, these will mostly be used with my iphone and laptop.
 
I've read people on here say that there's no point getting headphones that are too nice if you don't wanna buy an amp. Is that true? I'd rather not have one on me at all time, but I also want good sound. For the record, I had some ATH ES7's for the past 3 years and enjoyed them up until the headphone jack broke. I have very little knowledge here, so be open and honest!

 

[Morgrod]

 
Music genres: Death/Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Trash Metal, Folk Metal, Power Metal and for the rest classical rock and classical.
Portable: I need to be able to bring it to school, but im quite a bulky guy, so i can pretty much drag anything with me.
Price range: Tight: 'Round €250 ($325)
Closed/Open: I'd love some isolation if possible.
Headphone preference: Something reasonably precise and quite bassy would be nice for the extremely low Death-Metal/Core or Grind-core
 
Additional notes:
Im used to absolute crap, and the best thing i've heard so far is a Sennheiser HD 202, so i'll be easily satisfied.
I want something that's bulky like me, and wont break easily.
And if possible, not too flashy...
 
Thank you in advance,
 
Morgrod.

 

[imackler]

Any suggestions on the following?
 

1. closed headphone
2. great for classical, acoustic, alternative
3. neutral-ish, without overt emphasis in bass, mids, treble. That being said, I really don't like the following: flabby bass, mid-bass bleed, recessed mids and grainy treble.
4. under $200
5. I have kind of a big head. Comfort is paramount.
6. This is for a semi-portable rig, either at home at the kitchen table while my wife is watching television or I'm at a Starbucks, etc. But not walking around. I'll be amping from a E9 so don''t let the portable part through you off. Don't really need to be collapsable.
7. Synergy w/ the E9 would be nice.

 
If the HD598 were a little less open, I'd actually consider them... I'm still tempted but would rather not be heard by other. I would like to explore closed options.
 
Thanks!

 

[Forum]

ugh how did I miss something like this. I started a new thread; worst part being I checked forum guides and such because I didn't want to be the moron. This is what I posted in the new thread:
 
Hello everyone! I explain everything and then summarized it at the bottom. I would really appreciate help.
 
I don't want a reckless label so I'll start by saying that I've only been to a 30m-1h concert without hearing protection and one shotgun shot. I'm young and somewhere along the way developed chronic tinnitus that has even had the audacity to get spontaneously worse with new sounds lately. I have pretty much no hearing loss and pretty sure from testing my 15khz+ thresholds are the same as a six year old's. (unless they've changed, /horror sound).
 
The opportunity for new headphones has presented itself as long as I place an order soon and ~$50. I was thinking about JVC HA-RX700 or 900 until I heard that the treble sounds far off and that it does not reproduce well past 8khz. (if anyone has these and can still hear 8-20khz test would be soooo nice, or even allow me to ask questions about them)
 
I do enjoy myself bass especially lower than 50hz but when clear treble is introduced it allows me to hear past all of my phantom noises a lot easier; dare I say it, sometimes pretty sure it covers them up! With that said, I've been using skullcandy's INK'd that once EQ'd, work; but iems make loud staticy sounds from high power sources.
 
Is the headphones advantage soundstage and iem always better frequency response for this price range? I know that high frequencies act very much different when they hit surfaces. Would anything around this price range even be an upgrade?
 
Adding what I listen to is kind of silly because I am looking for a more flat response that will allow me to EQ for any kind of music. The listening habits are a lot more electronic than they used to be and I notice that even with INK'd soundstage is detected but would be cool to emphasize more. I cannot stand loud noises and consequently listen at such low levels I usually EQ very low end bass and high end treble so I can hear them and don't have to have loud mids; therefore high volume distortion doesn't matter.
 
TLDR; closed headphones to block noise and allow low end bass reproduction. The frequency response desired would be flat; more importantly the lacking frequencies can be EQ'd and not sound like something is wrong with them. I listen to lower volumes. I'm excited about sound stage and don't know what to expect. ~$50, somehow...

 

[Mzisman4]

I've had my ATH-ESW9 for 4 years and have really enjoyed them throughout college. I have some KSC-75 for my walks to and from class.  I'll no longer have a roommate and am looking for another set of cans.
 
Sources: iPod 5th generation w/LOD (Rockbox), Mostly FLAC library
Amps/DAC: Hot Audio Thunderbolt headphone amp (portable), Hot Audio DAC Extasy coming soon
Music Preference: Classic Rock, Underground Rap/true Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, Classical here and there for appreciation.
 
Wanted: Open headphone, Circumaural preferred
Budget: 200

 

[saryu]

hi.. i just lost my ath m50 and now i have to look for another headphones.. What i need is a professional studio recording headphones that give me details and not any sound enhancement. ath-m50 give me what i want but i want to look for something else. my budget would be equal to m50 or the highest is $200.. My max would be shure srh 940 (that goes 100$ more than what i can afford but i can work for it, and i don't know how srh 940 would sound like). any suggestion?

 

[ConnorBaker05]

Hello again! So... I know for sure that I'm going to be getting the V-Moda Crossfade LP (the original, not the LP2) and was wondering what kind of amp would be best for it (preferably in the 100-1 dollar range). I'm also open to amp/dac combos!
So far the ones that I'm interested in are the FiiO E10 (http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?MenuID=020302) , iBasso D0 (http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=73) , and the ZO2 (http://www.digizoid.com/zo/) .
I am very much into bass heavy music and mostly listen to music off of my Samsung infuse 4g, and have to eq it so that i have a moderate amount of bass D:
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

whats the formula for vrms?
if you have mW and output impedance what do you do with em to calculate?

For sine waves, take your voltage amplitude and divide by root two. 
 
For other calculations, you have:
voltage = current * resistance
power = voltage * current (also = voltage^2 / resistance)
 
However, don't confuse output impedance with headphone impedance. The two interact (a voltage divider) and changes the formulas accordingly)
 

 
Quote:

I just bought a PC360 and I'm happy with them for gaming, but not so much for music... a bit too laid back imo, so I'm considering getting a pair of headphones for music listening as well.
 
I'm considering the Beyerdynamic DT880's,  just not entirely sure what all the differences are with the pros vs premiums, 80/250/600 ohm etc, and is the sound quality drastically different with all of them? The only amp I have is the Mixamp 5.8, and my sound card on my pc is a SoundBlaster X-FI Xtreme Audio... so I believe that rules out the 600ohm ones unless you can recommend a good (cheapish) amp that could power them? or maybe run along side the Mixamp? Would the FiiO E9 have enough juice to run them? and is the E7 an option, as portable would be better... could use them at college.
 
I mainly listen to pop/rap and some soft rock (Gorillaz/Kasabian/Coldplay/RHCP etc) and never go near heavy metal or any hard rock really, just not my cup of tea. Would these headphones suit those genres?
 
I'm pretty much a noob etc, and I used to listen to music with my AD700s but they really lacked bass (I don't want a lot of it, just want to know it's there) but loved the clarity etc, just the treble was a bit harsh iirc.
 
Any help would be much appreciated...
 
(DT880's + FiiO E9 will set me back £270 over here, so a lot of cash for a student lol)
 
Thanks.

I would say stay away from the Beyers if you want to use them portably. For something with a little more energy, maybe an Ultrasone HFi780?
 

 
Quote:

Hello everyone,
 
first time poster here but have been lurking around for quite a while. 
 
Anyway, I've decided to buy good headphones to listen to music. I've always had excellent gaming headphones as I used to play competitively but you can imagine that they're not so great for music.
 
What i listen to: Rock and Electronic (House, Electro House, Dubstep and DnB)
I listen to electronic music 80% of the time so I need a headphone that has a very good bass.
 
My price range is from 200-500 dollars. I've been looking at the Denon ADH2000 and the Beyer T70p. I'd have gone with the Beyer automatically but I read that they have the beyer "signature" where the bass is not so deep? I didn't quite understand that..
 
I'll mostly be using these unamped on my iphone or on my PC (hence the t70p). Also, I want over-ear closed-back ones as they are much more comfortable for me and i don't want everyone to be able to hear what i'm listening... even though a little leak is no problem. However, from a basic search done yesterday, i believe it's hard to find good closed ones in my price range.
 
Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. 
 
Thank you !

In my experience the big Beyers all share a strong bass; not sure where you heard that they don't go deep. I haven't heard the T70p, but I've owned/heard many of the variants within the 770/880/990 family. 
 
Denons are comfortable, but their isolation and leakage is lousy unless you have just the right head shape or get some upgraded pads. 
 
Quote:

I've used this site before over the years, but have no never posted. On the market for the first time in a few years so I figured I'd ask for some advice from the experts.

I'm looking for a good set of headphones that:
1.) don't leak much sound
2.) good isolation (though doesn't have to shut me off from the world)
3.) are comfortable enough for my large head/ears (6'4" with matching noggin)
4.) bass isn't the main thing. more concerned with crisp sound in general (if that even makes sense). I listen to just about all music, save some dubstep, country, or metal.
5.) is good on the go. these will primarily used at class, work, walking around different places (not running, mind you), working around the house.
6.) as such, these will mostly be used with my iphone and laptop.
 
I've read people on here say that there's no point getting headphones that are too nice if you don't wanna buy an amp. Is that true? I'd rather not have one on me at all time, but I also want good sound. For the record, I had some ATH ES7's for the past 3 years and enjoyed them up until the headphone jack broke. I have very little knowledge here, so be open and honest!

The requirements for amping are generally overstated on the forums. There are plenty of headphones out there that sound just fine from an iphone, and most wouldn't even be able to tell the difference anyways). 
 
You never stated a budget so I'm just going to lay out a few across a range of prices:
Senn PX200-ii
Sony V6/7506
Audio Technica ESW9a
Audio Technica M50
Shure 440/840/940
 
 
 

 
Quote:

 
Music genres: Death/Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Trash Metal, Folk Metal, Power Metal and for the rest classical rock and classical.
Portable: I need to be able to bring it to school, but im quite a bulky guy, so i can pretty much drag anything with me.
Price range: Tight: 'Round €250 ($325)
Closed/Open: I'd love some isolation if possible.
Headphone preference: Something reasonably precise and quite bassy would be nice for the extremely low Death-Metal/Core or Grind-core
 
Additional notes:
Im used to absolute crap, and the best thing i've heard so far is a Sennheiser HD 202, so i'll be easily satisfied.
I want something that's bulky like me, and wont break easily.
And if possible, not too flashy...
 
Thank you in advance,
 
Morgrod.

Sennheiser HD25-1-ii - not bulky, but strong isolation and very rugged and great sound signature for metal
Beyerdynamic DT770 - big and bulky (does not fold up in any way), durable construction, heavy bass, possibly best isolation of the group, but wants an amp to sound its best 
Senn HD380 - full sized but can fold up in a case for transport, more of a laid back sound 
Ultrasone Pro900 - also full sized but can fold up, V shaped sound, good build quality


Quote:

Any suggestions on the following?
 

1. closed headphone
2. great for classical, acoustic, alternative
3. neutral-ish, without overt emphasis in bass, mids, treble. That being said, I really don't like the following: flabby bass, mid-bass bleed, recessed mids and grainy treble.
4. under $200
5. I have kind of a big head. Comfort is paramount.
6. This is for a semi-portable rig, either at home at the kitchen table while my wife is watching television or I'm at a Starbucks, etc. But not walking around. I'll be amping from a E9 so don''t let the portable part through you off. Don't really need to be collapsable.
7. Synergy w/ the E9 would be nice.

 
If the HD598 were a little less open, I'd actually consider them... I'm still tempted but would rather not be heard by other. I would like to explore closed options.
 
Thanks!

KRK 6400
Shure 440
Sony ZX700
Ultrasone HFi780
Fostex T50rp and mod it up (or start with the T40 for a fully closed frame)
 


Quote:

ugh how did I miss something like this. I started a new thread; worst part being I checked forum guides and such because I didn't want to be the moron. This is what I posted in the new thread:
 
Hello everyone! I explain everything and then summarized it at the bottom. I would really appreciate help.
 
I don't want a reckless label so I'll start by saying that I've only been to a 30m-1h concert without hearing protection and one shotgun shot. I'm young and somewhere along the way developed chronic tinnitus that has even had the audacity to get spontaneously worse with new sounds lately. I have pretty much no hearing loss and pretty sure from testing my 15khz+ thresholds are the same as a six year old's. (unless they've changed, /horror sound).
 
The opportunity for new headphones has presented itself as long as I place an order soon and ~$50. I was thinking about JVC HA-RX700 or 900 until I heard that the treble sounds far off and that it does not reproduce well past 8khz. (if anyone has these and can still hear 8-20khz test would be soooo nice, or even allow me to ask questions about them)
 
I do enjoy myself bass especially lower than 50hz but when clear treble is introduced it allows me to hear past all of my phantom noises a lot easier; dare I say it, sometimes pretty sure it covers them up! With that said, I've been using skullcandy's INK'd that once EQ'd, work; but iems make loud staticy sounds from high power sources.
 
Is the headphones advantage soundstage and iem always better frequency response for this price range? I know that high frequencies act very much different when they hit surfaces. Would anything around this price range even be an upgrade?
 
Adding what I listen to is kind of silly because I am looking for a more flat response that will allow me to EQ for any kind of music. The listening habits are a lot more electronic than they used to be and I notice that even with INK'd soundstage is detected but would be cool to emphasize more. I cannot stand loud noises and consequently listen at such low levels I usually EQ very low end bass and high end treble so I can hear them and don't have to have loud mids; therefore high volume distortion doesn't matter.
 
TLDR; closed headphones to block noise and allow low end bass reproduction. The frequency response desired would be flat; more importantly the lacking frequencies can be EQ'd and not sound like something is wrong with them. I listen to lower volumes. I'm excited about sound stage and don't know what to expect. ~$50, somehow...

Senn HD428
Denon D310
 
 


Quote:

I've had my ATH-ESW9 for 4 years and have really enjoyed them throughout college. I have some KSC-75 for my walks to and from class.  I'll no longer have a roommate and am looking for another set of cans.
 
Sources: iPod 5th generation w/LOD (Rockbox), Mostly FLAC library
Amps/DAC: Hot Audio Thunderbolt headphone amp (portable), Hot Audio DAC Extasy coming soon
Music Preference: Classic Rock, Underground Rap/true Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, Classical here and there for appreciation.
 
Wanted: Open headphone, Circumaural preferred
Budget: 200

Heh, nice to see someone else with HotAudio gear. Not too many of us here with this stuff. How do you like the Thunderbolt?
 
For headphones, a Sennheiser HD5xx is a nice all-purpose headphone. Or perhaps an Audio Technica AD900.
 
 


Quote:

hi.. i just lost my ath m50 and now i have to look for another headphones.. What i need is a professional studio recording headphones that give me details and not any sound enhancement. ath-m50 give me what i want but i want to look for something else. my budget would be equal to m50 or the highest is $200.. My max would be shure srh 940 (that goes 100$ more than what i can afford but i can work for it, and i don't know how srh 940 would sound like). any suggestion?

I've seen the Shure 940 go for around $250 in some places. 
 

 

[Deathdeisel]

 
Hey guys i made a post a while back and figured id confirm what i recieved for advice on here. 
 
Looking for new headphones to pair with E7/E9.
 
Preferences are, good deep bass, closed, fun and engaging/forwardish mids and highs, over ear.  Cable length is not a problem. 
 
Budget is probably at $350 max. 
 
I was reccomended Denon D2000s, but im reconsidering due to the fact that they are out of stock everywhere. 
 
Also props to you armaegis, seems like you practically run this thread. 

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

Those are headphones intended for portable use with a 32 ohm impedance and 105 dB/mW. You really won't see an improvement from an amp -- they're very easy to drive.
 
Quote:

Hello again! So... I know for sure that I'm going to be getting the V-Moda Crossfade LP (the original, not the LP2) and was wondering what kind of amp would be best for it (preferably in the 100-1 dollar range). I'm also open to amp/dac combos!
So far the ones that I'm interested in are the FiiO E10 (http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?MenuID=020302) , iBasso D0 (http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=73) , and the ZO2 (http://www.digizoid.com/zo/) .
I am very much into bass heavy music and mostly listen to music off of my Samsung infuse 4g, and have to eq it so that i have a moderate amount of bass D:
Thanks for your time,
Connor Baker