[SanjiWatsuki]

The Creative Aurvana is the pick I'd go with out of those. Their isolation is below average for a closed headphone, but they're still closed. 
 
Quote:

Hey everyone
I am thinking about buying a new pair of headphones for under $60 plus shipping.
I have read some of the threads and am thinking about the Beyer DT235, JVC HA-RX700, Creative Auvurna, Pioneer SE-MJ5, or the Maxell DHP-II. I am sure that I haven't listed a few other good options out there.
 
If an amp and a headphone can be fitted into the budget, that can be another option also.
I listen to music of any genre such as R&B, Hip-Hop, classical, Soul, etc. on the Ipod Touch.
 
Prefer closed cans with decent noise isolation and comfort.
What would you experts recommend?
 
Thanks
 

 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Hello everyone,
Very informative posts on this forum.  I’m looking for open-back headphones to use with a Denon DRA-375RD receiver listening to classical and jazz in my usually quiet living room.  Hope that I don't need a separate headphone amp.  Budget is 150 to 250 USD.   After much reading here, I’m leaning towards the following, in order of current preference:
 
Sennheiser hd598
ATH ad900
Sennheiser hd558
AKG k702—don't know if my receiver’s headphone amp is optimal for these.
 
Any thoughts/advice on these and suggestions for others to consider will be appreciated.  Tell me if any other information would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
--Bob

I would go with the HD598 or AD900. The former has a little more body to the midbass, the latter a bit more to the midtreble. 
 


Quote:

Hello. I currently have ath m50s and hd 558 and im unsatisfied with them. I think maybe im just itching for a really good pair of headphones. Thehd 558 and ath m50s just dont have the top of the line claroty that i want. So... Now that thats said an done, i moved my budget to under $300. They must be open, have good bass (i listen to rap, but i dont like bloated bass... Just good balanced bass). They also have to be easy to drive as i will be using the headphones with my sansa fuze. Only exception is if there is a good headphone and amp combo for less than $300. Btw im wantingthese headphones/ headphones and amp combo to be lots better than my ath m50s and hd 558. Thank you so so much for your help and time. God bless.

 
Maybe a Q701 with an e9 or strong cmoy?
 
 

 
Quote:

Might be comparing apples to oranges: a few weeks ago I picked up the triple fi 10's; they sound good, but I'm not really wearing them much. As it stands now I keep going back to my Grados. It would be nice to have something isolating/portable though, which is why I'm thinking about selling off the IE10's for some HD 25-1's. Mostly listen to alternative, punk, rock and some surf music (along with using them as occasional studio monitors)...not sure how well these would be suited for that. Any input on this or other options would be appreciated. 

The HD25-1-ii are very well suited for rock music. They have a rather strong clamp though, so for comfort sake I'd recommend "try before buy".
 
 

 
Quote:

Hey everyone
I am thinking about buying a new pair of headphones for under $60 plus shipping.
I have read some of the threads and am thinking about the Beyer DT235, JVC HA-RX700, Creative Auvurna, Pioneer SE-MJ5, or the Maxell DHP-II. I am sure that I haven't listed a few other good options out there.
 
If an amp and a headphone can be fitted into the budget, that can be another option also.
I listen to music of any genre such as R&B, Hip-Hop, classical, Soul, etc. on the Ipod Touch.
 
Prefer closed cans with decent noise isolation and comfort.
What would you experts recommend?
 
Thanks
 

Check out Joker's massive portables review thread linked in the first post of this thread. For a random recommendation, I like the Senn PX200-ii
 

 

[Atavax]

right now i have sennheiser 598's and grado sr60i's and a hot audio bit perfect dac. basically i game, i listen to wide array of music from classical to rap to rock to different types of electronic music. With my current headphones i think i typically find that the vocals of the artist are lacking. I really like the bass heaviness of the grado's too. I really like open back phones for the comfort and the natural effect of them. I'm not so much looking to buy a headphone immediatly, but want to find a headphone or two to know how much i'm going to need to save up for to get a significant upgrade from my 598's, Any other brands with open back phones with good bass that i should try? I am still kinda new to this premium sound thing, maybe been about 2 and a half years since i got the 60i's and was wondering if people had tips. Like how to properly take care of headphones other then the over under wrapping technique. I almost solely use my headphones in my computer, is just leaving them plugged in bad? Thinking about possibly a headphone stand, what should i be looking for in a stand? The one thing i don't like about my grado's and what makes me hesitant to buy them in the future is the way that because of the way the ear pieces are connected to the band, its very easy to twist the cord and i don't even think many of them have removeable cords; so any advice about avoiding tangles with grado's would be appreciated too. 
 
 
 
 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Hello everyone,
Very informative posts on this forum.  I’m looking for open-back headphones to use with a Denon DRA-375RD receiver listening to classical and jazz in my usually quiet living room.  Hope that I don't need a separate headphone amp.  Budget is 150 to 250 USD.   After much reading here, I’m leaning towards the following, in order of current preference:
Sennheiser hd598
ATH ad900
Sennheiser hd558
AKG k702—don't know if my receiver’s headphone amp is optimal for these.
Any thoughts/advice on these and suggestions for others to consider will be appreciated.  Tell me if any other information would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
--Bob

The Senn HD-558s are going for $123 at Electronics Expo, need to use the coupon code "BOUNTII".
 
 

 

[Trent1080]

Hello fellow Head-Fiers! 
 
I have been looking for a new headphone since my old cans died.  I have looked at many headphones and I can't find something I really like.  My close friend got an Ultrasone Pro 750 and I am looking for something comparable to them with possibly a little more bass.  I have looked at the V Moda LP, which I loved the look of, but sadly it could not compete with the Pro 750. I have looked at and read reviews of the following: ATH M50, ATH-A900, ATH-PRO700MK2, Beyer 770, Phiaton MS 400, PS 500, Pioneer HDJ 2000, Sony XB700 and XB1000, SRH940, and AH-D2000 I am leaning toward the Ultrasone Pro 900, because I have yet to read a bad review about them, but is just outside my price range at around $320.  If I could get over the ugliness of the Beyer 770 I would take that route.  I am considering getting the Sony XB1000, but I don't know how it will compare, I 'd love to listen to one side by side with a Pro 750. 

Music genres: Electronic, House, Dubstep, Rap, Hip Hop, Pop, Rock, and Metal  (Mainly first 2)

Portable: It doesn't have to be.  I will be carrying them around, but they can be huge. It is not an issue to me.

Price range: Around $250.  It can retail for more i just need to be able to find it for less

Amped: No

Closed/Open: Closed, I'll be using it in places like the library.  Open is not an option
 
Aesthetics: The headphone has to look decent.  I love the look of the V-Moda LP, or Sony 1000XB.   

Headphone preference: Something that is fun. I really enjoy soundstage.  I would like a can that leans more towards bass, but still has very pronounced mids and highs.  I was blown away by the Ultrasone Pro 750; something no less than that.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

right now i have sennheiser 598's and grado sr60i's and a hot audio bit perfect dac. basically i game, i listen to wide array of music from classical to rap to rock to different types of electronic music. With my current headphones i think i typically find that the vocals of the artist are lacking. I really like the bass heaviness of the grado's too. I really like open back phones for the comfort and the natural effect of them. I'm not so much looking to buy a headphone immediatly, but want to find a headphone or two to know how much i'm going to need to save up for to get a significant upgrade from my 598's, Any other brands with open back phones with good bass that i should try? I am still kinda new to this premium sound thing, maybe been about 2 and a half years since i got the 60i's and was wondering if people had tips. Like how to properly take care of headphones other then the over under wrapping technique. I almost solely use my headphones in my computer, is just leaving them plugged in bad? Thinking about possibly a headphone stand, what should i be looking for in a stand? The one thing i don't like about my grado's and what makes me hesitant to buy them in the future is the way that because of the way the ear pieces are connected to the band, its very easy to twist the cord and i don't even think many of them have removeable cords; so any advice about avoiding tangles with grado's would be appreciated too. 

If you find the bass on the Senn and Grado sufficient, perhaps consider the Audio Technica AD900/1000/2000. 
 
There isn't too much to worry about in terms of maintenance. The over/under wrap is the main one. The rest of it doesn't matter as long as you aren't tossing them around. There isn't anything you can do about the grado cables twisting short of recabling or resleeving them with something that has a bit more strength to it. 
 

 
Quote:

Hello fellow Head-Fiers! 
 
I have been looking for a new headphone since my old cans died.  I have looked at many headphones and I can't find something I really like.  My close friend got an Ultrasone Pro 750 and I am looking for something comparable to them with possibly a little more bass.  I have looked at the V Moda LP, which I loved the look of, but sadly it could not compete with the Pro 750. I have looked at and read reviews of the following: ATH M50, ATH-A900, ATH-PRO700MK2, Beyer 770, Phiaton MS 400, PS 500, Pioneer HDJ 2000, Sony XB700 and XB1000, SRH940, and AH-D200 I am leaning toward the Ultrasone Pro 900, because I have yet to read a bad review about them, but is just outside my price range at around $320.  If I could get over the ugliness of the Beyer 770 I would take that route.  I am considering getting the Sony XB1000, but I don't know how it will compare, I 'd love to listen to one side by side with a Pro 750. 

Music genres: Electronic, House, Dubstep, Rap, Hip Hop, Pop, Rock, and Metal  (Mainly first 2)

Portable: It doesn't have to be.  I will be carrying them around, but they can be huge. It is not an issue to me.

Price range: Around $250.  It can retail for more i just need to be able to find it for less

Amped: No

Closed/Open: Closed, I'll be using it in places like the library.  Open is not an option
 
Aesthetics: The headphone has to look decent.  I love the look of the V-Moda LP, or Sony 1000XB.   

Headphone preference: Something that is fun. I really enjoy soundstage.  I would like a can that leans more towards bass, but still has very pronounced mids and highs.  I was blown away by the Ultrasone Pro 750; something no less than that.

 
I've seen the Pro900 go for $250 used if you're patient and hunt around. Of the others, the Pro700mk2 might have enough punch for you (also look for the Denon HP1000 which is the same headphone rebranded). 
 
 

 

[GL1TCH3D]

So you would recommend the beyer dt990? And I'm guessing tou mean the 32 ohm version?
How does the beyer match up against the he500?

 

[Atavax]

Quote:

If you find the bass on the Senn and Grado sufficient, perhaps consider the Audio Technica AD900/1000/2000. 
 
There isn't too much to worry about in terms of maintenance. The over/under wrap is the main one. The rest of it doesn't matter as long as you aren't tossing them around. There isn't anything you can do about the grado cables twisting short of recabling or resleeving them with something that has a bit more strength to it. 
 
 

i think i'm going to have to try someone else's phones before i invest the type of money to get the type of upgrades i'm thinking. If the ad1000's don't have good enough bass, any suggestions on phones with a little more bass?
 
also do you know if Grado uses better cables on their higher end phones? and do any of them have easy to remove cables?

 

[TLN]

So you mean there's no reason to change k271 to q701 for example? It'd be pretty close in terms of quality. 
 
I just wanna decide if i need to sell hedphones and et a new one, or this is just a christmas, when everyone needs new stuff ) 
 
Quote:

It's a horrible game of diminishing returns. In my experience you're spending roughly double to start finding noticeable "improvements", and even then half the time it might be placebo. I'm happier sticking within the same budget realm and playing with different sounds.  

 

 

[DarkAudit]

My next selections up for consideration are the M80s or the Q701's. Barring shouts of "it  doesn't fit your music at all!", I'd eventually like to have both. 

 
But obviously for the Q701, I would have to look at an amp with more grunt than the E6 I have now. Since overnight shift is still prime listening time, primary device would be the iPhone 4S. Possibly the laptop, an Acer Aspire 5740. Desktop rig uses an ASRock P67 Extreme 4 motherboard. Instead of the Realtek onboard sound, I've got an X-Fi Go USB stick for headphone use. (When I hook up the E6 to the X-Fi, should the stick be in line out or headphone mode?)
 
Lots of prog, classic rock, and jazz in the library.

 

[Deltron 3030]

Dt150 vs HFi 780 in terms of bass extension, bass punchiness, mid quality, vocals, mid prominence, soundstage, and hi quality. Or should I get open headphones instead? I don't care about sound isolation and I listen to mostly rap/hip hop

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

So you would recommend the beyer dt990? And I'm guessing tou mean the 32 ohm version?
How does the beyer match up against the he500?

They are personally not my cup of tea, but they're a solid headphone. Emphasized bass and treble, decent soundstage. Even the 32 ohm wants a bit more amping though (pretty much all the full sized Beyers wants more juice).
 
I haven't heard the HE500 so can't compare. 
 

 
Quote:

i think i'm going to have to try someone else's phones before i invest the type of money to get the type of upgrades i'm thinking. If the ad1000's don't have good enough bass, any suggestions on phones with a little more bass?
 
also do you know if Grado uses better cables on their higher end phones? and do any of them have easy to remove cables?

 
If you're willing to buy used, the AD2000 go for as little as $300 in Japan. The shipping is the tricky part. Other headphones that come to mind would be the Beyer DT880/990, but these start wanting an extra amping behind them. Personally I think the Audio Technicas are a good fit if you're looking for something with better vocals than the Grado and Senn. 
 
The higher end Grados do have thicker cables, though I think their overall construction still leaves much to be desired. I haven't heard any of the top-line Grados, but from my experience you have to move up to at least the HF-2 to get much noticeable difference from the SR60. The 325 is sort of it's own beast and is typically considered the brightest; though this one also has the Symphones Magnum mod which is quite popular at the moment. 
 
 

 
Quote:

So you mean there's no reason to change k271 to q701 for example? It'd be pretty close in terms of quality. 
 
I just wanna decide if i need to sell hedphones and et a new one, or this is just a christmas, when everyone needs new stuff ) 
 

Well that's going from closed to open, so there would be a large change in sound... just not necessarily a huge step "up". My breakpoint for headphone spending is roughly in the $200-250 range. I've heard better, but can't really justify spending the money on it when I'm for the most part satisfied with the quality of gear I have now. On the other hand, I wind up collecting a lot of gear all at the same price point because it's easier to justify making all these smaller purchases. The lesson to take away from all this: your wallet is doomed. Run while you still can. 
 

 
Quote:

My next selections up for consideration are the M80s or the Q701's. Barring shouts of "it  doesn't fit your music at all!", I'd eventually like to have both. 

 
But obviously for the Q701, I would have to look at an amp with more grunt than the E6 I have now. Since overnight shift is still prime listening time, primary device would be the iPhone 4S. Possibly the laptop, an Acer Aspire 5740. Desktop rig uses an ASRock P67 Extreme 4 motherboard. Instead of the Realtek onboard sound, I've got an X-Fi Go USB stick for headphone use. (When I hook up the E6 to the X-Fi, should the stick be in line out or headphone mode?)
 
Lots of prog, classic rock, and jazz in the library.

If you're taking these around for work, go with the M80. 
 

 
Quote:

Dt150 vs HFi 780 in terms of bass extension, bass punchiness, mid quality, vocals, mid prominence, soundstage, and hi quality. Or should I get open headphones instead? I don't care about sound isolation and I listen to mostly rap/hip hop

The DT150 is not well known on headfi. Send user "joelpearce" a pm. I think he's owned both of those headphones in question. 
 

 

[DarkAudit]

Quote:

 
If you're taking these around for work, go with the M80. 
 
 

Openess isn't an issue. I'm the only one in the building during these hours. Anyone comes by I have to take off the headphones anyway.

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

The X-Fi Go should be on line-out into the amp.
 
As for an amp, the cheapest option for the Q701 to properly power the headphone is the Fiio E9 in my opinion. I'd probably start with that combination. 
 
Quote:

My next selections up for consideration are the M80s or the Q701's. Barring shouts of "it  doesn't fit your music at all!", I'd eventually like to have both. 

 
But obviously for the Q701, I would have to look at an amp with more grunt than the E6 I have now. Since overnight shift is still prime listening time, primary device would be the iPhone 4S. Possibly the laptop, an Acer Aspire 5740. Desktop rig uses an ASRock P67 Extreme 4 motherboard. Instead of the Realtek onboard sound, I've got an X-Fi Go USB stick for headphone use. (When I hook up the E6 to the X-Fi, should the stick be in line out or headphone mode?)
 
Lots of prog, classic rock, and jazz in the library.

 

 

[toekneeyeah]

I currently have the Sennheiser HD598 with an ASUS Xonar Essence ST 24bit sound card, should I get the HD650s or go for a new amp?