++ FULL-SIZE HEADPHONE RECOMMENDATIONS THREAD++ i.e. Don't start a new thread: ask for advice... - Page 1324

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisyhawkins 

Hello, I've been lurking, I suppose, on this forum for at least a year and I've only just decided to join now because I'm very confused about what to purchase. Bit nervous about posting.
I'd like some advice on headphones that would work for me. I've been making lists of potential ones but I'm not sure about them due to lack of reviews, so I came here to get recommendations.

Some information:
Budget: $0-$60 (I'm haven't much money.)
Music tastes: I have a rather eclectic music taste, but I'll try to sum it up; Electronic (House, Daft Punk, Passion Pit, chiptunes, just all sorts, really. ), Jazz (bossa nova, nu jazz, acid jazz, also all sorts.) Classical (Tchaikovsky, Ravel, all sorts, again) Japanese music (J-pop, Vocaloid, Electronic, some J-rock), The Beatles, R&B sometimes, sometimes a bit of Classic Rock, and Funk sometimes. I like old films and music. I listen to some of everything, I guess. I like listening to the voices in songs a lot. I'm not sure if much bass is suited to my music tastes, but I like it sometimes.  So an all-around kind would be nice.
Purpose: In-home. For listening to music (and maybe occasionally shows). I'll be using them often to play digital piano. I don't think it matters much if it leaks or if inside noise comes in, but I'd rather it not. I'd like it to be comfortable as I'd be using them for hours.
Portability: Optional.
Style: Anything is fine.

 

 

I'd also like to be able to purchase them at Amazon. (Are the reviews there trust-worthy?)

I'd just like a pair of good quality headphones for the price range. Concerns are sound quality, then comfort, then build, I suppose. I've been looking around and I'm wondering if I should get IEMS or headphones. I don't know which is more suited to my uses. I haven't been fond of the kind that goes in your ears, but then again I've only tried earbuds, which I've disliked. So I'd like to try IEMS if they're a good sort. 
As for headphones, I've wanted to try the type like Koss Portapro (haha) but I'm not sure about on-ears, so. I'd like the circum-aural kind, then, but I'm open to trying supra-aural kinds if they're good.
Anyway, there's just too much information to process, and I don't know which ones to buy. I don't know whether to get open-backed ones or closed-back. I think I'm fine with either but maybe prefer closed-back a bit more.
I really can't list specific ones I'm looking at, because there are just too many options.
Oh, and, I won't be using an amp.

I've said a lot, and I'm most likely asking a lot, too. So I'd just like to say thank you all in advance.

I'd suggest that you start by studying the buying guides that are linked in the opening post of this thread.  At $60 you will be doing well to get 2 out 3 with regard to sound quality, comfort and build quality.

This section of the forum does not deal with IEM's--only full sized headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davedog 

Ok i've decided to bite the bullet and splash out on an Uber pair of headphones for use at home.

I'm looking for something no more than about £300 pounds but preferably around £200-£250.

These will only be used at home so i'm not too worried about sound leakage. I listen to just about every style of music bar rap so i'm looking for a well rounded pair of cans. A nice wide range, good bass and nice trebles and highs, (I'd prefer a pleasant sound to an accurate one).

I will probably be pluging it into my computer and possibly my phone but i may buy an amp in the future.

Thanks in advance.

Can only guess at UK prices, but the Senn HD 558 & 598, Sony  MDR MA-900 and Audio Technica ATH-AD900 are all very good and easy to drive.  The Sony and AT are the easiest to power.

I'm new to all this so I've been reading a lot of posts trying to collect information.  I just want to know how to get a basic audiophile setup.  Just ordered a pair of ATH M50s which seem to fit my other hobby of making music ... I'm still a little confused about all the other stuff, like dac's and amp's.  I plan to use these headphones strictly on my pc so I was wondering if a DAC/AMP is a necessary purchase.  

Also, are the M50s good for listening to music?  Should I entertain the thought of another pair of headphones just for listening purposes in the same price range?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodaq2001 

I'm new to all this so I've been reading a lot of posts trying to collect information.  I just want to know how to get a basic audiophile setup.  Just ordered a pair of ATH M50s which seem to fit my other hobby of making music ... I'm still a little confused about all the other stuff, like dac's and amp's.  I plan to use these headphones strictly on my pc so I was wondering if a DAC/AMP is a necessary purchase.  

 

Also, are the M50s good for listening to music?  Should I entertain the thought of another pair of headphones just for listening purposes in the same price range?

What kind of music are you planning to listen to? The M50 has an emphasis on the bass while the mids a recessed. If you listen to genres that have a lot of vocals, then you may miss some of the detail and the M50 won't be the best choice. It also has a small soundstage, so a genre like classical would not do well. The M50 is considered a "fun" headphone because the frequency response is a "V" shape. People generally like the M50 with EDM and other bass-heavy genres.

With the M50, an amp will not be necessary. I'm not an expert on the science behind it, but an amp provides current and power to your headphones to increase the volume and also allow the drivers to work to their max potential. Some heapdhones require a powerful amp (usually they have a low db sensitivity and/or high impedance (measured in ohms)) in order to be audible or to play certain frequencies accurately. A DAC is what converts the digital audio signal into an analog one so that our headphones or speakers can play it. A better DAC will transfer the digital data to analog very accurately.

Also, since the M50 is not neutral (or close to it) it may not be the best for producing music because the bass will seem overly loud and the mids quieter. I don't do my own production though, so I can't tell you how much of an effect it will have.

Quote:

Originally Posted by miceblue 

So I'm trying to save up for an AKG K701/Q701. I don't have a proper setup for them yet, but I think the _701 will be a good headphone for getting me more interested in amps [and maybe DACs].
1. Which _701 headphone should I get?
Sonically they are nearly identical (the Q701 seems more "refined"/tweaked based on Innerfidelity measurements).
Price-wise they are nearly identical as well (at least on Amazon).
I like the classic appearance of the K701 as well as knowing I own "the original", but the contrast in the (white) Q701 also looks nice. The removable earpads/cable are a nice bonus too.
As much as I like both models, I plan to cosplay as Mio from the anime K-On. People know her as THE AKG anime girl and she actually boosted sales for the K701 in Japan. XD


Should I get the K701 for "originality" and cosplay accuracy, or the Q701 for a "more refined" sound experience with a modern-looking appearance?
2. What [DAC/]amp would pair well with the _701?
I've read that the Schiit amps have good synergy with them.
At the moment I only have a Yamaha RX-V492 home receiver and a FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp.
I know nothing about synergy, ohm and power matching...so I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn this stuff.
Should I go for a solid state amp for accuracy, or a tube amp for "warm vinyl-like" sound? I think it would be awesome to own a tube amp (my dad is actually interested too as he was mentioning McIntosh the other day), but at the same time I like accuracy too.
Maximum budget for me is around $400 USD.
Any help is appreciated.

The Q701 has a slightly different sound than the K701. The Q701 has a bit more bass while the K701 is overall a bit more nuetral. The sound overall though will be quite similar. I think having the detachable cables is quite nice because if something happens to the cable, it is much easier to buy a new one (or use the spare) than having to re-cable your headphones. Also, the ear pads should be removable from both the K and Q models. So ultimately it is more preference than a real big difference in the sound. 

As far as DACs and amps go i don't have that much experience. I think a tube might work well as it could give it a little extra warmth , assuming you want that. Otherwise, there is always the Objective 2 amp / ODAC pair from JDS Labs which will run around $300 and will give you plenty of power and is a neutral sound.

Quote:

Originally Posted by miceblue 


Mmk. Yeah I've read that the Q701 has slightly more bass.
I didn't know the K701 has removable pads, but that's good news.
How is the synergy between the _701 and the Objective 2 amp/ODAC, and will they be sufficient to properly drive the _701's? I've read loooots of good remarks about them (and they seem to be quite popular on Head-Fi).

I don't know for sure if they have removable pads, but every headphones I've owned, had removable pads, so I would assume that they have them too.

I have not personally used the Q/K701 with the ODAC/O2, but the amp and dac are very transparent so it should give a very clean signal without adding color to any of the frequency. It should be quite accurate, but possibly on the analytical side, especially with the Q/K701.

Quote:

Originally Posted by miceblue 

So I'm trying to save up for an AKG K701/Q701. I don't have a proper setup for them yet, but I think the _701 will be a good headphone for getting me more interested in amps [and maybe DACs].
1. Which _701 headphone should I get?
Sonically they are nearly identical (the Q701 seems more "refined"/tweaked based on Innerfidelity measurements).
Price-wise they are nearly identical as well (at least on Amazon).
I like the classic appearance of the K701 as well as knowing I own "the original", but the contrast in the (white) Q701 also looks nice. The removable earpads/cable are a nice bonus too.
As much as I like both models, I plan to cosplay as Mio from the anime K-On. People know her as THE AKG anime girl and she actually boosted sales for the K701 in Japan. XD


Should I get the K701 for "originality" and cosplay accuracy, or the Q701 for a "more refined" sound experience with a modern-looking appearance?
2. What [DAC/]amp would pair well with the _701?
I've read that the Schiit amps have good synergy with them.
At the moment I only have a Yamaha RX-V492 home receiver and a FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp.
I know nothing about synergy, ohm and power matching...so I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn this stuff.
Should I go for a solid state amp for accuracy, or a tube amp for "warm vinyl-like" sound? I think it would be awesome to own a tube amp (my dad is actually interested too as he was mentioning McIntosh the other day), but at the same time I like accuracy too.
Maximum budget for me is around $400 USD.
Any help is appreciated.

Is it sad that I had a lot of people who borrowed my K701s (obviously they were too "expensive" for them) for cosplay purposes as well? 

The Asgard gives a nice warmth to the K701s without it being excessive with a lot of the tubes. The whole tube thing with the K701 is very subjective. It really depends on whether or not YOU feel you would like the added coloration or not. My DAC1 sounds similar to the O2/ODAC combo, and I have to say the K701s sounded fine with them. Can't compare anymore as I've long since given the K701s away (To an otaku, no less).

Quote:

Originally Posted by KG Jag 

Based on what you said and the questions you didn't answer, I'm assuming that you are looking for a $400-ish can to listen to unknown quality music files from a portable phone without much power.  That's not my thing or area of much direct experience.  The best i can tell you is check out the new Senn Momentum (it's currently featured on the home page) and the new Denon line of cans replacing the D2000 through 7000.

Thanks for the quick reply. Soz i dont have much experience in the field of headphones so i did not exactly know what you were asking for. What i do know is that when i tried on various headsets including the Beats, i really like the sound that came out of the Pioneer HDJ 2000. Will have a look at the cans you suggested :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by miceblue 

So I'm trying to save up for an AKG K701/Q701. I don't have a proper setup for them yet, but I think the _701 will be a good headphone for getting me more interested in amps [and maybe DACs].
1. Which _701 headphone should I get?
Sonically they are nearly identical (the Q701 seems more "refined"/tweaked based on Innerfidelity measurements).
Price-wise they are nearly identical as well (at least on Amazon).
I like the classic appearance of the K701 as well as knowing I own "the original", but the contrast in the (white) Q701 also looks nice. The removable earpads/cable are a nice bonus too.
As much as I like both models, I plan to cosplay as Mio from the anime K-On. People know her as THE AKG anime girl and she actually boosted sales for the K701 in Japan. XD


Should I get the K701 for "originality" and cosplay accuracy, or the Q701 for a "more refined" sound experience with a modern-looking appearance?
2. What [DAC/]amp would pair well with the _701?
I've read that the Schiit amps have good synergy with them.
At the moment I only have a Yamaha RX-V492 home receiver and a FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp.
I know nothing about synergy, ohm and power matching...so I feel like this would be a great opportunity to learn this stuff.
Should I go for a solid state amp for accuracy, or a tube amp for "warm vinyl-like" sound? I think it would be awesome to own a tube amp (my dad is actually interested too as he was mentioning McIntosh the other day), but at the same time I like accuracy too.
Maximum budget for me is around $400 USD.
Any help is appreciated.

The Q701 is the newer and better choice for almost everyone.

Go to the Q701 appreciation thread in this section of the forum.  I'm sure there is much information about amp/dac pairing with them there.  If you don't find what you need to know in prior posts, it is the best place to ask.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesusSheep777 

Hey guys, i'm new here. My question: would you reccomend the sony mdr xb1000s for hip hop/ electronic, but also Christian Rock and contemporary and some folk music? I own the xb500s and they're great. Really good bass and acoustics sound good too; so are the 1000s even better? Also, would a fiio e11 amp adequately push the 1000s? I'm planning on getting the xb1000s, the e11, and the fiio L9 LOD for Christmas. Does this sound like a good setup? Keep in mind that I'm no audiophile and my ear isn't yet trained to hear all these minute differences in SQ that I hear talked about in threads all the time. Thanks and God Bless.

xb = extra bass = greatly enhanced bass--way beyond neutral = true basshead can

I can't fathom how listening to Christian rock, contemporary and especially folk could sound anything other than horrid out of a true basshead can.  Please give these genres a listen with a can that at least approaches neutral, such as the Shure SRH 440 or 840, CAL!, KRK KNS 6400 or 8400, Koss ProDJ100 family or any full sized Senn or Sony studio (not XB) can with a street price of at least $80 or so.