++ FULL-SIZE HEADPHONE RECOMMENDATIONS THREAD++ i.e. Don't start a new thread: ask for advice... - Page 1429

budget?

opened or closed?

portable gear?

Well knowing your budget would help but from my own experience ID say stay away from the 380 pro and the 429's they sound incredibly cheap to me. Look into Shure, grado, and akg as it would appear you are already looking at sennheiser.

Thanks very much for the detailed reply. I have a sneaking suspicion that the HD600 will be difficult to find within my price range. I am pretty challenged geographically as I live in a very remote area. This pretty much leaves me to online purchases and I have to rely very heavily on reviews and forums like this. So, again, I sincerely appreciate your help.

Just out of curiosity...how would you compare the HD598 to the HD600 (the ones you suggested). The reason I ask is that I have found a fairly local seller. Just curious how they would be in comparison. He is also selling a pair of Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro (250 ohms) so I am just doing some research on those as well.

I do like your suggestion about the FiiO E10 as well as I have looked into this already. I was also looking at the Audioengine DAC 1. Ah man, I think I may have to up my budget!!!!

Thanks again for the help!

Assuming you are looking only at closed cans, I'd go with the CAL! or KRK KNS-6400.

If you're happy with your 440's, get the much better 840 ear pads and put them on the 440. It's a cheap fix that might meet your needs.

Need a little help.

So, my first "Audiophile" headphone pair I bought was the Pro 550's. I loved them and still do to a certain point still. long story short, I started noticing the bad parts of them. SO I decided to go after the next logical upgrade... the Pro 900's.

The Bass is great on these, but they just feel really screechy to me and I honestly don't want that anymore. That was one of my main problems with the Pro 550's and it did not get solved, in fact I think it got worse. As much as I want to enjoy these, when those parts come up they kill all the enjoyment I have at that moment.

What are good some good headphones for me? I'll list the important things and the music I listen to. Bass is still important to me, but I realized I don't need the "Bass Kings" and am willing to sacrifice some bass for SQ.

Budget: $411 (Planning on returning these back to B&H for a full refund)

Priority:
1. Soundstage (I game alot!)
2. Bass
3. Treble/High (This is where I want the schreechyness gone)
4. Mids

Genres:
1. Hip-Hop.... but this might change soon. I'm starting to grow out of it.
2. Rock
3. R&B
3.1 Pop (Very close tie with R&B)
4. Dance/House

Uses:
50% Gaming
40% Music
10% Movies (I do watch movies on a weekly basis, so don't discount movies)

Remember, the main thing I want gone is the screechyness of the Pro 900's. A song I have a huge problem listening to is this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyv4Bjja8yc

And as another example this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn676-fLq7I

Both are in Flac so that is not the problem. I am looking into the Ultrasone Edition 8's (As I seem to like the overall signature of Ultrasones) but I'm a long time away from getting triple digit priced headphones.

Edit: I also have a Fiio E10 as my current amp/dac, Can't really get anything higher atm.
Edited by Bboy500 - 11/23/12 at 3:13am

Audio Technica M50S: are mine faulty or am i just picky?

 

Ok so i will start off by saying I am not particularly knowledgeable about headphones and such.. This is the most i have ever spent on a pair.

 

I bought a pair of these headphones last week for listening to music through my Ipod classic and a fiio e5 using a line out adapter. They have had around 40 hours listening to break them in. 

 

I was expecting a punchy bass from the review and I can barely even hear the bass on some tracks. I am not a "bass head" by any means but I am a professional bass guitarist and not one to struggle to pick out the bass notes.

 

The headphones just don't sound particularly "active", is the word I would call it (apologize for my lack of terminology), they sound slightly dull, although i think the highs and cymbals do sound great. 

 

On some tracks which have a heavy bass such as Jamiroquai- "feel so good" I am hearing distortion in the bass part. The EQ on my Ipod and e5 are flat.

 

Main reason I am asking this is because I heard great reviews about these phones and heard they have a solid punchy bass which mine just don't. If anything the bass sounded more refined on my HD202's.

 

Thanks very much for reading, again I apologize if anything I am saying does not make sense to you headphone gurus.

Edited by 153jam - 11/23/12 at 3:21am

 

The screechiness is called "sibiliance," and is a problem in a lot of bright headphones. However, you seem especially sensitive to it since I listened to both songs with the DT990 (also known for having sibiliance) and I didn't think it was bad at all. But I haven't heard the Ultrasones so I can't say for sure. I certainly would have recommended the DT990 which is one of the few cans with both good bass and wide soundstage, but since it also has very forward treble you'll probably dislike them.

 

Try the AKG Q701... It won't have the bass impact you want (still nicely extended, deep bass) but it's not as sibilant and has great soundstage.

Edited by viralcow - 11/23/12 at 3:27am

Thats great, but I really need something with a removable cord. Will I be making a mistake if I just go with the Numark Red Waves?

Since my local B&H has them (Yay for living in NYC) I can try then and return them, as I'm about to do with these.

But what's scaring me is doing a quick Google search and looking @ topics/reviews the genre this seems to be going for is completely opposite of mine. I don't want to be known in the store as "The guy who opens then returns our headphones" lol.

As another example, I also listen to these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keBkITSkLlM

or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OnnDqH6Wj8

If the above would work good enough for those types, I can give it a shot.

 

This is why the rule of thumb is to take all reviews with a grain of salt. Many reviews say the M50s have punchy bass, so it gives the impression they have satisfying bass impact, but in reality they are much closer to neutral. They used to be more bass-heavy a couple years back but a recent revision by Audio Technica made them less so. Also, when reviews say "punchy bass," they are often exaggerating for the sake of comparison. Punchy bass compared to what? AD700? Of course. HFI-580? Not at all. So a lot of people buy the M50s expecting bass but are disappointed.

 

I'm more worried about the distortion you're hearing. Your source might be the problem there. What bitrate music files are you listening to?

Edited by viralcow - 11/23/12 at 7:26am

Anyone know anything about these?

http://www.amazon.com/HiFiMAN-HE-400-Planar-Efficiency-Headphones/dp/B007ZG32I4

These seem like the solution I'm searching for.... but not sure.

Thanks very much for the reply mate! That is disappointing to hear, would you be able to recommend a similar priced pair of headphones which would give me a bit more punch? How about those HFI-780 you speak of? I would prefer to use closed back headphones.

 

I believe all my music is at 320kbps.

Edited by 153jam - 11/23/12 at 5:28am

 

 

Yes... but the biggest problem here is that you're wanting a lot of bass but also good soundstage for gaming. In most cases, closed-back headphones have better bass response, but at the cost of soundstage.

 

So if you prioritize gaming over music listening, then I would be ready to sacrifice a lot of the thumping bass, and vice versa. I suggested the Q701 because it has a decent amount of bass for an open can. If it's not enough for you, then always a little bit of eq'ing can set things right. And btw you will want to amp these. I suggest the Fiio e10, which also comes with a bass boost switch (not much, but still noticeable).

 

EDIT: Just realized you had $400 to spend on headphones. I would go for the Hifiman HE-400 then.

Edited by viralcow - 11/23/12 at 8:30am

Going to be purchasing a HRT Headstreamer (or similarly priced USB DAC/ amp) sometime soon, and I would like someone to advice me on the following headphones.

 

1. AKG K550 - I hear these are difficult to get a good fit, although I have a bigger head (close to 60cm). Also hear there is a lot of sibilance, which I won't mind if it's accurate and in proper proportion to the rest of the sound frequencies.

 

2. Sennheiser Momentum - I don't want bass heavy 'phones, not looking for a Beats impersonator. Is that what these are?

 

3. Sony MDR-1R - Really liking all the positive things I hear about their comfort factor. Does the SQ live up to the comfort these provide?

 

Essentially, I need something that is comfortable and most suitable for home use. Looking for closed backs, but I can make do with (semi) open sets as well if its a much better option.

 

I listen to all forms of rock, experimental music, ambient tracks, lo-fi, hip hop, jazz, classical, and most anything relating to those genres. If there are better options for either a DAC/ amp combo or full-size headphones I am more than willing to hear them out. Definitely seeking out accurate sound reproduction, but still fun to listen to. Form factor is another category I am considering, but it is low on my priorities. Thanks for the help!