++ FULL-SIZE HEADPHONE RECOMMENDATIONS THREAD++ i.e. Don't start a new thread: ask for advice... - Page 1509

B&W P3.

Someone will come and recommend the Audio Technica M50 (don't do it)

HI,

 

I'm very new to the world of audio pleasure. Okay, I've enjoyed music specifically for quite a while but really I've been trying to appreciate audio equipment only recently, so n00b I am  I saw this nice thread and would like to perhaps toss in some inquries for direct feedback and discussion :) during my short time enjoying audio equipment I went all the way down from stock phone earphones, to Senn CX300-II, to Bose IE2, to currently Shure SE215. as you can see; all in-ears. But that's when I'm mobile, I hate using them when I'm in my room. I am starting to look at headphones as the gear I use when I am in my room, and speakers are apparently currently out of the question (live in a dorm-type place, have a HTS 5.1 but can't use the juice out of them as it'll annoy me dorm-mates).

 

So I'm currently seeing what the options are if I go for headphones. I will use them to enjoy movies (I am a fan of Michael Bay popcorn flick type of movie) mostly, but I'd also like being able to complement the music range that cannot be covered optimally with my Shure SE215 (which is not the best for R&B, Hip Hop, and the like).

 

I use a Galaxy Nexus phone for my portable audio. Not the best, but it just seems practical. For the headphone setup at home I will be hooking it up to my computer which has the Asus Xonar Phoebus soundcard on it.

 

Oh one more thing, I have a Senn HD 202-ii which is pretty cool for the price, but currently my girlfriend uses them and she's stationed at a hospital in a different town than where I live, so I'd like an experience far above the HD 202-ii.

 

Music Genres: I listen to most music, but for the headphones I'd like to cover the R&B, Hip Hop, Percussion Trance, etc end (this is besides the fact most of the time I will need this to satisfy movie needs). I enjoy vocals, jazz, instruments, accoustics, percussion in music but in the headphone I am seeking a sense of "grand-ness" (soundstage?), power that I cannot feel with the SE215 (for example, in Bocelli's "Because We Believe" I love the vocal quality I get with 215 but I don't feel overwhelmed by the music -for his type of music, I expected to be overwhelmed)

Amped/Unamped: I am not at all familiar with headphones regardless I used to use one, so I am open to desktop amps if necessary if the Phoebus is deemed not sufficient. (tubes? would they cancel out function or feature of Phoebus?)

File encoding: FLAC for music, Matroska for movies mostly

Portable: No, headphones will be strictly a home thing

Price Range: Currently open to inputs, but cannot see myself spending more than $300-400 in one time (further upgrades is considerable, but for future me to figure out :p).

Closed/Open: Open to suggestions. I don't know much on difference except that I think since I am indoors having open ones would be okay? Over ear I think (more comfortable? comfort is important, at least to last one movie). Is surround really achievable in headphones? not at all familiar sorry for the questions 

Past headphones: Stocks, Senn CX300-II, Senn HD 202-ii, Bose IE2, Shure SE215

I think that's it. I am not listing any "currently looking at" because this setup will be a 1-3 month project thing, I am a student so I have to save up for equipment :) thank you for inputs :)

 

Aditya

Look into the V-MODA M-100. Seems to be all the things you required. I'm personally trying to decide between the M-100 and the Ultrasone Pro 900. I do know that the pro 900 has to be less durable the M-100 though. The M-100 is a tank.


Oh and olly, check out the ultrasone HFI-780. Supposedly they are great for gaming and movies. You can find them for around $140 an maybe even less if you're lucky. I've also heard they're good for listening to music too.

 

I own the M50s (which im returning right now) and i really wish i had done even more research. Great sound for music, but they were absolutely horrible for gaming. Thanks for the help and ill consider the P3's and HFI-780's.

Hi all,

 

Yet another recommendations request here for you guys.  I am looking for a set of full sized circumaural cans for music and movies in the $150 range.  I will be powering it off a FiiO E11 portable amp.  Music genres I listen to include electronic chill out / deep house, jazz, soul/funk/R&B, rock, alternative.  Looking for rich vocals but really like deep, impactful bass as well.  I just got a pair of Sennheiser HD558s and while I love the open sound and comfort, I find the bass a little lacking.  It's something I can probably live with but deeper bass impact would be so much more engaging and fun... and I can't help but wonder if the Beyerdynamic DT770 80ohm would be a better fit for what I'm looking for.  

 

My biggest concern with the Beyers is losing the feeling of openness with a closed headphone, and potentially weaker mids and harsher highs (from what I've read anyway).  Unfortunately I don't have a place to go demo them, so would have to go by recommendations here.  I've tried the Audio Technica ATH-M50 and I definitely prefer the 558s -- the M50s have better bass, but I prefer the wider soundstage of the 558s.  How would the DT770s compare?  

 

Other reference points -- I listen mostly to earbuds, and for those of you that have experience with them, I own both the Blox M2C and Hisoundaudio PAA-1 Pros and I would take the PAA-1 Pros over the M2C most days for the bass impact.  I also have the PAA-1s, but I think that pair sounds much worse than the other two buds (just bassy but thin sounding otherwise).  Also have a Panasonic HJE900 which I like too, but those IEMs could use better midrange (but nice, tight bass)

 

Thoughts anyone?  Thanks!!

Look into the K167 and save yourself some cash. UE6000 is nice a bassy too but durable is not the word I would use to describe the build.
K550 more for jazz.
DT770 more for hip hop.

Both have nearly open sounding feel to them for a closed can.

 

If you're worried about SRH940's durability, the next best choice of headphones with those features are D2000 imo.  Despite my criticisms, Denons are quite enjoyable, and are at a fair price with the D2000, 

The DT770 Pro 80-Ohm would give you full bass

Currently listening to the Bee gee (you should be dancing) with my DT770 Pro 80-Ohm with the O2 amp.

I would think anytime you increase the bass, you going to overshadow the mids and treble, at least a little.

I think the DT770 Pro 80-Ohm are fine for music.

You could just get the DT770 Pro 250-Ohm, little more balanced sound, the E11s will drive the 250-Ohm version with the volume knob at 50%.

 

Have you removed the black rubber tape from inside the HD558s, I think it would help with the mids and highs.

I tried some Denon AH D-5000's and I hated them. They sounded like they had barely any bass at all.

 

I tried some Shure 940's and they sounded much better, I think it is because I prefer the size of the headpiece. I prefer a headpiece that is much tighter around the ear. I also liked the HD 650's, however they are too expensive for me and I think I need closed headphones.

 

Can someone tell me if I'd like the DT 770 Pro 80 ohms? A lot of people throw that name around and I'm wondering if I'd like them. 

 

Are the ear pieces too big, or do they make up for it by making the sound feel close? I know a lot of people like a wide soundstage, but it is very important for me to have the music feel like it is closer like in the shure 940/HD 650's.

 

Bass is very important to me, so can anyone tell me about the Ultrasone Pro 750/900's? How do they compare to the others? I've heard they are good for bass, however they are not very forgiving to bad quality music...

 

I'll be using a Fiio E11 + Ipod.

There a some good deals on used DT770 Pro 80-Ohm & 250-Ohm on eBay, my 80-Ohm & 250-Ohm work fine on my E11.

The DT770 are fine for music & movies, and I'm sure fine for gaming too.

Really not any weakness to the DT770.

Agree'd. I've had my DT770 pro 80ohm's for 2 years now and they're seriously good for everything. If you like how they sound ofcourse.

Heya guys.

 

I'm currently looking for a pair of portable headphones. 

 

1. They cannot leak. Obviously no headphones are perfect in this department, but as little leakage as possible.

 

2. I'd prefer on-ear, but if there are any over-ear headphones that are good for portable use then that's okay.

 

3. I'm going to use them with my iPod Touch.

 

4. I like bass. I'm by no means a basshead, but I do like a good bass. I looooove the sound of my DT770 pro 80 ohm if you need a reference.

 

5. They need to be good looking. I'm sorry, some of you might wanna hurt me by saying that, but I'm just like that. I don't want a pair of ugly and bulky looking headphones. 

 

6. My budget is around $200. Although keep in mind I live in Sweden where prices can be way higher than the ones in America. For example, you can get a pair of AKG K267 in the US for the same price that you can get a pair of AKG K167 in Sweden. Just sayin'

 

Any help is appreciated

Since I'm incompetent I actually made a thread instead of posting here, I've copied the text across:

 

At christmas I got enough money to set my budget limits at around £100, the ATH-M50 are pretty much the very high end of my budget but I would be willing to splash out for them since they are allegedly good at what they do, however I would be unable/unwilling to go any higher ( I have no problem going lower :D). Now seems a reasonable time to buy due to the sales that are out in force.

 

Planned uses:

Music - Ipod and PC based - my PC has a xonar DG sound card running into an old Denon M35 with speakers attached.

Mobile music listening - I intend to keep my GR06 for the most mobile moments but for long journeys and the like something bigger and better sounding would be nice.

Gaming - I will inevitably use the headphones for gaming - while not a primary use or even a particularly important use (they don't have to be a gaming headset) it is still worth noting.

 

Music tastes:

Balanced I think is the best way to describe it

Older rock such as Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Toto, Asia, Paul Simon

Newer rock - RHCP, Foo Fighters etc

More recent hybrid stuff - Mumford and Sons, Grizzly bear, Gotye etc

Dance/Drum'n'Bass/Limited dubstep

Some rap and rap hybrids (The Grey album etc)

Some classical

 

Essentially a little bit of everything so a more neutral pair of headphones I think would be better to allow better use of all the types of music I enjoy.

 

What am I looking for?

 

Ideally a good set of headphones (no, really?). The sort of price I'm looking at is the first point at which entry-level audiophile headphones could really be considered to be properly a thing. I would like for them to be cans and not IEM since I have a reasonably good pair of IEM as it stands. The final point which kind of reduces my options a little is that I want them to be closed - since I would intend to use them outside the house and in public I can't really get away with an open pair of headphones.

 

I've been looking around and the ATH-M50s do seem to be the best headphones at that price point, but I've seen a couple of threads suggesting that the ATH-M50 are now a little over priced for what they offer and there are better alternatives, though few of them seem to actually offer the better alternatives. I haven't had a pair of headphones at this price before so I can't really comment on sound-stage/clarity etc. in terms of my preferences.

 

Thanks <3

 

Edit: Having been looking around the cables are all quite long at this level of headphone - obviously this is for professional/studio needs. How do people cope with cables longer than they are tall? Has anyone got any suggestions as to how to deal with it? Is the coiled cable version of the ATH-m50 at all uncomfortable when worn under clothing? ( I usually have my headphone cable underneath my shirt to my ipod in my jeans pocket to keep it from getting caught on things).

 

 

 

PurpleAngel, thanks for the input.  Haven't done the mod for the HD558s because I'm not sure if I'm keeping them yet.  Not bothered by the mids and highs though for them; just want more bass.  Just trying to figure out if I should switch them out for DT770s given the type of music I listen to and for movies.  Does the DT770 sound compressed or in your head?  How would you rate it for movies?  I'm guessing the bass would be great for explosions, etc. but does it work against you for scenes with a lot of dialog?  I'm certainly OK with having mids and highs take a small step back in exchange for more bass (that's what the PAA-1 Pro's signature is like) as long as they're still clear and not completely overshadowed.  

 

By the way, does anyone know if there are any shops in the Bay Area that carry the DT770s that people can audition, ideally in the south bay?

 

Thanks!

Well I feel stupid, didn't know this thread existed. I'm going to copy and paste my previous post. 

 

 

      So I have been doing a lot of research for the past week on deciding what cans to get and I have narrowed it down to either the Ultrasone Pro 900 or the Denon D2K. However, they are quite pricey and without any retailers in Vancouver to try out these cans, it is a real leap of faith. As a result, I am considering getting the Ultrasone 650 as I can get them for $200 USD. With the change left over, I can still afford to buy a decent amp such as the JDS Objective 2/C421, Digizoid ZO2, Audioengine D1, Fiio 9k, or Hifiman EF2A (what would you recommend?). 

 

      I may not be a full-fledged audiophile, but I do enjoy a quality audio experience. This begs the question, is the Ultrasone 900 leaps and bounds ahead of the 650? Are the differences discernible to a novice like me? I don't want to cheap out and regret buying the baby brother if the price difference is well warranted.

 

      Also, in your opinion, what would be the better set of cans the Ultrasone 650/900 or the Denon D2K? After all my research it really seems to be a toss up. However, the general concensus is that the Ultrasones' have better mid-bass and the Denons' have better sub-bass. Noob question, but in regards to sub-bass, are headphones able to produce that physical sensation (?) that something like a subwoofer would or is it more the ability to produce those low frequencies without sounding muddled? Obviously, it would be nowhere near the earthquake rumble of a sub.

 

      In regards to the 900 & D2K decision, many say that with the Keez mod, the harshness of the highs in the 900 are greatly reduced and it also produces better sub-bass. On the flip-side, people have stated that with an amp like the Digizoid ZO2, the mid-bass sounds much better; eliminating the main advantage the Ultrasones have over the D2K. However, people have stated that the drivers in the Ultrasone are better suited for electronic music as they fire faster than the D2K, or something like that. Are there any truth to these claims? Also, I may be able to get either the Denons or the Ultrasone for about $350 USD. With $100-150 what amp would you recommend? Would I need a DAC or is my soundcard enough (Asus Xonar DX)?

 

      To give more information about myself, my budget is $350-450 USD but if the need arises I can go a bit higher to $500-550 USD, but that is stretching it. My current headphones are the Monster Turbine Pro Copper (iem) and I really like how it sounds. Essentially, I am looking for their over-the-ear equivalent with better soundstage and bass. The headphones would be used %50 for gaming (FPS-Battlefield 3) and %50 for music. Lastly, the music I listen to is French/Disco House (%40) (Daft Punk/Justice/ Breakbot/Sebastian/etc.), various electronic music/genres (%40) (Deadmau5/Calvin Harris/Madeon/Wolfgang Gartner/Martin Solveig/etc.) a bit of Dubstep (%10) (Skrillex), and Hip-Hop (%10) (Kanye West/Roots/Mos Def/etc.). 

 

TL;DR: What would be the best choice for my situation ($350-450ish USD budget)? Ultrasone Pro 900, Denon D2K or Pro 650+amp and save the rest if the difference in sound quality is not noticeable/justified.