Hey guys and gals, I'm after a new set of cans for use with my PC. I did make a thread about this a while back but since then my budget and needs (to a lesser extent) have changed. Right now I'm using my Sennheiser HD 448s with an Asus Xonar DG. I'm in Australia and my budget for my new cans is $250, give or take a little. To give you an idea of what that money can buy down here, two of the headphones I'm considering are the ATH-AD900 and the HD598, which I can get for $240AU and $260AU brand new, respectively. I will be upgrading my soundcard to the Asus Xonar Essence STX with whatever new cans I buy.
When I first decided that I wanted to upgrade, my two main points of interest were bass response and build quality. My interest in build quality remains, however I've realised that I don't want as much extra bass as I originally thought. I had been considering the M50's when my budget had been at the 150 mark, but from what I've read I think they would be too bassy for my liking. I genuinely want my bass to be balanced. I tried a friend's pair of Pioneer HDJ-500s on the weekend to compare them to my HD448s, and I knew before I even tried them that they'd be too bassy for my liking being DJ style headphones.
However, they sounded bloody ridiculous to me. With the EQ set completely flat there was way,
way too much bass for me. Even in electronic stuff like Dubstep I felt there was too much. So, I think I want my bass a little leaner than I originally believed. I certainly want more than the 448s, but nothing in the way of bloating. This has lead me to consider the ATH-AD900s and the HD598s.
These two headphones are smack-bang in my price range, which is a good starter. They're also both open, which is nice because whatever I choose will not only be used for music but for games as well. I'm just genuinely having trouble picking between the two. The price difference is negligible so I won't take that into account, but these are my impressions of the two headphones:
558s: Very comfortable, with a balanced sound. Comes across as 'smooth' so it avoids being harsh and fatiguing. Has "The Sennheiser Veil" so
some clarity and crispness is lost in exchange for the lack of fatigue. Slightly above average soundstage. Is known for coming across to some people as 'boring'. Good build quality, but plastic. Sexy looks.
AD900s: Picky comfort, often either extremely comfortable or uncomfortable depending on size/shape of head and/or ears. Has a crisp, airy and revealing sound. Is not know for being fatiguing, but maybe for being a little thin. Is relatively balanced, but has less prominent bass response than the 598s. H00ge soundstage, fantastic for games but controversial for music. Great build quality, magnesium construction. Average looks.
If there's any misconceptions in either of those impressions, please educate me as it could make this a much easier decision. Those two impressions are based entirely on online research, I don't have anywhere nearby I can go to demo them unfortunately.
As for what I'd be using them for, as I said, games are one thing. However, music is what they'd be for 95% of the time. I listen to a wide variety of metal (Black, Death, Jazz-Fusion, Technical, Progressive, Thrash), some progressive rock,
some electronic (very rarely when I'm in the mood for it, and usually for about 15 minutes max). I keep saying to myself that I'm after somewhat of an all-rounder, but in reality, the headphone that handles metal best is going to have a massive leg-up for me.
At this point I think the Senns are the safer option. I'm used to my 448s so maybe some of the things (like the veil) would go right over my head? It also would probably meet my two main requirements of better bass and better build quality. At the same time, the AT's have even better build quality but are they truly as airy and anemic as people say? The comfort is also a bit of a gamble where as I'm almost entirely confident the 598s would be comfy for me. Or, do you know of a pair of cans that would suit my needs better than both of these? From what I'm aware, neither of these really shine at metal. One thing: Circumaural,
no exceptions!! I would consider the Grado SR225i's but they look terrible from a comfort perspective, and the headband honestly looks pathetic.
Sorry for the essay, but any advice would be brilliant. Thanks!
