++ FULL-SIZE HEADPHONE RECOMMENDATIONS THREAD++ CLOSED: Please post a thread in the Introductions, Help and Advice forum
Oct 14, 2012 at 11:12 PM Post #20,177 of 29,490
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Thanks. I know that there are definitely cans with much better mids and highs, but I'm only getting one pair, and I'm a A basshead, I was just wondering if the mids and highs were decent at least. Also, How will the 1000s with a fiio e11 amp, fiio L9 LOD, plugged into my iPod touch 4th gen (256kbps) sound as opposed to having an extremely expensive amp and lossless files? I guess put simply, does it really matter if I have lossless and a high-end amp if my ear isn't trained? how much difference would it make? I don't even know where to get lossless files or anything. I'm very very new to this stuff if you can't tell ;P

 
256kbps files will be fine. You'd get a little better clarity and detail with lossless, but 256 is pretty good. 
 
And your setup will do well. Sure you can get benefits from a better amp and DAC, but personally I'd put that money towards a 2nd set of headphone that will work better for your listening that is other than EDM/rap. There are headphones with bass emphasis that will improve the listening experience on those other genres you like. 
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 12:01 AM Post #20,178 of 29,490
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As KGJag has said, the Shure 940 is an amazing sounding headphone. It will show you details in the music that you have never heard before. I will however say that comfort is good, but not great. The velour ear pads are great, but maybe a tad bit shallow. The headband is only ok. It is divided into bumps so I felt it created pressure points on my head. I really like this headphone a lot and regret selling it but I just wanted to give my opinion on the comfort.

When it comes to comfort, you're right and I'm right too.  For more cans than not, it's a very individual thing.  [Said the guy that finds all Grados/Alessandros to be reasonably comfortable--after he got used to his first one.]
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 12:42 AM Post #20,180 of 29,490
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When it comes to comfort, you're right and I'm right too.  For more cans than not, it's a very individual thing.  [Said the guy that finds all Grados/Alessandros to be reasonably comfortable--after he got used to his first one.]

Ya, I wasn't disagreeing with your assessment. It definitely varies from person to person. For me personally, I think they are above average in comfort, but I was having issues because I couldn't wear them for more than about 2 hours before switching to my HD555 for relief. It was a shame too because I loved the sound of the Shures so much. 
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 1:31 AM Post #20,181 of 29,490
Hi all, a newb here looking for headphone recommendations in the 200 dollar and below range.
 
I mostly listen to rock, but I also listen to other genres at times, so some flexibility would be nice. I also have recently been getting into recording, so it would be nice perhaps to get something with a fairly flat response so as to be able to use them as good monitors. Ideally, I would also like to be able to use these with an Antlion Modmic for gaming, so a wide soundstage and a decent amount of bass would be a plus. I'm also hoping for some portability, so I am looking more at closed-back designs that can be toted around decently. I also don't have any kind of decent headphone amp (all I have is the FiiO E5,) and as I do not have the budget for a nice amp, impedance is a factor as well. I understand that there are a lot of competing desires in what I am looking for, and that compromises are a must, but if I had to prioritize, I would say that  good music and gaming experience is a priority over portability and the ability to use them as monitors for recording.
 
So far, what has really caught my eye are the Sennheiser HD 380 Pros, as they seem to, in theory at least, meet a lot of my wants for a pair of headphones. I have also heard good things about the ATH M-50s from the folks on here (they sure do seem to be mentioned a lot in this price range!)
 
Any recommendations and/or thoughts on the HD 380 Pros/M-50s or any other cans would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 2:40 AM Post #20,182 of 29,490
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As KGJag has said, the Shure 940 is an amazing sounding headphone. It will show you details in the music that you have never heard before. I will however say that comfort is good, but not great. The velour ear pads are great, but maybe a tad bit shallow. The headband is only ok. It is divided into bumps so I felt it created pressure points on my head. I really like this headphone a lot and regret selling it but I just wanted to give my opinion on the comfort.

Could you care why you would selling them? What did you not like about them? If so, could you give me another recommendation? 
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 2:45 AM Post #20,183 of 29,490
Hi all, a newb here looking for headphone recommendations in the 200 dollar and below range.

I mostly listen to rock, but I also listen to other genres at times, so some flexibility would be nice. I also have recently been getting into recording, so it would be nice perhaps to get something with a fairly flat response so as to be able to use them as good monitors. Ideally, I would also like to be able to use these with an Antlion Modmic for gaming, so a wide soundstage and a decent amount of bass would be a plus. I'm also hoping for some portability, so I am looking more at closed-back designs that can be toted around decently. I also don't have any kind of decent headphone amp (all I have is the FiiO E5,) and as I do not have the budget for a nice amp, impedance is a factor as well. I understand that there are a lot of competing desires in what I am looking for, and that compromises are a must, but if I had to prioritize, I would say that  good music and gaming experience is a priority over portability and the ability to use them as monitors for recording.

So far, what has really caught my eye are the Sennheiser HD 380 Pros, as they seem to, in theory at least, meet a lot of my wants for a pair of headphones. I have also heard good things about the ATH M-50s from the folks on here (they sure do seem to be mentioned a lot in this price range!)

Any recommendations and/or thoughts on the HD 380 Pros/M-50s or any other cans would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!


HD 380 Pros will prolly be the best for you. Things to consider are they are very comfy at first but the clamping force is quite strong. It wore on me. They are very flat and I didn't prefer them for music because their sig was simply boring in that regard. But I could see them being a great studio monitor. I was constantly eq'ing them to enjoy music.

The M50 is a completely diffferent sound and personally i would NOT use them for serious mixing/recording. They are a V shape'd sig and to me artificial sounding. It did not take me long to sell mine in favor of several phones I have. They are more "fun" to listen to than the 380.

Both phones are have a very long cable (9+ feet). So portability is not the best.

If I were you I would buy the 380s for recording and another pair for listening on the go. Great portables that I own or have heard: vmoda M80, Senn HD25-1 ii, JVC HAS500, phiaton ms400.

The 380s can be had for just over 100 dollars from VMInnovations with FACEBOOK coupon code (refurbs).
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 2:50 AM Post #20,184 of 29,490
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Could you care why you would selling them? What did you not like about them? If so, could you give me another recommendation? 

I sold them because I usually get tired of my headphones after a couple of weeks and use any excuse as a reason to sell them and buy a new pair. I really liked the 940 and will probably buy another one in the future when I have some funds. The reason I sold them was that they weren't super comfortable for me for longer listening sessions. If you are using them for portable use then you probably won't have that problem.
 
Based upon your earlier posts, I think these will give you that great neutral sound you want. They also have great detail, better than any other headphones I've tried.
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 2:56 AM Post #20,185 of 29,490
Quote:
Hi all, a newb here looking for headphone recommendations in the 200 dollar and below range.
 
I mostly listen to rock, but I also listen to other genres at times, so some flexibility would be nice. I also have recently been getting into recording, so it would be nice perhaps to get something with a fairly flat response so as to be able to use them as good monitors. Ideally, I would also like to be able to use these with an Antlion Modmic for gaming, so a wide soundstage and a decent amount of bass would be a plus. I'm also hoping for some portability, so I am looking more at closed-back designs that can be toted around decently. I also don't have any kind of decent headphone amp (all I have is the FiiO E5,) and as I do not have the budget for a nice amp, impedance is a factor as well. I understand that there are a lot of competing desires in what I am looking for, and that compromises are a must, but if I had to prioritize, I would say that  good music and gaming experience is a priority over portability and the ability to use them as monitors for recording.
 
So far, what has really caught my eye are the Sennheiser HD 380 Pros, as they seem to, in theory at least, meet a lot of my wants for a pair of headphones. I have also heard good things about the ATH M-50s from the folks on here (they sure do seem to be mentioned a lot in this price range!)
 
Any recommendations and/or thoughts on the HD 380 Pros/M-50s or any other cans would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!

I don't know much about the HD380s and but have read mixed reviews. The M50 will not be good for recording as Doc said. They also have a very small soundstage.
 
The Shure SRH840 could be a good choice as it is pretty nuetral with a slight bump in the mid-bass. Another option would be the Koss ProDJ100/Tony Bennett Signature Edition. With an amp (and your FiiO E5 should be fine) these have a very nice sound. The focus is on the mids, but the bass is flat. The highs seems to roll off a bit, but they are still pretty good. The Koss are also quite cheap.
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 2:59 AM Post #20,186 of 29,490
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I sold them because I usually get tired of my headphones after a couple of weeks and use any excuse as a reason to sell them and buy a new pair. I really liked the 940 and will probably buy another one in the future when I have some funds. The reason I sold them was that they weren't super comfortable for me for longer listening sessions. If you are using them for portable use then you probably won't have that problem.
 
Based upon your earlier posts, I think these will give you that great neutral sound you want. They also have great detail, better than any other headphones I've tried.

The reason I am quite a bit worried about these Shure 940's are the build quality. I see alot of people that have a broken pair, here on Head-fi. That is why I am looking at the Philips Fidelio L1 too, because they look so sturdy. 
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 3:15 AM Post #20,187 of 29,490
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The reason I am quite a bit worried about these Shure 940's are the build quality. I see alot of people that have a broken pair, here on Head-fi. That is why I am looking at the Philips Fidelio L1 too, because they look so sturdy. 

I never had an issues with build quality, but I have also read about the things you are referring to. I don't know much about the L1, though they are supposed to be quite good. The VModa M100 is supposed to be out soon (I think) and might be worth considering. It will likely has a slight bass tilt, but it may not be too overpowering. I had the M80 and enjoyed the sound, but am not a huge fan of on-ears. The build quality will undoubtedly be top notch as my M80 felt indestructable.
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 3:48 AM Post #20,189 of 29,490
I'm currently look to buy a new set of headphones, having owned a Sennheiser 555 and an ATH-M50. Since I'm a sucker for new cans, I'm seriously conflicted between the M100's and Sony's MDR-1R, although I haven't seen a review of the later yet. But, I'm also open to other tried and favorited headphones. My budget is $400, a huge step from when I started out three years ago.
 
I am a more laid-back listener. I listen to a variety of music: rock (alternative, progressive, ex. Coldplay & Muse), contemporary, piano, symphony orchestras, ballad rap & hip-hop. Occasionally I play the more active rap, hip-hop & pop. 
 
I absolutely love watching movies, especially with the Senn 555.
 
I play games, but I don't care about how they sound. (Most games haven't immersed me so far).
 
Please help!
 
Oct 15, 2012 at 4:04 AM Post #20,190 of 29,490
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I never had an issues with build quality, but I have also read about the things you are referring to. I don't know much about the L1, though they are supposed to be quite good. The VModa M100 is supposed to be out soon (I think) and might be worth considering. It will likely has a slight bass tilt, but it may not be too overpowering. I had the M80 and enjoyed the sound, but am not a huge fan of on-ears. The build quality will undoubtedly be top notch as my M80 felt indestructable.

I've read on this site that a lot of people raved about the so called MrSpeakers Mad Dog. Is this a good headphone for my tastes? :) 
 

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