Upgrade from Sennheiser HD25-1 II - Page 2

Honestly speaking, I think you'll be looking forever. The HD25-1's may have a somewhat sandpapery sound, but you're not going to get a huge upgrade in terms of phones that satisfies the requirements of a truly portable phone.

The only 'real' upgrade IMO is to save up for a pair of 3/4-driver customs. Or at worst, similar generics. Granted, very poor sonic 'bang for the buck' in comparison to the HD25-1, but it will be an upgrade, and careful choice will satisfy your requirements. Anything else is more often than not likely to be just a swim in the same ballpark as the Senns. e.g. I do like the SRH840 and they're fine unamped, but I feel it's considerably less practical a phone than the Senns as portables.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultrazino 

 

LOL, I like that sentence! :) Weird enough, it seems Ultrasone is more popular in the US than in Germany, hehe.

 

However, any Ultrasone will not be an upgrade for this demand: "neutral sounding headphones (sometimes the Sennheisers seemed to add some coloration to the midrange, which I did not care for)"

Of the ones I've heard, my favorite Ultrasones are my HFI-680, and it's because I find them to be pretty neutral, especially compared to the HFI-780, Pro 750, and to a lesser degree, the Pro 650. I also used to have the HD 25-1 II, and found the HFI-680 to be more accurate. I liked the HD 25, but my issues were with bass response seeming inconsistent and slightly distorted depending on clamping force/positioning, and the harsher, moderately ragged highs/upper mids. The was a bit of a midrange recess, which reminded me a bit of the Denon AH-D2000 I used to have. The HFI-680 is better in this regard. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12thgear 

Of the ones I've heard, my favorite Ultrasones are my HFI-680, and it's because I find them to be pretty neutral, especially compared to the HFI-780, Pro 750, and to a lesser degree, the Pro 650. I also used to have the HD 25-1 II, and found the HFI-680 to be more accurate. I liked the HD 25, but my issues were with bass response seeming inconsistent and slightly distorted depending on clamping force/positioning, and the harsher, moderately ragged highs/upper mids. The was a bit of a midrange recess, which reminded me a bit of the Denon AH-D2000 I used to have. The HFI-680 is better in this regard. 

hmm. Sound remains subjective and everyone heard differently I guess. I owned HFI-680 and HD-25 at the same time also (and still own HD-25) but to be honest I felt the Ultrasones weren't even in the same league. 680 seemed very untransparent compared to HD-25. HD-25 is indeed more forward, could be harsher, 680 were more comfortable though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proglover 

hmm. Sound remains subjective and everyone heard differently I guess. I owned HFI-680 and HD-25 at the same time also (and still own HD-25) but to be honest I felt the Ultrasones weren't even in the same league. 680 seemed very untransparent compared to HD-25. HD-25 is indeed more forward, could be harsher, 680 were more comfortable though.

 

Ha, yeah, hearing and enjoyment is a subjective thing, IMO skewed by perception and physical differences. Comfort too! I found the HD 25-1 II more comfortable than the HFI-680. We can offer our recommendations, but it's important the OP has a chance to compare for himself. I consider buying and selling headphones a natural progression in finding the right sound. 

I have the DT 1350 and I think they might be right up your alley. Although I must say that I don't listen to any of your preferred musical genres. To my big ears these cans are neutral, very detailed and have tight/fast bass.

As for the portable amps: a headfi'er recommended me the headstage arrow. It's very small and it has a bass boost button to give the bass a bit more weight. And that could be a great asset imo, especially for the music you like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12thgear 

Ha, yeah, hearing and enjoyment is a subjective thing, IMO skewed by perception and physical differences. Comfort too! I found the HD 25-1 II more comfortable than the HFI-680. We can offer our recommendations, but it's important the OP has a chance to compare for himself. I consider buying and selling headphones a natural progression in finding the right sound. 

 

exactly

If you buy something you don't like (enough), you can easily resell without losing much value, at our FS section. And you've learned a bit more about matching your own sound preference

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Originally Posted by CarefulDogg 

Just ordered the DT1350 . Now all I need is an amp...

Awesome, can't wait to hear your impressions. Those look like pretty slick headphones, and they're supposed to sound great too. 

Upgrading from the HD 25-1.....

There's not much - I think the only one I would personally look at is the new Beyer T-5p.