The best all around headphones

fishcer audio fa-003 great with anything 

Heya,

I won't say "best" but I will say very good for "all application" headphones suggestions:

Denon D2000 (closed, does your neutrality, detail and can slam serious bass)

Beyer DT880 (semi-open, neutral, detail, covers all bases nicely)

Fischer Audio FA-003 (closed, neutral)

Fischer Audio FA-002 (open, neutral)

Fischer Audio FA-011 (open, bassy, good extension and detail)

Sennheiser HD600 (open, neutralish, good extension)

Hifiman HE-300 (open, neutralish, bright, good extension)

Overall, I'd put you on the Denon D2000 if you wanted a closed headphone. And likely a FischerAudio FA-011 if you wanted an open headphone. Minimal circuit cost too (ie, don't need a super amp or anything, just get a basic amp or sound card and you're going to be fine with these).

Very best,

I've listened to the AKG 701s, and i definitely agree that they are bass-light. If you're planning on running them with an amp then you can mitigate that somewhat, and they are great headphones.

I really like my Sennheiser HD-650's. You can get them for around that price range, and while they are a little "darker", I've loved the sound quality that I've got from them and haven't had any complaints.

I'm pretty pleased with my Stax Lambdas with anything they play. Best all-rounders I've ever had...but I haven't sampled very many headphones, I'll admit.

Yes, this includes bass-heavy stuff. I hear the notes well, and they're generally not intruding on the mids. They just don't give much of an impact relative to dynamics, and I'm fine with that. Not looking for a concussion; if I were, I'd strap a bass shaker underneath my chair.

Detail-wise, these make the AD700s, the SS-20s, and every other dynamic I've listened to seem veiled and muffled by comparison, to the point where I notice fine details much easier. It's said to be one of the general strengths of electrostatics.

The problem is getting a Lambda-series model with a driver unit of any sort for $350 shipped or less. I lucked out with these ($250 with an SRD-7/SB), but most will go for at least $300 without one...and the cheaper driver units are simple transformer boxes that need a speaker amp for input, which means even more expense if you don't already have one (presumably in the form of an A/V receiver). It's not impossible by any means, but certainly not easy.

d2000  x2  

but i would add on a pair of j$pads....better isolation, comfort...and focused the bass a notch. 

Since it looks like jmoney earpads can only be bought second hand now, you have to check if they are V1,2 or V3. I found the V1 and V2 less comfortable than the stock Denon pads becasue the holes are too small. The V3 have bigger holes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcf 

Since it looks like jmoney earpads can only be bought second hand now, you have to check if they are V1,2 or V3. I found the V1 and V2 less comfortable than the stock Denon pads becasue the holes are too small. The V3 have bigger holes.

 

the pair i bought was supposed to be v3....whew, i bought in pure innocence/ignorance..n hit the jackpot. 

but i just wish someone ...somewhere, would mass produce these goodies, for the world to enjoy...

and sell it for usd10bucks.

Beyer DT770 is a bit too sharp for my taste, and I've heard that Ultrasone Pro 900 are quite bass heavy. Consider those qualities when buying.

I own the K702s (basically the same as the K701) and can tell you they're not all arounders, especially given your 60/40 ratio of detail to bass ratio. The AKGs is more like... 85/15 (unless you get a Burson HA-160).

I would go with the Beyer DT880 with JMoney leather pads. It'll do just about every genre justice.

Why not try getting maybe two headphones to alternate between detail and bass. I own a Pro 900 and I'm looking into getting a K70x as an alternative myself.

HD 650 - a little more lively than the HD 600 which appears appropriate for your listening preferences.

Happy hunting