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More comfortable, higher-end version of the HD 202 for around $100
Oct 5, 2011 at 2:05 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 29
FishStik

FishStik

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I've had my Senn HD 202s for a while and enjoy them. I like the bass, it's very fun-sounding. However, they do get uncomfortable after a while. There is a lot of headache-inducing pressure on my head. I'm now looking for a higher-end upgrade to these. Would love added comfort and similar bass but with 'upgrades' to the mid and higher freqs.
 
- Around $100; less is better
- Closed; I like isolation
- Circumaural; comfort is high on my list.
- I enjoy the bass from the HD 202 and Meelec M9
 
I listen to everything from death metal to Frank Zappa to dubstep to gypsy jazz to Chopin to classic rock. My two pieces of kit are the HD 202s and Meelec M9s and I enjoy the sounds of these. I'm not sure if this makes me a basshead or not.

Any suggestions? :D
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 7:11 AM Post #2 of 29
Koss Pro DJ100
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 2:10 PM Post #3 of 29
Thanks for you recommendation, however, after perusing reviews on Amazon, I'm not sure it's what I'm looking for.
 
 
From Amazon reviews:
There is bass, but many many be disappointed in it's bass. It has a decent amount of bass, but it's not a bass heavy phone. If you want a headphone with lots of bass, look elsewhere. It has much more bass then say the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, but not as much as the Shure SRH-840. 
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They clamp my head a little too tightly, and the cans are not quite big enough to really go all the way around the ears.
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The only downside is that they're not very comfortable- after using them for about and hour and a half they start to hurt your ears
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The padding on the earpads is not enough. They will start to hurt after awhile. Ears get hot real quick.
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... el sonido es muy balanceado, casi como el sonido de monitoreo, con algo de énfasis en las notas altas y un bajo neutro, ...
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I appreciate the effort. Any more suggestions?
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 2:49 PM Post #4 of 29
I've tried almost all the Sennheiser, AKG and Audio Technica line and the Koss is my favorite as a portable headphone with good bass and balanced sound under USD100. To my ears sounds better than the HD25-I II and the AIAIAI TMA-1, for example. You should read the threads here at Head-Fi. With the M50 pads the sound changes totally. One option that you have is buying them in amazon and returning them if they're not of your taste.
 
If you don't want to go portable, the Fostex T50RP is one of the best headphones ever made and is only USD75.
 
Another contender is the Audio Technica ATH-M40FS
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 3:43 PM Post #5 of 29
From what I can tell on the reviews for the phones you recommended, they all praise them for having a flat, accurate sound. What I want is a bassy sound, akin to IEMs and my HD 202. I know this might equate to 'worse' overall quality, but I love bass.
 
Can anyone comment on the Creative Aurvana Live! headphones with regard to bass, comfort, and overall quality?
How about the Sony MDR-XB500 ? I know I won't have to worry about lack of bass on these headphones, but would it be overkill?

Thanks for the replies!
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 3:50 PM Post #6 of 29
Have you looked at the Sony XB700? Lots of bass - but better control and mids compared with the XB500... well within your price range, and should be more comfortable than the 202. 
 
Not sure I'd consider them a step up in sound, necessarily. But at your price point, should be a good fit. 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-XB700-Diaphragm-Driver-Headphones/dp/B001RB24SW/ref=pd_cp_e_3
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 3:58 PM Post #7 of 29
Just discovered this little applet, and it's very interesting.

Not sure how to read this graph, but it looks like the XBs offer a lot more bass, with the 700s having a more direct dip in the 100-10,000 Hz range. Care to comment?
 
Also interestingly, the Sony MDR-V6, which I believe to be regarded as a balanced and accurate pair of phones, looks like it offers the same amount of bass as the HD202 with improvements to the upper end. Would this be a good upgrade?

 
Oct 5, 2011 at 4:13 PM Post #8 of 29
How about a pair of HD-280's? I've owned a pair and loved them, the bass is well controlled (and plentiful) and the mids and high's are more abundant and less "veiled" (than the HD203's). I don't own a pair of HD202's but I do have a pair of HD203's (slightly brighter, bass not as boomy, similar though), so that's the closest comparison I can make.The 280's are around the ear so they are much more comfortable. They have great noise isolation, and the pads do clamp pretty hard, but the pressure is around your head and not on your ears so it's much more tolerable.
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 4:25 PM Post #9 of 29
Ooh, the 280 does look nice. I'm just concerned because from reviews, I see it's lauded for a flat, accurate sound, and some even say the bass is lacking. I'm probably misled, but I take this to mean "less bass" and "less fun"

I tried a friend's pair of Senn HD 448's and while they do sound good, the bass is lacking, and going back to my HD 202's right after is mucho satisfying.
I keep posting these graphs because I like to quantify these headphones side-by-side, but I'm not sure how representative they are in terms of "fun vs. accurate/balanced" and "muddy vs. clear"

 
Oct 5, 2011 at 4:40 PM Post #10 of 29
They're probably running it un-amped. But even when I tried it un-amped with my tablet, the bass was still present. The sound is somewhat flat, but that doesn't mean it's boring. Like I said, I own HD203's which have better punch than the 202's, but the 280's pump out even tighter bass (relatively speaking). You can also give the Klipsch image one a shot, but those are slightly over $100. Just buy it from Amazon and return it if you don't like it. They do after all give you 30 days. I'm thinking about returning the 203's because of their lack of comfort as well.
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 6:53 PM Post #11 of 29
Thanks for the reply. I've narrowed my choices down to three phones:

- I like the Sony MDR-V6 because, despite being monitoring headphones, they seem to have a similar low-end curve as the HD 202, with enhanced mid- to upper-frequencies.
- The Sony MDR-XB700s intrigue me for its apparently ridiculous bass, though I'm a little apprehensive of overkill.
- Finally, the Senn HD280s are another pair of monitoring headphones with what looks like stronger bass at the very low end, weaker at the low-mid range, and overall a fairly flat curve (less fun?)
 
Comfort level for all of these seem marginally better than my HD 202, so could anybody snipe out a good compromise? Much appreciated!
 
Oct 5, 2011 at 7:59 PM Post #12 of 29
Tyll Hertsens (A well known head-fier) did a review on the XB series you might want to check out also said the XB500 were actually better than the XB700 here's the link
 

 
 
Edit: Also IMO most of the lower sennheisers have some nasty clamping force atleast from the ones i've tried. The cushions on those XB500 and the way he describes them honestly make me think that those would be the ones for you they're also only half of what you wanted to spend which leaves you with extra money, which you could save or maybe use for a mini portable amp such as a Fiio E6 and maybe a LOD (Fiio L3/L9 for cheap) if you have a compatible idevice/fuze.
 
Oct 7, 2011 at 2:01 PM Post #13 of 29
Thanks for the video.
 
I'm leaning toward the Sony V6. It seems that it offers improvements in comfort, durability, and overall quality. The 10-foot cord is also a plus (same length as the Senn HD 202). 
Is there anyone that has both the HD 202 and V6 that could comment on the difference in sound? I know the V6 is more balanced, but is the bass comparable to, better than, or worse than the HD 202? (Keep in mind that quantity of bass is pretty important to me)
 
Oct 7, 2011 at 2:57 PM Post #14 of 29
 I *had* the 280s, and as much as I enjoyed them, they were a little treble happy/ bass light. I wouldn't recommend them for you. I think the V6 would be good.
 
Oct 7, 2011 at 4:16 PM Post #15 of 29


Quote:
slare said:
I've tried almost all the Sennheiser, AKG and Audio Technica line and the Koss is my favorite as a portable headphone with good bass and balanced sound under USD100. To my ears sounds better than the HD25-I II and the AIAIAI TMA-1, for example. You should read the threads here at Head-Fi. With the M50 pads the sound changes totally. One option that you have is buying them in amazon and returning them if they're not of your taste.
 
If you don't want to go portable, the Fostex T50RP is one of the best headphones ever made and is only USD75.
 
Another contender is the Audio Technica ATH-M40FS
Click to expand...

No it's not.
 
 
 
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