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accurate under $100

post #1 of 83
12/8/11 at 8:35am
Thread Starter 

hey guys. now that ive got my the iems that i wanted, its time to ask for a full size for christmas. im really looking for accurate reproduction, a flat frequency reponse and im hoping to keep it under $100, what would you guys reccomend. so far ive only really looked at the Koss MV1  Sennheiser 518, akg k240, audio technica ATH-AD500 or 700 both open back, sony mdr-v6, grado sr60/80, fischer audio fa003

 

i want an over the ear design. also would having an open back make them more comfortable in the long run? thanks so much

 

again looking for accurate reproduction. both my iems are balanced armature based, i really like to hear the music as it should be. thing is, today i put on my friends cans and my god the soundstage was so much nicer sounding right off the bat, so i want to get myself a pair.

 

thanks so much!

 

i got one reply to look for the senn hd558 on sale, but i think thatll be a stretch, its $150 everywhere

 

edit:

does anyone have a k240 that they would let me audtion for a week or so? i will pay shipping both ways, and take full responsibility for them. if anything were to happen, you could expect a brand new pair. i can send shipping money via pay pal.

 

i currently have the hd598 and want to do a head to head comparison

 

please pm me if possible, you would be a saviour if so!


Edited by bmeat - 1/5/12 at 5:39pm
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post #2 of 83
12/8/11 at 8:51am

Heya,

 

KRK 8400 (or 6400 if you absolutely cannot exceed budget). Both would give you a very accurate and flat response.

The V6 and 7506 would also provide you that as well.
If you can stretch budget, the Fischer Audio FA-003 (or it's rebrand, the Brainwavz HM5).

And on that note of stretching budget, you come to the Shure SRH840.

 

Very best,

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post #3 of 83
12/8/11 at 8:58am
Thread Starter 



 

Quote:
Originally Posted by MalVeauX View Post

Heya,

 

KRK 8400 (or 6400 if you absolutely cannot exceed budget). Both would give you a very accurate and flat response.

The V6 and 7506 would also provide you that as well.
If you can stretch budget, the Fischer Audio FA-003 (or it's rebrand, the Brainwavz HM5).

And on that note of stretching budget, you come to the Shure SRH840.

 

Very best,

krk, they are a good company? also all these headphones, including the sony that i posted are closed back :/ id really rather have an open back, but i guess most "monitors" are going to be closed back correct?

 

also if i were to go the shure route, id have to get the srh440, more in my price bracket

 

many thanks

 

 


Edited by bmeat - 12/8/11 at 9:01am
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post #4 of 83
12/8/11 at 1:25pm

KRK is a relatively well known audio company, but they are pretty under the radar for their headphones.

Most monitors are closed back, this is correct. Personally, I found my KRK KNS 6400s to be better than the Sony MDR-V6s I've heard. I haven't heard the Shure SRH440s, so I sadly can't compare, but I will say that the KRK KNS 6400s are very clear, especially for headphone in their price bracket. The KRK KNS 8400s are their somewhat more bass-y counterparts with memory foam pads instead of pleather.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by bmeat View Post



 

krk, they are a good company? also all these headphones, including the sony that i posted are closed back :/ id really rather have an open back, but i guess most "monitors" are going to be closed back correct?

 

also if i were to go the shure route, id have to get the srh440, more in my price bracket

 

many thanks

 

 



 

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post #5 of 83
12/8/11 at 1:33pm

you might look at the Sennheiser 518 - but at your price point, going with a sealed monitor (V6, KRK 6400, Shure 440) will give you more of what it sounds like you are looking for. 

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post #6 of 83
12/8/11 at 1:37pm

Sennheiser's HD280 is a great all-rounder and known for being flat and accurate. A great bang for your buck. I love mine to pieces. 

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post #7 of 83
12/8/11 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 

thanks for the replies everyone. seeing as the krk kns6400, sony mdr v6, and senn hd280 are all around the same price (~$80) i may grab one of them. i have tried the hd280, they clamp very tightly and create an extreme seal, better than my vic firth drumming monitors, and im not sure i want that, i just want a to listen to these at my computer, not need for studio isolation. regardless, they sounded great.  

 

what im really seeking is a open back phone like one of these, with a flat responce with great accuracy, imaging, positioning, balanced sound etc. and the only one i can find seems to be the senn hd518 and akg k240, which was also reccommended, but are a bit more expensive. is it worth the extra $20 from say a sony mdr v6? which are better between these two? any other alternatives that are preferably open back ~80$?

 

thanks so much guys 


Edited by bmeat - 12/8/11 at 2:28pm
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post #8 of 83
12/8/11 at 2:54pm

Almost without exceptions, good (and neutral) open back are scarce until you get into higher price points - at which point, the closed backs become scarce. :) But try the AKG 240 - many people really like them. 

 

There are some other great open cans (ATH-AD700 can be found, and Grado SR-60) at that price - but they are NOT neutral (or all that comfortable, re: the grados). 


Edited by liamstrain - 12/8/11 at 3:09pm
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post #9 of 83
12/8/11 at 6:46pm
Thread Starter 



 

Quote:
Originally Posted by liamstrain View Post

Almost without exceptions, good (and neutral) open back are scarce until you get into higher price points - at which point, the closed backs become scarce. :) But try the AKG 240 - many people really like them. 

 

There are some other great open cans (ATH-AD700 can be found, and Grado SR-60) at that price - but they are NOT neutral (or all that comfortable, re: the grados). 



 noted. i didnt realize grado made ~100 phones. are the sr60 or sr80 any good? i realize they sit on the ear, but i may have to make the sacrafice if theyre better than a mdr v6 or akg 240

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post #10 of 83
12/8/11 at 7:20pm

Grado are tuned for a specific sound - which is great. But they are not accurate - so if that truly is one of your criteria, I could not recommend them. I think they are better than the V6, and different than the 240 - UNLESS you are still after accurate - then both are better than the Grado. 

 

With that said - the SR60 are a fantastic bargain in great sound. If you get them, spend another $20 and get the L-cush pads. Huge difference.

 

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post #11 of 83
12/8/11 at 7:35pm

I'd consider the Shure SRH440's...since they are studio headphones, they are very accurate. 

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post #12 of 83
12/8/11 at 7:56pm

I'm going to echo Malveux and recommend the FA-003 rebrand which is the Brainwavz HM5. They are on a presale right now for 119 and will ship I believe in a week or two. They are super neutral and seem right up your alley. I'm thinking of getting a pair myself. Gotta get some cash first though lol

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post #13 of 83
12/8/11 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 

alright with everyone helps ive narrowed it down between the sony mdrv6, grado sr80i, akg k240, senn hd518 and the shure srh440.

 

since the sony and shure are known to be accurate, i can push them aside and hopefully get more answers about the others. unfortunately, these are both closed back.. and as you know id prefer an open back.

 

i am looking for an accurate sound. i want to hear how the music was recorded, not the companies sound signature, which makes every song sound non unique, if you know what i mean.

 

you already said the grado are not accurate/flat. how far off are they/what do the emphasis?

 

are the akg240 and senn hd518 flat? i ask becuase i would really rather have one of these three open back phones.  if non of these three (grado, akg, senn) are no where near flat, ill get a sony mdrv6 or shure srh440

 

thanks so much, hope to make a purchase soon


Edited by bmeat - 12/8/11 at 8:12pm
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post #14 of 83
12/8/11 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 

ive decided to just go with a shure srh440 akg k240 or a sony mdr v6.  are the k240 worth the extra 30 bucks? thanks so much


Edited by bmeat - 12/8/11 at 8:59pm
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post #15 of 83
12/8/11 at 9:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmeat View Post

alright with everyone helps ive narrowed it down between the sony mdrv6, grado sr80i, akg k240, senn hd518 and the shure srh440.

 

since the sony and shure are known to be accurate, i can push them aside and hopefully get more answers about the others. unfortunately, these are both closed back.. and as you know id prefer an open back.

 

i am looking for an accurate sound. i want to hear how the music was recorded, not the companies sound signature, which makes every song sound non unique, if you know what i mean.

 

you already said the grado are not accurate/flat. how far off are they/what do the emphasis?

 

are the akg240 and senn hd518 flat? i ask becuase i would really rather have one of these three open back phones.  if non of these three (grado, akg, senn) are no where near flat, ill get a sony mdrv6 or shure srh440

 

thanks so much, hope to make a purchase soon


To be direct about it, no headphone is flat.

Every headphone had some sound signature.

 

But that's OK - so does every concert hall, so does every recording studio, so does every room.

And every microphone.

 

With that said, though, there are headphone manufacturers who want their products to provide accurate reproduction,

and there are others who want their products to deliver colored reproduction - such as elevated bass, for example.

 

AKG 240's have been used in studios for a long time, they have a justifiably excellent reputation tending towards accuracy.

They're very good phones.

(Note - AKG has recently moved their production from Austria to China, and I have not heard the new ones.)

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