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How much should I spend?

post #1 of 10
1/30/12 at 10:40pm
Thread Starter 
I have $80 XB700s, and while I would be doing a disservice to Sony by calling them anything less than great, I want to do better. In particular, I want to tame the bass JUST A BIT, or alternatively raise the mids so I can hear vocals and instruments a bit better.

I could go into the $100-$200 price range

Ultrasone HFI 580
DT770
ATH-M50

But I have read in various places that I ought to spend a hundred bucks more on top of that to get an ideal headphone without spending past the point of diminishing returns.

So, this thread is sort of, how much should I spend? I cannot and do not want to spend infinitely, but I want to get something that's a significant improvement over the xb700s but a good value.

I've always researched the 0-200 price range so I really have no clue what headphones exist in the 200+ price range. Pro 900, and what else? The genre, by the way, is electronic music, including progressive house, trance, house, trip hop, and IDM. Ergo bass is important but I will notice subpar clarity and mids/highs.
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post #2 of 10
1/30/12 at 10:54pm

If you really want to explore the higher price ranges, then check out the Denon d2000 or Beyers dt990. No compromises from either.

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post #3 of 10
1/30/12 at 11:37pm

Are you planning on buying a DAC and an amp as well?

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post #4 of 10
1/30/12 at 11:53pm

I'd do two things, once I answered the questions posed by Iced-Tea. I'd pursue the threads pertaining to the music I favor to see who is listening to what and why and specs. And once I decided on the finalist, I'd pursue 'B'-stock or Pre-owned cans in the model of choosing. This will allow you to bring home more for less - value.

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post #5 of 10
1/30/12 at 11:57pm

If you want to stay under $200, Id say the HFI-780s are a great choice

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post #6 of 10
1/31/12 at 12:03am
The unfortunate trend these days is towards escalating prices, and with so many $1k+ flagships out there a lot of companies are pricing their headphones in the near 4 digit range just because they can. So yes, there is very much this idea that you need to spend a lot in order to get something acceptable. An idea which, fortunately, is still not always true.

Now like a lot of people that have been in this hobby too damn long I'm mostly out of touch with what's available at the low end, but I'd wager that a simple pair of Koss PortaPros or KSC75 or indeed anything with the 60 ohm Koss drivers would be a step up on the XB700 in clarity for cheap. Then you have the Sennheiser PX100-ii and Grado SR60i which should be a step up still (I only had the older SR60 though). These headphones have been in the game for a really long time, but you know what they say, if it ain't broke... I don't like Ultrasones but the Beyer DT770 is definitely not bad, bass-heavy but with fairly good clarity all-round and a nicely spacious sound for a closed can. Again, it's been around for ages and is a pretty popular studio headphone for its durability, isolation, comfort, and decent sound. The Sennheiser HD595 has always been a good all-rounder and the 598 should be more of the same. Not particularly bass heavy but it does have very good clarity.

I may be weird but I do all of my electronica listening on electrostatics (actually all of my listening period). The little Stax SR-001 Mk2 system is what got me into the whole mess, and if you can get a good fit with it it's still one of the absolute best bang for the buck systems out there. But, unfortunately, not very comfortable at least for my ears, so while I still have mine I don't use it as much as I used to. Sonically it's a little marvel with tremendous clarity, the best mids this side of the Omega 2 and rock solid bass. It's very sensitive to fit though and is worn much like an IEM.

There's definitely this perception out there that you have to spend thousands to get something with the name Stax on it, but again, it's not always true. Though truth be told aside from the 001 and some vintage models if you want to get a lot of bass slam out of electrostatics, you'll need a seriously beefy amp and that's definitely going to cost you plenty. But then the Omega 2 out of a Blue Hawaii will outslam just about anything.
Edited by catscratch - 1/31/12 at 12:08am
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post #7 of 10
1/31/12 at 12:37am
Thread Starter 
I've been considering the Fiio E10 DAC+Amp. I don't know if its powerful enough to run some of those mid-range headphones, but I figure it probably is...

I've tried the KSC75s before and the XB700s are probably like a million times better, to give a conservative estimate. Again I'm not looking for gaming headphones, the kind that's ultra clear but lacks bass and makes music sound dull. I just want the next logical step up from a headphone like the XB700 and I figure such a headphone would provide more clarity.
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post #8 of 10
1/31/12 at 12:56am
Heh. I preferred the KSC75 over the XB300 and XB500 which I really didn't care for. Different strokes I guess. I'm not sure you need the E10 but if you get it from a place with a good return policy there's no loss. Also Guitar Center should carry the DT770 as well as the M50, and you may be able to try them out there. That should tell you everything.
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post #9 of 10
1/31/12 at 1:24am
Thread Starter 
I checked out local Guitar Center's stock (through their website), and the only headphones of note were the Denon 770s (and 880s and a couple other models) and ATH-M50 also is in stock there.

But, as I understand, upgrading to either of those headphones would be more of a sidegrade from the XB700 than an upgrade. I figure I might move up a little more and get a good value, something that can last me for a while.
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post #10 of 10
1/31/12 at 1:39am
Then test them out and hear for yourself. We can give you suggestions till we're blue in the face, but it's not going to amount to much. Use your own ears.

The Stax will obviously be a huge upgrade but probably more than a little impractical for your purposes. A Sennheiser HD600 with a stationary amp will be a very solid upgrade, or the HD650 which is a bit more bass-heavy. Here you need a stationary amp though, but if you want a big step up, this is it. If you have skill with DIY the Bottlehead (http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php) amp kits should work out well, and you can also get one prebuilt from their site for a bit more. Here you're entering real high-end territory though, and that means everything that comes with it - needing quality sources, high-rez files, and so on.

No, you don't need that amp with the XB700.

In any case good luck with whatever you decide to get.
Edited by catscratch - 1/31/12 at 1:41am
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