Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › Like every other relatively inexperienced member here I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones . . .
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Like every other relatively inexperienced member here I'm looking to buy a new pair of...

post #1 of 6
2/11/12 at 10:26am
Thread Starter 

I've done a bit of research within and without the Head-Fi forums and I'm giving strong consideration to the Sennheiser HD555s, but I wouldn't mind getting some additional input to augment the information I've gathered. So here's what I'm looking for..... 

 

Headphones for home listening only. Open or closed does not matter, as I live by myself. If I had more time and money to research and invest in a more advanced, high-quality setup I would, but as it stands I don't really have the luxury of either, so at the moment I'm working with just a basic home setup: Sony CDP CE335 running optical to a Denon AVR 486 receiver. (I also have an inexpensive Audio Technica turntable and an old Sony tape deck, but they don't see much use these days.) In the somewhat near future I would like to invest in a stand alone player and an amplifier, but those things are relatively far down the list of priorities right now. 

 

My music collection is varied - I listen to rap, rock, jazz, some classical, some Latin, soul, etc. I don't need booming, exaggerated bass. I'm looking for clarity, relatively balanced frequency response, wide soundstage but something somewhat "close" as well. I'm far more interested in critically examining the mix of the music I listen to than "rocking." I'm not a gamer, I'm not terribly concerned with watching movies while using headphones, and I won't be using them with a portable mp3 player or anything like that. 

 

Any and all thoughts, suggestions, and comments would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Oh, and I'm looking to spend somewhere between $100 - $200. 

 

 

Reply
post #2 of 6
2/11/12 at 10:51am

Its hard to say without you having past experience with certain models. My suggestion is try all the headphones you can BEFORE you buy to get a feel for exactly what you want. Bloated bass to one person is actually lean bass to another person, and tastes differ wildly when it comes to audio. Also, your preferences may change over time and experience. Buy a pair of good headphones from an electronics store, try them for a few days, then return them for your money back. Be sure to check which stores do cash refunds, some only do store credit or exchanges. Also, ask any friends if they have any high end headphones you can try. 

 

Also, the Koss KSC75 is an amazing performer for a cheap price. Good for getting you feet wet if you can't buy then return...


Edited by EYEdROP - 2/11/12 at 10:53am
Reply
post #3 of 6
2/11/12 at 10:57am

You might want to check out the HD 558 too.  It's the newer version and only costs a little bit more on Amazon now.

Reply
post #4 of 6
2/11/12 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 

Thanks. I appreciate the input. I know this is a virtually impossible to answer question because it's ultimately a judgment call. 

Reply
post #5 of 6
2/11/12 at 11:17am

I just saw the Sennheiser HD25-1 II for 187$ on Amazon. They're usually $300 I think. 

Reply
post #6 of 6
2/11/12 at 11:33am

In that price range, I would recommend:

 

Sennheiser HD598 - Awesome soundstage and imaging, great mids, very smooth and natural sounding, can seem a bit bass-light if you are used to heavier bass, but they ultimately deliver what the music calls for. I would say they are fairly neutral with a slightly warm tint. I think I got mine at Electronics Expo for $175 (open box). If you look around, you should be able to find them new/open-box/used for under $200.

 

Brainwavz HM5 - This is a clone of the popular Fischer Audio FA-003. They're known for their fairly neutral sound signature, solid build quality, etc. In my opinion, these are a bit too bloated in the upper bass and lower mids to be "neutral", and I wasn't particularly excited about it. It sounded weird to me. HOWEVER, I seem to be the only one that thinks this of them. Almost everyone else loves them and says they are not too far off from something like the HD600 in overall sound quality. I personally think they are competitive with something like the HD598 and worth their price, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they could cost $250+.

 

Denon D2000 - I've seen these for $200 open-box at Electronics Expo, but I can't say for sure if they'll still be up there or not. Normally they're $250-350. These are excellent closed headphones with a surprisingly large soundstage (they almost sound open). They have amazing bass that extends quite deep, though it can occasionally seem a tad bloated. Treble is sparkly and detailed. Mids can be slightly recessed in comparison to something like the HD598.

 

Fostex T50RP - This is only an option if you want to go the DIY route! They're hard to find currently, but at $75 + $50 or so in modding equipment (and a lot of time), you'll get a pair of headphones that will rival some of the higher end offerings. They need a fairly powerful amp and a good DAC, so part of your budget might need to go towards that as well. 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphones (full-size)
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › Like every other relatively inexperienced member here I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones . . .