Best open headphones under $300

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 

Hey. I have a pair of m50s with an e10 amp recommended by a friend. I'm in the market for a new pair. Hopefully an upgrade from m50s and people suggested to check out head fi.
I'm looking for an open pair of headphones great for movies and games. And also if possible I prefer if it has very good to stellar female vocals.
thank you all help is appreciated

Consider:

HIfiman HE-400 (find a sale or used)

Hifiman HE-300

Beyer DT880

Beyer DT990

Sennheiser HD600 (used, or sale)

Ultrasone HFI 2400

Ultrasone PRO 2500

AudioTechnica AD900X

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 

Thank you for the quick reply. Would an e10 amp be sufficient enough to drive dt880s or hd600

Heya,

The E10 is fine for up to 300ohms roughly. In an ideal world, you would want more power, but honestly, they matched nicely with the Fiio.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 

How do the hd600 and the hfi 2400 compare in terms of female vocals and highs. Cause sometimes on the m50s the "shhh" sound can be a little harsh. Also which version of the dt880s do you recommended it looks like there are multiple.ohms versions

Heya,

The HD600 has a slight sparkle in treble, but it's not overly bright, nicely balanced. The HFI2400 is slightly brighter. Mids are better on the HD600. It's better for female vocals really. The DT880 is excellent too. I would get the 250ohm.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 


Would you get the dt880s over the 2400 for female vocals. Cause the HD 600 are around 300 used. I can get the 2400s for 180 is their a 120$ price difference and would the 880s or 2400 be an upgrade over the m50s
Thanks

All of them are vast upgrades over the M50.

I would get the DT880 over the HFI2400 in almost all cases. However, if it's a huge price difference, it's hard to say. The HFI2400 is a good headphone. I like the DT880 better in every way. The DT880 PRO (250ohm) is about $240 on Amazon and the HFI2400 is about $180. I would pay the extra $60 without even thinking about it. But that's simply my preference. I find Ultrasones to have a metallic/cold signature to them that is great for electronic, but not so great for natural sounding recordings. The DT880 and HD600 have a more natural sound. And of the two, I prefer the DT880 more, simply because it has a little more edge in the treble which I adore.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 


Thanks the dt880s premiums are 200 used on amazon warehouse do you recommend getting used or should I just spend the extra $40 on a new pair. what's the difference between pro and premium

That's up to you. I buy used all the time from warhouse on Amazon, it's great.

PRO and Premium are the same; the headband is different, it clamps a bit more on PRO series. If you want a tight fit, go PRO. If you want a looser fit, go Premium.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 

Alright I'm about to order a "like new" pair of the dt880 premiums 250 ohms for $204. This looks like the headphones I'm gonna get. Is 204 a good price for "like new" of these phones. thank you for all your help btw

That's a very fair price. Used ones typically go for $200ish here in the for sale forums. Getting a used one from Amazon for that with a return policy is a good thing.

Very best,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dont say beats 


I just pulled the trigger and purchased them. This is probably the fastest decision I have ever made thanks to you. And at worst with Amazon's great support and return policy I send them back but I have a feeling I'll love them. will the e10 make them even better

They are fantastic on the Fiio E10. It's a warm, darkish amp. So the treble is great, not overly bright, but not dull. Great mids. Bass is good, very good. The nice thing about the combination aside from excellent performance per price ratio, is that you can go from a warm neutral headphone to a bassy monster with the flick of a switch on the E10. That +3 db hard bass boost that it applies when you do that makes the DT880 rumble in a wonderful way for when you want to get bassy for fun. And right back to warm neutral when you're not wanting that by turning it back off. Great setup that "does it all" for an all around ability to have the neutral headphone and the fun headphone all in one set, since the E10 can let you go both directions.

Very best,