Best Headphone under $200? - Page 2

You should know, that the dt-990 is not neutral at all. I find the treble shrill and the bass to much

 

 

yup true! .. but still the sound and presentation is pretty awesome for the price, given there are a few differences to the ex-flagship of beyerdynamic line dt 990 premiums..(courtesy madlustenvy's guide to gaming headphones)...

But still the mammoth like soundstage and brilliant bass slam is to die for .. its still my favourite headphone that I own.. though not the most neutral 

Yeah, it isn't the most neutral headphone, but it's pretty well balanced and doesn't have any frequency dips, it has a treble spike that's slightly more pronounced than the DT 880 but also has a more prominent bass and bigger soundstage, and maybe slightly more detailed than the DT 880. It doesn't sound unnatural or anything, it will probably sound more true to life than any headphone you have used before. If your looking for more neutrality and a flatter response, the AKG Q701 and the Beyerdynamic DT 880 are the ones that are more neutral for around $200-250. So if your willing to spend like $20-30 more than $200 you can get those if you truly want a more neutral headphone. The DT 990 is in the same league just somewhat colored.

I know, i would get tired of a colored headphone if it was my 'main', but that is ofc subjective. I mostly strive for neutrality, which even the dt880 isn't because of the quite pronounced treble spikes.

Just know that when people say the DT-990 has harsh treble it really does so. I found out the hard way, my ears couldn't take it - but this greatly depends on your hearing, you might not be bothered at all. I just think you should try them first or at least make sure you got right to return.

Hi

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, I know they are on ears but they are probably one of the best on ear headphone out right now.

http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-On-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B005HSDLCO

 

Or try these bad boys: http://www.amazon.com/Creative-EF0060-Aurvana-Live-Headphones/dp/B000ZJZ7OA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1354273456&sr=1-1&keywords=creative+aurvana+live

 

GLHF,

 

Andre

HD598 with one of the (cheaper) FiiO models. You'll go beyond 200 just a little bit but I think you'd get a setup that you would be very happy with.

Great soundstaging, good bass, balanced sound and a sound signature that I've always found very pleasing. Plus the 598 is very comfortable.

I can't comment on the difference between the 558 and the 598; maybe someone else will.

 

My two cents :)

Hi,

 

Essentially the HD558 and the HD595 were built with similar drivers and had a similar sound signature. The HD598's have a new and improved driver, so for the extra 40$ for the HD598, its worth it. I heard them at the LA meet this past august and i loved them, they look amazing and are super comfortable too. 

 

GLHF 

Andre

Maybe, if you can handle treble then you can handle them fine, they are not even near the most trebly headphones I've listened to, that honor goes to the AKG K514 MKII. I used to be afraid of a lot of treble when I was first starting my audiophile journey, ends up I much prefer headphones with more treble as I find they bring more life and air to the music. I personally find Sennheisers very dull, lifeless, veiled, and sound pretty poor for their given price range. Yeah, I find it annoying at times but usually when the music is going I don't notice external noises very well. Well don't be afraid to try new things is what I'm saying, you may or may not like the DT 990s, make sure if you get them that you have the option to return them in case you don't like them. I found a lot of people here on head-fi prefer darker sounding headphones to neutral or bright headphones. A neutral headphone doesn't really emphasize or de-emphasize any part of the sound spectrum, advantages can be they sound good with everything, making them good all-rounder headphones, they are a good reference, but they may not do anything exceptionally well, they can also sound boring to some people.  But keep in mind no headphone is truly neutral despite the cost. Also neutral doesn't necessarily make a headphone natural sounding. There are colored headphones that sound much more natural than many neutral headphones.

Edited by kman1211 - 11/30/12 at 9:56am

 

 

the dt 990 pro is the most balanced headphone I've heard, it might not be very neutral(like the srh-940), but a slight U-shape gives the sense of utmost balance imho! .. 

I tried many headphones and for under $200, nothing can beat (used) AKG K501. The soundstage and details are amazing. Incredible headphones for the value.

Spend a little more and get the HD598 or wait until it goes on sale again on Amazon for ~$180. Also, we won't tell you to buy headphones like Logitech, Bose and Beats, LOL.

Edited by mknlb50 - 12/2/12 at 7:12am