Looking for a good "all round" headset

Hi there, newbie here. (go easy on me please).

First i'd just like to say, great website. I've read quite a high number of threads on here, including headphone and amp/dac reviews and debates over the science of the audio realm, very interesting debates indeed.

The reason I have finally became a member on here, is because I was hoping some of you would be able to help me out on this issue.

Basically I'm looking for a good all round headset in the region of £150 - £300 ($230 - $470).

Some of the headphones i've had a long hard look at are:

Sennheiser HD600

Sennheiser HD650

Sennheiser HD 25

Sennheiser Momentum

AKG K550

AKG K702

Beyerdynamic dt880 (250ohm + 600ohm)

Beat Solos (Just kidding)

Sony MDR-R1

GermanMaestro GMP 400

Ultrasone HFI 780

Audio Technica ATH-AD1000

I could go on with the list, but the issue i'm having is that i've never really had an opportunity to try out any of these kind of headphones.

I read great reviews for all of these headphones, but then I read the odd negative review for each headphone which puts me off getting them. Sometime I see reviews complaining that the headphone is too "critical and bright" or that the bass is too high that if makes the mid-range sound muddy. I also see reviews that say that the headphone is good with "certain" kinds of music, but not so good with others.... etc

All I want is a pair of headphones that sound great with any genre of music, without being too harsh or critical, but detailed enough to enjoy.

I'd like them to have a decent bass extension without muddying the mid range and good quality high's without sounding overly bright and fatiguing.

I know that everybody has different ears and sound perception, but it would be nice to see peoples personal opinions on what they think would do a good job for what i'm looking for. I'm not too bothered about them being open back or closed back and the impedance isn't an issue for me either as I would be powering them with a fiio17 DAC with the E09k docking station, which I believe can provide 600ohm's of power.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalVeauX 

 

Heya,

 

Based on all that, I would put you on two headphones easily:

 

Mr Speakers Mad Dog with Alpha Pads (closed; ortho)

Hifiman HE-400 (open; ortho)

 

Both will work wonderfully with your current equipment. Both handle every genre just fine. Both have amazing mids and amazing extension into bass. Neither are overly bright. Great all rounders.

 

As a note, you may want to read more into amplification and what all that even is. Your amp doesn't provide "600ohm's of power." That doesn't exist. Ohms is a measurement of resistance. Your amplifier outputs voltage and current at two stages. Neither of which are measured in ohms, but in watts. When things are labeled with ohm ratings on amplification, it's simply referencing that it has enough voltage output to achieve what is necessary to meet 600ohms of resistance.

 

Very best,

Hey, thanks for the response.

Funnily enough, I was actually just looking at the Hifiman HE-400's before reading your post. Interestingly, it would work out much cheaper to get them shipped to the UK, than to buy them in the UK. Approx £150 cheaper!

Thanks for explaining to me how the power measurement works with the amps. What I should have said was that they are capable of powering headphones with an impedance of up to 600ohms reasonably well.

Anybody else got any different opinions on what would be a good all round headphone for about $500?

I was looking at the Hifiman HE-400's, but they're very expensive here in the UK and its hard to find a seller that will ship them here to the UK, from the US where the headphones seem to be considerably cheaper.

I really like the look of the Senns 600's.

But i've seen some reviews that claim that they can sound a bit harsh on the high frequencies?
 

Have you tested them out yourself? If so, whats your opinion on them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DnB4Guy 

The PSB M4U 1 might be a good choice too. They are "closed" cans, but seem to tick off all of the boxes on your wishlist. They have the same sound signature as the M4U 2 (there's a thread on those buried here on Head-Fi somewhere with lots of info/reviews/ratings). 

Thanks for the suggestion. I have to admit, i've never actually heard of the PSB brand before.

I'll certainly look into it.