Hey everyone,
 
My name is Alex. This is my first post on Head-Fi. I've been lurking/looking at threads here for a while but finally decided to sign up to the forum. I'm a participant in a few other forums, notably Linustechtips.com, but I wanted to join here too as it seems like a nice community. I'm still getting used to things around here (literally been signed up for less than 10 minutes). I do have one question for you guys though..
 
With Christmas coming up, I want to buy myself a new pair of headphones. Last Christmas  (or was it two Christmases ago?) I got myself a pair of M50s for off Amazon. I love 'em. I've used them almost everyday and couldn't be happier. Well, the bass may be a bit too much but many of the songs I listen to benefit from more bass.
 
Anyways, this Christmas I am planning on getting a new pair of 'cans'. I really want to try out a pair of open back headphones, as apparently they just sound "better" (sounds like you're actually there? I don't know, Tek Syndicate said so, go yell at him). The DT880s have caught my eye, more specifically, the Premium 250ohm version. Will this be a good fit for my music taste? How about the HD600s?
 
I listen to a bit of everything. Some of my commonly listened to genres are:
- rock (alternative, punk, indie, hard, classic) - ie. The Black Keys, AC/DC, The Beatles, Cake, Jimmy Eat World, MJ, Queen, ZZ Top, Weezer, lots more. 
- electronic (progressive house, nu-disco, glitch hop) - ie. Insan3lik3, Tristam, Pegboard Nerds, anything from Monstercat, really, Colin McLoughlin
- hip-hop/rap (are there sub-genres of this?) - ie. Wu-Tang, Biggie, Watsky, Childish Gambino, Logic, Jurassic 5, etc.
- A also listen to "mainstream" top 40 music. I guess it's pop or dance? - ie. Flume, Arcade Fire, AWOLNATION
So basically, I want an all-round headphone.
 
 
I will also be needing an amp/dac. And honestly I don't know where to start looking with that one. O2 seems nice, just a bit too pricey. E10k maybe? Do I even need a dac? What is it? Can I just invest in a good amp and buy a dac later (or never?)
 
Budget is ~$400 with amp/dac.
 
Thanks in advance. 
 
edit:The AKG K7xx on massdrop look tempting too
edit II: Don't have to be open, just would be nice to try out, as I have a closed back pair if I needed to use them.

K7XX should be like a K712, DT880s are neutral with a very slight broad warming in the bass and a treble peak in the mid treble. They give a pretty flat yet slightly hard sound. The HD600s are the epitome of approximately dead neutral but the bass rolls off a little earlier than the other two cans I mentioned. You'd be better off asking the other guys for amps. I own the DT880 Pro 250 and a Q701 right now so if you have specific questions about those I'd be happy to answer.

metal571 said:

K7XX should be like a K712, DT880s are neutral with a very slight broad warming in the bass and a treble peak in the mid treble. They give a pretty flat yet slightly hard sound. The HD600s are the epitome of approximately dead neutral but the bass rolls off a little earlier than the other two cans I mentioned. You'd be better off asking the other guys for amps. I own the DT880 Pro 250 and a Q701 right now so if you have specific questions about those I'd be happy to answer.

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Thanks for your reply! When you say the Dt880s are "hard" sounding and the bass rolls off "earlier" on the HD600s, what do you mean by that? I'm not very good with all these adjectives yet  .
 
I heard in a recent review (linustechtips - link) that the K7XX is similar sounding to the HD600. Is this true? I don't think I want a neutral sounding headphone, so does that eliminate the K7XX, K712 and HD600 from my list?
 
How do you like the Q701s? How are they compared to the Beyerdynamics sound and comfort wise (especially the headband design)? Which do you like more? Which would be better for my music taste? Also, would I need an amp/dac for them? If not, they would be a lot more cost effective, since they're $100 cheaper and I wouldn't have to pay for a dac/amp. 
 
edit: do the q701 sound similar to the K712? Sorry for all the questions  

alexstrizenec said:

 
Thanks for your reply! When you say the Dt880s are "hard" sounding and the bass rolls off "earlier" on the HD600s, what do you mean by that? I'm not very good with all these adjectives yet 

.
 
I heard in a recent review (linustechtips - link) that the K7XX is similar sounding to the HD600. Is this true? I don't think I want a neutral sounding headphone, so does that eliminate the K7XX, K712 and HD600 from my list?
 
How do you like the Q701s? How are they compared to the Beyerdynamics sound and comfort wise (especially the headband design)? Which do you like more? Which would be better for my music taste? Also, would I need an amp/dac for them? If not, they would be a lot more cost effective, since they're $100 cheaper and I wouldn't have to pay for a dac/amp. 
 
edit: do the q701 sound similar to the K712? Sorry for all the questions 

 

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DT880s, which I own (Pro 250) are "hard" in that they have a more spiky treble, aka there is a boost in the frequency response at 6k and 10k which makes them sound...edgy up top. It also masks some of the further detail in the upper treble above 10k. The bass rolloff just means that really low frequencies are quieter on the HD600s than they probably should be. If the K7XX sounds like the HD600 then it's probably more like a K712. If you look graphs of the 712, you'll see that they have more relative bass than the rest of the frequencies when compared to the Q701 and so are more relaxed sounding and not as forward in the mids and treble. If you want something that is more mid-forward, which will be at the expense of bass impact (relatively), but not bass extension, then the Q701 is probably what you want. I am actually selling my DT880s in favor of my Q701 because I found that over time I actually preferred the more upfront mids (the Q701 has a prominent but smooth peak at 2k) that add a little more spice to the sound. Others will describe the mids as sounding "plasticky" but I quite like the signature. It's more preference than anything. Another of the biggest reasons I like the Q701 better is because my ears never touch the inside of the ear cups, but on the DT880s it is a little too shallow for me. Now, the headband is something that doesn't bother me even though it does leave impressions on my head. I have a full head of hair so it really doesn't bother me and I don't notice it. Your results could vary. As far as amping goes, it's recommended but in my experience they are actually more sensitive than the DT880 (meaning louder at the same volume setting) and don't have much of an issue running straight out of my phone, actually. Most of the time I use them plugged into my Xonar DG soundcard, which has an entry-level amp onboard. Hopefully this helps, let me know if I missed something.

metal571 said:

  DT880s, which I own (Pro 250) are "hard" in that they have a more spiky treble, aka there is a boost in the frequency response at 6k and 10k which makes them sound...edgy up top. It also masks some of the further detail in the upper treble above 10k. The bass rolloff just means that really low frequencies are quieter on the HD600s than they probably should be. If the K7XX sounds like the HD600 then it's probably more like a K712. If you look graphs of the 712, you'll see that they have more relative bass than the rest of the frequencies when compared to the Q701 and so are more relaxed sounding and not as forward in the mids and treble. If you want something that is more mid-forward, which will be at the expense of bass impact (relatively), but not bass extension, then the Q701 is probably what you want. I am actually selling my DT880s in favor of my Q701 because I found that over time I actually preferred the more upfront mids (the Q701 has a prominent but smooth peak at 2k) that add a little more spice to the sound. Others will describe the mids as sounding "plasticky" but I quite like the signature. It's more preference than anything. Another of the biggest reasons I like the Q701 better is because my ears never touch the inside of the ear cups, but on the DT880s it is a little too shallow for me. Now, the headband is something that doesn't bother me even though it does leave impressions on my head. I have a full head of hair so it really doesn't bother me and I don't notice it. Your results could vary. As far as amping goes, it's recommended but in my experience they are actually more sensitive than the DT880 (meaning louder at the same volume setting) and don't have much of an issue running straight out of my phone, actually. Most of the time I use them plugged into my Xonar DG soundcard, which has an entry-level amp onboard. Hopefully this helps, let me know if I missed something.

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Damn, you went really far into detail. Thank you so much.
 
So you seem to be more partial towards the Q701s to the DT880s, and after reading what you said, I think they may be a better choice. 
 
Now my decision is down to the K7XXs on Massdrop, or the Q701s. From what I'm understanding, the 7XX are similar to the 712, which are more bassy, and the Q701s are more into the mids. Which do you think is a better option overall and for my music tastes?

K7XX, but you will most likely want an amp for it. I haven't heard it, but several people who's ears I trust have raved about it, so I think it's best to skip the K701/Q701(which I hate) and go straight for those at that mass drop price.

Other options, Sony MA900. No amp necessary and sounds great.

Philips Fidelio X1/X2. I have the X1 and I think coming from an M50 this would be a better upgrade overall, since out of all the open backs these are the most similar, but with the added benefit of a bigger soundstage, better clarity and a more natural tonal balance. No amp necessary either

7XX are going to be more flat and not as forward in the mids, that's all. Very similar to the Q701 otherwise. I agree if you are coming from the M50s the Q701 might sound a little too bass light for your own tastes, so it's better to get a smoother can.

omgladygaga said:

K7XX, but you will most likely want an amp for it. I haven't heard it, but several people who's ears I trust have raved about it, so I think it's best to skip the K701/Q701(which I hate) and go straight for those at that mass drop price.

Other options, Sony MA900. No amp necessary and sounds great.

Philips Fidelio X1/X2. I have the X1 and I think coming from an M50 this would be a better upgrade overall, since out of all the open backs these are the most similar, but with the added benefit of a bigger soundstage, better clarity and a more natural tonal balance. No amp necessary either

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What do you hate about the K/Q 701?
 
Thanks for the other options. The headband on the Sony headphones does not look very comfortable though.
 
I've heard a little about the X1s, I'll have to look into those. Whats the difference between those and the X2? They're the same price on Amazon.. 
 
edit: from what I've researched, the X2 are the successor to the X1 and all they changed was "damping components in front of the driver, and also the driver diaphragm" Anything I missed?

metal571 said:

  7XX are going to be more flat and not as forward in the mids, that's all. Very similar to the Q701 otherwise. I agree if you are coming from the M50s the Q701 might sound a little too bass light for your own tastes, so it's better to get a smoother can.

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Ok, I'll try to go for smoother headphones. What do you think of the X1/X2 that OMGLadyGaga recommended? Any other options?

alexstrizenec said:

 
Ok, I'll try to go for smoother headphones. What do you think of the X1/X2 that OMGLadyGaga recommended? Any other options?

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I was implying the 7XX is the smoother can, but the X1 is also known for that.

metal571 said:

  I was implying the 7XX is the smoother can, but the X1 is also known for that.

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Ok. I think I'll go with the 7XX if I can get it in time (3 days left). If not, I'll go with the X1/X2
 
I want to thank you again for all your help. It means a lot

alexstrizenec said:

What do you hate about the K/Q 701?

Thanks for the other options. The headband on the Sony headphones does not look very comfortable though.

I've heard a little about the X1s, I'll have to look into those. Whats the difference between those and the X2? They're the same price on Amazon.. 

edit: from what I've researched, the X2 are the successor to the X1 and all they changed was "[COLOR=333333]damping components in front of the driver, and also the driver diaphragm" [/COLOR]Anything I missed?

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It's a sound tuning thing for the 701. It sounds a little weird to me, but that's a personal preference thing and they are good performers otherwise.

The Sony MA900 is the most comfortable headphone ever made. No hyperbole, that's a true story.

I recommend the X1 a lot and most people seem to enjoy them. I have no idea how the X2 compares, but the earpads are removable and the headband has been adjusted on the new one. There is an X2 thread floating around here and also Tyll at Innerfidelity has a review on his site. They appear to be good but I have no personal experience with those.

alexstrizenec said:

 
What do you hate about the K/Q 701?
 
Thanks for the other options. The headband on the Sony headphones does not look very comfortable though.
 
I've heard a little about the X1s, I'll have to look into those. Whats the difference between those and the X2? They're the same price on Amazon.. 
 
edit: from what I've researched, the X2 are the successor to the X1 and all they changed was "damping components in front of the driver, and also the driver diaphragm" Anything I missed?

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I think the X2 is meant to be more linear/neutral, and have a better cable.  Either one will be more bass heavy than the K7xx. 

omgladygaga said:

It's a sound tuning thing for the 701. It sounds a little weird to me, but that's a personal preference thing and they are good performers otherwise.

The Sony MA900 is the most comfortable headphone ever made. No hyperbole, that's a true story.

I recommend the X1 a lot and most people seem to enjoy them. I have no idea how the X2 compares, but the earpads are removable and the headband has been adjusted on the new one. There is an X2 thread floating around here and also Tyll at Innerfidelity has a review on his site. They appear to be good but I have no personal experience with those.

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Hmm. I just noticed that there is a 100+ page thread on the MA900s. They seem to be very highly regarded. 
 
Also found this - "I think Sony is most comfortable phone you can wear, compared to DT880 you have no slight headband pressure. It is like to wear nothing. more comfort then Senn HD5XX series."
So I guess you were right on the comfort . 
 
Ok, so I guess my decision is down to the 7XX from Massdrop (Except they've already sold the first edition, so I'd have to wait until Feb. 2015 to a second edition pair, which is a kinda big turnoff), the MA900, and the X2. I'll do some more research on my own, but the Sonys seem like a really good deal for almost half the price of the X2. However, I've read a few good reviews (Baycode here on Head-Fi, Neowin, Innerfidelity) that seem to rave about the Philips. They also look so damn sexy and the build quality seems amazing, something that cannot be said about the MA900.. 
 
I'm gonna do a bit more research before I make my decision. Any other headphones I should know about before looking only at these two? Otherwise, thanks so much for all your help. 

rhamnetin said:

   
I think the X2 is meant to be more linear/neutral, and have a better cable.  Either one will be more bass heavy than the K7xx. 

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Yeah, I read in a review that they sound more "mature", but still have a bassy feel. I think I am leaning towards the X2 over the 7xx. Thanks for the reply!