David, I have to say I spent a few hours going through your entire review. It's rare to find anything this comprehensive anywhere else for any line of products on internet forums. Wish there was something like this for laptops/sports cars/watches etc. It would make life very easy. lol I'm grateful you posted this on the internet!
I'm new to this world, and was hoping to make the correct purchasing decision for myself right from the get go without sampling these headphones. I've spent over 10 hours reading through online forums and reviews trying to figure what it is that I am looking for and I've it narrowed down (I think) to three sets. I was hoping maybe you could chime in (and others on this forum) and help me make a decision. I don't know anyone who would be more qualified than the forum members here to help me out.
These are the three I'm thinking of and the amount I can buy them for: Sennheiser HD650 ($350)(sounds like I need to buy an amp), HD598 ($225)(can avoid getting an amp), and HifiMan HE-400 ($375)(can avoid getting an amp).
This is why I think these would be suited to me, and how I got here:
I have NEVER owned a pair of high end headphones. The best I owned were a pair of $50 Sennheisers about three years ago that I didn't think were that great at all. My goal is to own a single pair of headphones that I keep for 20+ years that I can always turn to when I'm looking to have the best listening experience to my music. I am very far from an audiophile but I've been to high end audio stores in Toronto (mainly BayBloor radio), and found that my ears can pick up differences from high end systems quite well. The salesperson who I spoke to for about two hours was impressed at how quickly I could discern the differences between the systems in the showroom considering I don't have any prior knowledge of sound.
These are characteristics I value in sound most when I listen to music: sound that feels like it fills the whole room, warm full-bodied sound, punchy bass, low end frequencies that fill the room, pronounced treble, coloured sound with an emphasis on highs and lows, as well as clarity. I really dislike "thin" sound (I'm assuming AKG falls in this category from the reading I've done).
I listen to alternative/classic/modern rock, hip hop, and some pop (all high quality sound sources). I will also be using these for extended periods of time with my racing simulator rig for Gran Turismo 5 --lots of tire screeching, and low end engine sounds in the game.
These are my goals:
With the above noted, what would you recommended to me, a person that has no experience with high end sound, that is planning to keep headphones for 20+ years for listening to those music genres over my iphone, macbook pro, a sony receiver, and sony HX TV (for gran turismo 5)? I would like to avoid buying an amp if possible, but if I do, I would purchase a Fiio E10(or something similar in that price range). I dislike the look of the HD598s (colour of it), and I feel that the Hifiman headphones are cheap looking. Comfort is important as well --I hear the Hifiman are not as good in that department.
What do you think is the correct choice for me? I would consider an amp as well if it was highly recommended but I would like to keep costs under $500 in total. Do you think there is another headphone that would work well for me that I did not include in the list above?
Thank you!! I look forward to the responses!