[dooodstevenn]

after long hours and days of relentless search that would fit my needs, i decided to go with the XB line, and since many say the 500's are the best of the bunch, i drove 20 miles to the nearest best buy that had them.  tried them out, and even with some EQing recommended from other users speficically for the xb-500's im still not satisfied with them.  im in the process of burning them in but they still have no difference.  Ive been comparing these to sennheiser's HD 238 precission headphones which are open back/ "open aire" cans. in a silent room i still prefer the senn's as they give good mids and highs, while still giving a punchy non over bearing bass.  
 
 
with the xb's i can definitely hear bass but they drown out the mids and highs.  I thought i was a bass head, i think i still am, but the grainy mids and highs just really bother me.  i honestly think they are a step down from my current hd 238's so i will be returning them.
 
 
Can anyone recommend any other closed headphones that would be a step up from the hd 238's under the 100 dollar mark, if theyre an outstanding step up from my current headphones i would pay the 100, but if theyre not too much better i'd like to pay around 50-60 
 
new or used, does not matter too much to me.
 

 

[John In Cali]

Quote:

after long hours and days of relentless search that would fit my needs, i decided to go with the XB line, and since many say the 500's are the best of the bunch, i drove 20 miles to the nearest best buy that had them.  tried them out, and even with some EQing recommended from other users speficically for the xb-500's im still not satisfied with them.  im in the process of burning them in but they still have no difference.  Ive been comparing these to sennheiser's HD 238 precission headphones which are open back/ "open aire" cans. in a silent room i still prefer the senn's as they give good mids and highs, while still giving a punchy non over bearing bass.  
 
 
with the xb's i can definitely hear bass but they drown out the mids and highs.  I thought i was a bass head, i think i still am, but the grainy mids and highs just really bother me.  i honestly think they are a step down from my current hd 238's so i will be returning them.
 
 
Can anyone recommend any other closed headphones that would be a step up from the hd 238's under the 100 dollar mark, if theyre an outstanding step up from my current headphones i would pay the 100, but if theyre not too much better i'd like to pay around 50-60 
 
new or used, does not matter too much to me.
 

HTF600 is supposed to be the XB500's bass with good sounding mids and highs.
 

 

[Nightowl217]

On recomendation from this forum, i recently bought the Koss Pro DJ100s, and after a little burn in, those things are AMAZING. They really really sound good for the money, with good deep bass, and clean mids and highs. If your a 'basshead' but don't like the drowned out sound of the XB headphones, these are a great headphone.

 

[DVDRey]

 
Quote:

and since many say the 500's are the best of the bunch

 
Who?
 
XB500 has just one thing, big punchy bass, for the rest...
 
Quote:

the senn's as they give good mids and highs

 
I don't understand why you take XB500 if you wanted good mids/high ??
 
If you want very good mids and high for under 100$, its SRH440/HD518...not for basshead, but a much better SQ than XB500. If you want excellent bass, mids and high, its much more expensive.

 

[Bossatiger]

A step up at $100 from your HD238?:
Alessandrio MS-1i. $109, but I think that extra 9 dollars will go a long way.
 
That signature fun Grado energy  sound made slightly less harsh and a little more neutral. Great, detailed bass with excellent attack and body but may not extend as much as you would like. But would definitely extend better than the HD238s. Treble is non-fatiguing and has excellent articulation but can sometimes sound raspy on certain tracks. Much less harsh than an sr-80i while staying quite detailed with decent extension. Mids seemed to have stayed the same, but I find them slightly more forward than the sr-80is.
 
However, it isn't comfortable for more than 2 hours of usage and burn-in definately gives an improved sound (it arrived to me with cookie-cutter gritty, raspy highs, less bass and dampened feeling of midrange).
 
Another suggestion is:
HD555s with the 555 to 595 foam sticker removal mod. $95, that great relaxing Sennheiser house sound with quite forward mids, laidback highs and smooth texture bass.
 
It would be my second recommendation just because they are so comfortable for long periods of usage (8hrs+) even with its somewhat high clamping force and gives a great soundstage with excellent separation and some of the best mids for under $100. However, the bass can be weak, slow, and flabby but remains with good, smooth, non-fatiguing texture. Overall detail of the sound signature, however, is lacking as compared to that of the Alessandro MS1is.
 
Another suggestion is:
AD700s for its 6 hour cuddly pillow-like comfort (short term more comfortable than HD555s but because the earpads slightly push on ears, ears get sore after 6 hours) and the best highs you can get for under $100.
 
This is a very easily described sound: mid-high centric. Great extension for under $100 with excellent detail. Bass is detailed but lacks in quantity. Mids seem just slightly recessed but mid-highs are more forward and overall it is a great sounding headphone if you are into highs. The soundstage is absolutely enormous, however the separation is mediocre. 
 
 
Note that I own the ATH M50s and I don't like them. I only use them for monitoring purposes, paired with my HD280s. The mids feel too recessed and vocals that fall in the mid-high range sound extremely fatiguing and raspy because of its harsh highs. Do note that I have burned them in. The only part I enjoy for these headphones are its great, detailed, punchy, tight, well-extending, and full bodied bass. Probably the best bass for the price range (although it falls more into the $130 range). 

 

[dooodstevenn]

Im starting to think about the HTF-600 but i dont want to buy online in case something like this happens again, its alot easier to drive to a store and return them.  i could not find them at any stores, but found them online with ship to store at walmart for 53 bucks, worth it for that price? i see them on amazon for 30.
 
also site to store for the koss dj100 is 80 at bestbuy, 80 online.

 

[roker]

Spent 130 bucks for the Denon d1100s and you'll have everything you're looking for a bassy headphone.  No bleeding or drown out.  While bass is their specialty, they can also play other non-bass friendly genres quite well.
 
It's a little premium to pay for more "refined" XB500s
 
I still think you should give them a chance though.  The XB500s are bass monsters.  EQ, play rap/trance/techno/etc. ... enjoy
 
 

 

[John In Cali]

Quote:

Im starting to think about the HTF-600 but i dont want to buy online in case something like this happens again, its alot easier to drive to a store and return them.  i could not find them at any stores, but found them online with ship to store at walmart for 53 bucks, worth it for that price? i see them on amazon for 30.
 
also site to store for the koss dj100 is 80 at bestbuy, 80 online.

I would believe they would be considering they are everything the $70 XB500 plus a lot more.  But i recommend Amazon, even if you don't like them just return them saying they are broken and they will pay for shipping both ways.  No questions asked.
 

 

[lilkoolaidman]

Aren't the XB700s a more balanced XB500? And they can be had for not much more than the 500s.

 

[dooodstevenn]

Quote:

I would believe they would be considering they are everything the $70 XB500 plus a lot more.  But i recommend Amazon, even if you don't like them just return them saying they are broken and they will pay for shipping both ways.  No questions asked.
 

oh, i didnt know that, thanks!
 
 

 

[controlmajortom]

HTF600 does NOT have the bass of the XB500. XB500 has better quantity and quality.

 

[wilzc]

Ultrasone HFI has both bass..  and metallic sharp highs..  
 
Mids go missing sometimes

 

[dooodstevenn]

Quote:

Aren't the XB700s a more balanced XB500? And they can be had for not much more than the 500s.

i hear the arguement go back and forth about that, but for the price of a 700 i think id be willing to give another 10 bucks for the shure 550dj's

 

[dooodstevenn]

Quote:

HTF600 does NOT have the bass of the XB500. XB500 has better quantity and quality.

have you listened to both? I keep reading reviews that go back and forth, some even compare directly to xb500's saying they dont give as much deep low bass as the 500, they do give better mids and highs than the 500. then....others say terrible, very muddy bass vailed mids and highs, but the ones i have read so far have no direct comparison to the xb500..i was very happy with the bass of those, just everything else was too grainy sounding =\

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

What's your budget? M-Audio Q40 at $120 is the first "basshead" headphone I've tried with very neutral and balanced sounding mids & highs (not recessed or emphasized). See my signature, I've tried most of the headphones spoken about in this thread.