[KG Jag]

are the srh 840's better than the ath m50's overall?

Yes--but those who want bass enhanced beyond the 840's mid bass hump usually prefer the M50. The 840's are more balanced, accurate and come with a removable cable plus an extra set of ear pads.

 

[Drexra]

Hey, new into nicer audio equipment so figured I'd ask around people more knowledgeable than I. After a bit of reading I've found an amp that seems affordable and some headphones for more post-hardcore, rock and the like.
 
For the Amp I'm looking at the FiiO E11, can get it on amazon with an extra battery pack and wall charger for like $50 so that seems like a pretty solid deal.
 
Headphones is where I'm less decisive and am really looking for the help, from what I could find and suggested by a friend I'm looking at the following models: Beyerdynamic DT 660, Grado sR225i, Ultrasone HFI-780 or the Shure SRH840. From what I understand they are all bright with good highs that work well for rock. I guess what I'm mainly asking is one of those clearly better than the others? Is there a set of cans that I'm not looking at but should be? I'm a bit hesitant on the Grados because I'm really looking for something comfortable.
 
Any help is truly appreciated, happy Thanksgiving!
 
-Drew

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Hey, new into nicer audio equipment so figured I'd ask around people more knowledgeable than I. After a bit of reading I've found an amp that seems affordable and some headphones for more post-hardcore, rock and the like.
For the Amp I'm looking at the FiiO E11, can get it on amazon with an extra battery pack and wall charger for like $50 so that seems like a pretty solid deal.
Headphones is where I'm less decisive and am really looking for the help, from what I could find and suggested by a friend I'm looking at the following models: Beyerdynamic DT 660, Grado sR225i, Ultrasone HFI-780 or the Shure SRH840. From what I understand they are all bright with good highs that work well for rock. I guess what I'm mainly asking is one of those clearly better than the others? Is there a set of cans that I'm not looking at but should be? I'm a bit hesitant on the Grados because I'm really looking for something comfortable.
Any help is truly appreciated, happy Thanksgiving!

What source(s) will you be plugging the headphone and head amp. into?

 

[Drexra]

Quote:

What source(s) will you be plugging the headphone and head amp. into?

Just my ipod, I'll be flying a lot soon so I want to make the flights and layovers tolerable.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Just my iPod, I'll be flying a lot soon so I want to make the flights and layovers tolerable.

Chances are your headphone will sound just fine plugged straight into the iPod.
 
Headphone wise, check out the JVC HA-S500-Z (GunMetal Gray) folding headphones, sells on eBay for $76.99, ships from Japan, usually takes less then a week.

 

[Niblr]

 Hey Head-fiers, I'm just entering the audiophile scene, and I have a few questions regarding headphones. My only experience previously with full-size headphones were some random $20 headphones, so please bear with me if anything sounds off. My budget is around $100-$200, preferably in the lower end of that scale, but since it's black friday stuff should be cheaper right now. I'm looking for headphones that are comfortable, but ultimately I'm looking at sound quality as my #1 factor. I don't really mind open or closed back. I usually listen to punk rock, indie, hip-hop, and random electronic stuff (usually house), so it seems like what I need is a more all around headphone (correct me if I'm wrong, thanks). I enjoy crisp, detailed highs and mids for most music, with a light, punchy bass that goes well with the music. I should probably say that I also ordered the Matrix M-stage off massdrop, since it seemed like a pretty decent amp from the reviews, so something that goes well with that would also be a plus 

. As far as what I've seen, the choice is really overwhelming for headphones, but some that seem nice are the HD598 and the HD600, although the latter probably isn't in my price range. So I'm just looking for help as to what would suit my needs the best, thanks!
 
Also, my source is pretty much just my laptops default jack, and my iPod nano 5g.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

 Hey Head-fiers, I'm just entering the audiophile scene, and I have a few questions regarding headphones. My only experience previously with full-size headphones were some random $20 headphones, so please bear with me if anything sounds off. My budget is around $100-$200, preferably in the lower end of that scale, but since it's black friday stuff should be cheaper right now. I'm looking for headphones that are comfortable, but ultimately I'm looking at sound quality as my #1 factor. I don't really mind open or closed back. I usually listen to punk rock, indie, hip-hop, and random electronic stuff (usually house), so it seems like what I need is a more all around headphone (correct me if I'm wrong, thanks). I enjoy crisp, detailed highs and mids for most music, with a light, punchy bass that goes well with the music. I should probably say that I also ordered the Matrix M-stage off massdrop, since it seemed like a pretty decent amp from the reviews, so something that goes well with that would also be a plus 

. As far as what I've seen, the choice is really overwhelming for headphones, but some that seem nice are the HD598 and the HD600, although the latter probably isn't in my price range. So I'm just looking for help as to what would suit my needs the best, thanks!
 
Also, my source is pretty much just my laptops default jack, and my iPod nano 5g.

An external DAC (USB?) should improve the audio quality over whatever DAC is built into the laptop.
I'm assuming your getting the Matrix M-stage that does not come with a built in DAC?
(DAC - Digital to Analog Converter)
 
Headphone wise, A Sennheiser HD558 (used, on Amazon for $138)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004FEEY9A/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
 
And a Grado mini cable 6" extenion cable ($14.95) to make the connect between the HD558 and M-Stage easier.
http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Mini-Adaptor-Cable-Inch/dp/B001DK1ZVO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1353613952&sr=1-2&keywords=grado+cable
 
The HD558 does come with a the 1/4' female to 1/8" male adapter, but the Grado puts a little less stress on the M-Stage headphone jack.

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

Hey, new into nicer audio equipment so figured I'd ask around people more knowledgeable than I. After a bit of reading I've found an amp that seems affordable and some headphones for more post-hardcore, rock and the like.
 
For the Amp I'm looking at the FiiO E11, can get it on amazon with an extra battery pack and wall charger for like $50 so that seems like a pretty solid deal.
 
Headphones is where I'm less decisive and am really looking for the help, from what I could find and suggested by a friend I'm looking at the following models: Beyerdynamic DT 660, Grado sR225i, Ultrasone HFI-780 or the Shure SRH840. From what I understand they are all bright with good highs that work well for rock. I guess what I'm mainly asking is one of those clearly better than the others? Is there a set of cans that I'm not looking at but should be? I'm a bit hesitant on the Grados because I'm really looking for something comfortable.
 
Any help is truly appreciated, happy Thanksgiving!
 
-Drew

Its all a matter of personal preference. Now i can speak for the shures here. They work great for rock, in my opinion. They are fairly balanced. The touch of mid emphasis adds to male vocals and guitars. They are pretty big though so carrying it through the airport may not be the easiest thing. Do note, that you don't really need an amp, it helps yes. But it isn't necessary. So you could save a little space there, if it makes any difference. Grado's are famed for being great for rock. However, their open design may not be well suited for isolation/leakage in a busy airport. The 840 does have some pretty terrific isolation. Now if you are concerned about comfort, the 840 do present some problems. The are heavy. i mean HEAVY. if you aren't used to the weight i can cause a headache. I feel like a lot of it is just getting used to the weight. Anyway, hope that helps. Feel free to ask me any questions if you want more details (pm).

 

[drumsnspace]

Quote:

You mentioned the K701, so I need to confirm that open (they leak sound) and/or semi open (they leak--but generally not as much as open) are OK.
The AKG K/Q 70x are all very comfortable for most.

Open and semi-open are alright, but not preferable.

 

[fjeena]

Hi guys, I'm trying to decide between the ath-m50 and ultrasone hfi 780 headphones and I'm getting very mixed reviews. Those who are advocates of the 780s say that the m50's aren't very clear, and the advocates of the m50's say that the 780's have highs that are too harsh and "sparkly". I mainly listen to house/electronic music, some pop, and classical music. Of those two headphones, which is the better choice for the genres I've specified?
Thanks

The 780 can be a tad harsh when you first start listening to it. But after using it for a little while, the highs settle down and you end up with a nice refined sound with excellent bass. The 780s are perfect for EDM, and from what Ive read(because i too was choosing between these two pairs of cans a few months ago) its a much better choice than the M50.

IMO the 780s are a great place to start

 

[Niblr]

Quote:

An external DAC (USB?) should improve the audio quality over whatever DAC is built into the laptop.
I'm assuming your getting the Matrix M-stage that does not come with a built in DAC?
(DAC - Digital to Analog Converter)
 
Headphone wise, A Sennheiser HD558 (used, on Amazon for $138)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004FEEY9A/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
 
And a Grado mini cable 6" extenion cable ($14.95) to make the connect between the HD558 and M-Stage easier.
http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Mini-Adaptor-Cable-Inch/dp/B001DK1ZVO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1353613952&sr=1-2&keywords=grado+cable
 
The HD558 does come with a the 1/4' female to 1/8" male adapter, but the Grado puts a little less stress on the M-Stage headphone jack.

Yeah, I didn't get the one with the built in DAC (they only had those on sale). I had the impression that an amp would benefit my price range of headphones more than an affordable DAC, so I went with the amp. Did I think wrong?
 
From your sig I assume you own the HD558? How much does the HD558 benefit from being amped? I read a few reviews and they mostly said that they work good without.
 
Thanks.

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

Yeah, I didn't get the one with the built in DAC (they only had those on sale). I had the impression that an amp would benefit my price range of headphones more than an affordable DAC, so I went with the amp. Did I think wrong?
 

As a rule of thumb, yes, typically an amp has a greater impact than a dac.

 

[cel4145]

Quote:

Just my ipod, I'll be flying a lot soon so I want to make the flights and layovers tolerable.

 
While the Grados are an amazing choice for rock, no good for airplanes. They are completely open, zero isolation. As a closed can, my HFI-780s do a much better job for use in public. 

 

[TheHowzer]

So I've had too many cheap headphones break on me and am looking for a good quality headset to put on my Christmas list. I am not yet very knowledgeable when it comes to headphones, nor am I an audiophile in any meaning of the word. How about I just list some of the things I am looking for so that you guys can help me find the perfect pair?
 
-I will be using the headphones mainly for music. (Dubstep, metal, electronic) and podcasts/audio-dramas and occasionally for video games and movies
 
-I want something with all around good sound but I do enjoy a little extra bass
 
-removable cord for a cheaper fix if I bust it
 
-they need to be comfortable as I will be wearing them for a few hours on end
 
-price, can't be too high (under 100) but if it gets me everything else on the list plus quality I'm willing to go higher
 
Something else I'm interested in is an inline remote and Mic for taking phone calls and skipping music tracks and changing volume on my phone, not as important though. A friend told me that beats makes a cord with both built in, could I just replace the stock cable with one of those?
 
I have looked at the numark red waves, they have the removable cord and a decent price but being that they are "DJ" headphones I don't know if they will go well with what I plan to use them for.
 
Any reccomendations are welcome

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

So I've had too many cheap headphones break on me and am looking for a good quality headset to put on my Christmas list. I am not yet very knowledgeable when it comes to headphones, nor am I an audiophile in any meaning of the word. How about I just list some of the things I am looking for so that you guys can help me find the perfect pair?
 
-I will be using the headphones mainly for music. (Dubstep, metal, electronic) and podcasts/audio-dramas and occasionally for video games and movies
 
-I want something with all around good sound but I do enjoy a little extra bass
 
-removable cord for a cheaper fix if I bust it
 
-they need to be comfortable as I will be wearing them for a few hours on end
 
-price, can't be too high (under 100) but if it gets me everything else on the list plus quality I'm willing to go higher
 
Something else I'm interested in is an inline remote and Mic for taking phone calls and skipping music tracks and changing volume on my phone, not as important though. A friend told me that beats makes a cord with both built in, could I just replace the stock cable with one of those?
 
I have looked at the numark red waves, they have the removable cord and a decent price but being that they are "DJ" headphones I don't know if they will go well with what I plan to use them for.
 
Any reccomendations are welcome

Shure srh 840 is a good option. fairly balanced. Good bass. (some claim it to have a mid bass hump). Nice sound stage, closed can considered. Cord is removable. I love em. they run around a buck and a half. But if you look around you might could find them used around 100. good luck.