[eucariote]

In your shoes I'd seriously consider passive noise cancellation- e.g. quality closed headphones that effectively block outside sound.  I purchased nearly 10 in my quest for good, isolating closed headphones and SRH840 were by far the best closed headphone under $400.  I haven't heard the SRH940 but people say those even improve on the SRH840.  For active noise canceling, the only ones I've heard good things about on this site (in terms of pure sound quality) are Sony MDR-NC500D.
 
 
Quote:

Can skip this paragraph if you want just blah blah stuff,
Hey guys, new here been looking at headphones for about 6 months now, bringing me by your forum many times. I just started college @ the ripe age of 27 did 5 years Navy then worked for a couple years at a factory but an inflamed injury from my time on active duty forced me out of a job and into therapy. I Had to have something to do with my time so set my mind on getting my bachelors degree. I have a 2 year old and a wife with a big mouth running around my house so need some sort of noise reduction while I'm studying. 
 
Blah blah filtered
A friend of mine is building us both amps pretty sure we are going to go with the Bijou concept. I'm going to build some custom enclosures for us (solid cabinet making experience). 
I need noise reduction or noise cancellation headphones that I can wear for long periods (5+ hours). I love gaming and music (mainly rock). I've almost decided on Pearl Drum Monitors (redone Beyerdynamic 770s) http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PDM250 but not entirely(suggestions that may be better) around 2-300 would be my budget. Amazon has them cheaper but that's the best description I could find. If there's a better option for amp schematics or thoughts on headphones some input would be great. 
 
 

 

 

[eucariote]

Denon AH-D2000/D5000 have all 3 features you describe. The mids are slightly lacking but otherwise they are great headphones.
Quote:

I'm trying to find a headphone (under $300) that has deep and punchy bass, clear treble (very clear if possible), and a good soundstage. Does anyone has a recommendation??? If there's no headphone like that under $300, it's okay to tell but please tell me the price.

 

 

[kalkain]

HI guys
 
I'm more or less decided on getting myself a pair of Denon D7000 because of the supposed amazing sound quality (especially bass) and it's awesome for closed earphones, which is important to prevent me from being thrown out of libraries. I was thinking, should i get a Fiio E11 to pair with my ipod touch 3G? I suppose a good portable amp would be a good buy. However i was wondering if i should get a dac or use an e7 instead. For desktop amps, i was thinking of waiting and getting a little dot mk v after some saving up.
 
Any advice?
Thanks!

 

[debug96]

OK. I have discarded the Grados. They're supraaural, and I don't like supraaurals. Tried the HD25-1 II PRO and they were too uncomfortable, I think the Grados will be as uncomfortable for me as the HD25-1 II PRO are.
 
So, SRH840, M50, or what?

 

[MorbidToaster]

The D7000 isn't really practical for library/on the go listening. They're very fragile, and have a long cable. They also leak quite a bit for a closed headphone (though nowhere near an open one).
 
Also...do not get a littlle dot for them. Bad synergy, and most of the little dots are OTL. tbh I would not suggest them with a tube amp at all. They shine with a decent solid state amp. 
 
Quote:

HI guys
 
I'm more or less decided on getting myself a pair of Denon D7000 because of the supposed amazing sound quality (especially bass) and it's awesome for closed earphones, which is important to prevent me from being thrown out of libraries. I was thinking, should i get a Fiio E11 to pair with my ipod touch 3G? I suppose a good portable amp would be a good buy. However i was wondering if i should get a dac or use an e7 instead. For desktop amps, i was thinking of waiting and getting a little dot mk v after some saving up.
 
Any advice?
Thanks!

 
 

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

OK. I have discarded the Grados. They're supraaural, and I don't like supraaurals. Tried the HD25-1 II PRO and they were too uncomfortable, I think the Grados will be as uncomfortable for me as the HD25-1 II PRO are.
 
So, SRH840, M50, or what?

Both are good headphones. If comfort is really important to you, most people find the M50's to be more comfortable since the SRH840's can be too heavy on the head for some people.
 

 

[SkinnyPuppy]

 
Quote:

OK. I have discarded the Grados. They're supraaural, and I don't like supraaurals. Tried the HD25-1 II PRO and they were too uncomfortable, I think the Grados will be as uncomfortable for me as the HD25-1 II PRO are.
 
So, SRH840, M50, or what?

Get circumaural pads for them.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Hello
 
I'm 'relatively' new to high-end headphones (had hd565s before) so my question is the following.
I'll be buying Sennheiser's HD800s and I've read really alot about them.
Pretty much everyone says they require a dedicated AMP. 
So my question is which kind of AMPs (if there are more kinds) should I be looking at and how much does a decent AMP cost, and what's the average cost of AMPs in general. Also which amp is most suggested for HD800s?

While I haven't heard the HD800, I've heard the 580/600/650 and they all pair incredibly well with a Bottlehead Crack.
 
That said, I honestly think the requiements for amping are generally overstated on these forums. A home receiver should have plenty of power to just about any headphone out there short of orthos.
 


Quote:

Can skip this paragraph if you want just blah blah stuff,
Hey guys, new here been looking at headphones for about 6 months now, bringing me by your forum many times. I just started college @ the ripe age of 27 did 5 years Navy then worked for a couple years at a factory but an inflamed injury from my time on active duty forced me out of a job and into therapy. I Had to have something to do with my time so set my mind on getting my bachelors degree. I have a 2 year old and a wife with a big mouth running around my house so need some sort of noise reduction while I'm studying. 
 
Blah blah filtered
A friend of mine is building us both amps pretty sure we are going to go with the Bijou concept. I'm going to build some custom enclosures for us (solid cabinet making experience). 
I need noise reduction or noise cancellation headphones that I can wear for long periods (5+ hours). I love gaming and music (mainly rock). I've almost decided on Pearl Drum Monitors (redone Beyerdynamic 770s) http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PDM250 but not entirely(suggestions that may be better) around 2-300 would be my budget. Amazon has them cheaper but that's the best description I could find. If there's a better option for amp schematics or thoughts on headphones some input would be great. 
 
 

High isolation and long-term comfort:
Beyer DT770 - very bass heavy
Senn HD380 - more balanced with a bass tilt
Denon D2000 - very comfy, isolation is lousy but can be improved dramatically with better pads and damping the cup
 
If you're handy with woodworking and of the DIY mindset, you could also consider making wooden enclosures for headphones for fun.
 


Quote:

 
Hey guys,
 
Just built my custom computer a week ago.
 
I salvaged an my  Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1(USB)  from my old computer.
 
Prior to this, i was using a cheap unbranded headphone. They are uncomfortable though but i didn't find any problems with the sound output.
 
Its time to upgrade since i broke the cheap unbranded headphone. I was looking around and found that the MDR-XB500 is well within my budget. Well to be honest, more than what I am willing to spend, but it won me with it being comfortable. I read quite a few reviews and every review emphasize on its comfort. This is quite rare when compared to other headphones of its price range. This is of course based on my own research so i could've missed something.
Anyways, this headphones would be worn throughout the day (Not everyday though, 2 - 3 times a week) while gaming and watching movies. Is this headphone adequate for this task or could i get better ones that are within the price range of the MDR-XB500?
 
P/s: I am residing in Malaysia and the MDR-XB500 costs an average of USD90. https://www.sonystyle.com.my/ProductListing/IndividualProductDetails.aspx?pmodel=MDR-XB500

If comfort's a main priority, then the best thing you can do is try them at a store yourself before buying.
 
That said, they are bassy and would be good for movies, but not so good for competitive FPS.
 

 
Quote:

Hey guys I'm considering an upgrade from my AD700. I was looking into the AKG K701/2. Do you guys think that would be a nice upgrade? Any other suggestions? I liked how the ad700 had a nice soundstage and a sparkle to it. I mainly game,skype calls, and music when I use my ad700's thanks.

Going from AD700 to K701 will give you more detail and punch, maybe a touch less soundstage and sparkle, but more of an aggressive edge and "zing" to the music. Also note that the K701 like to have more power behind them to sound their best.
 


Quote:

Please help a big head noob and aspiring audiophile! Here's the run-down of my situation:
 
Music type: classical (orchestral mostly, but also string chamber), pop, acoustic
Price: less than 250
Priority: 1. Comfort; 2. Sound
Back: Open or semi-open
Context: Office 
 
Now the caveat: I have a REALLY BIG HEAD. I just measured my head circumference at 25 in (size 8 hat apparently...but I don't wear hats b/c I can't find any that fit me). I also measured my head lengthwise (from middle of ear-to-ear over the top) and it's 16.5 in.
 
I currently own/use a K240M (600 Ω) that I purchased back around 2001 for a intro to music technology class in college. It's okay comfortable, but after an hour or so, it starts hurting my ears and I need to rest a while. Sound is obviously important, but most important is the comfort. As they say in photography, the best camera is the one that you have with you. Similarly, the best headphones are the ones that stay on your head. So while I want the best phones for classical, I also need one that will stay on my big head.
 
I've researched a bit on this forum already. K501 seems like the consensus choice for classical, but I have doubts about comfort for big head (and hard to find these days it seems). DT880 seems comfortable, but controversial for classical. HD600 seems also good for classical, but not sure about comfort either (I heard Senn are not good for big heads). So...please shed some light here with your recommendations of these or other headphones. Thank you.

The DT880 is good for classical and should accommodate a large head. The HD600 I found fit a bit more snuggly than the DT series, though personally I preferred the sound of the Senn. You could also perhaps consider the Phiaton PS500 or any of the winged Audio Technicas (like the AD900).
 


Quote:

I'm looking for a pair of closed headphones in the $100-$200 range.  After searching the Head-Fi forums for a bit, I've honed in on the Audio Technica M50s, Ultrasone HIFI-580, and Ultrasone HIFI-780 (I'm open to other recommendations as well).  I found several threads comparing the relative merits of these, but there are a number of conflicting opinions.  From what I've gathered, the Audio Technicas produce a flater, more natural sound while the Ultrasones are better suited to electronic and bass-heavy music.  
 
All three headphones are currently priced very similarly when purchased new at online retailers ($160 for the ATs, $171 for the 580s, and $158 for the 780s on Amazon w/free shipping).
 
My questions:
1).  Which of these headphones is best suited to general listening, not just for music but also occasional movie watching and gaming?  Music is certainly my top priority but I would prefer good general purpose headphones if possible.  I listen to a variety of musical genres including electronica (mostly downtempo and ambient but also some techno and D&B), rock, and classical so I don't want headphones that only excel with one music type.  
2)  If price weren't a factor, which of these three headphones would you most recommend?
3)  What are the differences between the 580s and 780s?  I've heard both that the 780s are superior and vice versa.  Thoughts?

For general listening and gaming I would pick the 780. Good balanced sound, strong mids, bass that doesn't bleed over and obscure direction sense for gaming.
 
M50: mildly strong bass and highs with good impact, slightly recessed mids
580: very bass strong
780: middle of the road
 
Quote:

Hey,
 
Typical Consumer here. I bought a pair of Shure750DJs 8 months ago, returned them 2 months ago due to a splitting of the plastic on the sides that allow for size adjustments. Foolishly returned to Future Shop and got the same pair (free of course) but they too just split. I don't know if it is my huge head, or that I just store them improperly (in he backpack). My biggest gripe with these was that they were way too small for my head. I really actually have an abnormally large head.
 
I'm going to return them again, and throw that money into a new, hopefully more comfortable pair and hoping for some advice.
 
Price Range: $100-175 (lower the better, but I could do higher if there is no good low priced options)
Type of music: Varied (rock, pop, rap etc.), no gaming though, just music
Desired characteristics:
- Headband size is big (for my big head)
- If possible non-plastic adjustments on the sides (I just seem to break them)
- Very sturdy and durable
- Very, very comfortable and over the head type (I use these at the library for 6+ hours a day) -> Picture me being hugged by a cloud around my ears
- Don't need to be noise cancelling, but good if the design facilitates blocking low levels of library noise
- In a library, so I don't want others to suffer through my music, so if they localize the sound somewhat great
- sound quality doesn't needed to be pristine necessarily (I would sacrifice that, blasphemy I know, for more comfortable. I'm not a DJ, just a student)
- Chord over 2m
 
I saw the AKG K172HDs and they looked like fun.
 
Note: I am from Canada eh

Sony V6/7506 - metal parts, long cord, good isolation and comfort, foldable/portable, good availability (though like all things, prices suck up here in Canada).
 


Quote:

 

What do you guys recommend me to get? 
 
 - I mainly listen to metal (In Flames, Sonata Arctica, Metallica, Symphony X... etc) and rock (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Deep Purple...), but I also listen to some rap. 
 - My primary concern is high sound quality, I don't care at all about portability. I also need a long straight cable if possible (3m), but I can always use extenders. 
 - I don't mind if they're closed or open. Bonus for closed, though. They must be circumaural.
 - I'll be playing FLAC through my computer (X-Fi Bravura + LT1028ACN8, looking forward to get a pair of AD797BRZ). No portable use.
 - I'm considering the possibility of getting an amplifier if it's completely necessary. But I think my Bravura already has one?
 - Budget: ~200€ / ~$300 USD
 
Headphones I'm looking at:
 
1) Audio-Technica M50s- 119€
2) Shure SRH840 - 140€
3) Grado SR225i - 199€
 
Thanks for reading,
​

 

The 840 is nice, but has a laid back sound that I don't think suits metal and rock. The M50 is better for that.
 
Grados are a default recommendation for rock, but are open. They are also terribly expensive outside of the US; consider an Alessandro instead.
 
Also consider a Sony ZX700/7510 (I think the latter is has a longer cord)
 


Quote:

I'm trying to find a headphone (under $300) that has deep and punchy bass, clear treble (very clear if possible), and a good soundstage. Does anyone has a recommendation??? If there's no headphone like that under $300, it's okay to tell but please tell me the price.

Beyerdynamic DT990 comes to mind.
 


Quote:

HI guys
 
I'm more or less decided on getting myself a pair of Denon D7000 because of the supposed amazing sound quality (especially bass) and it's awesome for closed earphones, which is important to prevent me from being thrown out of libraries. I was thinking, should i get a Fiio E11 to pair with my ipod touch 3G? I suppose a good portable amp would be a good buy. However i was wondering if i should get a dac or use an e7 instead. For desktop amps, i was thinking of waiting and getting a little dot mk v after some saving up.
 
Any advice?
Thanks!

While they are excellent cans, Denons are not that durable and leak terribly unless you can get better earpads and perhaps damp the cups. This makes them not so ideal for portable cans.
 

 

[butter30]

Hey, I've been doing a little bit of searching and was wondering how these headphones compared?
 
BTW I like listening to classical music especially Ludovico Einaudi , Some urban, pop (Just latest chart music on radio), indie/rock and I appreciate amazing vocals.
 
AKG k271 (£100)
Sony zx700 (£65)
 
LINDY premium HI-FI (£80)
Fischer audio FA-003 (£100+)
KRK Kns6400 (£85)
Sennhiser HD380 (£100)
Sennheiser HD 558 (£110)-  Are these headphones super comfy as they look like they are on pictures?
 
I wanna try to keep it below £100 but little overboard is OK, comfort and good build quality is important 
 
Many thanks
 
 

 

[Swoosh]

Hey guys, I'm new to the page and I'm pretty new with headphones.
 
I'm looking for something with some of the following
- Good sound quality
- Comfort
- Some bass
- (Preferably) Only one wire attaching it
- Noise cancelling
- Preferably a newer model
- 300 dollars or less
- Portable (And I dont want to look like an idiot!)
 
I listen to:
Rap/Hip Hop
Rock (Foo fighters, rise against)
Metal
 
Let me know if you need more information.

 

[eucariote]

Imo you could do a lot better than D7000 for your needs, and for less $.  In your shoes I'd get a good set of open headphones for home use (e.g. HD600, which I prefer to D7000) and a good set of iems for the road and library.  For an amp, get a used stereo for the full-sized headphones and play iems right out an ipod.  Armaegis is right, you can't really take D5000/D7000 out without an enormous box and you will still scratch their fragile wood.  And they leak sound badly.
 
Quote:

HI guys
 
I'm more or less decided on getting myself a pair of Denon D7000 because of the supposed amazing sound quality (especially bass) and it's awesome for closed earphones, which is important to prevent me from being thrown out of libraries. I was thinking, should i get a Fiio E11 to pair with my ipod touch 3G? I suppose a good portable amp would be a good buy. However i was wondering if i should get a dac or use an e7 instead. For desktop amps, i was thinking of waiting and getting a little dot mk v after some saving up.
 
Any advice?
Thanks!

 

 

[debug96]

Quote:

 
Get circumaural pads for them.
 

Where can I find them? Remember I'm from Spain. eBay? Modding?
 


Quote:

Both are good headphones. If comfort is really important to you, most people find the M50's to be more comfortable since the SRH840's can be too heavy on the head for some people.
 

Thanks for your recommendation miceblue :3
 


Quote:

 
The 840 is nice, but has a laid back sound that I don't think suits metal and rock. The M50 is better for that.
 
Grados are a default recommendation for rock, but are open. They are also terribly expensive outside of the US; consider an Alessandro instead.
 
Also consider a Sony ZX700/7510 (I think the latter is has a longer cord)

So, M50 is the way to go if I can't find anything better.
I'll try to find an Alessandro retailer or distributor in Spain. Thank you for that.
About the ZX700 and the MDR-7510, I asked a local retailer about them and they are extremely expensive here. The brochure the retailer (licensed SONY retailer) gave me has the ZX700 listed for 130€ ($175) and the MDR-7510 for 150€ (200$). And it's the only place I found here that sells those models. Googling them I can see that they're way cheaper in the US. So it's a rip-off here.
 
EDIT: Found the ZX700 for 75€ ($100) at an e-tailer. Worth it?
 
 
Thank you everyone. :3

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Hey, I've been doing a little bit of searching and was wondering how these headphones compared?
 
BTW I like listening to classical music especially Ludovico Einaudi , Some urban, pop (Just latest chart music on radio), indie/rock and I appreciate amazing vocals.
 
AKG k271 (£100)
Sony zx700 (£65)
 
LINDY premium HI-FI (£80)
Fischer audio FA-003 (£100+)
KRK Kns6400 (£85)
Sennhiser HD380 (£100)
Sennheiser HD 558 (£110)-  Are these headphones super comfy as they look like they are on pictures?
 
I wanna try to keep it below £100 but little overboard is OK, comfort and good build quality is important 
 
Many thanks
 
 

I would lean towards the HD558 simply because I feel open headphones do a much better job with classical music. Einaudi's recordings tend to have a fair bit of acoustic reverb in them as well, so closed headphones only add on to that which can become a bit much.
 


Quote:

Hey guys, I'm new to the page and I'm pretty new with headphones.
 
I'm looking for something with some of the following
- Good sound quality
- Comfort
- Some bass
- (Preferably) Only one wire attaching it
- Noise cancelling
- Preferably a newer model
- 300 dollars or less
- Portable (And I dont want to look like an idiot!)
 
I listen to:
Rap/Hip Hop
Rock (Foo fighters, rise against)
Metal
 
Let me know if you need more information.

 
By noise cancelling do you mean with passive isolation or with a battery powered noise cancelling circuit. The latter is obviously more expensive...

 
 

 

[Swoosh]

Quote:

I would lean towards the HD558 simply because I feel open headphones do a much better job with classical music. Einaudi's recordings tend to have a fair bit of acoustic reverb in them as well, so closed headphones only add on to that which can become a bit much.
 
 
By noise cancelling do you mean with passive isolation or with a battery powered noise cancelling circuit. The latter is obviously more expensive... 
 

Whatever falls into the price range with as many of the things I listed. I also dont want to have to turn it up insanely loud to compete with the room.
 
Im pretty noobish with this kind of stuff, but I know I want to keep my hearing

 

 

[organix]

Hey all,
 
So my b-day is coming up soon and I've decided that it's time to upgrade my headphones since I basically live in them during my free time. My previous cans were a set of MDR-V6 (right ear gave out after 2 years of gentle use) and currently are a pair AKG K271 which I find is nice for rock but not so much the other genres I listen to which is predominantly electronic, idm, indie rock, and instrumental hip-hop. I love drums and idm/electronic music that incorporates lots of intricately placed sounds filling the soundstage so something that will translate this would be awesome. I'll eventually be getting either a cmoybb, a nuforce icon mobile or udac-2 to go along with my new set but for now it'll be plugged straight into an old audigy 2 sound card. 
 
What I'm looking for:

1. ~$200-250, maybe 300 if it's a significant leap but would prefer less
2. closed circumaural with decent isolation and low leakage
3. portability not necessary but always a plus
4. comfortable enough for long (3+ hour) sessions with stock pads
5. translates drums and sub bass well but doesn't skimp on mids and highs for rock
6. nice soundstage for idm music and maybe a bit of gaming
7. open to entry-level amp or dac suggestions as well

 
I know if I didn't ask for some opinions I'd be researching well into the next year. Thanks for taking the time to read through this and helping me on my quest!