[ntrain96]

Grabbing another pair of Sony XB headphones(Either xb700's or the xb1000's), hoping for some advice here:
 
. I already have a pair of Sony MDR XB500's. I do consider myself an audiophile(My main 2 channel home system features Kef XQ10's with a pair of 15" Rythmik subwoofers powered by a pair of monoblocks and either my ipod or Wadia or Adcom cd transports for source), but I love my bass and feel that the foundation for good sound starts with the low end. For the $45 bucks I paid for my xb500's I find they were a great bang for the buck. When using my ipod touch I find they sound best and most natural with the "bass reducer" setting in the EQ. At this setting the bass and frequency response seems smoothest and most natural. I mainly listen to rock(Ranging from older Van Halen, Twisted sister, to newer bands like Rammstein, Limp Bizkit, Tool, RATM etc)and a bit of RAP(Dre, Dogg etc), and even some other alternatives like Phish, 311, Blues Traveler, String Cheese incident etc. on occasion.
 
   So, would a pair of XB700's for $90 bucks be the way to go, or spend $250ish for a pair of XB1000's? I also like smooth and neutral midrange and treble. My ears are very sensitive to harsh sounding high frequencies.
 
  Also, some have commented that the XB500's are the easiest to power, but the sensitivity rating on the 700's and 1000's is a few db greater/higher(106db at 1khz vs 104 of the 500's), so I would think either of these headphones would be easier to drive than the 500's and need nearly half the amount of power to get the same output) I have now?
 
  Anyway, some suggestions and recommendations would be welcome, like to order up a set today to have by Xmas.

 

[B-Dawk20]

Just curious, anyone here into final fantasy osts? Got any suggestions on headphones that go well with them? Like FFVII-X to be specific. Im kinda wondering how they sound on things in the 200-400 range. Things like denons, hd600/650, beyers.

 

[rabidgamer]

So are the Ultrasone HFi780's a good set of headphones? Had a read and the opinion of them does seem really encouraging... might have to give them a go.
 
The only other closed headphones I have are the Creative Aurvana Live's, would the Hifi780s be a huge step up for listening to music? Before I used the AD700s and loved the clarity/space to the sound, but not enough bass... atm I'm using the CALs as I just find the PC360 too boring for music.

 

[bobertoq]

How is the detail and soundstage on AKG K271 and how does it compare to other headphones in the price range, in particular the ATH AD700?
 
By the way, my budget is $150 and my main concerns are detail, soundstage and flatness (ie. not too much highs or lows). And I love midrange. 

 

[Throsh]

So this is my orignal post
-Hi guys, first post here.
I'll admit upfront, I know nothing about headphones. I'm looking for a pair of headphones (up to £140/£150 ish) for listening to music on my stereo, I'll also use them with my laptop but their main use will be with my stereo. I listen to a lot of different types of music, my favourite genre is metal - thrash, death and heavy metal are my favourites. They obviously need to sound great when listening to metal. My favourite non metal and rock artists/bands are The Smiths/Morrissey, The Beatles and LIGHTS, so obviously they'll have to sound good with other genres as well. 
I've just been looking at the Sennheiser 558's on amazon, they have great reviews, are these any good?
Thanks for the help upfront.
 
I've been looking at reviews and forum posts and from what I've seen the Sennhesier hd558's and Grado SR60i's are great for metal. I seem to be leaning more towards the Grado's at the moment, would you recommend them? 
 
Also should I get a headphone amp? I'm not an audiophile yet but I want the best quality I can afford really. I saw the Fiio E7 was recommended, is there anything cheaper than this or would this be a good purchase? cheers.
 
EDIT- What about Grado SR80i? are these that much better than the sr60i?

 

[rpajarr]

 
Quote:

Hey guys, I'm new to Head-fi, and I'm hoping I'm doing this right, and I need some guidance/advice.
 
 
I'm looking for a pair of headphones, just a pair that I can enjoy, and my budget is around $200 tops. I listen to a lot of different music genres, but mostly hip hop, so I like my bass prevalent, but I also listen to classical and soundtracks and jazz and some rock, and I just want to enjoy them all. I have owned a pair of dre beats solo HDs, which I heard were frowned upon by real audiophiles. They were cool in the beginning, but now they kind of hurt my ears whenever I have them on, and my leather headband fell off as well, and I'm beginning to just not be satisfied with them. I have owned a zune hd, but I'm probably going to switch to an ipod classic, due to my zune being damaged, and only works out of the right headphone (for any headphone). I've been trying to make my decision, and have been looking at reviews and affordable pairs for a couple of days now. I love music, been playing the horn for seven years now, and I want to enjoy it when I'm listening to it. I looked into Grado sr60i's and I've heard things about them that are good, but also bad, like sharp highs. I really don't have much experience with any headphones because I am just now beginning to crave a better experience, and my past involves sets like skullcandy, and cheap wal mart buds. I have also seen that senn hd 280s are great, and the koss portapros. I really am at a loss, and I just want a good pair that I will enjoy, and are durable. Like I mentioned, I like my bass prevalent, but I'm looking for the most natural, and overall pleasant sound I can get with a $200 dollar budget. I know it's not much , but I want the best I can get, and I would appreciate the help and advice from what I believe to be very seasoned audiophiles. Thanks for reading, and I hope I can make the right decision.
~Kevin

I say save your money and see what $79 can give you with the SR-60i. There are many well documented mods on these forums to make your grados fit your preferences SQ wise. For your causes, the most obvious one will be the hole punch mod to increase the bass (which does not actually require you to open up the cups if you have a needle to poke through the grill -- carefully!). I've been playing clarinet for 8 1/2 years (BGs unite?!). I've had my SR60i's for about five months and am enjoying every minute. Good luck. 
 
Shameless plug: here's my thread with what I feel about the Grado's and classical. 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/580081/grado-sr-60i-classical-music-and-me-rant-review
 

 

[Elevown]

Didn't see this thread till now so i'll post my question here now -
 
Hi all this is my first post here

 
 
I have an old pair of 565's that are on their last legs and I want to replace them / upgrade to a better set if possible.
I am no audiophile, my knowledge is fairly limited, so can someone who has had the 565's or knows about them suggest which more modern Sennheizers sound closest to the 565s?

I dont even have a headphone amp- tho I guess I could spend a few hundred in the future on one if i had to- but I'd rather a pair that will sound great just plugging straight into my seperate CD player like my 565's.

I heard the 595 might be nearest match and that the 598s sound brighter? Or maybe the 650's / 600s? But tho my CD player does fine for the 150? impedence 565's,  would it manage to do very well with the 600 or 650s without an amp?

I've heard some grado and akg that i thought were very harsh, so I guess i like the warmer type of headphone with some bass? Thats why i want something similar by the same company since I cant go test them personaly and know i love the sound of the 565s.
 
I listen to most music types except most chart stuff or rap - so some rock, some metal, some acustic, electric, quite alot of classical..

On another note.. its probably hard to find 595s, 600, 650's now new at good prices i guess?

 

[mrsenor]

Thank you for all the help! One last thing and I'll be outta your hair. I've read a lot about the RH940s and was a bit intrigued by them, as I want an upgrade on the ES7s I used to have and something that will be more comfortable than them (big head, big ears). Would that be "too much"for me/would that fit my needs? Would they be worth the cash?
Quote:

The V-Moda M80 is a good choice that shouldn't require amping, but those are rather bassy headphones. They have incredibly build quality, good isolation, are portable, and have pretty high sound quality for the price.
If you're willing to budge on the over ear part, the Beyerdynamic DT1350 for ~$300 is a very good portable headphone. It was slightly overdamped bass that extends deep, but is a little thin in body, but it is overall a solid all-around headphone with a lot of isolation. Tyll at InnerFidelity has a positive review on it out.
The Sennheiser HD25-II has been a classic portable headphone for years at under $200. Solid articulation, punchy bass, high isolation, pretty comfortable, and a great on-the-go headphone.
 
 
Those are the first three to come to mind for me.
 
 
 


 

 

 

[rokr32]

I was in doubt between the ADH2000 and the T70p, but ended buying the Ultrasone Pro 750. I went this way because I read great reviews about its bass (what i most wanted), it doesn't need an amp to sound good (which most people who had the pro 900 recommended) and got a 55% discount... 
 
arrives tuesday!

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

The Shures should be be more clear as they are known for beautifully detailed. Downside is that people don't always like the headband and find it uncomfortable. If you go to the Head-Fi review page, there's a picture of someone with the 940s around their neck for an idea of the size when using it portably. It's a very good choice if you consider it portable enough for you -- it's difficult for headphones designed to be portable to compete with full-sized in similar price brackets. 
 

 
Quote:

Thank you for all the help! One last thing and I'll be outta your hair. I've read a lot about the RH940s and was a bit intrigued by them, as I want an upgrade on the ES7s I used to have and something that will be more comfortable than them (big head, big ears). Would that be "too much"for me/would that fit my needs? Would they be worth the cash?


 

 

 

[mrsenor]

That makes sense. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for everything.
 
Quote:

The Shures should be be more clear as they are known for beautifully detailed. Downside is that people don't always like the headband and find it uncomfortable. If you go to the Head-Fi review page, there's a picture of someone with the 940s around their neck for an idea of the size when using it portably. It's a very good choice if you consider it portable enough for you -- it's difficult for headphones designed to be portable to compete with full-sized in similar price brackets. 
 

 


 

 

 

[biggerliz]

Hi all!
 
 
i'm looking for...
 
closed
Circumaural
portable
AMP/DAC not required
i listen mostly to pop/hip hop/rock
 
looks aren't too important, but more like Beats, and less like classical headphones
price range anywhere from 100-200
 
i was told to look at the Audio Technica m50, but would like other options as well.
 
thanks!

 

[12345142]

The Phiaton MS400s might suit you well.

 

[Husa]

After getting sick and tired of my lousy skullcandys, I made my girlfriend buy me a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro 80 ohm (sounds bad I know, but I got her a pair of Rolands RH-5 and something extra.. ) and now I'll have to suffer without any headphones till christmas.

The real question is this. Will my Asus Xonar DG drive these good enough or should I start building a DIY amp? I can't spend any extra money right now, so I won't be able to buy anything better before summer.
 
And as you probably noticed I'm new here, so I'd like to say hi! The aforementioned skullcandys broke, so I figured I need something better. I previously owned a pair of Philips HP840 which always sounded a bit muddy, but atleast had some bass and were comfy unlike the skulls. I chose the Beyers after a day of searching and listening to random headphones around my hometown's shops, sennheisers/AKGs etc. Budget was roughly 150€. My other audio consists of a poor JVC receiver + Wharfedale 9.2 speakers.
 
I wrote all this random babble to let you know something about my history and likes.. And I'm bored.

 

[Elppans]

Hey thanks, I was leaning towards snagging those anyway, and haha yeah definitely BGs unite appreciate the feedback, and I'll update you guys on how I like them. I'm probably going to get them around christmas time