genzeleam
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2009
- Posts
- 39
- Likes
- 12
I've done some (overly) extensive research and still can't find an adequate answer. I'm looking for a fun, forgiving type headphone for everyday use. I've already used and sold the M50s in the past. The mids were annoyingly recessed and the bass had some body but was relatively tame and boring (I imagine this is because of a lack of impact). I tried the HD25 aluminums a while back and thought they were a little harsh and small-sounding. I don't remember exactly turned me off to them but they weren't appealing and I was happy to stop listening to them. I've tried a few other headphones over the years but ended up returning them.
I was looking into the Sennheiser HD8 DJs but concluded that the comfort issue and super-bassy sound signature would be too much. Someone made the comment that kick drums in black metal became overbearing because of the thick bass and that he couldn't get over it, though he liked the sound for other things, and ended up getting rid of them. I listen to all sorts of music ranging from the entire umbrella of rock music, electronic/ambient/downtempo, acoustic music, jazz, and on and on.
I'll add, too, what might be a unique caveat. One thing I particularly loathe when listening to music is hearing little background noises in the recording like chairs creaking, finger movement on acoustic guitars, page turning, and other generally unimportant sounds. I was originally looking at the HD650s or HD600s but, from what I've read, those two will reveal all the extraneous stuff I have no desire to hear. I don't mind if these sounds are present (especially in quiet/intimate or live recordings) but I cannot stand when they're so prominent that they draw attention away from the music--even in the slightest. I want to hear the music; not the musician's surroundings!
So, to sum it up: fun, forgiving headphones with some kick to them; an all-arounder as opposed to a genre specialist. Something that won't be distracting and revealing when I decide to listen to something on YouTube instead of my high bit-rate library. My price range is $100-300. Bonus points for dac/amp pairing which I'm also in the market for but am treating as a separate investment. I'm leaning toward the ever-present O2/ODAC as I've heard a lot of good things.
Thanks in advance
I was looking into the Sennheiser HD8 DJs but concluded that the comfort issue and super-bassy sound signature would be too much. Someone made the comment that kick drums in black metal became overbearing because of the thick bass and that he couldn't get over it, though he liked the sound for other things, and ended up getting rid of them. I listen to all sorts of music ranging from the entire umbrella of rock music, electronic/ambient/downtempo, acoustic music, jazz, and on and on.
I'll add, too, what might be a unique caveat. One thing I particularly loathe when listening to music is hearing little background noises in the recording like chairs creaking, finger movement on acoustic guitars, page turning, and other generally unimportant sounds. I was originally looking at the HD650s or HD600s but, from what I've read, those two will reveal all the extraneous stuff I have no desire to hear. I don't mind if these sounds are present (especially in quiet/intimate or live recordings) but I cannot stand when they're so prominent that they draw attention away from the music--even in the slightest. I want to hear the music; not the musician's surroundings!
So, to sum it up: fun, forgiving headphones with some kick to them; an all-arounder as opposed to a genre specialist. Something that won't be distracting and revealing when I decide to listen to something on YouTube instead of my high bit-rate library. My price range is $100-300. Bonus points for dac/amp pairing which I'm also in the market for but am treating as a separate investment. I'm leaning toward the ever-present O2/ODAC as I've heard a lot of good things.
Thanks in advance
