[Breaker]

Due to the discount I have at bestbuy, I've accounted for a higher price range if bought from there. I'm currently looking at the Sennheiser Momentums, AKG K550, Audio technica ATH-ESW9A, and Monster Inspirations unless something else is suggested. I considered stretching the price range for the Denon D600 but the opinions on here are quite spotty and don't seem worth the price. I currently have the ANC Inspirations as I won them, however, I'm considering selling them and purchasing other headphones. 

I'm a bit of a basshead but I like clean bass and I don't want it drowning out the mids and highs.

I listen mostly to r&b and hip hop. I sometimes listen to techno and some acoustic tracks. I will also use the headphones for a decent amount of computer gaming.
 
They can be portable or more of home-use only, that isn't an issue for me as long as they're over ear headphones. I'm not a fan of on ear.

I've been using the VModa LP Crossfades for a little over a year but I'm looking for an upgrade, something a little more cleaner sounding that still produces good bass.

So basically looking for some insight on which route I should take.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Hello!
 
AKG K550 lacks bass for some people. I am not sure about you but I find the bass are good. Do note that I am no basshead. Sennheiser Momentum are more like on-ear instead of over-ear as it has small earcups but it has quite lot of bass thought.
 
Sennheiser Momentum are good for your needs if you have M-size ears. 
 
Billson 

 

[Magicman74]

Wow that's a tough call really.  Most cans in that price range aren't really tuned for " Basshead" (Most)..
Do you have to buy in store or online?   Count the K550 out, the are neutral sounding to my ears. (Big soundstage tho- For your gaming)...  Then you got your Senns, my BB has the 558 & 598 in store..  Both won't fill your "Basshead" want's.
 
Out of your list, the D600 might fit the bill?  They get a bad rap because of the compare to the older Denons, but they really don't sound bad.  My friend has them and I borrowed them for a few days. And they are really good.  Maybe if they were $100 cheaper people might feel they " Fit in" better.
 
If you buy online, you can get the Beyerdynamic DT770/250 pro for $200...  I've never owned them but it seems like from all the reviews this might be what you are after?  You'll need a small little amp to get them up and running proper, But if they are like the 770/80's you should be pleased with the Bass level and the soundstage for gaming.

 

[loki993]

Quote:

Wow that's a tough call really.  Most cans in that price range aren't really tuned for " Basshead" (Most)..
Do you have to buy in store or online?   Count the K550 out, the are neutral sounding to my ears. (Big soundstage tho- For your gaming)...  Then you got your Senns, my BB has the 558 & 598 in store..  Both won't fill your "Basshead" want's.
 
Out of your list, the D600 might fit the bill?  They get a bad rap because of the compare to the older Denons, but they really don't sound bad.  My friend has them and I borrowed them for a few days. And they are really good.  Maybe if they were $100 cheaper people might feel they " Fit in" better.
 
If you buy online, you can get the Beyerdynamic DT770/250 pro for $200...  I've never owned them but it seems like from all the reviews this might be what you are after?  You'll need a small little amp to get them up and running proper, But if they are like the 770/80's you should be pleased with the Bass level and the soundstage for gaming.

 
Why not just recommend the DT770 80s? They will have the bass hes is looking for. Mine do get a bit muddled in the mids though, but its not terrible. Keep in mind Ive also never amped mine so that could very well clean that issue up too.
 
As for Best Buy Im not really sure what theyre selection is like. The ones Ive seen havent had anything to get excited over. They must have more selection online. 

 

[RoMee]

The K550 and Momentum won't have enough bass for hip-hop, especially if you're coming from the crossfade.
Look into the UE 6000 @ bestbuy.

 

[Magicman74]

Quote:

 
Why not just recommend the DT770 80s? They will have the bass hes is looking for. Mine do get a bit muddled in the mids though, but its not terrible. Keep in mind Ive also never amped mine so that could very well clean that issue up too.
 
As for Best Buy Im not really sure what theyre selection is like. The ones Ive seen havent had anything to get excited over. They must have more selection online. 

because he gets a deal at BB and they only carry the 770/250
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/beyerdynamic+-+Over-the-Ear+Studio+Headphones/4990124.p;jsessionid=A7637BEB692A8C9A2999CD4E84FAA679.bbolsp-app02-77?id=1218595017842&skuId=4990124&st=beyerdynamic&cp=1&lp=1

 

[battousai]

As everyone's stated already, the K550 probably isn't for you.  I own it and it's very comfortable and has a wide soundstage, but I do find the sound to be a little on the thin side, but that could just be me.  It also doesn't have a huge amount of bass
 
After reading up on what I could use to replace them, it seems that the DT770 does have significantly more bass, but I decided to pass on it because it's mid recessed.

 

[rhythm is life]

I own the DT770 Pro 80 and its excellent soundstage (for a closed headphone) makes it a good choice for gaming. The bass quantity is above neutral for sure, though it's not so much above neutral as to drown out the mids and highs. These headphones respond very well to EQ, which is good, as there is a rather nasty treble peak near 9kHz that creates sibilance in vocals. Eliminate that and you have a very good-sounding closed headphone. The DT770 Pro 250 sounds like the 80 except for a slight decrease in bass quantity. It's still a few decibels above neutral, though.

 

[loki993]

Quote:

because he gets a deal at BB and they only carry the 770/250
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/beyerdynamic+-+Over-the-Ear+Studio+Headphones/4990124.p;jsessionid=A7637BEB692A8C9A2999CD4E84FAA679.bbolsp-app02-77?id=1218595017842&skuId=4990124&st=beyerdynamic&cp=1&lp=1

Ahh now it makes sense. I was unaware that Best Buy carried any Beyers at all. Cool. 

 

[Breaker]

Yea, the more I talk to you guys and research about headphones, the more I'm realizing how difficult of a price range I'm in for meeting my criteria. If I was to ease up a bit on my bass needs, which would you suggest? Something where the bass is punchy and clean, but not necessarily brain rattling.

I do have a good sound system so I normally get my dose of bass from that. The headphones are going to be used a majority of the time at night, so I could let up a bit on the bass needs.

 

[Breaker]

Actually, being that I can use the V-MODAs as my portables, what if I opened up my criteria to open/on ear headphones and used these as my home headphones? Any better options?

 

[loki993]

I don't know as much as a lot of the people here but I think you can get what you want in your price range. I think the DT770 250s should be good. Ive never heard them but I do have the DT770 80s. The 80 are the basshead phone and have a lot of bass. The 250s are the cleaner versions with some less bass but I think its should still be enough. Also the bass was a bit bloaty on my 80, I just put an amp on them and it cleaned that right up. With that said Ive used then for years with no amp and have been perfectly satisfied with them. 

 

[Breaker]

Can anyone give me a direct comparison of the sound profiles of the sennheiser momentums and the amperiors? I have borrowed the momentums to test them out for a bit so if you can relate the amperior's sound in comparison to these, that would be great.

Definitely considering the beyerdynamic but I'm trying to get a taste of various headphones before I order them. I wish there was a place I could demo the beyers.

Edit: Comparing the Crossfades to the Momentums, I see exactly what you're saying with the bass. It does leave more to be desired. The Crossfades feel extremely punchy and deliver a much better low end.

The Momentums low end is present but my ideal headphones would be a bit more forward and punchy. Not necessarily as forward and punchy as the Crossfades, but a nice middle ground. I must say that the Momentums sound extremely clean. The clarity of mids and detail of the highs are amazing. As far as the earcups, my ears actually fit comfortably inside so they are more of an over ear for me. I guess I have small ears haha.

 

[Breaker]

Also, how would you describe the highs, mids, and bass of the momentums in comparison to DT770 Pro 80/250 and the audio technica ath a900x?
 

 

[rhythm is life]

innerfidelity.com reviewed both the Amperior and the Momentum if you want a detailed description of both. The Amperior's sub-bass is rolled off and its mid-bass is slightly emphasized relative to the midrange. As for the treble, the Amperior has a sharp treble peak at 9kHz like the DT 770, while the rest of the treble range is de-emphasized relative to the midrange, creating a dark yet sibilant sound. The Momentum has a much smoother sound overall. The bass response is even throughout the bass range, though it could stand to be a few dB louder. The transition from midrange to treble is smooth and there are no sharp peaks or dips in the response, save for a very narrow dip in the 4-5 kHz range. According to headphone.com, dips in the upper-mid/lower-treble range can actually be a good thing, as our ears are particularly sensitive in this range. The treble response is subdued, lending a laid-back and nonfatiguing character to the sound. The DT 770-80 is peakier than the Momentum in the bass and treble, while the 250 ohm DT 770's bass response is less emphasized than the 80, though it's still more pronounced than what the Momentum has to offer. I'm not sure about the Audio-Technica A900X. The old A900 was bass-light, but the new "X" edition is supposed to address this.