[urbino]

Hi, all.  Seems like a fun, laid back but knowledgeable crew around here.  Bravo!
 
So, here's my story and I'm sticking to it.  My beloved AKG 240s finally died on me last year.  We were together 23 wonderful years.  I held a little ceremony for them in the back yard before committing their soul back to the audio universe.
 
Finding myself in need of new cans for the first time in 23 years, I was a bit daunted.  My first thought was to get another pair of 240s, but the MK II version didn't seem to be up to the old snuff, so I decided to venture out and try something completely different.  I got myself a pair of Grado SR125s.  Then a friend loaned me a pair of Klipsch IEMs.  I can't remember the model, but he said they cost him something like $250, new, a couple of years earlier.  
 
Here are the lessons I learned from those experiences:
 

1. My ears do not like 'phone foam parking itself on them.
2. My ears spit IEMs out faster than a toddler spits out brussels sprouts.
3. I don't care for the "house sound" of either of those brands. 

 
Rather than taking another stab in the dark, I thought I'd ask you guys what you might suggest.  Here are my criteria:
 

• Circumaural.
• Open or semi-open design. I overheat after about 5 minutes in a pair of sealed 'phones.
• The lighter the better. This is one of the things I loved about my AKGs. I could very quickly forget they were there.
• I favor fast, punchy, controlled bass over boom and whump; rhythm is important, rumble is not. (This shows up in my loudspeaker tastes, too.)
• The most important thing is the midrange, which should be very liquid and, well, *present*.  The new cans should shine on vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, reed instruments, etc.
• I like to hear the acoustics of the room, the sound of the instruments being played, etc.

 
My musical taste favors blues, jazz, Appalachiana, alt-country, and rock. There's no heavy metal, hip-hop, dubstep, etc., in my rotation.  I listen to both digital and vinyl.
 
My heart wants to go back home to AKG and get some Q701s or maybe K702s.  I know I like the AKG fit and feel.  But I don't want to cut myself off from other options.  I'm also looking at the Audio-Technica AD900s, Beyer DT-880s, and Sennheiser HD598s.  Those represent the price range I'm looking to stay in, though I don't mind straying a bit north of that if there's something great to be had.  If we start sailing past $400, though, I'm going to give you the skunk-eye.
 
What do you guys think?  
 
Also, I'll be getting a portable amp, so there's an opportunity for component matching, here.  Any thoughts along those lines also very, very much appreciated.  
 
Thanks, everybody!

 

[urbino]

Oops.  Now I see the  "Don't Start A New Thread" recommendations thread.  Missed that when I was scanning down the page.  Apologies.

 

[ZARIM]

I will recommend to try DT880, Grado SR325i, Sennheiser HD600 (highly recommended because crisp clear very detailed midrange, need good AMPs to power) are great midrange sounding cans with clear highs and punchy bass.

 

[olegausany]

I would add D5000/7000

 

[mayidunk]

I have the DT880/600 Ohm cans, and I love them!  Of course, I also have a receiver with a decent headphone amp built into it.  As long as the amp you use has enough voltage to feed them, they are wonderful! 
 
If you're looking at 250 Ohms, or lower impedance cans, then the Beyers offerings may not shine as much in the nuances.  However, that being said, while the DT880/600s at first may seem tilted a bit toward the high-end, it's my experience that they really don't have much of a signature.  They instead seem to faithfully reproduce what was originally recorded!  Good recordings sound good, excellent recordings sound excellent.  Bad recordings, well they're reproduced faithfully as well.  They won't reproduce sound that isn't in the original recording, but if it's there, you'll hear it!  The bass is amazing on these, and they definitely have a lot of impact... provided that impact is in the recording.  They're very neutral, but will kick butt when the recording calls for it!
 
If you buy them from Amazon.com you can return them if you decide not to  keep them.  They usually offer free shipping when you buy them, and if you return them they will provide you with a UPS label, so return shipping is free as well!
 
Good luck!

 

[bigalila]

I have the DT880 Pro's paired with the Fiio E17 and they are great.  I'm still a newb myself, but I believe these cones are top notch for the price.  I find that the E17 also provides plenty of power, and the bass impact is good.

 

[KG Jag]

Don't turn to the dark side of the Force.  Go with the Q 701.
 
If you have the budget (2 x the excellent Q 701), the Grado RS 2i meets all your sonic desires in spades.  The reference series have an entirely different sound signature than the Prestige Series you sampled at mid line.  It will make you rethink your aversion to on-the-ear cans.
 
Whileyour mileage may always vary, I found both of these cans to be extremely comfortable.

 

[mayidunk]

Dark side, indeed!  Anyway, it ain't religion, or politics... it's just tunes.  Go with what makes you happy! 

 

[mayidunk]

Deleted as what I had first seen being sold and fulfilled by Amazon.com had suddenly changed to the same item, but now being sold by a third-party vendor on Amazon.  I trust Amazon, but their Marketplace vendors can be tricky.  Therefore, I cannot in good conscience recommend them over Amazon.
 
Moderator, please feel free to delete this post.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Just now saw the DT880/60 Ohm cans on Amazon.com for under $246 shipped!  Here is the link:  http://tinyurl.com/c7aov2x
 
I am not affiliated...

 
I think you must mean 600 Ohm.

 

[mayidunk]

Quote:

 
I think you must mean 600 Ohm.

I did, but have since withdrawn the link.  See my earlier post...

 

[urbino]

Thanks for all the input!  Some thoughts in response:
 
ZARIM: I think I'm off Grados, for a while at least.  The HD600 has caught my eye, but it's outside what I'm willing to spend.
 
olegausany: From what I've read, it seems like those Denon models are rather boomy in the bass.  Is that not the case?
 
mayidunk & bigalila: Your experience squares with what I've read elsewhere about the various versions of the DT880, which is why I'm intrigued by them.  And thanks for the amp pairing suggestion, bigalila.  I'm really a complete newbie to headphone amps.
 
It's interesting you both describe the 880s as having more bass than I expected, though. Is it clean bass, or more like what we used to call "the Cerwin-Vega sound"?  I think I know the answer, based on the other characteristics of those cans, but I wanted to ask, anyway.
 
KG Jag: Heh. "These are not the cans you're looking for."  My heart is still with the Q701s.  Just trying to make sure my brain gets a say, too.
 
I might end up narrowing it down to 2 models, getting both and sending 1 back after trying them.

 

[mayidunk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbino /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
mayidunk & bigalila: Your experience squares with what I've read elsewhere about the various versions of the DT880, which is why I'm intrigued by them.  And thanks for the amp pairing suggestion, bigalila.  I'm really a complete newbie to headphone amps.
 
It's interesting you both describe the 880s as having more bass than I expected, though. Is it clean bass, or more like what we used to call "the Cerwin-Vega sound"?  I think I know the answer, based on the other characteristics of those cans, but I wanted to ask, anyway.

In my experience, the bass is not colored at all, nor is it artificially boomy or punchy.  Instead, it is a faithful rendition of what was originally recorded.  Listening to some some earlier 10,000 Maniacs (In My Tribe, Blind Man's Zoo) the bass is there, but doesn't warm the sound at all.  Listening to Our Time In Eden, the bass is more pronounced, a little warmer and punchier.  Listening to Steely Dan, it's punchy and solid, but never muddy, boomy, or overwhelming.  Listening to Bach Organ music, the low pitches from the pedals really go quite low, but are balanced, and seem at times to be more felt than heard.  However, they are never overpowering, and are always balanced if not slightly recessed at times.  Please note, I believe that these characteristics really have everything to do with how the instrument was recorded, than with how the recording is presented by these cans.  IMO, these cans really do faithfully reproduce the music as it was recorded.
 
IMO, when considering everything, sound quality, comfort, lightness, build quality, I really can't see how you could do much better south of $400 to $500!
 
Edit:
I got that one wrong...  Actually, there are several good headphones available between $300 and $500.  However, the DT880/600 Ohms can be had for right around $300, which to me is an excellent price point for what you're getting. 
 
Good luck!