[thighmaster69]

I currently have a pair of Sennheiser Amperiors (varient of the HD25) They are fantastic for rock, hip-hop, and pop, and when I'm riding on the bus. However, they are lacking as a home pair.

I'm looking for a headphone that is similar in SQ, but that do not touch my ears and have better separation and soundstage, and maybe a little less mid-bass, as the Amperiors sound a touch muddy to my ears. Otherwise, I am very happy with them and would be open to headphones that have a similar sound signature.

I mostly listen to Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, and R&B (mostly modern music) and so these genres are an important consideration. However, I'm not looking for boomy bass - it seems that whenever anyone mentions hip-hop, a bass cannon headphone like the Sony XBs or V-modas are recommended, which frustrates me - that is not what I am looking for. I need bass that is present, but not overwhelming, and prefer midrange that is preferably not recessed, being where most vocals and guitar are.

Looking to build an O2 this summer as a project, and right now I have a Fiio E17k.

I live in Canada right now, and don't have the opportunity to try a lot of headphones. I'm open to ordering online and trying headphones out and returning them, but I need to get an idea for what to look for first. The only headphones I've tried personally are the HE400i which were fantastic but the soundstage was a little narrow and way out of my price range (something like $600 CAD, I'm looking closer to $350 CAD)

My research has gotten me nowhere. Every headphone I think of purchasing, I see comments saying they aren't great for rock or hip-hop or (insert music genre here).

The headphones I had been looking at include:
Beyerdynamic DT880 - heard they were too trebley for hip-hop (also 600 ohms is way too high!)
HD600 - heard the bass sucks for hip-hop
AKG K7XX - risky because I cannot try them without returning, also I heard the K7 series were very lacking in bass (and it seems so)
Audiotechnica R70x - heard it was similar to the HD600
Philips Fidelio X2 - Scared off by the QC rumours

I am really at wit's end here. I honestly feel like just grabbing ATH M50s because at least I know what they sound like and it won't even matter if they're not the best because I didn't pay much for them anyway, although I'd prefer more midrange.

Any new suggestions, or help narrowing this list down?

 

[serman005]

So, if you found the 400i stage constrained, you are really going to find that for the HD600/650 things are tight. I think you can cross those off your list. The K7xx stage is far superior, but there is the bass issue you outlined. You have got issues with the X2 QC. Which leaves the DT880 and the R70X. Personally, of the two I would prefer the DT880, which is quite flat, largely, though with a tad bit of peakiness in the treble, IMO. Personally, I find the R70X to be a wee bit boring or polite to my ears. FWIW. All of which is to say that for me, of those you list, I would likely go with the DT880. There is another to consider, not sure if you did, but it is the DT990. It's also possible it could work for you. Lots to think about.

 

[thighmaster69]

So, if you found the 400i stage constrained, you are really going to find that for the HD600/650 things are tight. I think you can cross those off your list. The K7xx stage is far superior, but there is the bass issue you outlined. You have got issues with the X2 QC. Which leaves the DT880 and the R70X. Personally, of the two I would prefer the DT880, which is quite flat, largely, though with a tad bit of peakiness in the treble, IMO. Personally, I find the R70X to be a wee bit boring or polite to my ears. FWIW. All of which is to say that for me, of those you list, I would likely go with the DT880. There is another to consider, not sure if you did, but it is the DT990. It's also possible it could work for you. Lots to think about.

LOL I'm not really considering the DT 990. If there's a single thing I hate in sounds it's a V-shape sound. Midrange is where the music is at!

To be honest, soundstage doesn't matter a great deal to me, pretty much any around ear will be better than my on ears at the this point.

The DT 880 sounds like a great option, I'm just a little concerned about the 600 ohm amping situation and the alleged treble spike. I was also a little turned off by how I heard that it's not a very warm headphone that doesn't pair very well with solid state amps, in particular the O2.

Disregarding the HD600's soundstage, would they be fine for hip/hop and rock other wise?

Also, any possible recommendations for a cheaper circumaural options? I tried out an ATH-M50 today and wasn't very impressed by the midrange, but they seem okay otherwise. Again, my main reason for looking for new cans is to combat my sweaty ears lol!

Thanks for the help!

 

[serman005]

I hear you. Yes, the HD600 and HD650 , with which it is most often compared, are not typically thought of as hip/hop cans. That said, as you correctly identified, often people recommend bass-heavy headphones for hip/hop and the like and you do not share that view (necessarily). Many people listen to rock on the 600/650's and I (who own both) do so regularly. For you, if you were thinking of one of these, I think the HD650 would probably be better. It is more rolled off on top and more extended below, which I think might work better for you. It is also maybe a bit more detailed, IMO. As far as the DT880 goes, you could always get one of the lower impedance versions. You don't have to get the 600-ohm version, which could broaden amp options somewhat.

 

[god-bluff]

An alternative suggestion (please feel free to ignore!) :

If the Amperiors are remotely like the HD25-II maybe consider a Chord Mojo to drive them. There will zero 'muddiness' & great separation of instruments. A far more open and Airy sound. Very out of the head soundstaging. It was a revelation when I heard the combination. The HD25 has massive and often unlocked potential

 

[thighmaster69]

An alternative suggestion (please feel free to ignore!) :

If the Amperiors are remotely like the HD25-II maybe consider a Chord Mojo to drive them. There will zero 'muddiness' & great separation of instruments. A far more open and Airy sound. Very out of the head soundstaging. It was a revelation when I heard the combination. The HD25 has massive and often unlocked potential

Thanks, my main issue though is that my ears get hot with the Amperiors, so I'm really just looking at circumaurals at the moment. I think I might check that out if I get the chance

 

[Malfunkt]

I'm really familiar with both Amperior and HD25. The HD25 is the one you want. It is significantly different in that the mid-range is more present. I like both, but the 25 has a classic sound from an era in sennheisers history where sound was very - faithful.

The Amperiors are a bit more glossy and vshaped than the HD25. They are excellent and I only replaced them with my MDR7520s.

For hiphop the 7520s are where it's at. You get very detailed mid range and crunchy highs with a solid low end. I know my way around a drum machine and the 7520 get closest to the studio sound of an TR808 and TR909.

Denon AH-D2000 is also excellent for hip hop and perhaps the newer TH-x00 even more so. The D2000 is a bit vshaped but the clarity makes up for it.

Honestly, HD650 can be great for hip hop as well. It will just bring out other elements of the production, but isn't as hard hitting on the low end or as extended.

If you want to replace your Amperior with a can that is very versatile the 7520 is it. I like the m50x but compared to the 7520 it sounds muddy.

 

[Malfunkt]

Was going to add, don't know where you are in Canada, but if you are in Edmonton I'd be glad to let you try out the range of closed backs and open headphones I have.

Just a note - the 7520s bass is north or neutral, but doesn't bleed into the midrange like many bass cannons do. It's perfect for techno and hiphop . I owned an XB950BT before and it's nothing like that. Those are fun cans but the 7520 is another class of balance and really are professional.

 

[thighmaster69]

Was going to add, don't know where you are in Canada, but if you are in Edmonton I'd be glad to let you try out the range of closed backs and open headphones I have.

Just a note - the 7520s bass is north or neutral, but doesn't bleed into the midrange like many bass cannons do. It's perfect for techno and hiphop . I owned an XB950BT before and it's nothing like that. Those are fun cans but the 7520 is another class of balance and really are professional.

No haha I'm in Ottawa, thanks for the offer though.

With respect to the 7520s, do you know any place that sells them at a good price in Canada? I'm looking at Amazon.ca and they're almost as much as the HE400i O_O

Also, are they over ear or on ears? I'm looking for more of a headphone roughly equivalent to the Amperiors, but that won't make my ears hot and squished.

 

[thighmaster69]

I hear you. Yes, the HD600 and HD650 , with which it is most often compared, are not typically thought of as hip/hop cans. That said, as you correctly identified, often people recommend bass-heavy headphones for hip/hop and the like and you do not share that view (necessarily). Many people listen to rock on the 600/650's and I (who own both) do so regularly. For you, if you were thinking of one of these, I think the HD650 would probably be better. It is more rolled off on top and more extended below, which I think might work better for you. It is also maybe a bit more detailed, IMO. As far as the DT880 goes, you could always get one of the lower impedance versions. You don't have to get the 600-ohm version, which could broaden amp options somewhat.

As a reference point, how would you say headphones like the HD600 and DT880 compare to something like the HE400S/HE400i, which I demoed, or even the audiotechnicas? (M50x, never tried the R70s)

 

[thighmaster69]

UPDATE: So I tested out the Sennheiser HD598s, and while I do enjoy the warm, open, euphonic sound that makes vocal pop, R&B, classic rock, more laid-back hip-hop and synth pop sound feel more emotional, the bass is rather lacking in energy and depth. The bass isn't lacking in quantity; it's a touch light, but it unfortunately imparts a warm analog touch to electronic music like SOPHIE and smooths out the aggression of Rage Against the Machine. There just isn't enough extension or punch. Amping does tighten up the bass a bit compared to directly out of my laptop, but not significantly enough to change the headphone's sound entirely. Objectively speaking this is a good headphone but in this narrow respect it does not outperform my Koss PortaPros. If the HD600 is anything like the 598s, even if they have more bass, I doubt that it'll be optimal for about 60% of the music I listen to, so for me that narrows down the options.

From what I'm hearing and experiencing, I get the impression that what I am really looking for is a warmer, less-harsh DT 880 or a planar. Any of you have any suggestions in this regard? Or are the DT880s not as harsh as people make them out to be?