[Caustic Fox]

Greetings all. I'm in the market for an upgrade. My current JVC HA-RX700's (stock) have been a joy for the past 6 years. Other than the padding flaking off, they have been real troopers for me. I'm ready to possibly retire them.

• I listen to a wide range of music genres: rock, electronic, soundtracks, classical, funk.
  
• I use my headphones on my computer (Via front-panel I/O) most of the time. I have them running through a ASUS Xonar DX soundcard (If that makes any difference).
• I do some gaming using headphones, but mostly use regular speakers.
  
• I am kinda a basshead, but I also enjoy the clarity just as much.
• Due to the HA-RX700's being a semi-open design, I'm looking for something that has a nice soundstage.
• I do NOT want a set that has fatiguing treble. I've gotten quite used to non-exaggerated high's of the RX-700's over the years.
• I occasionally use a MP3 player (Cowon S9)... so lower impedance would rule in my favor. But I am open for some possible headphone amp suggestions if I were to choose one with higher impedance (>48 Ohms).

So far, I have considered the Beyerdynamics DT880s 32Ohm or 250Ohms... I am open for more suggestions. Other headphones that others have suggested were:

• V-Moda M-100
• Blue Microphone Lola
• Sennheiser HD558
• Sennheiser HD600
• Possibly... Sennheiser HD650

 

[Dulalala]

Just to clarify any misconceptions, impedance is not sensitivity. I've seen 300 ohm headphones that can be driven out of a smartphone and 50 ohm headphones that can't. Just because it has a high impedance doesn't mean your MP3 player won't be able to drive it.
What would be your budget for your new pair?

 

[Music Alchemist]

The RX700 is closed-back, not semi-open. (I used to have one.)

The DT 880 is a decent choice. I had the 600 ohm version. I heard the 250 ohm is noticeably better than the 32 ohm.

A used HD 650 or HD 6XX would probably be my recommendation, though. For that, you'd eventually want an amp, but may be able to get by without one.

What would be your budget for your new pair?

The thread title says $200.

 

[Dulalala]

The thread title says $200.

I really ought to look at the title more often...
My recommendation would be a used M-100 or DT880 would work well too.

A used HD 650 or HD 6XX would probably be my recommendation, though.

As much as I like the HD650, I don't think they would satisfy a basshead nor do I think they're good for electronic. They're much too laid back for that IMO but of course YMMV.

 

[Music Alchemist]

As much as I like the HD650, I don't think they would satisfy a basshead nor do I think they're good for electronic. They're much too laid back for that IMO but of course YMMV.

Still way better than the DT 880 for that IMO.

 

[trellus]

You might consider the Blue Lola headphones, which currently are on clearance at Best Buy for $136.99 (price won't show until you put it in cart).

I picked up a pair last week and can vouch for the fact that they do not have piercing highs. (I also have the JVC HA-RX700.)

 

[Caustic Fox]

Just to clarify any misconceptions, impedance is not sensitivity. I've seen 300 ohm headphones that can be driven out of a smartphone and 50 ohm headphones that can't. Just because it has a high impedance doesn't mean your MP3 player won't be able to drive it.
What would be your budget for your new pair?
As much as I like the HD650, I don't think they would satisfy a basshead nor do I think they're good for electronic. They're much too laid back for that IMO but of course YMMV.

I see. The reason of why I was asking for some amp suggestions was because I noticed the DT880 (250Ohm) has a tad bit less sensitivity over the RX700 does. 96 dB vs 102 dB (/1mw).

As long as the HD600/650's have similar bass to the rx700, that'll suffice for my tastes.

You might consider the Blue Lola headphones, which currently are on clearance at Best Buy for $136.99 (price won't show until you put it in cart).

I picked up a pair last week and can vouch for the fact that they do not have piercing highs. (I also have the JVC HA-RX700.)

Interesting.... never heard of the name. Could you describe what differences you heard over the Rx700?

 

[serman005]

I am concerned that you will be annoyed by the DT880 treble signature. It can be a tad bit peaky, for sure. I like the M100 for you.

 

[Caustic Fox]

I am concerned that you will be annoyed by the DT880 treble signature. It can be a tad bit peaky, for sure. I like the M100 for you.

Hmm... Ok, now my interest is kinda piqued about the Blue Lola and the V-Moda M-100. From glancing over the specs from both sets, I don't seem to see sensitivity listed anywhere for the Lola's. Does anyone know? What are they hiding?

 

[trellus]

Interesting.... never heard of the name. Could you describe what differences you heard over the Rx700?

I hadn't listened to them in a while since I got them back from loaning them to a friend who had lost his headphones, but I just briefly compared them right now to the Blue Lola and -- take this with a grain of salt since I've not had long listening sessions with the RX700 in a long time and the Lola's either (since I just got them), but playing a couple of songs from Spotify at High quality directly from my iPhone here are my first impressions based on two songs from AJR's "The Click" album, track 4 ("Sober Up", which begins with some wonderful strings) and track 6 ("Turning Out", which begins with a piano and vocal) :

• Very similar sound, actually, at first blush
• RX700's I was listening to at one click up from max on iPhone 6s Plus directly from headphone out, Blue Lola's I had to put at max to match volume (roughly and by ear, granted)
  • I tend to listen to music loud (in the middle of the day especially, less so at night) but volume was given here so you can get a sense of the relative volume needed to roughly match, since you expressed concerned about sensitivity, which is not documented anywhere I could find
• His vocals on both tracks, but particularly noticeable on track 6, "Turning Out", sounded more natural/full to me on Lola, perhaps a little more forward and less grainy than on RX700
• The piano at the beginning of "Turning Out" sounds more, er, "liquid" on the Lola's than on the RX700, sounds more natural
• Frequency response seems very similar except the Lola's seems to be have slightly more forward mid's

In short, I found the Lola's higher quality, more refined, but not by a lot, frankly and the JVC's were a little easier to drive on my iPhone than the Lola's. (Both are very easily driven by the first gen Schiit Fulla, USB-powered DAC/amp, as well as straight out of my MacBook Pro Retina 2012's headphone port.)

 

[Caustic Fox]

I hadn't listened to them in a while since I got them back from loaning them to a friend who had lost his headphones, but I just briefly compared them right now to the Blue Lola and -- take this with a grain of salt since I've not had long listening sessions with the RX700 in a long time and the Lola's either (since I just got them), but playing a couple of songs from Spotify at High quality directly from my iPhone here are my first impressions based on two songs from AJR's "The Click" album, track 4 ("Sober Up", which begins with some wonderful strings) and track 6 ("Turning Out", which begins with a piano and vocal) :

• Very similar sound, actually, at first blush
• RX700's I was listening to at one click up from max on iPhone 6s Plus directly from headphone out, Blue Lola's I had to put at max to match volume (roughly and by ear, granted)
  • I tend to listen to music loud (in the middle of the day especially, less so at night) but volume was given here so you can get a sense of the relative volume needed to roughly match, since you expressed concerned about sensitivity, which is not documented anywhere I could find
• His vocals on both tracks, but particularly noticeable on track 6, "Turning Out", sounded more natural/full to me on Lola, perhaps a little more forward and less grainy than on RX700
• The piano at the beginning of "Turning Out" sounds more, er, "liquid" on the Lola's than on the RX700, sounds more natural
• Frequency response seems very similar except the Lola's seems to be have slightly more forward mid's

In short, I found the Lola's higher quality, more refined, but not by a lot, frankly and the JVC's were a little easier to drive on my iPhone than the Lola's. (Both are very easily driven by the first gen Schiit Fulla, USB-powered DAC/amp, as well as straight out of my MacBook Pro Retina 2012's headphone port.)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Did you hear them long enough to tell a difference in the soundstage in between the two? I like what the Rx700 offered for its soundstage.

 

[trellus]

I see. The reason of why I was asking for some amp suggestions was because I noticed the DT880 (250Ohm) has a tad bit less sensitivity over the RX700 does. 96 dB vs 102 dB (/1mw).

As long as the HD600/650's have similar bass to the rx700, that'll suffice for my tastes.

The HD 650's do have similar bass to the RX700, but the HD 650 will definitely require amplification.

 

[serman005]

Hmm... Ok, now my interest is kinda piqued about the Blue Lola and the V-Moda M-100. From glancing over the specs from both sets, I don't seem to see sensitivity listed anywhere for the Lola's. Does anyone know? What are they hiding?

Blue doesn't release sensitivity numbers for the Lola, unfortunately.

 

[trellus]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Did you hear them long enough to tell a difference in the soundstage in between the two? I like what the Rx700 offered for its soundstage.

Listened right now to "Zimbabwe" by New Navy () (particularly starting around the two minute mark, where there is a musical interlude with percussion), and the RX700 soundstage seems to me wider than the Blue Lola.

The Sennheiser HD 558, however, had an even bigger soundstage and better imaging than the RX700 on that same song (just compared it to both the Lola and the RX700), that may be another one you might want to consider if soundstage is important to you.

 

[Caustic Fox]

Listened right now to "Zimbabwe" by New Navy () (particularly starting around the two minute mark, where there is a musical interlude with percussion), and the RX700 soundstage seems to me wider than the Blue Lola.

The Sennheiser HD 558, however, had an even bigger soundstage and better imaging than the RX700 on that same song (just compared it to both the Lola and the RX700), that may be another one you might want to consider if soundstage is important to you.

And they are now, lulz. The Senn 558's are currently on 'sale' @ $79.99 at Bestbuy. How do they compare to the Rx700?