[DavidMahler]

If you start with Ultrasone, I would see if you can spot a Proline 650.....this was a standard for some studio people for quite a while.  I actually know some engineers who use them still for mixing and what not.  And I recall Eddie Kramer (engineer / producer of Hendrix / Traffic etc) endorsing them.  I didn't love these headphones, but I thought they were actually better than the Proline 750, I owned both at one point.  Neither of them are made anymore, so used you may be able to find one in good condition and for cheap.
 
These are not on the level of the Sennheisers 580-600-650.
 
I'm of the belief that the HD600 is the single best value in upper-end audio.  It's not considered "high end" because it's been surpassed by later models by Sennheiser and other companies, but also it is a plastic model and has long been criticized for its lack-luster fake marble appearance.  If you just use your ears and take away any of these considerations it is still worthy of considering the HD600 high end, and I believe it were released today for the first time with a nicer exterior and packaging under a different brand's name it would become FotM and considered best headphone in the world by some.  I know some people who still consider it in the top 5, and I myself would not argue this.

 

[Sil3nce]

Why not just go with an iem.. sigh

 

[DavidMahler]

 
Quote:

Why not just go with an iem.. sigh

not everyone agrees with me on this...........
 
IEM's are a toy in comparison to a GREAT full size headphone.
 
I have never heard the JH13/16..........but I've owned the UE10 and I think they're incredibly good..............no matter how good an IEM is, it's still totally in the head, and still totally voids the outer ear's ability to create realistic imaging, soundstaging and air.
 
I have no doubts of the newer custom IEM's merits, but to me it's almost like comparing a very great piano sample in a keyboard tone bank to a great grand piano.  Even if Yamaha, Korg, Kurzweil and Roland can emulate the sound and tone of a piano, they can never match what happens in nature from the touch of a pianist's finger to the infinite possibilities of weight and gravity and spring / hammer / damper interaction.... It's not an exact comparison but think about how much of natural ear to sound formation and recognition is skipped over when using an IEM.

 

[Sil3nce]

Quote:

 

not everyone agrees with me on this...........
 
IEM's are a toy in comparison to a GREAT full size headphone.
 
I have never heard the JH13/16..........but I've owned the UE10 and I think they're incredibly good..............no matter how good an IEM is, it's still totally in the head, and still totally voids the outer ear's ability to create realistic imaging, soundstaging and air.
 
I have no doubts of the newer custom IEM's merits, but to me it's almost like comparing a very great piano sample in a keyboard tone bank to a great grand piano.  Even if Yamaha, Korg, Kurzweil and Roland can emulate the sound and tone of a piano, they can never match what happens in nature from the touch of a pianist's finger to the infinite possibilities of weight and gravity and spring / hammer / damper interaction.... It's not an exact comparison but think about how much of natural ear to sound formation and recognition is skipped over when using an IEM.

I disagree, I don't think a 13 year old can afford a GREAT full size headphone in your opinion. And your probably referring to electrostats if your going to compare them with jh-13 and other customs. Don't base every single IEM as having bad soundstage and air until you've heard all of them or at least a substantial amount. Additionally, it's all about preference and from what I've heard I prefer my Sennheiser ie8 and acs-custom tipped tf-10 to larger headphones such as the 650 or rs1

 

[MrSpenkelink]

^ Agreed. And I don't think that the OP can afford the HD600 either given his budget. I don't know why DavidMahler continues to ignore this salient point, and pushes that particular headphone when there are other good options available for less outlay.
 
I really don't think that the HD600 is an ideal choice for the OP and I refer him to my earlier posts in this thead and post 181 in particular that explain why.  

 

[DavidMahler]

Quote:

I disagree, I don't think a 13 year old can afford a GREAT full size headphone in your opinion. And your probably referring to electrostats if your going to compare them with jh-13 and other customs. Don't base every single IEM as having bad soundstage and air until you've heard all of them or at least a substantial amount. Additionally, it's all about preference and from what I've heard I prefer my Sennheiser ie8 and acs-custom tipped tf-10 to larger headphones such as the 650 or rs1

I have the ie8..... it doesn't compare to the 650.  I don't need to hear anymore IEMs to know that IEMs can't do certain things just by the nature that they are IEMs.....I've had over a dozen and I still have 6.  I think he can afford a used HD600, certainly an HD580.......You don't need anything more than a stereo out from even the most mediocre cd players or stereo receivers to power either of these.

 

[DavidMahler]

I have the ie8..... it doesn't compare to the 650.  I don't need to hear anymore IEMs to know that IEMs can't do certain things just by the nature that they are IEMs.....I've had over a dozen and I still have 6.  I think he can afford a used HD600, certainly an HD580.......You don't need anything more than a stereo out from even the most mediocre cd players or stereo receivers to power either of these.

Ps. Im writing this all on my iPhone so my messages are brief and probably come off in a submissive tone because I don't have the resources to type more

 

[tdockweiler]

Just buy a good desktop amp like the Schiit Asgard (or the Matrix M-stage) and a cheap pair of headphones like the AKG k240 Studio.
You'll be set for a very long time and then you can upgrade later on. Nobody seems to want to trust me that the k240 are really good

They see $99 and automatically want to pass! You can probably find any desktop amp used for $200 and under.
 
Unless you have a good stereo or receiver I wouldn't bother with the HD-600.Strangely my cheap $99 Sony stereo seems to power my HD-600 quite well. No I don't use that combination. It might be something to get you by if you absolutely must have the HD-600 without a real desktop amp.
 
I actually would suggest a cheap pair of headphones around $100-150 along with buying a portable amp over the HD-600 to start out with. This is assuming the desktop amp is past your budget and you don't have a good stereo or receiver that could power the HD-600.
 
After all the money I've spent on amps and headphones I wish I had bought a good desktop amp earlier. I felt I hung onto portable amps too much. Although i'm a huge fan of the Airhead, most can't power the more expensive headphones very well. Buying a desktop amp was the best investment yet for me. It made me get into this hobby even more, which isn't really a good thing! I just bought a pair of DT-880 600s and k601's yesterday. My wallet REALLY hurts!!
 

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

Just buy a good desktop amp like the Schiit Asgard (or the Matrix M-stage) and a cheap pair of headphones like the AKG k240 Studio.
You'll be set for a very long time and then you can upgrade later on. Nobody seems to want to trust me that the k240 are really good

They see $99 and automatically want to pass! You can probably find any desktop amp used for $200 and under.
 
Unless you have a good stereo or receiver I wouldn't bother with the HD-600.Strangely my cheap $99 Sony stereo seems to power my HD-600 quite well. No I don't use that combination. It might be something to get you by if you absolutely must have the HD-600 without a real desktop amp.
 
I actually would suggest a cheap pair of headphones around $100-150 along with buying a portable amp over the HD-600 to start out with. This is assuming the desktop amp is past your budget and you don't have a good stereo or receiver that could power the HD-600.
 
After all the money I've spent on amps and headphones I wish I had bought a good desktop amp earlier. I felt I hung onto portable amps too much. Although i'm a huge fan of the Airhead, most can't power the more expensive headphones very well. Buying a desktop amp was the best investment yet for me. It made me get into this hobby even more, which isn't really a good thing! I just bought a pair of DT-880 600s and k601's yesterday. My wallet REALLY hurts!!
 

While I believe the K240 would sound good (having just heard the wonderful K272 a few days ago), I don't think the setup you're suggesting is within OP's budget. The Asgard alone is US$249. IIRC, his first post stated a $200 budget? Or did I miss something along the way?
 
OP, if you can confirm that K240 sounds similar to K272 (the latter being closed, and not what you want anyway), then I do think that for US$99 you could do a lot worse. 

 

[tdockweiler]

You're right it is past his budget. I think I was just trying to suggest that he spend a bit more instead of spending just $250 all on one headphone.
I bought my Schiit Asgard in the FS forums for $200 and saved myself a few pennies.
 
For around $300 total, he can get a really good sounding setup that can be upgraded later. You can even find the k240 Studio for $70 online quite easily.
 
Gets my vote for the best headphone for classical music under $200 NEW! Feel free to prove me wrong!
 
 
Quote:

While I believe the K240 would sound good (having just heard the wonderful K272 a few days ago), I don't think the setup you're suggesting is within OP's budget. The Asgard alone is US$249. IIRC, his first post stated a $200 budget? Or did I miss something along the way?
 
OP, if you can confirm that K240 sounds similar to K272 (the latter being closed, and not what you want anyway), then I do think that for US$99 you could do a lot worse. 

 

[shaggy]

Quote:

I disagree, I don't think a 13 year old can afford a GREAT full size headphone in your opinion. And your probably referring to electrostats if your going to compare them with jh-13 and other customs. Don't base every single IEM as having bad soundstage and air until you've heard all of them or at least a substantial amount. Additionally, it's all about preference and from what I've heard I prefer my Sennheiser ie8 and acs-custom tipped tf-10 to larger headphones such as the 650 or rs1

The OP mentioned he already has iems to go with his ipod, and is searching for full size, open cans. Maybe a 13yr old can't afford a T1 or hd800, which are "GREAT headphones" (hey, I can't either!), but he certainly can afford to get $300 headphones and a similar priced amp/dac on Xmas or his Bday, especially if he splits the price with his parents. What a 13 yr old can't afford, however, is to replace $200 iems every six months. IEMS are very fragile by nature, and the cord/connections will eventually break from everyday use even if the OP is careful. A nice set of full size cans, on the other hand, will last a decade or more even with abuse. A detachable cord (which the both senn hd600 and Ultrasone pro series have) will only make life even easier since they are fairly cheap to replace. 
 
I agree with DavidMahler; perhaps with the exception of the JH13/16 (which I haven't heard either), full size headphones, in general, deliver a better sq/$ ratio and present a more wholesome and comfortable experience than iems.
 
Also OP, have you considered Fischer Audio FA-003/2? Those are supposed to pretty legit. I have the DBA-02, and I feel that those are worth the $ and live up to the hype when properly amped. FWIR, the FA-003 sound more open than the FA-002 despite being closed.  

 

[Uncle Erik]

David, I'm in agreement with you about the HD-600. It is - even today - one of the finest headphones on the market. There are more expensive headphones and ones with more bling, but the HD-600 is a classic that is still in production. It is a bit dated in the looks department, though. Sennheiser ought to switch it over to gloss black and update the packaging. But even as it is, the HD-600 is one of the finest out there. I sold mine to pay for the HD-800, but I'd like to put another one back in the stable. It is that good.

I'd also recommend trying the JH13. The JH16 had a little too much bass for my tastes, but the JH13 really gets things right. I was content to keep an old pair of Shure e3c IEMs around for travel (they're not half bad), but the JH13 showed me what I was missing. I don't have a pair yet, but the JH13 will be my next major purchase. I didn't take IEMs seriously until I heard them. I don't think they'll replace my full-sized open cans or speakers, but it would be nice to have some excellent IEMs handy.

As for using the iPhone, you'll get used to it. I'm posting from an iPhone 4 at the moment and have knocked off thousands of posts on one.

 

[KuKuBuKu]

I wonder If I could paint an HD600...Interesting thought.
 
I might have to wait till black Friday or Christmas to get headphones, with a little money donation from my parents...

 

[Cpyder]

How did this thread get so long? 

 

[KuKuBuKu]

Not alot of 13 year olds are audiophiles.