[horizon21]

EDIT: A slight change in requirements. I decided to invest in good quality cans, hence the increase of my budget. First and foremost, I need something durable that will withstand daily usage unlike Denon AH-D1100 (see last post). It would be nice to have less bass than the Denons.
 
 
 
Hello, guys and gals. I've been lurking around the forum for a week and I can feel my hands itching to attack my already tight student's wallet. You should know that I am a newbie in every way in regards to sound and I do not want to become an audiophile, I just want a "tool" to really "hear" what I am listening to. Now the challenge for the knowledgeable experts!
 
What I'm after is a universal set of circum-aural (full) headphones. Let me elaborate - I listen to rock, metal, techno, house, trance, dance, club (bass!), smooth jazz (Kenny G, don't flame, please!), some hip-hop and rap (although rare), classical music (I really want good highs to hear the violins), oldies. I should add that I like bass, but not too much bass because it makes my head hurt and I feel fatigued. I've started to update my music library with FLAC lossless CD rips, as well as mp3 320 kbit/s but most of it is around 192 kbit/s and I can't be bothered to replace those tracks at the moment, as I am quite busy with coursework and exams. The headphones need to be somewhat forgiving of the source.
 
In addition, I am after a certain sturdiness in the design and also comfortability. I sport a relatively big head with above average in size ears. I might use the phones for outdoor pondering and enjoying fresh air with favourite sounds, therefore they have to provide some sort of isolation but that is not a huge priority. Portability (folding, etc.) is a bonus but not a big priority. I am willing to sacrifice most of the above requirements in favour of sound quality and good price.
 
Again the budget issue - the more I read, the more I think that I will be unable to get a good pair for under £50 with the above requirements. I hope someone can suggest something under that sum. Prices in the UK are quite unforgiving of poor people and I cannot even begin to think about getting M50s. I want headphones that do not require amplifiers and DACs to sound properly.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[Kerry56]

The CAL's are very good, but the earpads are a bit on the small side on the inside, so if you have big ears, they may not fit entirely within them.  Just browsing prices at Amazon UK, they may be one of your better choices close to  £50.
 
Normally I might suggest the AKG K240 Studio, but it seems overpriced in the UK.  It should fit your listening requirements, and will be comfortable, but isn't in the slightest a portable set.  It will work without an amp, but like many headphones, will improve with one.
 
Another to consider, is the Sony ZX 700. 
 
The Sony MDR V6 has been a good choice in this general price range for a couple of decades now, but it won't be particularly forgiving.

 

[horizon21]

Thanks, Kerry, for the reply. The other head-fiers seem to be avoiding that thread maybe
 
After checking the prices - all of your suggestions come very close to the ~72 GBP price tag of the SRH440. Damn, apparently last year they had been 65 GBP and now... reminds me of the stock market. It seems that headphones are very overpriced in the UK.

 

[ssrock64]

The CAL! would work pretty well with most of your genres, but its highs are not good by any measure. They don't do classical any justice, and may be a bit fatuiging with the constant electronic claps that are common in hip hop, techno, and rap. However, within your price they may be one of your best choices.
 
Another few to consider are the Panasonic HTF600 (if it's within your price in the UK) and the AKGs mentioned above if you don't plan on much portable use.

 

[horizon21]

I was contemplating the Panasonics but I wonder, have you heard how they sound yourself? I've read (seemingly) so many reviews that I do not know what to believe anymore. Is it justifiable to spend an extra 20 GBP and get the Shure SRH440s? They just seem everything I am looking for save for the price tag.
 
There is a store in Southampton that sells that particular model (the shures) for 62 GBP but I'm not sure I'm up for the trip with the bus, which costs 7 GBP for a return ticket. I should search a bit in Portsmouth - I might get lucky and find a decent audio equipment store.

 

[Kerry56]

I owned the Panasonic HTF 600 for a couple of months and disliked them quite a lot.  Muddy, overbearing bass, recessed mid range and they introduced distortion in the highs I couldn't reproduce with any of my other headphones.  But I seem to be in the minority with that opinion around here.    I think the CAL! crushes them for sound quality.
 
I haven't heard the Shure set however and cannot advise you on them. 

 

[horizon21]

Fellas, I have an update to my preferences. Today I went to HMV in Portsmouth to educate myself with practical knowledge. I had a chance to hear how Denon AH-D2000 sounds like as well as Denon AH-D1100. To my surprise, the sound signature of the AH-D2000 did not appeal at all to me. I found it lacking bass and sounding somewhat bland next to its little brother the AH-D1100. I also tried some other phones (Sennheisers whose model was not worth memorising) but they are not worth mentioning. Considering the possibility that the D1100 might sound similar to the discontinued D1001, which is said to basically be the CAL!, I think this would be the phone that I would like to use. I guess I prefer a warm sound.
 
I have a question, though. Kerry warned me that the cups are kind of small on the inside. Could someone who has the CAL! possibly measure the distance inside the CAL! cup? For reference, my ears measure about 2.5 inches or 6.5 cm 'vertically'. Would the size of the CAL!'s cups be enough for that? And is the size of the cup of the CAL! the same as the D1100's?
 
Reference prices - I managed to find the Denon AH-D1100 for 85 GBP, while the CAL! still sports a price tag of 52 GBP.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[Kerry56]

The interior space on the pads of  my CAL! measures 5.2cm vertically and 4.2cm horizontally at the largest points.  The pads are very soft however, and even if your ears don't fit inside, most people don't seem to have problems with comfort level with the CAL!.
 
I haven't heard the Denon AH-D1100, perhaps someone with experience will chime in.  From reviews here, the D1100 has a great deal more bass emphasis than the previous 1001 model.

 

[horizon21]

Thanks, Kerry for providing those measurements. It seems my ears will not fit but for the price I guess it should not be too much of a problem. I think, however, that I made a mistake by going to that store. Now I'm fixated upon these D1100s. They just seem too good. For reference reasons, could someone recommend me another basshead's set of headphones for comparison in the same price range? I'd appreciate it if they could be with similar sound signature or at least the bass should not drown the other frequencies.
 
UPDATE: I've decided that I am going to have a go at the Panasonic HTF600s. At 29.36 GBP there is not too much to lose and I can always return them to amazon for a small fee if I do not like how they sound. If that happens, I guess I will invest in the Denons.

 

[horizon21]

I just received the Panasonics. What can I say... on the first listen I notice 2 dominating themes about them - soundstage and bass. Another thing could probably be the impeded highs. Sometimes the bass seems to be quite apparent and distract me from the rest of the sound (when listening to Kenny G). To tell you the truth, I think the Denon AH-D1100 are better than these in terms of being more all-around (IMO). I tested them with electronic, classic, rock and metal. Each of these genres sounded equally good on them. With the HTF600 i find it hard to distinguish the treble. More listening will tell. But for (at least) 40 GBP less, these babies do sound amazing. Again, the soundstage. I feel as if I am in a movie saloon watching an action film - it is that good. Maybe because of the angled drivers, maybe because of the semi-open design. I have no issues with the build quality - they seem better built than the Denons. They are heavier, too.
 
I confirm what other reviewers have said - they do leak quite a bit of sound. On top of that sound isolation is below average. I have an issue with the pads. They cause my skin to sweat in about 5 minutes of wearing and my ears are getting hot quite quickly, too. This bothers me somehow. I have no idea whether that's a common issue with most sets out there.
 
UPDATE #1: I think partially my issues with the highs were connected to the source of the files. I've acquired some FLACs of Vivaldi. There is no room for comparison with my previous rip (128 kbit/s). In addition, I believe that this set needs 40-50 hours of burn-in to dampen the bass and sharpen the highs. Only time will tell.
 
UPDATE #2: It seems that even after a couple hours of burn-in the bass has settled in a bit, though there is no change in regards to the highs. I imagine these would be unpleasant to wear in the summer as even now they make the area around my ears heat up quite a bit.

 

[Kerry56]

The pads on those Panasonics are some of the worst I've worn for inducing sweat.  If you like the sound well enough to keep them (baffling to me) you can get Beyerdynamic DT250 velour pads for them and increase the comfort quite a lot.
 
Good luck, and hope you enjoy them more than I did.

 

[horizon21]

Actually, I'm beginning to think to send those back. Just too much bass without EQ and the only good setting was the bass and treble on PowerAMP on my Google Nexus S. I can't configure it well on my Sansa Fuze (Rockboxed) and AIMP3 player (PC). Other than that, they are quite heavier than the Denon AH-D1100. The latter, on the other hand, seem to suffer from cracking plastic earcup holders according to some users in the forums.
 
I'll simply put an end to my search for a can set for now and get a Vsonic GR06 (IEM). At 39 GBP it must be the pest price to performance to comfort ratio. I'm so used to wearing IEMs that it will just be my cup of tea, I suppose.
 
Thanks to Kerry56 and ssrock64 for their participation and help with my search!

 

[ssrock64]

No problem! Sorry we couldn't find exactly what you wanted in a full-sizer. And, just to confirm (I haven't been on the forums in a few days), I have heard the HTF600.

 

[Windsor]

The Sennheiser H 201 is a great value headphone that'd most probably be a good fit for you. http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/home_en.nsf/root/private_headphones_wired-headphones_500155
 
The bass of the HD 201 is not as prominent as some other headphones, in which case you may want to check out the bassier-sounding HD 202, or for the HD 201, get a budget-priced headphone amp for  like the FiiO E5, which has an inbuilt bass boost feature. 
 
If my budget was £50, I'd probably go for the HD 201 and E5, or look for a similarly priced used pair of headphones.
 
Best wishes,
Windsor

 

[ssrock64]

I don't really know about the HD201 or HD202, especially for a basshead. It just seems sub-par even at its price point to my ears. There's nothing at all distinctive about it.