[volume]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I've always heard decent things about Sennheiser headphones so might be worth a look. Off the top of my head the PX 200 II, PXC250 II and HD238 should be of interest. There's also the Shure SRH240 headphones; which should be a bit more neutral.

Thanks for the advise but I'am looking at something refined then the usual Sennheisers.
 
 
Quote:

Personally, I think it's a bit hard to find a pair of non-IEM phones that are better than the HD 25-1 IIs within your price range, and portable. 

I know,probably some Fostex.

 

[ddoingwell]

I had the Fostex T50RP model and sold them on quickly. They weren't as good as the Shure SRH440s nor my AKG K240s. Uncomfortable too as the earcups weren't thick enough to keep the drivers from occasionally touching my ears. I've heard the ATH-M50s in a studio and they're very detailed for closed headphones; personally, I'd probably buy the K271s too (if I could afford them) but aren't these all a bit big to be truly portable?

 

[volume]

Quote:

I had the Fostex T50RP model and sold them on quickly. They weren't as good as the Shure SRH440s nor my AKG K240s. Uncomfortable too as the earcups weren't thick enough to keep the drivers from occasionally touching my ears. I've heard the ATH-M50s in a studio and they're very detailed for closed headphones; personally, I'd probably buy the K271s too (if I could afford them) but aren't these all a bit big to be truly portable?

Portable may be not, and why becuase they are slightly big, but nothing else stops them from being used while commuting.
 
I personally don't mind their size as long as they sound nice.

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Definitely look at the Phiaton brand of headphones. They are nice looking, and around the high end of your budget. There are several reviews in the Head gear section of this site if you want a detailed breakdown. I am sorry you feel frustrated by the lack of response in this particular genre of headphones; they seem to be stuck in an awkward place between IEMS and their big brothers, full sized cans. Still, there should be more interest (in my opinion) in this type of headphone. By the way, I owned the M50 and did not really like it. Something was missing in the overall presentation of sound, and was not as fun as even my cheapie earbuds. You could try the Shure SRH750DJ, as they have a loyal following of their own, being compared favorably to the M50 but with more bass and a more engaging sound. Lastly, go to Headfonia.com., as the  reviewer there is doing a shoot-out of portable headphones. I hope this all helps, and you are welcome to PM me with any more questions.

 

[volume]

Quote:

Definitely look at the Phiaton brand of headphones. They are nice looking, and around the high end of your budget. There are several reviews in the Head gear section of this site if you want a detailed breakdown. I am sorry you feel frustrated by the lack of response in this particular genre of headphones; they seem to be stuck in an awkward place between IEMS and their big brothers, full sized cans. Still, there should be more interest (in my opinion) in this type of headphone. By the way, I owned the M50 and did not really like it. Something was missing in the overall presentation of sound, and was not as fun as even my cheapie earbuds. You could try the Shure SRH750DJ, as they have a loyal following of their own, being compared favorably to the M50 but with more bass and a more engaging sound. Lastly, go to Headfonia.com., as the  reviewer there is doing a shoot-out of portable headphones. I hope this all helps, and you are welcome to PM me with any more questions.

Thanks.
 
Will look towards the Phiaton, what about the Fostex T50RP or the AKG K271.
 
Will also see the Headfonia site.
 

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

The Fostex looks good, and is very moddable (just look at the thunderpants thread). The AKGs are also respected. I would say just buy something that you want and has the features and looks you like, and if you end up not liking them, you can sell them here on Head-fi for a slight loss. However, it is worth it because you will have gained knowledge of your sound preferences. 

 

[volume]

Thanks.
 
I will get the Thunderpands when I can get smuggy to build me one until then I will get the AKG K271 if I find a used one here.

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

If those headphones are what you really want to buy, then it is money well spent. Just out of curiosity, what will you be plugging the headphones into?

 

[ddoingwell]

Really, make sure you TRY ON the Fostex before buying them. Pro Audio shops will have'em and will probably have a demo set of the models you're considering. The Fostex have what I'd call a design flaw with the earcups pressing on the user's earflaps. I couldn't get rid of mine fast enough. Watch out.

 

[beeman458]

volume wrote"
 
I would probably want to stay away from IEMs.
 
Why no IEM's?  You do know a decent set of IEM's, dollar for dollar, in their own way, kick headphone butt?  FWIW, the main headphones are a set of Sennheiser HD650's.
 
Currently listening to a newly arrived set of refurbished Sennheiser IE8's I picked up on Amazon for $186.00 delivered.
 
The idea behind the IE8's was so I wouldn't need an outboard Amp to get decent sound when using the Sansa Connect.  I must say, the IE8's, for the refurbished price, hit it totally out of the park.
 
???

 

[The Monkey]

JH13 or JH 16 should do the trick.

 

[tdockweiler]

My favorite completely neutral phone is the Koss Pro DJ 100. They need an amp, but they're my favorite for the types of music I like. They're only $80 and I just today found out that work with the Pearstone Velour pads, but you need to stretch them a bit. Those pads are about as comfortable as Beyer pads. I can now wear them all day if I wanted. Comfort is just amazing now and it doesn't degrade the sound quality.
 
Some pairs of these headphones sound bad out of the box and need a ton of burn in. My first pair was perfect, but my second pair needed 24-48 hours of burn-in. I almost felt I had a bad pair. After burn-in the mids are more forward, but the bass is slightly reduced. This made me a believer of burn-in! Complete difference.
 
For ME these have the best mids out of everything i've tried. They have bass, but there is not a lot (WAY more then the RE0 and AD700. They're not bass light). It's a tad less then what the SRH-840 has. The highs are VERY slightly rolled off, but this is what I prefer. Not as much as the HD-600 though.
 
I prefer these for my music over the M50, SRH-840 and pretty much every headphone i've tried. I'm probably up to about a dozen of them.
 
They're bad for rap, metal and some classical though I imagine. I find them to be the perfect headphone for female vocals. Pearl Jam, Imogen Heap and Radiohead sound amazing on them. Especially Thom Yorke's "The Eraser".
 
The level of detail is really good. About the same as the SRH-840, but not the AD700.
 
I also love the SRH-840, but it won't fit my small head or I would have kept them.
 
Maxell DHP-II is also great and doesn't sound like a $28. Most people will see that price and just pass them off as junk. They sound better then a lot of $100 headphones. It has more bass then the Pro DJ 100 but isn't as neutral.

 

[Young Spade]

volume wrote"


 


I would probably want to stay away from IEMs.


 


Why no IEM's?  You do know a decent set of IEM's, dollar for dollar, in their own way, kick headphone butt?  FWIW, the main headphones are a set of Sennheiser HD650's.


 


Currently listening to a newly arrived set of refurbished Sennheiser IE8's I picked up on Amazon for $186.00 delivered.


 


The idea behind the IE8's was so I wouldn't need an outboard Amp to get decent sound when using the Sansa Connect.  I must say, the IE8's, for the refurbished price, hit it totally out of the park.


 


???

Dollar for dollar? I would beg to differ. There are some things IEMs do better than some headphones and I admit, the sound comic from IEMs can be a little more intimate than full sized, but as far as headphones themselves.... I'm not too sure.


Now if you factor the whole thing (cans and amp) you might haveto spend ~500 to beat some top tier IEMs.

 

[Danz03]

To me, the pros for IEMs are : size, portability and noise isolation. I wouldn't take any phones apart from IEMs for plane journeys, and they are great to listen in bed with, you can even sleep on the side with them, not so possible with headphones. My UM2/3 are so comfortable, sometimes I'd even wear them when I'm commuting without music, just to cut out the annoying ambient noise. I really dislike active noise canceling phones, they make so much noise even when there's no music playing, and with closed headphones, they can get uncomfortable after a while because of the clamping of the cups, like your HD 25s. SQ-wise, I think headphones in general have better sound-stage, but then IEMs give you better intimacy, especially with vocals/jazz music. If I can only choose between headphones or IEMs, I'd go for IEMs because of the practicality, but that's just me. 

 

[beeman458]

Young Spade wrote:
 
Dollar for dollar? I would beg to differ.
 
Sounds like from your above, when the word "portable" is included, IEM's still kick headphone butt.
 
It's all relative and besides you can't fit a top end headphone in your shirt pocket and not look like a dweeb.