[Lan647]

I've done A LOT of research, really - A LOT.
 
I won't buy anything cheaper, i'm looking for a great headphone which i can settle with for a long time. When i say equal i meant this:
 
People are saying about the k 701:
 
Natural, detailed sound, good price, among the best headphones you can buy to date
 
People are saying bout the ATH-M50:
 
Natural, detailed sound, good price, among the best headphones you can buy to date
 
THAT was what i meant
 
My list of options for now are: 
 
Sennheiser HD800 (with portable amp, home and SOME iphone use, dedicated headphone amp after some time)
AKG k 701 (with portable amp, home and iphone use)
Audio-technica ath-m50 (no portable amp, home and iphone use) 
Grado PS1000 (with portable amp, home and iphone use. Although, this is not likely to be chosen, since this can is INSANELY expensive and to big for my taste)
 
Please take a look in my other thread "the best portable amplifier for Sennheiser HD 800", in that thread i have written what i had planned to do with the HD 800, I would really like some comments on the subject...
 

 

[rhythmdevils]

Yeah I see how it would be confusing if you are just going off other people's opinions.  You've found 2 different headphones, with opposite intended use, opposite requirements, and opposite sound, and you've found people saying the same thing about each one.  Haha. 
 
I didn't mean to offend you by saying more research was needed.  I just think that the only way to have a good idea of which headphone you'll like best is to have some frame of reference when you look at reviews. 
 
For example, I know that I find the K701 to be lacking bass, midbass, too much treble and strange midrange, among other things.  And I know I thought that the HD800 was lacking bass and had too much treble and was a bit cold sounding to me.  So when someone says they love the HD800 and K701, and the LCD2 has rolled off treble to them, that is a good sign to me, because less treble than the HD800 is a good thing for me.  If someone says that a headphone has too much bass, but they like the K701 bass, then I have good reason to believe I will like the bass of that headphone. And if someone says they like the balance of the HD600 (which I also find balanced) and they find a headphone to have a similar balance, but improve on other aspects, then there's a good chance I will like that phone.  If you have a reference, it helps you know how to interpret reviews and opinions.
 
So unless you have money to burn, I think it would be a good idea to buy a cheaper headphone used to start with.  Like the M50.  Then listen to them for a while, get used to them, live with them.  Maybe they'll wind up being great for you.  And if not, then you'll have a great reference to make a better choice for a more expensive phone and you can sell the M50 without loosing much money.  Otherwise you're likely to spend a lot of money on a brand new expensive headphone that you don't wind up liking.

 

[VALIENTE]

 
Quote:

I've done A LOT of research, really - A LOT.
 
I won't buy anything cheaper, i'm looking for a great headphone which i can settle with for a long time. When i say equal i meant this:
 
People are saying about the k 701:
 
Natural, detailed sound, good price, among the best headphones you can buy to date
 
People are saying bout the ATH-M50:
 
Natural, detailed sound, good price, among the best headphones you can buy to date
 

May I add the classic Grado SR60, if you're confused. The simple SR60 will let you enjoy music in its simplest way, plug n play in other words. K701 is on a higher level, but not plug n play.

 

[eisono]

Quote:

Okay, too bad the K701 is a white can, (i hate white) but there is always the k 702 for twice the price

http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Q701Premium-Reference-Headphones-Signature/dp/B004444O3W/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1288130920&sr=8-15
 
Not sure if they are the same thing but its a pre-order.
 

 

[Lan647]

Quote:

Yeah I see how it would be confusing if you are just going off other people's opinions.  You've found 2 different headphones, with opposite intended use, opposite requirements, and opposite sound, and you've found people saying the same thing about each one.  Haha. 
 
I didn't mean to offend you by saying more research was needed.  I just think that the only way to have a good idea of which headphone you'll like best is to have some frame of reference when you look at reviews. 
 
For example, I know that I find the K701 to be lacking bass, midbass, too much treble and strange midrange, among other things.  And I know I thought that the HD800 was lacking bass and had too much treble and was a bit cold sounding to me.  So when someone says they love the HD800 and K701, and the LCD2 has rolled off treble to them, that is a good sign to me, because less treble than the HD800 is a good thing for me.  If someone says that a headphone has too much bass, but they like the K701 bass, then I have good reason to believe I will like the bass of that headphone. And if someone says they like the balance of the HD600 (which I also find balanced) and they find a headphone to have a similar balance, but improve on other aspects, then there's a good chance I will like that phone.  If you have a reference, it helps you know how to interpret reviews and opinions.
 
So unless you have money to burn, I think it would be a good idea to buy a cheaper headphone used to start with.  Like the M50.  Then listen to them for a while, get used to them, live with them.  Maybe they'll wind up being great for you.  And if not, then you'll have a great reference to make a better choice for a more expensive phone and you can sell the M50 without loosing much money.  Otherwise you're likely to spend a lot of money on a brand new expensive headphone that you don't wind up liking.

I must say, there are no words to describe how right you are.

 
Oh no, I never found you offending me in any way. It is really hard to find "a frame of reference" by looking at reviews, expecially when almost everyone says the same thing about the high-end headphones. It's mostly the same opinions, like for example "a bit uncomfortable" or "reference class!" That is why i will try out some high-end earphones next week, i think that is the best thing to do - listen for yourself. 
 
I thought you meant "cheaper" like at a 50 dollar price-tag, so a little missunderstanding there.

 

 

[Lan647]

Quote:

http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Q701Premium-Reference-Headphones-Signature/dp/B004444O3W/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1288130920&sr=8-15
 
Not sure if they are the same thing but its a pre-order.
 

Those are closed-back cans, so not exactly the same. They are though WAY to expensive for what they are, 500$ here. We don't use dollars, but i don't want to confuse you guys

 

[eisono]

Quote:

Those are closed-back cans, so not exactly the same. They are though WAY to expensive for what they are, 500$ here. We don't use dollars, but i don't want to confuse you guys

Damn that's a shame. They're so appealing though

.
 

 

[Lan647]

Quote:

Damn that's a shame. They're so appealing though

.
 

The k 702 look better in my opinion, they look more luxary. the 701 DO look very nice, but again, the colour

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Quote:

Those are closed-back cans, so not exactly the same. They are though WAY to expensive for what they are, 500$ here. We don't use dollars, but i don't want to confuse you guys

exterior wise, they're very similiar to K702, and yes they're open indeed.
 
http://www.akg.com/personal/,pcp_id,278,_psmand,1.html?quincy#/the-line

 

[immafridge]

If you've never actually tried them, I suggest you do so.
You might love one and not the other. But you might as well love both!
 
With that said, if it's your first pair, just get the m50s. If you hate them, well, not much a "big loss".
If you love them so much you wouldn't dare get anything else, that's great!
 
The m50 is a great bang for buck versus the k701.
With my m50, I can plug it directly in my iPod or whatever and it will still sound pretty good.
 
The k701? Not so much...
You need a pretty good amp, a decent DAC or source because the k701 sound quality scales with the quality of your gear.
Nonetheless, I wouldn't sell my k701 or my m50 anytime soon. Different headphones for different uses : )
 
Oh and white is actually pretty damn classy.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Although this will likely start an obsession, I'd suggest starting out with BOTH a good closed back headphone like the M50, and a comparatively priced open backed headphone, that way you can see which type of sound signature you'd like best out of your headphones. May I suggest something like the Audio Technica AD700? The AD700 is a completely different beast and is pretty much the polar opposite of the M50. It lacks bass, but it's extremely crisp, open and airy, and are great starter cans for those wanting to see what open cans have to offer. The K701 is pretty much an upgrade in every way to the AD700, but for the price, the AD700 will give you an idea of the kind of sound the K701 will give you, though improved in every single way. You can get both the M50 and AD700 for less than $200 together and neither one needs an amp.
 
I believe that for us headphone users, there will always be a need for at least one open headphone and one closed.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

I must say, there are no words to describe how right you are.

 
Oh no, I never found you offending me in any way. It is really hard to find "a frame of reference" by looking at reviews, expecially when almost everyone says the same thing about the high-end headphones. It's mostly the same opinions, like for example "a bit uncomfortable" or "reference class!" That is why i will try out some high-end earphones next week, i think that is the best thing to do - listen for yourself. 
 
I thought you meant "cheaper" like at a 50 dollar price-tag, so a little missunderstanding there.

Cool.  I think "cheap" is a relative term for different people.  But I think it's a good idea to think of a first headphone purchase as unlikely to be the perfect match.  So as long as it's cheap enough to not be a huge loss, or buy used so you can just sell them back, then there's no harm.  i've bought and sold a lot of headphones on here, looking for the right sound.  I now can guess pretty well which headphones I will like, but I still have to hear them for myself in the end. 
 
That being said, the M50 is a very safe choice.  I kind of think everyone should start their journey with the M50 because it is one of the most balanced headphones out there, is pretty cheap, and it can be driven without an amp.  Also, a lot of people here have heard them, so if you say what you like/dislike about the M50, a lot of head-fiers will be able to make recommendations.
 
The AD700 would be a great addition as well because of what Mad Lust Envy said, and it's really popular as well. 

 

[Lan647]

Quote:

Cool.  I think "cheap" is a relative term for different people.  But I think it's a good idea to think of a first headphone purchase as unlikely to be the perfect match.  So as long as it's cheap enough to not be a huge loss, or buy used so you can just sell them back, then there's no harm.  i've bought and sold a lot of headphones on here, looking for the right sound.  I now can guess pretty well which headphones I will like, but I still have to hear them for myself in the end. 
 
That being said, the M50 is a very safe choice.  I kind of think everyone should start their journey with the M50 because it is one of the most balanced headphones out there, is pretty cheap, and it can be driven without an amp.  Also, a lot of people here have heard them, so if you say what you like/dislike about the M50, a lot of head-fiers will be able to make recommendations.
 
The AD700 would be a great addition as well because of what Mad Lust Envy said, and it's really popular as well. 

Well, i will still go ahead and listen to the HD 800, but maybe i'll settle with the M50. Anyway, it's good to have you guys giving recommendations

 

[Region2]

Wow that's quite a comparison.
 
They are so different.  Not just sound wise, but to me purpose wise.  Open cans are for sitting in a quiet environment whereas closed cans are good for preventing sound links and helping in passive noise canceling.  Price is also clearly different.
 
I have both the K271mk2 and the M50 and I'm not the biggest fan of the M50 due to my dislike of how uncomfortable it is to me (gets too hot after a while) and I find the bass to be on the bloated side but it is a good bang for your buck headphone.  The K271's bass is a little on the weaker side but it has great mids.  The K701/2 is a bit of a pain since you need a decent amp.  It is great for sound stage and classical music as well.  But where I would caution you away from them is where you marked portable amp.  Portable amps might be able to drive them, but they won't drive them well.  The M50's and the K701/2 are both good headphones, but very different.
 
HD800 with a portable amp sounds weird.  It's like you want to buy a Porsche but only want to pour in low octane fuel.
 
Though this is an assumption, you come off as a complete beginner.  Though you can just jump in and buy the best of something, you might also want to consider buying a good cheap headphone SRH840, M50, SR125 or what have you and see if this is for you.
 
Or if you just want to have good sound, don't care about the cost, don't want to deal with setting up a rig, and want to go the IEM route... I hear good things about those JH13s.

 

[Lan647]

Quote:

Wow that's quite a comparison.
 
They are so different.  Not just sound wise, but to me purpose wise.  Open cans are for sitting in a quiet environment whereas closed cans are good for preventing sound links and helping in passive noise canceling.  Price is also clearly different.
 
I have both the K271mk2 and the M50 and I'm not the biggest fan of the M50 due to my dislike of how uncomfortable it is to me (gets too hot after a while) and I find the bass to be on the bloated side but it is a good bang for your buck headphone.  The K271's bass is a little on the weaker side but it has great mids.  The K701/2 is a bit of a pain since you need a decent amp.  It is great for sound stage and classical music as well.  But where I would caution you away from them is where you marked portable amp.  Portable amps might be able to drive them, but they won't drive them well.  The M50's and the K701/2 are both good headphones, but very different.
 
HD800 with a portable amp sounds weird.  It's like you want to buy a Porsche but only want to pour in low octane fuel.
 
Though this is an assumption, you come off as a complete beginner.  Though you can just jump in and buy the best of something, you might also want to consider buying a good cheap headphone SRH840, M50, SR125 or what have you and see if this is for you.
 
Or if you just want to have good sound, don't care about the cost, don't want to deal with setting up a rig, and want to go the IEM route... I hear good things about those JH13s.

Well that depends on what you mean with "complete beginner"... I'm not exactly a beginner since i have been into this stuff for a long time - though you could say that i don't have very much experience in headphones...