[steve23063]

i'm saving up for a new pair of headphones right now...right now i have v6's (my first headphones) and i've read some reviews and it sounds like the 271S is a great pair of headphones. Are there any others in this price range (about $100-180) that I should consider?

I listen to a lot of trance but also a good amount of rock and pop

 

[bangraman]

I see no amp. So, or...

Audio-Technica ATH-A900.

 

[steve23063]

right now im using a hercules fortissimo II soundcard which i really need to upgrade. not sure if getting a m-audio revo or meta42 is better..still doing some research on this stuff

 

[Tyson]

The 271's need an amp w/juice to sound their best. The supermini w/9v battery boost works well, and I'm hoping the SuperMicro works even better with them (will find out this weekend for sure).

 

[scamper]

You could try the Ultrasone 650 DVD or Trackmasters. I find that they sound much better than the V6, imo.

They sound great unamped.

 

[apropos]

Quote:

Originally posted by scamper You could try the Ultrasone 650 DVD or Trackmasters. I find that they sound much better than the V6, imo. They sound great unamped.

One more vote for the Ultrasones! I have the Trackmaster edition and am very pleased with them...

Apropos

 

[onesilentvampire]

Where are you guys ordering them? i cant find them anywhere...

EDIT: sorry i found them somwhere...

 

[Geek]

K271s sound unbelievable if you power them well. If you plan on upgrading then you should go for them.

The stock HD600 through a $300 setup is inferior to the K271 through a $4,000 setup (in my experience). That's amazing for a closed headphone.

Cheers,
Geek

 

[Tyson]

Got a prototype of the Xin Supermicro and I do have to say it certainly does deliver more punch and dynamics than even the "boosted" supermini. Images are bigger and more in your face (more forward). Detail is even better. The SuperMicro is a great match for the K271's, IMO.

 

[wallijonn]

Quote:

Originally posted by Geek The stock HD600 through a $300 setup is inferior to the K271 through a $4,000 setup (in my experience). That's amazing for a closed headphone. Cheers, Geek

I take it you meant that "The stock HD600 through a $3,000 setup is inferior to the K271 through a $400 setup..." yes? no?

 

[noiseunit]

Quote:

Originally posted by steve23063 right now im using a hercules fortissimo II soundcard which i really need to upgrade. not sure if getting a m-audio revo or meta42 is better..still doing some research on this stuff

ok, months and months ago when i was hell bent on making my PC my main source, i decided to ditch my fortissimo and get a revolution. now, i didnt exactly have discriminating ears at the time, and my only cans were SR60s...since then ive had a few amps, several sources and headphones, and let me tell you, one of the most noticible upgrades i made was with the revo (that and my Rotel CDP). i was quite negative about it too...wasnt expecting a clear difference. man was i wrong.

if the PC is your primary source, do yourself a favor and get the revo ASAP. now, dont expect much in the way of games...i found it to be similar to the Hercules in that respect (and i thought the fortissimo was horrid with games). but for music...cant be beat for the price, at least in the US. at least, IMHO.

 

[steve23063]

alright thx for the responses. I've looked into the ultrasones but so far it seems like the K271's are a little better. As for the source I just looked at pics of the xin supermicro and wow is that tiny. I'm surprised that it sounds better than the supermini. Anyone know when this is coming out? tyson how much did u buy that prototype for?

noiseunit can you tell me what amps and headphones u've tried? i always thought amps were better than soundcards but sounds like the revo's might be an exception.

 

[Steve999]

I find the K271s to be in the same sound quality neighborhood as the V6s and HD280s. They have very different sound signatures though, and isolation far superior to the V6s, which can be quite a major selling point depnding on your situation. Do you find your V6s way way too bright? If so, you might prefer the K271s; it's a very different sound, smooth and warm with relaxed treble and well-defined bass. I personally find the sound of the 271s a little too mellow (I like to EQ in a little extra upper midrange), but I think objectively they are excellent high-isolation headphones with a nicely judged tonal balance.

Quote:

Originally posted by steve23063 alright thx for the responses. I've looked into the ultrasones but so far it seems like the K271's are a little better.

 

[Tyson]

The K271's sound quite good stock, but sound a lot better w/the acoustic treatment mod (link in my sig - very easy to do). The supermicro is a prototype I have as a loaner for the Denver Head-Fi meet tomorrow, so I don't know the price, although I've heard $120 is what it will cost when it is released (release date is 9/27).

 

[noiseunit]

Quote:

Originally posted by steve23063 noiseunit can you tell me what amps and headphones u've tried? i always thought amps were better than soundcards but sounds like the revo's might be an exception.

the headphone jack on a good amp is going to be considerably better than output from a soundcard alone, but as the saying goes....crap in, crap out. you need something decent going into that amp for it to put out something decent. an upgrade to a better source such as the revo is going to be a far more dramatic difference than just sticking a portable meta or something on that fortissimo. an amp wont take crappy output and convert it to wonderful sound...i guess in some cases it might make it bearable, but theres a reason source is higher than amp in the hierarchy of audio goodness. but, its all relative...dont take my word for it, do some searching around the forums.