Boffy
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2014
- Posts
- 93
- Likes
- 31
I have recently got into the world of audio, and I am thinking of buying myself a new pair of headphones. I am currently using Sony MDR 1R with Sony Walkman F806. I listen to a wide variety of genres, but mainly female vocals. AKG K701, MDR 7550, and XBA H3 all look very appealing to me, so I want some recommendations from people that are experts when it comes to these headphones.
AKG K701:
I like the design, heard it is very comfortable, and not too much bass which I like. There are three problems. I heard people complain in certain reviews that this headphone does not have the best mids which might be a problem for me. In addition, I heard that this headphone is not exactly the easiest headphone to drive, therefore I am not sure if my Sony Walkman F806 will be good enough to drive them. Finally, AKG K701 is an honest headphone, in other words, poorly recorded songs or compressed files may not sound good. I listen to 320 kbps mp3 files only, and a lot of modern songs/recordings.
Sony MDR 7550:
Good vocals, comfortable design, I already have a comfortable eartip, and I am a Sony fanboy. Not exactly problems, but a few things worry me. No isolation, which can be disappointing, but not the end of the world. I actually do not mind if I hear some external noise, so I might use them as my portable earphones anyway. To follow up on that, however, these have a long chord. I am thinking of wrapping the chord with the cable management accessory that I got with my Sony XBA H1, but I will have to see.
XBA H3:
Looks awesome, worn overear like MDR 7550, and did I mention that I like Sony? I have two concerns. I do not like a lot of bass, and I know this hybrid has a ton of bass. Another problem is since this headphone has a lot of bass, it messes up the vocals and mids a little bit, which is a big no for me. The only reason why I am considering the XBA H3 is because there is a sale which allows me to buy one for $100 cheaper.
My Sound Preference:
As I mentioned before, I listen to all kinds of music. Kpop, Jpop, Dubstep, Electronic, Music Box, Instrumentals, Piano, Rock, Nightcore, Ballad, and probably more that I just can't think of at the moment. But, I listen to female vocals 70% of the time. Like I said, I am a complete novice when it comes to audio, but it seems like I am a treble head. When I listen through my Sony MDR 1R using my Sony Walkman F806, I often use a treble boost preset in PowerAmp. I really enjoy airiness in my music, and I want my soundstage to be very wide and open.
My 5 Favorite Songs:
1. Ray-Ebb and Flow
2. Juniel-Everlasting Sunset
3. Younha-Peace Love & Ice Cream
4. Nishino Kana-Motto...
5. Lim Kim (김예림)-Goodbye 20
Sorry for making the post so long. I am pretty new to this forum, so please excuse me for saying/doing something wrong or unnecessary. Any feedback, recommendation, or further questions are welcome. Thank you!
AKG K701:
I like the design, heard it is very comfortable, and not too much bass which I like. There are three problems. I heard people complain in certain reviews that this headphone does not have the best mids which might be a problem for me. In addition, I heard that this headphone is not exactly the easiest headphone to drive, therefore I am not sure if my Sony Walkman F806 will be good enough to drive them. Finally, AKG K701 is an honest headphone, in other words, poorly recorded songs or compressed files may not sound good. I listen to 320 kbps mp3 files only, and a lot of modern songs/recordings.
Sony MDR 7550:
Good vocals, comfortable design, I already have a comfortable eartip, and I am a Sony fanboy. Not exactly problems, but a few things worry me. No isolation, which can be disappointing, but not the end of the world. I actually do not mind if I hear some external noise, so I might use them as my portable earphones anyway. To follow up on that, however, these have a long chord. I am thinking of wrapping the chord with the cable management accessory that I got with my Sony XBA H1, but I will have to see.
XBA H3:
Looks awesome, worn overear like MDR 7550, and did I mention that I like Sony? I have two concerns. I do not like a lot of bass, and I know this hybrid has a ton of bass. Another problem is since this headphone has a lot of bass, it messes up the vocals and mids a little bit, which is a big no for me. The only reason why I am considering the XBA H3 is because there is a sale which allows me to buy one for $100 cheaper.
My Sound Preference:
As I mentioned before, I listen to all kinds of music. Kpop, Jpop, Dubstep, Electronic, Music Box, Instrumentals, Piano, Rock, Nightcore, Ballad, and probably more that I just can't think of at the moment. But, I listen to female vocals 70% of the time. Like I said, I am a complete novice when it comes to audio, but it seems like I am a treble head. When I listen through my Sony MDR 1R using my Sony Walkman F806, I often use a treble boost preset in PowerAmp. I really enjoy airiness in my music, and I want my soundstage to be very wide and open.
My 5 Favorite Songs:
1. Ray-Ebb and Flow
2. Juniel-Everlasting Sunset
3. Younha-Peace Love & Ice Cream
4. Nishino Kana-Motto...
5. Lim Kim (김예림)-Goodbye 20
Sorry for making the post so long. I am pretty new to this forum, so please excuse me for saying/doing something wrong or unnecessary. Any feedback, recommendation, or further questions are welcome. Thank you!
