[incubated]

I recently finished school and finally managed to get a minimum wage job. I was able to treat myself to a Fiio E11 headphone amp recently and found it an excellent addition to my Alessandro MS-1s. The iPod sounds more powerful and punchy, but I hear a enough sibilance when equalizing, and shaking in general, to make it somewhat unpleasant. It's very good unequalized with high gain and max bass boost, yet it has not been too long that I started yearning for more. Long story short, I am looking to upgrade on a budget.
 
My main use for headphones would be portable. I am not looking  to set up an audiophile den, yet. I am perfectly happy right now with M-Audio AV 40s and an M-Audio Delta 192 soundcard. Although, strangely, i found the headphones to sound more powerful via the amp even on an ipod than through the pc. Headphones do come in handy for late night and early morning listening/gaming.
 
I like the neutral quality of the ms 1. i know most people complain that it is a little weak on the low end, but i like that. i find the bass to be plenty present, and very well controlled. too much of it can just give me a headache. besides i am looking for a good frequency range over the preference for the one. the one real downside to the ms-1s is they leak a lot of sound. especially on certain songs, it can feel uncomfortable  listening on the subway. and in retrospect, they let plenty of subway noise in. not fun.
 
to get to the point. i would like to upgrade in range of 200$ used. i was considering the akgs but read  much  disfavour against portable amplification. i haven't really heard them but if i understand the jargon correctly they should be a  comparable upgrade to the ms-1s. how would my setup fare with the akg q701s? i am not really looking forward to upgrading the amp, or getting a dac any time soon. also, one of the most attractive pros in favour of these was their praised soundstage.
 
actually, i was  really looking forward to Fischer Audio F-003 after reading a rave review of it, but i cannot find them anywhere. the two retailers from their official website are out of stock, and ebay is useless. they seemed the perfect blend of price, close back, noise dampening, sound stage. "neutral champs" as they were described.
 
if it is not the right choice for me, what would be a proper alternative? i listen to all sorts of music from mozart to tupac to trentemoller to bobby macferrin to led zeppelin to jesse cook. as you see, versatility is a valuable resource.
 
i would like headphones that will integrate well with my set up and have potential for improvement as i upgrade my gear. i intend to have a solid setup, just not yet.
 
thanks in advance

 

[Lurkumaural]

Not for you, for the listening conditions you described.  You want a headphone that's portable, and that's not the 701.  It's open-backed like your MS-1, it requires way more juice than your E11 to really be worth the dough, and for your budget you can pick something that will do a lot better for what you want it to do.
 
Others would be able to better advise an alternative.  What I would do if I were you would be to search what people are actually using with their E11.  Pro 900 and SRH940 (though the velours might not be great for isolating subway noise... maybe the 840) come to mind.  Surely there are others.  From my collection, I would grab my MDR-7506, great with an iPod and even better if you're packing a good portable amp.  Isolation is good and it's lighter on the head than other full-sized cans.  You can also see if you can grab a Denon AH-D2000 for your price.  Again, search the threads for what people are using with the E11 or even unamped out of their DAP.
 
As far as musical tastes, I see it like this: if I like the music and I like the headphone, I'm gonna enjoy myself.  And if gaming is a major consideration, maybe some of the gamers can offer a headphone that will also be your commuter can.  I thought the one of the DT770 models was mentioned for this purpose.
 
Hope this helps.  Maybe others will have some solid advice for you.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

I would not use an open air headphone as a portable. I do sometimes wear my Grados while driving and walking around, but I highly recommend against it. Just too much leak. You'll not hear what you're even listening to if there's anything going on, or making sound, around you.
 
Instead, time to look at closed headphones.
 
FA-003 here.
 
Great selection by the way, the FA-003 was a headphone I immediately wanted to suggest to you. Another one is the used SRH940 (there's a used one for $225 right now in the for sale forum). Other headphones include the Ultrasone HFI 780, the K272 HD, and the CAD Audio MH310.
 
Very best,

 

[Acix]

Are AKG Q701 for me?  You're the only one that can answer this question... if you decide to go with the K-702, or the Q-701, you'll need a desktop amp. The good news are that you can get the Headfive, or the Matrix M-Stage amp for around $200.

 

[incubated]

thanks for the feedback.
 
it looks like i will hold out from buying these for now. i requested to be notified when the f-003s restock. meanwhile, i guess i will read up and browse the classifieds.
 
what is the opinion on other quincey jones headphones? how do you guys feel about akg in general?