[jungkyu]

Soooo im a dubstep fan and im not a complete basshead so I like hearing other things besides bass like mids and highs too. I just broke my S4's and I want to get a replacement pair (but not earphones I want headphones. On ear or around ear isnt too important but around ear is preferred.)
 
I heard about the m50 have good bass and run well unamped but is there a better choice? (my budget is 170$ max and I am not planning on buying an amp nor do I have one.)
 
I also am not a complete audiophile so if you think that there is a better choice but the tiny sound difference is not worth the extra cash for a noob like me, dont bother mentioning it. 
 
Thanks in advance =)

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
XB500, equalize the mids/highs up a few dB, and you have the best low-cost Dub headphone that can turn around and do acoustic rather well. Again, equalized, these headphones are impressive. I've never heard a headphone change so much with a few bumps of equalization. And you can do that for $50 new.
 
If you can't be bothered with that, go with the Ultrasone HFI 580. Better sound stage than the AudioTechnica M50.
 
Very best,

 

[jungkyu]

In terms of leakage and isolation, which one's the best? The m50, xb500, or the hfi580? Also, if money isnt a problem and I have the choice between only those 3, is hfi580 my best bet?
 
Also, a keep in mind thingy, I dont like ONLY dubstep. Its just that dubstep is 65% of what I listen to. The rest is kpop. So would the hfi580 be good for this? ALSO, sorry for the extra question, but where would sr60i's/80i's fit into here in terms of soundstage, dubstep, and kpop. would it be better than the hfi580 for kpop and dubstep if i used the equalizer? 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

In terms of leakage and isolation, which one's the best? The m50, xb500, or the hfi580? Also, if money isnt a problem and I have the choice between only those 3, is hfi580 my best bet?
 
Also, a keep in mind thingy, I dont like ONLY dubstep. Its just that dubstep is 65% of what I listen to. The rest is kpop. So would the hfi580 be good for this? ALSO, sorry for the extra question, but where would sr60i's/80i's fit into here in terms of soundstage, dubstep, and kpop. would it be better than the hfi580 for kpop and dubstep if i used the equalizer? 

Heya,
 
In terms of isolation, the XB500 leaks the most. The M50 and HFI 580 leak about the same. If I had to choose between any of them, it would be overall the HFI 580 due to sound stage and slight edge in sound over the M50.
 
The 580 is also why I suggested it overall, since no one just listens to dub. The 580 will do well in most genres. It just happens to be very capable in bass, has a great sound stage for a closed headphone, and is not that expensive.
 
SR60 & SR80 would be awful for dub. They have very little bass presence, just a punch in the ear to let you know that bass occurred, but the low tone just won't be there. They're good for things like rock and acoustic, but not good for electronic music at all (at least in my opinion) because they are anemic by a dub-step listener's standards. And Equalizer will not save them for bass. If you want a Grado with bass, you have to look into the SR225 and SR325 I'm afraid. Grados are not good all-arounder headphones if electronic stuff is involved. A massive Grado fan might disagree, but I like to test headphones and not just be fan of one thing. And Grados just don't do EDM/Dub for me at all.
 
Very best,

 

[jungkyu]

thanks a bunch for your advice. Im going to get the hfi580 and see how it goes with dubstep. 
 
btw is there a thanks button somewhere? all i see is a thumbs up button. (I like to thank people who've helped me  -__- )

 

[TMRaven]

M50s have a good amount of bass quantity/sound level, but the bass isn't very visceral.  You might be better off with a 580.

 

[jupitreas]

The Ultrasone is definitely a good choice but there are also some other alternatives out there for you if you end up not being satisfied or if you just want to look at your options.
One alternative specifically for dub/electronic music that also fares well in other genres is the Beyerdynamic DJX-1. Additionally, this can is really quite comfortable. You might also look at other DJ headphones from other manufacturers, for example the Pioneer HDJ-500T and the Allen Heath Xone X-53, which is currently available on Amazon for 160$, which is a really good price for these headphones.
 
If you are willing to go a bit higher with your budget (say 200$), that really opens your choices up even more. With this kind of money, you could get a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro or a Pioneer HDJ-1000, both headphones that are amongst the best for electronic music.
 
Alternatively, you could go a little lower and for about 100$ get either the Sony MDR-V6 or the Sennheiser HD280 Pro, both cans with great bass responses and otherwise a very neutral sound (good for all genres).

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

The Ultrasone is definitely a good choice but there are also some other alternatives out there for you if you end up not being satisfied or if you just want to look at your options.
One alternative specifically for dub/electronic music that also fares well in other genres is the Beyerdynamic DJX-1. Additionally, this can is really quite comfortable. You might also look at other DJ headphones from other manufacturers, for example the Pioneer HDJ-500T and the Allen Heath Xone X-53, which is currently available on Amazon for 160$, which is a really good price for these headphones.
 
If you are willing to go a bit higher with your budget (say 200$), that really opens your choices up even more. With this kind of money, you could get a Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro or a Pioneer HDJ-1000, both headphones that are amongst the best for electronic music.
 
Alternatively, you could go a little lower and for about 100$ get either the Sony MDR-V6 or the Sennheiser HD280 Pro, both cans with great bass responses and otherwise a very neutral sound (good for all genres).

Heya,
 
Just to point out, the HFI 580 and the DT770 Pro 80, the HFI 580 was better in every way sonically. The only thing the DT770 PRO 80 had over the 580 was velour pads. Price difference favoring the 580 too. Portability difference, ie, no amp necessary also favoring the 580.
 
Very best,
 

 

[jupitreas]

In my case, I really couldn't live with the S-Logic system the Ultrasone has. It probably has something to do with me having assymetrical ear-canals. I have compared both cans in a quiet listening environment specifically designed for headphone audition at a friendly headphone store, BTW. I used my Cowon iAudio i9 to drive both cans and neither required any additional amplification.
 
Quote:

Heya,  
Just to point out, the HFI 580 and the DT770 Pro 80, the HFI 580 was better in every way sonically. The only thing the DT770 PRO 80 had over the 580 was velour pads. Price difference favoring the 580 too. Portability difference, ie, no amp necessary also favoring the 580.
 
Very best,
 

 

 

[Byakushiki]

HDJ1000 is a bit fragile though. The swivel points on it are plastic, only the headband is magnesium. The 2000's are tougher from all the reviews on it by far(I probably would have gone for them if I could, either that or some Ultrasones). Only problem would be they're a bit above your price point, $280ish.

 

[jupitreas]

I know a lot of DJs who use the HDJ1000 and they never complained about it falling apart. Being plastic does not necessarily mean that they are not durable. The Sennheiser HD650 is all plastic as well, after all...
 
Quote:

HDJ1000 is a bit fragile though. The swivel points on it are plastic, only the headband is magnesium. The 2000's are tougher from all the reviews on it by far(I probably would have gone for them if I could, either that or some Ultrasones). Only problem would be they're a bit above your price point, $280ish.

 

 

[tinamou62]

I have an HP DV6T pavilion "entertainment" PC, and to be honest, the ATH M50's without an amp were quite disappointing. Not because the headphones are bad, but because this PC, labeled an "entertainment" one, doesn't even have a sound card...just a miserable chip. Once I got a Fiio E7, everything changed. I thought that maybe the ATH M50 didn't live up to the hype...oh boy, was I wrong. It wasn't the headphone, just the generally bad quality of music coming out of the computer. The amp...it made the ATH M50 change dramatically.

 

[swiftW1nd]

I have the M50s,  I find the bass too weak for EDM including dubstep. I upgraded to the V-Moda M-100, problem solved.

 

[tinamou62]

Quote:

I have the M50s,  I find the bass too weak for EDM including dubstep. I upgraded to the V-Moda M-100, problem solved.

I agree, but this is only true if you're plugging straight out of an ipod/pc without a sound card. With the Fiio E7 DAC, even bass boost level one is shakingly solid. 

 

[elmuano]

Very true, just tried it on new ATH-M50x with Fiio e07K, the bass boost is incredible. I have Sennheisers which I never amp/dac and use straight on my laptop for Classical music and love the soundstage, but the boom on these Audiotechs when amped makes me want to listen to dubstep