[cryogenesis51]

Hi guys,
a friend of mine owns a pair of Audio Technica M50X so I asked him to let me listen some music through them in order to verify if they are my cup of tea.
Everyone in the world seems to love them but unfortunatly, for me, they are too much bass-heavy. The bass is bloated and I didn't find the overall balance that everyone seems to love.
I usually listen to prog rock/metal so I need some headphones with a frequency response as flat as possible, without thumping bass. I like when bass is tight and clean, not overwhelming.
 
My budget is around 200$. What closed headphones can you suggest me? Are the "Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro" good enough for my personal preferences?
 
Thanks in advance and sorry for my broken English. 

 

 

[cryogenesis51]

Any advice?

 

[serman005]

DT770 is a good headphone but it does tend toward the peaky or sibilant in the treble, so, if you are someone looking for a flatter signature, it may not be your cup of tea either. One that comes to mind in your price range and that has a relatively flat response is the SoundMAGIC HP150. It could work for you. It is very, very good. Also, the AKG K553 Pro is fairly flat and is another option for you to consider. Both of these will be less 'boomy' in the bass than the M50x you tried and didn't like.

 

[touramalli]

I'll add the Sennheiser 598, the Shure 440 (880 if you can afford it but it has more bass) and the Audio Technica AD900.
If you are a rook guy and you can listen to a pair of Grados, it can be another option. Their signature is really special so you can love it or hate it.

They are open headphones (the Shures are closed), I don't know if you need isolation.

 

[cryogenesis51]

Thanks a lot for the advices, guys. I really appreciate it.
 
I know open-back headphones sound much better, but I need isolation for various reasons. So I need to necessarily buy closed headpones.
AKG K553 are interesting if you can confirm they have not overwhelming bass.
 
My friend told me that Shure SRH840 and Beyerdynamic Custom Studio should fit my personal preference. What do you think of these two?

 

[touramalli]

The Beyer are an interesting pair, they have a slider to change the low end.

The Shure are not well built. I own the 440 and even if they look solid and I love the sound, they are a cheap cracky plastic headphones.

 

[touramalli]

Be aware you may need an amp to power the Beyerdynamics properly.
The Shure are more efficient.

 

[cel4145]

+1 for the Soundmagic HP150 as an upgrade over M50X. They do everything better, IMO.

 

[nomad1]

If you want closed headphones with neutral sound signature then Brainwavz HM5 is a good option in my opinion.

 

[PaulNesa]

MSR7-it was built for music
Differences from m50:
-More treble and the mids feel closer (like you are microphone being sung into)
-Tighter bass
-greater clarity and accuracy
Cons: Source dependent. Will reveal bad recordings due to the increased in clarity.

 

[cryogenesis51]

Be aware you may need an amp to power the Beyerdynamics properly.
The Shure are more efficient.

 
I have the chance to buy the DAC M-Track II Plus at a incredible low price. Do you think it's enough to generate good audio quality, or I must buy an amp to power the 80ohm Beyerdynamic?
 
 

+1 for the Soundmagic HP150 as an upgrade over M50X. They do everything better, IMO.

  If you want closed headphones with neutral sound signature then Brainwavz HM5 is a good option in my opinion.

 
Brainwavz HM5, and Soundmagic HP150 seem to be a good choice for me. Is there some frequency response graph to look at?
 
 

MSR7-it was built for music
Differences from m50:
-More treble and the mids feel closer (like you are microphone being sung into)
-Tighter bass
-greater clarity and accuracy
Cons: Source dependent. Will reveal bad recordings due to the increases clarity.

 
Thanks for your feedback. I heard MSR7 are great in terms of audio quality, but they are a little bit out of my budget. I'll keep an eye on them only if I can't find anything else.

 

[PaulNesa]

I got mine for $180.

 

[cryogenesis51]

Unfortunatly, here in Italy they cost 224€, something like 250$.

 

[touramalli]

The Beyerdynamics don't need a lot of power, I think you should be fine. Receivers usually don't have good headphone amps, I don't know how it works with audio interfaces.
They are similar to the DT770 80ohm, so you can do your researches. Audioboot900.com is a good site to pair source gear with headphones but they focus on dedicated headphone amps.

Check headphone.com if you want to compare frequency responses and other specifications.

 

[cel4145]

Brainwavz HM5, and Soundmagic HP150 seem to be a good choice for me. Is there some frequency response graph to look at?

I got my teenage son the HM5s and I used to have the HP150s. HP150s have much better soundstage and overall better resolution, IMO. Better class of headphone. The only thing the HM5 wins on is comfort because of those big mushroom ear pads. But then they are more comfortable than a lot of headphones