[oopeteroo]

Hi!
its me again
 
Iam still looking for a new headphone.
 
Right now iam using:
Odac + build in O2 amp
HD650
mp3 320kbps and flac
 
im listening to Jpop, Kpop, Cpop, female Ballad, female vocal music, ascustic
 
I had the HD598
really love this, feeling there is no headphone on the head. Love the sound of it but choose the HD650
cause the widness on instrumental part, do i say airness or soundstage ?=/ sorry never learn those words
and it was better bass for some kpop music.
i miss somehow the vocal sound, the female voice that makes you dies at some part are gone with hd650.
Still HD650 is a good headphone but i wont melt on female voice as much as i did on HD598.
 
now. I have had some recommendation from the few months here.
The sad thing is i can try those headphones out before buying cause they are all rare here in sweden.
 
which one will be the most upgrade from HD650 or makes the genre i listening to shine more so i can melt to death ?
 
i have narrowed it down to these headphones, if no one can rec me better
 
Audio technica AD900x
isnt out yet, but people keep rec me the A900 that is closed, how is the AD900 that are open ?
i can prop wait till AD900x comes out
 
Sony MDR-CD900ST
someone said it is one of the best for jpop and vocal music ? only sold in japan?
 
Hifiman He-400
also many rec for this one
 
i wish i could afford all those and try it out, but iam not rich and its pain in da ass to return to oversea
 
yeah  here is some some music i listening to
 

 
 
plz help me out =)

 

[basslova]

AKG Q701?

I am not sure as I can't understand what you are saying and I don't listen to J-pop.

I own an HD650 and I've always though the Q701 are a good alternative to it.

 

[oopeteroo]

i had the Q701 for a few days but without an amp didnt like it that much

 

[oopeteroo]

anyone

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

i had the Q701 for a few days but without an amp didnt like it that much

 
Well that's probably why

I don't either.
 
I'm sure someone will post about the a900x.
I'm worried it's not as good for female vocals as the HD-598.
 
You know it doesn't hurt to sell the HD-650 and get the HD-598 again!
 
Believe it or not, I find the old HD-580 better for female vocals than the HD-600.
To me it's like an HD-598 on steroids. More forward upper mids, but a smaller soundstage than that of the HD-598.
Used they run about $150. I wouldn't buy one with HD-600 grills though. It's all about the grills! Same driver and everything.
 
Female vocals on my Q701 are actually more up-front than on the HD-598. Even more clear too.
 
BTW I loved the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 for vocals. I always wondered if the W1000 (or W1000x) was comparable. I've heard the W1000X is better for male vocals.
 
Someone was selling a K400 around here recently, so that's another suggestion. K501 is not bad either. I still prefer the Q701 to those (but i'd take the K601 or K501 over the K702).
 
 
oh yeah, the HE-400 is on my radar, but that Headroom graph scares me. I don't put much trust in graphs though. If it's "very warm' I doubt i'd like it. Even the HD-600 is too warm for me sometimes.

 

[Dyaems]

go for the cd900st bro. although they are really revealing and transparent, which might put you off with bad recordings, they sound spectacular specially on the midrange, specially with vocals and accoustic instruments.
 
i have yet heard the other two headphones, but i heard the ad900 (not with the x) and the cd900st betters in most aspects except soundstage since the ad900 is open. comfort should be better as well if compared with the he400 which is somewhat heavy. i had the he5le and i can only listen to it for 30mins to an hour because of its weight.
 
the cd900st is also good with jpop,kpop,lpop,mpop,opop,popcorn.. but yeah even they are revealing, i still quite enjoy them listening on pop recordings (jpop/kpop) and my on-the-go playlist is mostly composes of jpop/techno/trance/rock. we cant cant listen with sara k or livingston taylor on a bus with a roaring engine, dont we?

 

[oopeteroo]

Quote:

 
Well that's probably why

I don't either.
 
I'm sure someone will post about the a900x.
I'm worried it's not as good for female vocals as the HD-598.
 
You know it doesn't hurt to sell the HD-650 and get the HD-598 again!
 
Believe it or not, I find the old HD-580 better for female vocals than the HD-600.
To me it's like an HD-598 on steroids. More forward upper mids, but a smaller soundstage than that of the HD-598.
Used they run about $150. I wouldn't buy one with HD-600 grills though. It's all about the grills! Same driver and everything.
 
Female vocals on my Q701 are actually more up-front than on the HD-598. Even more clear too.
 
BTW I loved the Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 for vocals. I always wondered if the W1000 (or W1000x) was comparable. I've heard the W1000X is better for male vocals.
 
Someone was selling a K400 around here recently, so that's another suggestion. K501 is not bad either. I still prefer the Q701 to those (but i'd take the K601 or K501 over the K702).
 
 
oh yeah, the HE-400 is on my radar, but that Headroom graph scares me. I don't put much trust in graphs though. If it's "very warm' I doubt i'd like it. Even the HD-600 is too warm for me sometimes.

yeah i dont think i want the a900, want an open can maybe ad900/x will do ? anyone tried ad900 ?
have read its better than ad2000 in vocal/mid part and more comfy.
Yeah i can always buy back a hd598 but still looking for an upgrade for it i thought hd650 was a upgrade, really like it but it didnt put a big smile in me like hd598 did miss the vocal
 
you know ? i hate u because of you i have read a couple of hours about the hd580 maybe should try this out and maybe try the q701 again lol no money >_<
so you pick hd580 above q701? and dj100 above all those ?
btw how does the Odac sounds with q701 and hd580?
K400 want to try 2 >_<
you should buy the ad900x, He400 and cd900st, try it out with odac then let me know
 
Quote:

go for the cd900st bro. although they are really revealing and transparent, which might put you off with bad recordings, they sound spectacular specially on the midrange, specially with vocals and accoustic instruments.
 
i have yet heard the other two headphones, but i heard the ad900 (not with the x) and the cd900st betters in most aspects except soundstage since the ad900 is open. comfort should be better as well if compared with the he400 which is somewhat heavy. i had the he5le and i can only listen to it for 30mins to an hour because of its weight.
 
the cd900st is also good with jpop,kpop,lpop,mpop,opop,popcorn.. but yeah even they are revealing, i still quite enjoy them listening on pop recordings (jpop/kpop) and my on-the-go playlist is mostly composes of jpop/techno/trance/rock. we cant cant listen with sara k or livingston taylor on a bus with a roaring engine, dont we?

yeah i will maybe buy it from ebay or something but damn taxes >_<  iam afraid of the soundstage cause i really like open cans. But  if the vocal is superb i can deal with it.
But still havent decide yet its so hard people say he400 its a upgrade from hd650 so i wanna try that out 2 and now tdockweiler added q701, k400, hd580 to the list >_<

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
When I tested various headphones for k/j pop, I came up with the following for excellent female vocals and bass response (for the pop side of it) in a mid-fi price range:
 
AudioTechnica A900X (and it's been out for a while now)
Beyer DT770 & DT880
Denon D2000 & D5000
Hifiman HE-400 (with a slight EQ adjustment in mid-treble, up)
 
I enjoyed them the most in that range, as it seemed to have that emotional grip that the female vocal leads carry, with all that delicious boom boom for the pop side of things.
 
Very best,

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

yeah i dont think i want the a900, want an open can maybe ad900/x will do ? anyone tried ad900 ?
have read its better than ad2000 in vocal/mid part and more comfy.
Yeah i can always buy back a hd598 but still looking for an upgrade for it i thought hd650 was a upgrade, really like it but it didnt put a big smile in me like hd598 did miss the vocal
 
you know ? i hate u because of you i have read a couple of hours about the hd580 maybe should try this out and maybe try the q701 again lol no money >_<
so you pick hd580 above q701? and dj100 above all those ?
btw how does the Odac sounds with q701 and hd580?
K400 want to try 2 >_<
you should buy the ad900x, He400 and cd900st, try it out with odac then let me know
 
yeah i will maybe buy it from ebay or something but damn taxes >_<  iam afraid of the soundstage cause i really like open cans. But  if the vocal is superb i can deal with it.
But still havent decide yet its so hard people say he400 its a upgrade from hd650 so i wanna try that out 2 and now tdockweiler added q701, k400, hd580 to the list >_<

 
The HD-580 won't be dramatically different than the HD-650 I think. For me it's similar to the HD-600, but has more forward upper mids, sounds clearer an has a little less bass. Basically like an improved HD-598 but with a smaller soundstage. I try to get used to the HD-600 sound, but I can't, so I stick with the HD-580.
 
I don't think I'd take the HD-580 over the Q701. The HD-580 does seem to have thicker mids, less treble and a more closed in soundstage. There's a tiny bit more bass, but barely. I find the Q701 to be a lot clearer and mine has very smooth treble. It often is very revealing of how bad some Jpop is. A lot of it seems to have the mids/treble cranked up in the studio or something. The HD-598 and HD-580 seem more forgiving of these garbage tracks.
 
Right now I'm using my Q701 with a $10 DIY Canare cable and it adds a little warmth to the sound (same signature basically). It now sounds pretty similar to an HD-598, but with more forward upper mids and more treble. This is with the Headroom Micro Amp and ODAC (both very flat).
 
The ODAC is a perfect match for the Q701. Despite what people tend to say, it doesn't make it any more analytical etc. It actually made it sound even smoother than it normally is. It didn't suck out any of it's natural warmth. It's not as warm and full sounding as a Sennheiser HD-650, but for me that's a plus!
 
I still use my DJ100, but it's hard to compare it to the others. I'm pretty disappointed how my M50 pads have gone hard. It's just not the same headphone without the M50 pads.
 
Someday i'll try the A900x. I'm just a bit worried it might be too bassy. There's some graphs of it on goldenears and it looks OK.
 
I wonder if the DT-48E is amazing for female vocals? That's probably #2 on my list to try.

 

[Dyaems]

Quote:

yeah i dont think i want the a900, want an open can maybe ad900/x will do ? anyone tried ad900 ?
have read its better than ad2000 in vocal/mid part and more comfy.
Yeah i can always buy back a hd598 but still looking for an upgrade for it i thought hd650 was a upgrade, really like it but it didnt put a big smile in me like hd598 did miss the vocal
 
you know ? i hate u because of you i have read a couple of hours about the hd580 maybe should try this out and maybe try the q701 again lol no money >_<
so you pick hd580 above q701? and dj100 above all those ?
btw how does the Odac sounds with q701 and hd580?
K400 want to try 2 >_<
you should buy the ad900x, He400 and cd900st, try it out with odac then let me know
 
yeah i will maybe buy it from ebay or something but damn taxes >_<  iam afraid of the soundstage cause i really like open cans. But  if the vocal is superb i can deal with it.
But still havent decide yet its so hard people say he400 its a upgrade from hd650 so i wanna try that out 2 and now tdockweiler added q701, k400, hd580 to the list >_<

 
yeah the taxes will kill you if you buy outside japan xD but youll see one every now and then in the FS section for 150usd usually and IMO thats a very good deal. we dont have ad900x and he400 available for demo in our country, sadly. i tried all other hifiman models though, he300, he5, he5le (i own a pair before), and an he6.

 

[MrMateoHead]

Quote:

 
oh yeah, the HE-400 is on my radar, but that Headroom graph scares me. I don't put much trust in graphs though. If it's "very warm' I doubt i'd like it. Even the HD-600 is too warm for me sometimes.

HE-400 is not what I call "warm", and the Graph did not predict sound quality like I thought it would. Its tough to characterize the sound, but certainly they are nothing like Sennheiser from the models I have heard (595 and 485).
 
They are extremely textured, detailed, and transparent. They are "aggressive" enough to do justice to modern pop/rock/rap, smooth enough to avoid any obvious peaks, and the bass is fantastic. It is NOT an easy sound to beat at all, and with a strong amp (like an O2), they get real loud.
 
My main knock against them is that they are not necassarily the most comfortable phones ever, and they can be fatiguing. But this is coming from someone that often listens for hours while doing their work.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

HE-400 is not what I call "warm", and the Graph did not predict sound quality like I thought it would. Its tough to characterize the sound, but certainly they are nothing like Sennheiser from the models I have heard (595 and 485).
 
They are extremely textured, detailed, and transparent. They are "aggressive" enough to do justice to modern pop/rock/rap, smooth enough to avoid any obvious peaks, and the bass is fantastic. It is NOT an easy sound to beat at all, and with a strong amp (like an O2), they get real loud.
 
My main knock against them is that they are not necassarily the most comfortable phones ever, and they can be fatiguing. But this is coming from someone that often listens for hours while doing their work.

They get pretty comfy once you get all the adjustments perfect. It's all about positioning and angling the cups so that the pads rest evenly around your ears without excess pressure at any particular region of contact.

 

[MrMateoHead]

Quote:

They get pretty comfy once you get all the adjustments perfect. It's all about positioning and angling the cups so that the pads rest evenly around your ears without excess pressure at any particular region of contact.

Actually thanks for pointing that out. They are so stiff that I didn't realize I can actually twist the cups to angle better to my dome. At first, I thought they might be fixed, and I would break them if I wasn't careful!
I am going to experiment and report back, as initially, they are biting the front / jaw region more than the back of my head. A simple twist should even the pressure right out!

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Actually thanks for pointing that out. They are so stiff that I didn't realize I can actually twist the cups to angle better to my dome. At first, I thought they might be fixed, and I would break them if I wasn't careful!
I am going to experiment and report back, as initially, they are biting the front / jaw region more than the back of my head. A simple twist should even the pressure right out!

Yeah don't blame yourself that you didn't discover this; quite a few HE400 owners complained of things like "they hurt my jaws" or "QC issue one side doesn't line up with the other side" before they were reminded that there is one extra axis of rotational adjustment possible lol.

 

[MrMateoHead]

Quote:

Yeah don't blame yourself that you didn't discover this; quite a few HE400 owners complained of things like "they hurt my jaws" or "QC issue one side doesn't line up with the other side" before they were reminded that there is one extra axis of rotational adjustment possible lol.

Yup - I was spoiled by my Senns "magically" adjusting tilt/rotation for me every time I put them on.
 
I've since given them a few twists and yup - that's starting to feel real nice.