[jums]

Looking for an openback for the home, prefereably unamped but could splash out for an amp if neccessary
previously owned re0, sennheiser 300, soundmagic pl-11 but looking for an over ear for comfort and better sound for money. basically a massive upgrade!

 
Been looking at:
 
Grado sr80i
 
audio technica m50
 
akg k271 mkii
 
and,
 
akg k701 (maybe a little over budget but they have a good reputation no to dissapoint!)
 
Wondering if there are any others to consider for around same price. I listen to indie, rock and alternative mostly, sometimes dubstep so might need little extra bass. Using with ipod or electric drum kit

 
Any thoughts?
 
many thanks

 
james

 

[jums]

much appreciation for any replies!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The K701/2 definitely need an amp and aren't even neutral when it comes to bass. They have bass, but you'll definitely find it lacking. They're sterile and analytical, so I think for your genres you'll need something a bit more aggressive.
 
The DT880's do quite well with pretty much any genre, and has impactful bass when called for it. If you want even more kicking bass, the DT990 would suit you, but beware the piercing highs. Both of these need an amp, regardless of ohm rating. The 32ohms can benefit from a portable amp, while the 250/600ohm benefit a LOT from a desktop amp.
 
The M50s are an absolute blast to listen to considering how cheap they are, and don't need an amp to sound good. I enjoy listening to them on occasion (sold it to my roommate). For the price tag, I'd say these are a worthy first buy when it comes to over ear.
 
Haven't heard Grados, but I'm gonna assume that people would recommend the Alessandro MS1 or SR80i.
 
I also had the RE0. Loved them. The closest sound you'll get here to those is the K701/2 but waaaaaaaay more open.
 
 
 
 

 

[jums]

Thanks!!
 
yeh i love my re0's! The k701/2 would be ideal but their price not so much. (amp reccomendation?)
 
im defenitely considering m50s, price and soundstage are ideal.
 
ive also been looking at the sennheisers and wondering about any of their hd range?
 
at the moment its between - grado sr80i, m50, dt990 and k701/2
 
its just whether i splash out the extra $150 for the akg + amp since you said their sound is close to the re0 and i loved them

 

[Katun]

No doubt, M50 is a solid headphone. But, the AD700 is another fabulous headphone, that can be bought even cheaper.
 
The AD700 will also give you a much better sound stage than the M50, as well as providing much higher comfort.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The M50 has a very tiny soundstage.
 
I've been using my new E9 (ridiculously powerful for the price) and it works very well with the K701, but I'm sure K701/2 purist will tell you that they need a BETTER amp, even when they haven't even tried the E9.
 
The DT990 is a 'fun' headphone with fantastic bass and large soundstage, but they're not balanced like the RE0s are. I think you would probably like the DT880s. They're well loved here as a balanced headphone. Pretty much the way the RE0s are loved.
 

 

[jums]

i have looked at the ad700 and was wondering what it was like compared to the m50 thanks! Considering the price the k701/2 + the e9 is over budget. Im trying not to spend to much over $300/£200 (amp included). Will either of the beyers need to be amped? as i can get the dt990 for around $200 and the dt880 for $500. The akg are around the same price as the dt880 whereas the m50/ad700/sr80i can be had for $180. I think the dt880 and k701/2 are too expensive as lovely as they are. Is there nothing similar to the re0 but open back over ear? ill increase my budget to $300 dollars if neccessary... thanks

 

[Katun]

Yes, the Beyer's will need to be amped unfortunately.
 
When I had the K701, DT880, and the HD650, I tried them all unamped straight out of my MP3. The result? Well, lets just say the AD700 sounded 95% the same except less bass in some instances. The AD700 is a marvelous headphone in it's own right, but it also does not require an amp at all -- as the DT880 and K701 need a really nice one to make them shine. Overall, the AD700 is just a spectacular headphone, that really is an unprecedented value in the headphone market.
 
Bottom line, there is a line you cross when you buy headphones that will really suck your money away if you cross it. Where's the line? Well, just around where the DT880 / K701 / D2000 lie. Not only are you going to have to pay for the headphone, but on top of that, and amp that may be as expensive, or more expensive then the headphone itself.
 
For now, I would almost just suggest to meanderin the "unamped" world, unless you have the funds for a super hi-fi headphone with an amp.

 

[jums]

Thanks again, i think you have a great point there and i will stick to the less expensive un-amped side of the market. What about hd595 or hd598 or hd600 or hd558? ive decided on this kind of price range where i dont need an amp that wont cost a small fortune, thanks for the save yeh its really between the two audiotechnicas, the sr80i or something which i havent come across yet like a sennheiser

 

[tdockweiler]

I don't understand all the AD700 suggestions. They would be a very poor choice for any music with a lot of bass. The bass on the AD700 to me is even worse then the amped AKG k701.
 
Are you ok with a semi-open headphone? The k240 Studio is a very good deal for $100. It also is perfect for any music, even bass heavy music. The k240 seems to be one of the few more expensive AKG headphones that has a fairly good amount of bass.
 
If you have a small Ipod I don't suggest them. They are good enough to suggest straight out of say an Ipod Touch or receiver though. Even a cheap $20 amp (like the E5) might help them.
 
BTW the akg 271 is a closed version of the k240, but is supposed to have a lot less bass. It's also much more expensive.
 
M50 is also closed. They're one of the better unamped headphones, but I prefer the k240 Studio, which most people just ignore.
 
k240 is also one of the most comfortable headphones i've ever owned. Easily beats the Beyer and Sennheiser stuff to me due to them having zero clamping force (kind of like the AD700).
They feel more secure on your head then the AD700.
 
HD-555 might be OK, but the soundstage is far worse then the k240, it's also a bit more laid back and has a lot less detail and less bass. Anything past the 555/595 will absolutely require an amp.
I'd take the M50 or the k240 over the HD-555 easily. For gaming, i'd probably pick the HD-555 over the M50, but not the k240.

 

[jums]

thanks, how are the k240 studios different to the k240 mkii? will the hd595 need amping?
 
I have a small ipod nano (3rd gen) which might not pack enough punch and as you said need a small portable amp like the e5/e3.
 
i would also be using the headphones on electric drum kit.
 
considering - k240 studio, m50 (although closed), sr80i, ad700, 595/598
 
plus i saw you like the k601, im guessing these need amping? would a nano+e5 do them justice?
 
lets say if i was to get a small amp, such as the e5/e7, which headphones listed would serve me the best?

 

[Katun]

This should help: http://www.trustedreviews.com/mp3/review/2009/05/10/High-End-Headphone-Round-up/p1

 

[tdockweiler]

The MKII just has two sets of pads (Velour and pleather) and two cables. They're not worth more then $30 extra I think.
I'm not really sure if the Ipod Nano would be enough the k240. I would say no. On my Ipod Touch I max the volume and they sound perfectly fine to my ears. Enough to suggest that combination.
An Ipod Nano + E5 might work, but it may be best to skip that combination since it may be a risk.
 
I've tried the M50, Sr-80, ad700 and HD-555 (not 595, but did the foam mod) and prefer the k240 for my music. I don't really listen to any bass heavy music though.
Every headphone above has their negatives, but if I wrote down what they were, the k240 would have the fewest. It really just depends on the sound signature you like.
 
k601 definitely needs a full desktop amp. If it's harder to drive then the k701,then not even a portable amp would work. I couldn't find a portable amp that was enough for the k701.
 
If I had to absolutely buy a headphone from your list using just a Nano and no amp, I think I'd pick the m50. M50 may even need an amp to sound best with a nano, but i'm not so sure.
My modded SR-80 sure does sound good though, but I never use them due to comfort. I have those stupid flat pads and need to buy some different ones.
Quote:

thanks, how are the k240 studios different to the k240 mkii? will the hd595 need amping?
 
I have a small ipod nano (3rd gen) which might not pack enough punch and as you said need a small portable amp like the e5/e3.
 
i would also be using the headphones on electric drum kit.
 
considering - k240 studio, m50 (although closed), sr80i, ad700, 595/598
 
plus i saw you like the k601, im guessing these need amping? would a nano+e5 do them justice?
 
lets say if i was to get a small amp, such as the e5/e7, which headphones listed would serve me the best?

 

[Uncle Erik]

They need an amp, but the Sennheiser HD-600 are the class of the lot. They have superb tonal balance, soundstage, comfort, and get everything just about right. The HD-600 isn't the final word in resolution the way some of the new $1k+ überheadphones or discontinued classics are, but they're about as good as you can get. They also scale up in performance with better amplifiers.

I've owned most of the others mentioned here. The K-701 has a weird artificial tinge to the mids that always rubbed me the wrong way. I could never enjoy them. The DT880 is a very good headphone, but is tipped up low and high. Some people like that. I did enough to enjoy them, but eventually sold and moved on. The HD-650 is very good and substantially similar to the HD-600. However, the HD-650 is a shade darker than a HD-600, but also a little smoother. I give my nod to the HD-600 for being more neutral and costing less.

The AT headphones are OK. I didn't hear much I loved and didn't really hate them, either. But there wasn't anything good enough to consider a purchase.

 

[jums]

thank for the help! just a pointer, ill also be using with home stereo system (amplifier + cd player) which will mean no power problems faced with the nano which inevitably will suck even with an amp. I might go for the k240 studio since it is semi open which means it wont be too much of a problem with my electric drum kit but will still have some of the benefits of an open headphone or the ad700, which wont really need to be driven.