Best can for up to $300 ?

[classics]

Ok yeah haha I mean im not looking to blow my ears off so im sure they will be loud enough but I may purchase an amp anyways just for kicks to see how much better it really sounds. Looking at the E11 amp with the Beyerdynamic 880s 250 ohm for my setup. Anyone see anything wrong with that setup?

 

[makiawa]

Ultrasone PRO 900. I auditioned it with some other Ultrasone cans and got kind of unrequited love for it. They were just too far above from my budget.

 

[Greed]

Quote:

Ok yeah haha I mean im not looking to blow my ears off so im sure they will be loud enough but I may purchase an amp anyways just for kicks to see how much better it really sounds. Looking at the E11 amp with the Beyerdynamic 880s 250 ohm for my setup. Anyone see anything wrong with that setup?

Sounds like a nice little setup!

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

Hi, im looking into getting a set of headphones for listening to my ipod and traveling with. I know the full size cans might be a little big to travel with but I will just keep them in a backpack for easy access.I dont really want the open cans even though I think I would really enjoy listening to them because iv heard acoustic sounds incredible on them but they leak sound and I would like to beable to listen to a good pair of headphones on an airplane. I have been looking at the beyerdynamic DT770 pros & the Allen & heath xd-53s. I like the xd-53s because they swivel and I can just rest them on my shoulders if I get tired of listening but the DT770s just seem like they would have better sound quality. I dont really know that much about headphones but I want to get the most quality I can for my money. I am interested in amping some headphones to to increase the performance. I would rather not spend over $100 on an amp though so im not really sure if it would be worth getting a cheaper amp.  Please let me know your opinion and what you would reccomend, thanks.

 
Hey there Classics. Welcome to Head-Fi!
 
You're looking for something around the $300 range. It's gotta be somewhat portable. Isolation should also be good both inwards and outwards. It must be highly efficient so you can run it on portable players without an amp and still have it sound great. I know you don't mind amping, but it is going to take away from creating a portable solution. So far, so good?
 
I'm seeing a lot of people recommend the DT770. I have the DT770 and use it daily at work. I love the signature of it and wouldn't give it up for the world. It's not what you're looking for, though. It's large, clunky, not even close to being portable, and not at all efficient enough to run without an amp. Yes, there's a 32ohm version, but there's still all of the other drawbacks. Scratch it off your list.
 
Check out the follow:

1. Sennheiser Momentum (Above your budget, but they're easy to find everywhere and you should just listen to them to see what you think about it in terms of the sonics.
2. Sony MDR-1R (Very efficient. Warm and very fun sound.)
3. V-Moda M80
4. Logitech UE 6000 (a lot of can for the money)

 
Check out this comparison for more info.

 

[classics]

Hey rougegeek you nailed it man ! That is exactly what I want out of my next set of headphones. One of my friends also reccomend Momentums because of the portability but I couldnt really understand why because they dont look like they fold up or anything. I really like the momentums and the case they come with so I think in that sense they would be portable. Also I do like the v-moda m80s as well so I will be considering that. I tried my buddies DT770s and loved the sound of them so I cant imgaine what the 880s would sound like. I will be mainly traveling through airports and long car rides so I plan on keeping whichever headphone I decide on in a case inside a backpack. So my question is would it really be so inconvient to stash the DT880s in a backpack and take them out before I get on the plane? Also, I would be willing to spend up to 400-500 max, I listed $300 to leave room for an amplifier, dont know if that changes anything.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

Hey rougegeek you nailed it man ! That is exactly what I want out of my next set of headphones. One of my friends also reccomend Momentums because of the portability but I couldnt really understand why because they dont look like they fold up or anything. I really like the momentums and the case they come with so I think in that sense they would be portable. Also I do like the v-moda m80s as well so I will be considering that. I tried my buddies DT770s and loved the sound of them so I cant imgaine what the 880s would sound like. I will be mainly traveling through airports and long car rides so I plan on keeping whichever headphone I decide on in a case inside a backpack. So my question is would it really be so inconvient to stash the DT880s in a backpack and take them out before I get on the plane? Also, I would be willing to spend up to 400-500 max, I listed $300 to leave room for an amplifier, dont know if that changes anything.

 
I really love the Momentum's sound, but there were so many things that bugged me about them. If you like the Momentum, the 1R is very very very close to the same signature, but with a whole lot better comfort, cables, and a true full ear cup.
 
The DT880 sounds different from the DT770. I wouldn't make assumptions on it based on the DT770. You'll definitely need to get more feedback on them and hear the difference if you can. I feel they're more balanced. The DT880 is also an open-back can, so the isolation is not going to be there, which is a big deal if you're trying to be portable and traveling. Now is it physically inconvenient for you to travel with them? Ehh, that's for you to decide.
 
In fact, all of this is for you to decide. I'm just giving you my perspective based on my experience with the cans listed here. I would recommend listening to the Momentum. If you like it, There's a good chance you'll like the 1R.

 

[money4me247]

Quote:

Thanks man im really starting to lean towards the DT880s, I found them brand new for $230 in the 250 ohm version. I cant seem to find them in the 80 ohm version..I would rather buy new because than I know exactly what to expect. Its hard to judge when buying used headphones IMO because people could say 10 hours of listening time on them when their was really 3 days I probablywouldnt beable to tell lol. 

fyi dt880 are semi-open. I am not sure what that means, but I imagine semi-open would leak sound. if I was looking for travel headphones, I personally would go closed. from what I've heard the dt770 is a great choice especially for it's sub-$250 price.
 
I don't know anything about the Allen & heath xd-53s, but another sub $300 headphones that swivel and fold and look very similar would be the ultrasone pro 900. DJ headphones generally have more bass than studio/reference headphones.
 
also from my experience, a lot of people here at head-fi have their own personal preference in headphones and they will heavily push their favorite pair. You need to demo some pairs yourself. I would suggest you go to Best Buy and try the AKG K550 for a reference point of something that is generally considered very neutral and non-bass boosted for a pair of closed headphones. Just try as many headphones as you can, so when you go back on these forums you can have a sense of what you are looking for & what is similar. Remember that everyone hears differently and likes different things, so try not to discount a pair of headphones w/o trying them yourself.
 
In the $300 range for closed, portable headphones, I've tried UE6000 ($200), V-Moda M100 ($300), Mdr-1r ($300), AKG K550 ($300), and Momentum ($350), so if you have any questions about one of those headphones, just PM me. All of them are solid headphones depending on what you prefer.
 

 

[roguegeek]

Semi-open is still open and that means isolation is compromised with the DT880. And again, you'll need an amp to get the best from the DT770. The K550 is a good choice you should definitely check out, although it kind of falls into the same boat as the Momentum for me in that they sound great (very different from the others discussed here, though), but the quality, comfort, and lack of features is something to be desired. That's another can I would own if it weren't for all the compromises that come with it.
 
Again, check out this comparison which also includes the K550.

 

[classics]

Thanks a lot of good suggestions here. I would rather not have anything bass heavy because im looking for a headphone that will sound good with guitars. I do listen to a lot of rap but I think most rap is of poor quality, correct me if im wrong.I will probably be listening to more rock anyways, but I am a bit concerned with the DT880s being semi open. They seem like they would fit my music taste very well with them being a well rounded headphone but I dont want to annoy the person sitting next to me. Anyone have any experiance with this ? Im gonna head over to Guitar Center & Best Buy tommorow to test some headphones out. Im guessing they probably dont have many of them to try out but maybe they will have something similar like money4me247 stated. Also im gonna pick up some CDs so I have some real quality songs to listen to on these new cans !!

 

[money4me247]

Quote:

Thanks a lot of good suggestions here. I would rather not have anything bass heavy because im looking for a headphone that will sound good with guitars. I do listen to a lot of rap but I think most rap is of poor quality, correct me if im wrong.I will probably be listening to more rock anyways, but I am a bit concerned with the DT880s being semi open. They seem like they would fit my music taste very well with them being a well rounded headphone but I dont want to annoy the person sitting next to me. Anyone have any experiance with this ? Im gonna head over to Guitar Center & Best Buy tommorow to test some headphones out. Im guessing they probably dont have many of them to try out but maybe they will have something similar like money4me247 stated. Also im gonna pick up some CDs so I have some real quality songs to listen to on these new cans !!

yes!!! that is a great plan make sure you have a few songs you know by heart what they are supposed to sound like, one song of each genre you like, a song with vocals+guitar+bass (so you can notice if the mids are too recessed or bass is too weak/strong), and a low-quality song (lol - some headphones are more forgiving than others). rmb if you feel like you hear flaws, double check that it's the source not the headphones
 
have fun & good luck! hope you find smtg you like.

 

[Trunks159]

Quote:

I don't know why so many people suggest the DT770 isn't portable, I used in as my main portable and it worked fantastic, They are light, durable and very comfortable. The have the detail to pick out guitars well and are just fantastic all around. The momentum are good headphones too i really enjoyed them but the beyers do best them imo. The v moda m100 shouldn't even be in the discussion they are terrible at the 300 price point even laughable. The have big bass and rubbish detail, They are portable with a nice build and look but that's it you are paying for the craftsmanship. For sound the m100 are in maybe in the 100 price point they get bested by the shure440 in that price range which are $70 which is no shame but being $300 is just wrong.
 
The k550 would be my other choice they are great headphones perfct for detail.

I disagree, the DT 770s were a pain to use portably.  They're way too large, the cord is too long, you need an amp, they look a little goofy (if anyone cares), and this was probably only in my case but getting a good seal was too difficult.  They were pretty good cans for home use but don't really compete to open cans at the $200-$300 price range. I returned them because of their portability and because they had too much bass for my taste. 

 

[Greed]

Quote:

Large cords are not a problem for me. roll em up rubber band them and your good to go, I don't find them overly bassy either unless the song has a lot of bass. I find them the perfect portable, they are solid, very few moving parts and very durable the cord you won't have to worry about it snagging because it's so tough. size wise i find them not big at all, I use my k550 for my portable for similar reasons but the beyer i find better. sweating is not an issue either with the velour pads. Comparing them to open phones at that price point is unfair, for closed you won't get much better at any price point. any phone can be a portable it depends what you are looking for and how you manage it. for me liek i said cord rolled up and good to go, also the beyer don't NEED an amp but they do benefit from it. they run fine out of an ipod/iphone no problem with decent volume level, with an amp it sounds the same just bigger very easy to drive a fio e5/e6 is enough for the job if you want to try an amp.

I somewhat agree with Reem here, but I can understand there is personal preference involved. There are different criterias that need to be meet depending on ones situations. Some people are fine lugging around a full sized can around for portable use, such as the DT 770. Others will find them to bulky and awkward. For the OP, he mentioned that he wants a headphone that he can carry around in a protective case until he boards a flight/bus etc. I think they he be fine with something like the DT 770. There is "on-the-go" portable and there is "traveling" portable and I think he wants a "traveling" portable. Of coarse I may be wrong, if he wants both.. then I'll agree the DT 770's are a bit bulky. But if that is the case, I think he would be better served getting IEMs, or even CIEMs.

 

[Trunks159]

Quote:

Large cords are not a problem for me. roll em up rubber band them and your good to go, I don't find them overly bassy either unless the song has a lot of bass. I find them the perfect portable, they are solid, very few moving parts and very durable the cord you won't have to worry about it snagging because it's so tough. size wise i find them not big at all, I use my k550 for my portable for similar reasons but the beyer i find better. sweating is not an issue either with the velour pads. Comparing them to open phones at that price point is unfair, for closed you won't get much better at any price point. any phone can be a portable it depends what you are looking for and how you manage it. for me liek i said cord rolled up and good to go, also the beyer don't NEED an amp but they do benefit from it. they run fine out of an ipod/iphone no problem with decent volume level, with an amp it sounds the same just bigger very easy to drive a fio e5/e6 is enough for the job if you want to try an amp.

A better option then the MDR 1R or Senn Momentum?  For some reason that's pretty hard to believe.  I do have one question though, how (stress the "how") do you use them portably?  On the train, walking 2 miles a day? I don't know how you do it but i solute you for sticking with them (for portable use)(that's not sarcasm).
 
I personally think that a perfect portable can has:
detachable cable
great isolation
small (or just not big)
don't need a great seal
look nice (some might disagree)
comes with a bag
super durable (like the m100s, or momentums)
and great sound quality
 
Sure they can be used for portable use, but they are far from being the perfect portable IMO.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

I disagree, the DT 770s were a pain to use portably.  They're way too large, the cord is too long, you need an amp, they look a little goofy (if anyone cares), and this was probably only in my case but getting a good seal was too difficult.  They were pretty good cans for home use but don't really compete to open cans at the $200-$300 price range. I returned them because of their portability and because they had too much bass for my taste. 

 
Agree with you, Trunks. As much as I love it, sonic wise, I would never even think of making my DT 770 a part of my portable setup for all of the reasons you listed.

 

[reddragon]

Beyerdynamic DT770 - Smooth  quite laid back,  with a wide soundstage and nice bass great for all sorts of music but can be a tad slow for fast songs. they are comfortable and built like a tank. with these you do not need to worry about sweaty ears.

MrSpeaker's MadDog's- Smooth, very detailed with great bass and wide soundstage. Very comfy for long sessions due to the thick pads and comfort strap build is top notch. These are the best headphones i have heard.

K550- detailed with good bass and wiiiide stage! these sound like an open pair of headphones and look great too. build is good also.

i listed these as i believe these are the best closed headphones. 

The k550, I don't own but have auditioned is indeed a very good closed headphone for 300 bucks, sounds very clean and clear. The mad dog I will like to try it one day