fvoelling
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2006
- Posts
- 31
- Likes
- 13
Help me out, fellows! Based on referenced listening styles, what are the headphones (no IEMs, pls) to buy for
a) extended background listening while working at the home PC, and
b) more serious night time listening with a good glass of wine (or two, beyond that it probably doesn't matter
?
I own a PreSonus Central Station with a built-in DAC and built-in headphone amp, but can also go line out to a dedicated SS or tube amp. I also have a 25yo AKG K240DF that I almost never used and just discovered again today. Some quick listening blew me away by how good they sound, but without comparison it's hard to know what I may be missing out on (or not).
Recently went to my first local meet and had a chance to listen to several good cans, and the one standout was the AKG K1000, both in terms of how different they are and their comfort level (though several posters here have complained about the latter for extended sessions, and I only had a couple of minutes with them, so who knows). Also, the commotion at the meet combined with the open nature of the K1000 made it impossible to really evaluate its sound qualities, and again I've seen posters here describe them more suitable to rock than perhaps jazz or classical.
I also have the AKG K-701 on order, based solely on the euphoria here surrounding these cans, and the descriptions of their characteristics by (most) owners, which appear to match my musical tastes. Again, a quick listen at the meet wasn't enough for a proper evaluation, and I'm a bit concerned by the seemingly small contact area of the pads (though they overall felt very comfortable).
Lastly, I am a huge fan of electrostatic loudspeakers (Magnepan and the like), though I've heard them mainly with New Age and Jazz, not so much with vocals. That brings Stax into the picture, but a late night session of research on them has me wondering about their suitability for vocals in particular. Call me sentimental, but certain songs in the right mood can make my eyes watery with good speakers, especially vocals (actually, the old K240DFs did that earlier), and I want headphones that can emotionally involve me.
I'm afraid that the answer is that there really is no single headphone that's best, even for the limited genres I'm targeting. If so, pls feel free to extend your recommendation to multiple cans (within reason, of course, and pls list each can's respective strenghts and weaknesses).
So which one should I buy? Be content with the K240DF, add one or both of the newer AKGs, a Stax, or something else?
Thx,
Frank
a) extended background listening while working at the home PC, and
b) more serious night time listening with a good glass of wine (or two, beyond that it probably doesn't matter
I own a PreSonus Central Station with a built-in DAC and built-in headphone amp, but can also go line out to a dedicated SS or tube amp. I also have a 25yo AKG K240DF that I almost never used and just discovered again today. Some quick listening blew me away by how good they sound, but without comparison it's hard to know what I may be missing out on (or not).
Recently went to my first local meet and had a chance to listen to several good cans, and the one standout was the AKG K1000, both in terms of how different they are and their comfort level (though several posters here have complained about the latter for extended sessions, and I only had a couple of minutes with them, so who knows). Also, the commotion at the meet combined with the open nature of the K1000 made it impossible to really evaluate its sound qualities, and again I've seen posters here describe them more suitable to rock than perhaps jazz or classical.
I also have the AKG K-701 on order, based solely on the euphoria here surrounding these cans, and the descriptions of their characteristics by (most) owners, which appear to match my musical tastes. Again, a quick listen at the meet wasn't enough for a proper evaluation, and I'm a bit concerned by the seemingly small contact area of the pads (though they overall felt very comfortable).
Lastly, I am a huge fan of electrostatic loudspeakers (Magnepan and the like), though I've heard them mainly with New Age and Jazz, not so much with vocals. That brings Stax into the picture, but a late night session of research on them has me wondering about their suitability for vocals in particular. Call me sentimental, but certain songs in the right mood can make my eyes watery with good speakers, especially vocals (actually, the old K240DFs did that earlier), and I want headphones that can emotionally involve me.
I'm afraid that the answer is that there really is no single headphone that's best, even for the limited genres I'm targeting. If so, pls feel free to extend your recommendation to multiple cans (within reason, of course, and pls list each can's respective strenghts and weaknesses).
So which one should I buy? Be content with the K240DF, add one or both of the newer AKGs, a Stax, or something else?
Thx,
Frank
