[thecomprachico]

Oh, I see they've convinced you to stay off the DBA-02 MKII. 

 ... Too bad, because they're excellent IEMs though may just be a little beyond your initial budget. I've never checked out the Cosmic Ears Flex though, and reading reviews they seem to be really interesting (custom in-ears at this pricepoint!). 

Anyway, I'll stick to being the devil's advocate. At 109$ the KRKs are an absolute steal; I assure you that if you go for them you won't be disappointed (maybe out of the box, but give them some time). Since you've already stretched your budget to $200+, I'd suggest investing in a cheap amp as well. The combo should shine for the kind of music you listen to. I'd recommend checking nwavguy's blog for reviews for the amp; they're very thorough. 

 

[Penguin1026]

If I did go for this pair of headphones, what amp would you suggest for it?

 

[thecomprachico]

Quote:

If I did go for this pair of headphones, what amp would you suggest for it?

I have a FiiO E10, but I bought mine before I could anticipate I'd be investing in a better headphone anytime soon. Not that it's a bad amp + DAC combo, I think it's really good for the price, but it does have its flaws. For one, the effective resolution is 16.2 bits as opposed to the rated 24 bits. The line out also has unacceptably high output impedance (600 ohms), which becomes an issue if you're going to be using the line output in the foreseeable future (I don't, for now). The bottom line is, it has its limitations and they become apparent as you move up the line of headphones. The KRKs go very well with it, but if you plan to upgrade to something like the Beyerdynamic DT880/600 ohm within the next few years, I'd say it's worth shelling the extra cash to get an O2 (or ODA if it's out)/ODAC combo -- that should last you some time. 

If you'd rather stick to the <100$ segment for an amp+ DAC right now, I think the E10 is a solid option. I've also heard great things about the Zero Amp + DAC, which is a great option, provided you can shell out the extra $50 or so. Here's a review:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/269458/review-zero-24-bit-192khz-dac-headphone-amp-pre-amp
 

 

[roma101]

If I were you I'd go for the KRKs. You'll be happy. Don't worry too muh about burn in if and when you get them; just slap 'em on your head and enjoy.

 

[thecomprachico]

Quote:

If I were you I'd go for the KRKs. You'll be happy. Don't worry too muh about burn in if and when you get them; just slap 'em on your head and enjoy.

I agree with this.

I'm sorry if I scared the OP with talks of burn-in etc. You'll enjoy them right out of the box, but they'll get really impressive as they go! I think you won't be disappointed. 

 

[Rocko1]

Quote:

AT M50's. Enough said
 

Yup

 

[roma101]

I agree with this.


I'm sorry if I scared the OP with talks of burn-in etc. You'll enjoy them right out of the box, but they'll get really impressive as they go! I think you won't be disappointed. 

It's funny, I sold these a while ago. Missed them so I rebought them. Then I was about sell them again recently.... well I put them on last night and then immediately took them off my FS listing. They just deliver a very HiFi sound at such an inexpensive price tag. They're also one of the most comfortable cans I've ever had.

 

[vockleya]

I second the ATH-M50. I bought these 2 years ago to use as my mixing/monitoring headphones at work, but they have quickly become my hi-fi listening 'phones as well. IMHO, they are the best of both worlds.
 
The construction is great. Very sturdy plastic, and a strong metal band over the head. They hold up very well in harsh environments and during extended periods of high-volume use. And despite 2 years of this abuse, I haven't even had to replace the ear pads.
They are comfortable! And I mean really comfortable. I often spend hours at a time with these headphones hanging off my head in various positions. They can be just a bit tight, but bending the band a bit fixes that issue. The other thing that is great, is that even though the pads are vinyl leather (I think), my ears don't get even the slightest bit sweaty.
 
Anyway... enough with that. On to the sound quality. These 'phones are incredibly consistent at any volume level. From quiet listening at home, to listening to a mix at a loud concert, I can hear every detail, and the frequency response barely changes at all with volume. (It looses a bit of bass at very loud levels) There are many songs where I think the sound of these headphones is even better than my rather expensive speakers.
And the bass. Wow. The technical sheet specs the low end cutoff at 15Hz, and I believe it. This can handle the anything from the smooth sound of an upright base, to the bassiest dubstep you could find.  I have actually been able to feel the bass vibrating part way down my neck, albeit at absurdly loud volumes.
The highs are just as good, if not better. The 28kHz top range is crystal clear, and where I've heard other headphones, even speakers, become harsh, these phones consistently stay clean and distortion-free. I don't know what else to say, but they're ********* awesome.
 
Well, that turned out a bit longer than I was expecting, but as you can tell, I really like these 'phones. I have looked at many other headphones, and I think that the M50 is by far the best pair of headphones that can be bought for $150 (ok, 160).
 
edit: Oh, yeah. And they don't need an amp. Anything I plug these into has more than enough power to run them. But as usual, a nice headphone amp almost always helps make any headphone sound just a little bit better.

 

[Mike112]

Quote:

Yeah, it seems like it. I've had roughly 20 hours of burn in and the sound has changed noticeably about 2 times already. The 5-6 hour mark was the most dramatic, with the bass coming out of no where. Definitely not bass-light to me, like some other reviews suggest.

 
It might depend on what people are used to. I'm not nearly as experienced as some here are and couldn't tell you exactly what a "balanced" headphone is supposed to sound like, but I can say there is a world of difference in terms of bass response when comparing my KRK 8400s and my newly purchased m50s. I was under the impression that the m50s had a slight bass emphasis, but had no idea the difference would be quite so large.
 
With that said, I'm curious as to how the bass response of so called "neutral" headphones like the HM5s and Shure 840s stacks up against the KRK 8400s.