[epkrnftblluva]

TL;DR: Looking for headphones with impactful bass with detailed, clear vocals for $200-$350
 
Hey guys, I did a lot of searching, but unfortunately couldn't really find a direct answer to my question. I am a particular listener to electronic music in that I usually only listen to electronic music with vocals, mainly progressive house. I have been using a HD518 amped with a E09k+E07k combo and that has been enough to satisfy my tastes for classical, jazz, and anything with lots of instruments and vocals, but didn't really satisfy my tastes for bass. I recently bought the AKG K7XX from Massdrop, but sold them after I realized I wasn't satisfied with the bass on them, although they were very detailed and had superior soundstage.
 
However, I wanted to get headphones dedicated to I'm not an audiophile by any means, but I would like a pair of cans with hard hitting bass, yet detail and clarity in the vocals. I realize that there are lots of headphones out there that have extreme bass, but obviously the mids and highs are hidden by the bass. I have seen mixed reviews on the headphones I was considering, and am not sure whether they would be good enough for electronic music with vocals. My budget is $200-$350.
 
The considerations:
1. JVC HA-SZ2000 - this was my number one option, but I have heard that the mids and highs were slightly veiled. It seemed like these would be more appropriate towards hip-hop rather than electronic music with vocals
2. Hifiman HE-400 - although the bass is definitely not as strong as the JVC's, I heard that they would give a great performance all around in electronic music. 
3. Ultrasone Pro-9000 - unfortunately out of my budget, just wanted to let you guys know that it was considered
 
Good examples of tracks I am talking about:
-Heroes - Alesso
-Clarity - Zedd
-Don't you worry child - Swedish House Mafia
-Years - Alesso
 
I would appreciate any additional headphones for recommendation and your thoughts on what kind of headphones would satisfy my needs. Thanks!

 

[milk]

I think the HA-SZ with a brighter SS amp should lift a bit of the notorious veil and make the upper end more clear. It certainly has potential. It is just a bit dark.
 
The HE400i used would be an amazing option. Fantastic cans for the price. Have very smooth intimate mids, detailed extended treble, and the famous hard hitting he400 bass. Great stuff.
 
Best of luck buddy!

 

[epkrnftblluva]

  I think the HA-SZ with a brighter SS amp should lift a bit of the notorious veil and make the upper end more clear. It certainly has potential. It is just a bit dark.
 
The HE400i used would be an amazing option. Fantastic cans for the price. Have very smooth intimate mids, detailed extended treble, and the famous hard hitting he400 bass. Great stuff.
 
Best of luck buddy!

Ah, alas, I don't really have the money to change my amp+dac combo right now. But what are good examples of some budget, bright SS amps? Also, why the HE400i as opposed to the HE400? Thanks!

 

[milk]

Hey there! 
 
The Schiit Magni 2 is pretty bright and very impressive for the cash. Probably top recommendation at its price point. 
 
I think the HE400i is much better because they improved the treble immensely. It is must more enjoyable. It is way more smooth and balanced with the rest of the frequency. Also the Mid range is much more forward and vocals sound pretty intimate and a lot closer which is a very nice combo with its well extended treble and legendary bass. The bass loses about half a point on the 1-10 scale but that's just because they balanced out the frequency enough where the bass doesn't stand out quite as much but is definitely still present and 95% there in quantity.
 
Hope this helps clear some stuff up bud!