[blaineisademon]

Hi ppl,
I would like to hear from you guys experiences and opinions which would be the best cans unamped/amped to drive electronic dance music in general to its full potential (it ranges from trance to prog house to minimal techno to even chillout/downtempo) Yeah I listen mainly a variety of genres from artists like james holden, zabiela, john oo fleming, derek howell, ronski speed, sasha diggers, trentemoller, M83, DJ Cam, Cafe Del Mar whatever... too many to list btw). I would like good wide soundstage (detailed and lots of depth) and also good groovy pumping bass (not boomy or over-excessive making the mids and highs pale in comparison but rightfully nice and driving). I guess some of the artists I have listed could help me in finding the right sound signature.

OK back to my question, open or closed, hmm would prefer a closed comfortable can but suggestions on open ones would be ok. Comfort is a major concern for me along with sound quality. Closed cans should be comfortable and hopefully don't want my ears to be fatiguing or sweating a lot. Budget would be probably $150-250USD. Isolation would be good but dont have to be of extreme isolation. I am using it for desktop home usage (no portable means)

Cans I have been seriously considering are the HD 555, HD 595, A900/AD900, Maudio Q40s and the beyers dt770s n 880s(yeah these 2 will have to amped for sure)

I hope you guys could give me some info on the best ones unamped and ones that work extremely well amped. (I made it to $250USD budget so I can cater in amps if necessary but I don't think I could afford any high end amps..probably those that are like lesser than $100)

Thanks a million in advance!

 

[blaineisademon]

anyone???

 

[synaesthetic]

I have owned the DT880s and listened to them extensively and I do not think they would be a good match for bass-heavy electronic dance music. They are a rather bright headphone; I found them to be great for female vocals, acoustic guitar and classical.

 

[monolith]

Have none of these been of any use to you? I assume you know about the search function...

Electronic music and cans....

Headphones for electronic listening music..

Headphones for Industrial/Electronic Music

Need an excellent alternative can for electronic music($250 max)

Best headphones for Electronic music?

Which headphone is the best for Electronic music under 200$??

Headphones For Electronic/Techno

Which cans? (All rounder but good for electronic music)

 

[nnotis]

I recommended the SA5000s in the first thread monolith linked to. I give an even higher recommendation to the markl modded D5000s. They do a phenomenal job with all electronic sounds I've heard them depict, even extreme sub bass. They are however, hundreds more than what you want to be spending. So perhaps doing the markl mod on the D2000s is in order.

 

[upangel180]

I listen to some of the same music. I'd recommend a DT990 (newer / 2005 edition). If looking to amp, this pairs extremely well with a HeadFive, should you see one come up in the for sale forum. Or the Corda Arietta, which I think is a production version of the headfive, though a bit more research may be needed there to see what the differences are.

 

[blaineisademon]

oh hi guys..thanks for the replies..thanks monolith for the threads..I read all of them and they were informative to me regarding about headphones for electronic music. I think I would prefer my phones to perform best unamped and as well the budget constraint. I was thinking of the A900 since it got so many good reviews about it as the best closed cans unamped around at this price range and the HD595 which cost 20% more in my country. Anyone have experience with the Ultrasone DJ-1? thanks

 

[Surfvvax]

So i purchased some Denon D7000s about 2 weeks ago, and of course they are still on order. Does anyone know how they will perform with Trance/Dance/Electronica? I will be powering them with an Apogee Duet.

 

[Acix]

Ultrasones are great for electronica, as well the GMP 8.35 D monitor.
And if you like more gentle sounds you can try the K-702, but you will need a nice sound card.

 

[dweaver]

I have tried both the HD555 and 595 models. I had issues of comfort with the 555's and they definitely did not sound as good as the 595 model. The difference in the quality of the midrange and highs was quite noticeable to me but I do have to say I also have listened to a pair of AD700 and feel they were better than other Senn for sound quality. I think the AD700 had sharper better quality bass (not quantity though), a much better midrange and the highs were so far above even the 595 as to be uncomparable. The knock I had/have against the AD700 is that it really is made for a big head they literally fell off my head when I semi bent over to grab something. I have seen many posts about the bass being better in the Senn's but I felt the AD700 was deeper and more precise.

Anyway thats my take. BTW I ended up going for a pair of JVC DX1's based on some other threads I have read recently as well as a pair of Philips HP910 (traded a pair of dynamat modded portable DJ style monitors I found to tight for my liking for these). I'm hoping the reviews/thread of the Philips are accurate and they will fill my immediate Open air headphone needs, and the JVC's while not having alot of talk seem to fill my closed headphone requirements. I recommend taking a look at the few threads on both that have been taking place the past few days. I will definitely be giving my feedback/experience in them after I recieve my new cans.

 

[Skorpitarius]

I just researched this very subject on this and other audio-enthusiast / headphone websites and 90% report : Sony MDR-SA5000 (and very glowing/praising and enthused reviews...)
I just bought some ... waiting for 'em .

 

[Menzo]

I got myself the AD900s along with a D10 and 320kbps tunes. I listen primarily to trance DJs like Tritonal, Andy Moor, Gareth Emery, Markus Schulz, AvB, Above & Beyond, etc.

My opinion? Bad choice. I am a fan of bass and these guys are light on bass. The hi's were also a bit glaring. Good headphones for instrumental music but this type of trance? No. Others say they are nice for psytrance but I don't listen to that subgenre much.

Take for example John OO Fleming's "Nine Inch Nails". The bass beat was punchy with the AD900s but very light. Didn't feel any impact. I enjoyed it way more with my CX300s.

For my musical tastes, my musical tastes, I would be interested in trying the DT770/990s but their amp requirements are a bit of a pain at the moment. Instead I'm hoping the IE8s will fit my profile perfectly.

 

[Runkby]

i just mentioned in another thread how i love my senn 650's i initially bought 702s but sent them back b/c they lacked base... but i like your taste in music... i saw shultz last summer on southbeach as well as above and beyond recently at the wmc... not to mention the private party at fountain blue w/ tiesto

 

[CDBacklash]

AD900, ultrasone, DT770pro.
The first if you want an allrounder for all kinds of EDM
ultrasone if you want similar, with more treble and harder bass slam (too much IMO)
DT770pro if you listen to EDM with a very non-commercial sound (they suck on commercial-sounding dance tracks...). Will perform better with an amp (presentation is faster and bassier with an amp - mids come to life as well... but its up to you if you prefer amped to unamped).
Or if you want something portable, its impossible to look past the ER-4.

 

[Skorpitarius]

I should say the SA-5000 is a great headphone for every music, not just electronica .