[daniel2011]

Hi all
 
im wondering if these forums can help me? I am searching for a good set of headphones. My dad brought the Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones and I was impressed, After reading reviews that told me the 'Sennheiser PXC 350' headphones were as good, I decided to buy them. I have been disapointed with the result.
 
I am now looking for a pair of headphones that will blow both of them out the water. Ive been recomeneded the 'denon ah-d5000' and I wondered what you guys thought? will these beat the bose? and be an improvement from the pxc 350s? 
 
Is there a better product for my money?
 
Also ill be listening from my pc, should I consider an amp or upgrading the sound card?
 
Any help apriciated

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
We need more information.
 
1. Closed? Open? Do you need isolation?
2. Does your budget include potential DAC/AMP options?
3. What is your source material? Lossless?
4. What kind of sound signature do you like?
 
I ask because if you're willing to spend what you listed, and you plan on using that kind of gear out of a PC, you may be wasting time & money on that if your source is low quality, if the soundcard is low/average quality. If your maximum budget is the 500, I would consider splitting it into a 200/300 or 100/400 setup, to get a DAC/AMP option and then a good pair of headphones. This way you relieve the computer from being the DAC and merely use it as a means to store your media. And your media better be lossless or very high quality if compressed at all.
 
Very best,

 

[daniel2011]

Hiya, thanks for the reply im quiet new to audio so I had to google some things to even respond to this lol. I think ill need closed as id like to conceal some noise from parents when im am up late ext.
 
Yes the amp would be incuded within the budget.ill be mainly listening from ipad or pc. my sourse material is a mixture of mp3s and cds. I dont know what a sound signature is?? - sorry
 
Am i right in even thinking I can get a significant upgrade from the pxc 350s
 
 
 
 
 
Quote:

Heya,
 
We need more information.
 
1. Closed? Open? Do you need isolation?
2. Does your budget include potential DAC/AMP options?
3. What is your source material? Lossless?
4. What kind of sound signature do you like?
 
I ask because if you're willing to spend what you listed, and you plan on using that kind of gear out of a PC, you may be wasting time & money on that if your source is low quality, if the soundcard is low/average quality. If your maximum budget is the 500, I would consider splitting it into a 200/300 or 100/400 setup, to get a DAC/AMP option and then a good pair of headphones. This way you relieve the computer from being the DAC and merely use it as a means to store your media. And your media better be lossless or very high quality if compressed at all.
 
Very best,

 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Sound signature, ie, do you listen to things with a lot of bass? Do you want forward mids? Bright highs? Or do you want a headphone that is neutral, or has a flat response? Some headphones are inherently bassier than others, some are lighter. Some are more transparent and crisp with highs. Some are very bright and forward, where the treble can be fatiguing, but some love it. A lot of this comes in to play when spending hundreds on a headphone and find out it's not what you wanted to hear. Try and search a bit more to figure out what a lot of the jargon means, etc.
 
What music specifically do you want to primarily listen to? This will help us a lot without you knowing the terms.
 
Very best,

 

[daniel2011]

aha I see - nothing is ever simple is it
 
I listen to a diverse mix of music, including: rap, r&b, classical, some rock, soul and indie... No dance, trance, drumb+base. I like base but am not looking for anything too enhanced. I like Adele, Birdy, Air, The Carpenters, Evanescense, Eminem, Big Runga, Alicia Keyes, La roux, Massive Attack, Bitter Sweet, Oasis
 
Hope this helps a bit?

 

[ZARIM]

If you need AMP/DAC for portable/home use then E7+E9 are highely recommended and few headphones are here like ATH-W5000, D5000, Z1000, ES10, ESW10, Pro 900 and ATH_W1000X.

 

[Happy Camper]

You can get a lot of value used but there is a lot to consider before spending your money. By the way, welcome to Head Fi, sorry for your wallet.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Sennheiser PXC450
Dennon AH-D2000
Ultrasone Pro 750
 
FiiO E9
 
Leaves you wriggle room.
 
Very best,

 

[daniel2011]

Thanks to the forum welcome The Fiio f9 sounds like a good buy, will I need the f7 also?
 
As for the headphone recomendations im not so sure about the 'Sennheiser PXC450' as I currently have the PXC350 and have been disapointed with them and am now looking for a noteworthy upgrade. Im hearing good things about the Dennon AH-D5000 so im being pushed towards them. are they much better than the lower model Dennon AH-D2000??
 
Either way am I heading in the right direction to blow the bose quiet comfort 15s out of the water with sound quality from the PC?
 
Thanks for all the info peeps

 

[Digital-Pride]

One thing to note with Denon's higher-end models(D2000 and up) is that their isolation is very poor to modest at best.  So, if you need a decent amount of noise isolation, the Denon line might not be your best option.
 
The E7 acts an external sound card handling all the audio work instead of your PC.  The advantage here is that external sound cards(or DACs as they are commonly referred as) tend to have better sound quality than many built-in sound cards.  Combine that with the driving power of the E9 and you'll have a very potent audio setup.

 

[daniel2011]

I dont mind if the isolation is bad. but id like to know if there is a difference between the two

 

[Digital-Pride]

Going by sound quality alone, the D5000(or any Denon above the D510 level) is significantly better than the Bose.  With the Denon you'll find a wonderfully deep and impact full bass response, very clear instrument separation, imaging and depth along with a sound signature that is very detailed.  You'll find yourself literally rediscovering music tracks that you've heard a millions because of all the details that you can now cleanly hear.  Unlike other headphones in its class the D2000/5000 is very easy to drive, so any quality headphone amp will do just fine.

 

[Digital-Pride]

Here are some additional options for your consideration:
 
Audio-Technica ATH-A900
 
Beyerdynamic DT770 32 Ohm. DT 990 32 Ohm
 
Sennheiser HD598, HD650
 
Ultrasone HFi-780, PRO900

 

[daniel2011]

I assume as these are cheaper that they are not as good as the denon headphones. I'm thinking the 2000 might be a bargain for the price, but not sure if I'll regret not getting the 5000s. Wondering if There will be a big difference

 

[Graphicism]

If you're listening to a soundcard I wouldn't invest a lot in headphones and amps. The D2000 like Bose is a forgiving headphone with plenty of bass without the real need for an amp, D5000 is simply a wood version of this. D7000 would be a step up but then I would suggest upgrading your source and before you know it your budgets doubled. If you consider going with an open headphone you'll get a lot more for your money...