Best sub £250 pair of headphones (over ear)
Jun 1, 2017 at 1:23 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 33
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Tevroc

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Hello wonderful people of head-fi,
I've recently picked up a pair of special edition se215 thanks to this site's recommendations and i'm now looking for the best pair of over ear headphones I can buy with £250.
I have no preference of whether they're open or closed back, if they're closed i'll probably end up taking them out and about occasionally but my main criteria is sound quality, I want to hear a new level of listening experience up from my old bose qc15.
Sound signature wise, I listen to pretty much everything being a music student, and I prefer a slightly warm if not neutral pair.

Thanks in advance guys :)
 
Jun 1, 2017 at 2:17 PM Post #2 of 33
Tevroc said:
Hello wonderful people of head-fi,
I've recently picked up a pair of special edition se215 thanks to this site's recommendations and i'm now looking for the best pair of over ear headphones I can buy with £250.
I have no preference of whether they're open or closed back, if they're closed i'll probably end up taking them out and about occasionally but my main criteria is sound quality, I want to hear a new level of listening experience up from my old bose qc15.
Sound signature wise, I listen to pretty much everything being a music student, and I prefer a slightly warm if not neutral pair.

Thanks in advance guys :)
Click to expand...
What source do you use? Do you have an amp? Interested in getting one if a recommended can required one?
 
Jun 1, 2017 at 2:28 PM Post #3 of 33
Hey dude thanks for the reply, I run audio through an focusrite interface usually but I'll probably end up getting an amp as my next purchase to be honest, kinda hooked on buying audio stuff at the minute
 
Jun 1, 2017 at 5:52 PM Post #4 of 33
A few suggestions. First, a Senn HD650 (would require an amp). Next, a HiFiMAN HE400S (likely would not require an amp, though they do sound better with one IMO). And for closed headphones, I like the MEZ 99C quite a lot in your price range. Also does not require an amp, though one may be helpful. Maybe read about these and see what you think. My preference would be for the HD650, personally. It is really terrific. Perhaps one of these will work for you.
 
Jun 1, 2017 at 11:49 PM Post #5 of 33
I second for the HD600/650. You'll need an amp but in that price range they're simply the best. After all these years and new competition, they're still the standard by which anything else is judged. If you have the money for an amp they'll grow with you and only get better with better DACs/Amps.
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 1:08 AM Post #6 of 33
Tevroc said:
Hello wonderful people of head-fi,
I've recently picked up a pair of special edition se215 thanks to this site's recommendations and i'm now looking for the best pair of over ear headphones I can buy with £250.
I have no preference of whether they're open or closed back, if they're closed i'll probably end up taking them out and about occasionally but my main criteria is sound quality, I want to hear a new level of listening experience up from my old bose qc15.
Sound signature wise, I listen to pretty much everything being a music student, and I prefer a slightly warm if not neutral pair.
Click to expand...

Technically speaking, "neutral" doesn't exist, since that means a flat response so nothing is emphasized vs another. No transducer, not even speakers, have that yet. Technically, all the best you can get for now is always slightly off towards warm or bright or have both ends tipped up a bit vs the midrange.

For something easy to drive and just slightly tipped up at both ends, try the HiFiMan HE400S, and drive it with something like a Schiit Fulla2. If you don't like it, then at least there's not much of a question as to whether you need a better amp, since it's so easy to drive I'm really just recommending the Fulla2 to make sure you won't deal with output impedance or channel separation issues on some mainstream devices.
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 3:45 AM Post #7 of 33
Yeah the 400S are quite well regarded around here from what I've read so i'll take a look at those, the 650's are a bit out of my price range sitting at 300 at the minute from amazon otherwise i'd have almost definitely gone for those. How are the AKG lineup regarded, i'm looking at the Q701 in particular, and also the beyerdynamic DT line, though the DT's are like £125 and that begs the question of why they're much cheaper than the others.
Thanks everyone who's replied so far, much appreciated
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 4:38 AM Post #9 of 33
Tevroc said:
Also serman are these what you were talking about?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meze-Audio...e=UTF8&qid=1496389826&sr=1-6&keywords=meze+99
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They are the new Neo version, most prefer the wooden classic version, excellent for the price and they look great too.

You could always go for the slightly older Sennheiser HD598 which lot of people like, it's also under your budget.

Also don't be afraid of the DT series pricing, they have been around for many many years and are still very popular. The DT770 are slightly V shaped, but whenever I listen to them I am always pleasantly surprised at how good they are for the price.
The DT880 is very neutral, so best paired with a warmer tube amp, the DT990 is very V shaped and very fun but again some find the highs to be a little piercing.

I like the DT880's best, when paired with the right equipment.
For an all rounder that's not as fussy, the DT770 are a better bet.
 
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Jun 2, 2017 at 4:41 AM Post #10 of 33
Hd600/HD650 would the top contender. Even if you are on a budget, a Bottlehead crack amp would do a fine job with these.
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 4:55 AM Post #11 of 33
Is there a discernible difference in sound between the neo and the classic? If so is the classic worth the premium of £50?
Also what's the reputation of AKG's lineup like around here?
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 5:35 AM Post #12 of 33
Tevroc said:
Is there a discernible difference in sound between the neo and the classic? If so is the classic worth the premium of £50?
Also what's the reputation of AKG's lineup like around here?
Click to expand...

The reputation of AKG is good, but slightly thin for some people.

I personally prefer the classic over the neo, the neo has slightly less controlled bass in my opinion.
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 5:41 AM Post #14 of 33
Okay so based on stuff people have said here, my options in the price range I'm after are:

- Meze Neo
- HE400s
- DT880
- AKG Q701

Does one of these look like a clear choice to you guys?
 
Jun 2, 2017 at 6:08 AM Post #15 of 33
Tevroc said:
Okay so based on stuff people have said here, my options in the price range I'm after are:

- Meze Neo
- HE400s
- DT880
- AKG Q701

Does one of these look like a clear choice to you guys?
Click to expand...

I would only suggest the DT880 if you plan to buy a warm amp in the future (OTL Tube amp).

Q701 the same as above,

Again the difference in price between the Meze 99 Neo and Classic is worth making the jump to the Classic.

I have not heard the HE400s.
 
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