[theDan8]

Yo guys I'm new here and was just looking to get my first nice pair of headphones. I currently have the Bose triports which I still intend to use at school/out and what not. But I would like to get me a premium pair of headphones just to use at home for top quality listening. I was however, trying to skimp out on the whole headphone amp thing cause I'm fairly new to it and I would like to have a headphone that wasn't so reliant on it. Are there any full size headphones you guys would recommend that sound awesome without necessarily employing an amp? I was eyeing the AKG K701 cause I found one well under the normal $400 price tag (DJDeals.com has em for $240) but I read an article here that basically bashed them. I've also heard alot about Beyerdynamics DT 880/990 and the Sennheiser HD 600/650, though from headphone.com's graphs, they all seem pretty damn identical in terms of sound quality. Oh, and I would like to keep the price around $300 or so.

 

[AhokZYashA]

unamped you can go for the HD25-1 II
 
it goes for 150-200

 

[ohaider]

From what I gathered so far around here, you definitely should get an amp for any of the 'phones you mentioned for them to be properly driven.

 

[theDan8]

Oh I wanted something that would go fully around my ears, I'm not too fond of the type that rests on top of your lobes. As for amps go then, what price tag would I be looking at? I did some quick google searches and they just made it seem like I would be unloading a fortune. What kind of full set up would you recommend then for the $300 price including an amp?

 

[ohaider]

I'm still fairly new to amps and such, but I hear the FiiO e7+e9 AMP/DAC combo can be had for ~200 and drives most headphones pretty well.

 

[justin w.]

None of those are efficient headphones for 'un-amped' use, if you mean from the output of a computer or portable source.  Headphone jacks on receivers/integrated amps can sometimes be powerful.

 

[dweaver]

Several Audio Technica will work well unamped, the AD700 and AD900 both sound very nice coming from computers and MP3 players. Most of the models you mentioned do require an amp to work properly though as has been mentioned by others. Other than what I have mentioned I can not speak much else.

 

[Digital-Pride]

Here are some recomendations for ya:
 
 
Sennheiser HD595
 
Beyerdynamic DT 880 32 Ohm
 
AKG K 240, K 271
 
Denon AH-D1100, D2000
 
Ultrasone HFi 780
 
Grado SR125i, SR225i
 
 
All of the 'phones above are easliy driven without amplification and are excellent options for you.

 

[JayB18]

For under $300 your best options are the AD900, DT440, and DT250 (80 ohm). Most good desktop amps range from $300 up so don't even bother trying to get the phones you listed and an amp for under $300.

 

[theDan8]

So after reading the replies and checking out the forum some more (good stuff guys) I started learning about the ohms and impedence and what not. After considering the price / style of each headphone I've narrowed it down to the Beyerdynamic DT 880 32ohm (probably the least aesthetically appealing but rated among the best), Ultrasone H-fi 780 or the Pro 750 (leaning toward the pro, and easy on the eyes - i love how it collapses into a ball), and finally a totally curve-ball but the Pioneer HDJ-2000 (it's more of a dynamic sound albeit, but it by far has the best features in terms of durability and design). 
 
So having narrowed it down to those three (or four) which would you recommend for the best unamped headphone? My current lead is the Ultrasone Pro 750 but you guys obviously know way better than I would.

 

[tdockweiler]

DT-880/990/770 32 ohm, D2000 and k240 are not easily driven based on my experience. My k240 is just fine out of an Ipod touch, but I have to max it.
D2000 to me is not worth buying without an amp.
 
My favorite just for overall sound quality was the Shure SRH-840. Unfortunately I had to get rid of them due to an extremely poor fit. I downgraded to the M50 and ended up replacing that with the AKG k240.
 
k240 is worth a try. I love the sound signature and they're not too hard to drive, but not easy to drive really.
 
Recently my new favorite is the KRK KNS-8400. They seem to get better and better each day. So far they seem to be quite bass light. They need LOTS of burn-in. They were excessively bright out of the box. Stab you in the ears bright. They're $150 and probably the third most comfortable headphone i've ever owned! It's also so small it could be used as a portable headphone too. They kind of sound like the SRH-440's signature, but a little less bass and a little more bright. The sound quality is a LOT better though.In fact, I just bought another pair of SRH-840s to compare them with!

 

[tdockweiler]

Figured I can't read and am too late.
 
DT-880 would be a good bet, but I 100% do not suggest them un-amped. You can try it out and see if you like them unamped, but it's not a good idea.
I had the DT-880 600 ohm and really liked it. 32 ohm not as much.
 
I think even the 250 ohm version is no more difficult to drive than the 32 ohm version.
 

 

[AhokZYashA]

AD1000PRM is excellent performer
 
and drives well unamped too..
 
if you can find it
lol

 

[hudamanium]

If you're leaning towards the DT880s....
 
1. Empirically speaking, there is aboslutely no difference in sound between the different resistances. Now as for hype and craze on these forums along with opinions I cannot say. However a lot of people have changed their minds about the 600 ohms being supposidly better. 
 
2. Go for the 250. I've tried out all 3 and the ease they're driven is barely different compared to 32. 
 
3. Save up for an amp. Its worth it. I used to be adamantly unamping, but I recently bought the E7/E9 and I can say the differences are quite amazing. Basically, from my experience, they'll sound pretty great unamped and they're definitely worth the price. But amping will fix nearly all of the issues you might have with the DT880. I know it did for me. Made the bass much better. Smoothed out the sound, especially the treble. Made it sound more open, etc. The differences are definitely there, but I wouldn't go so far as to say do not ever use them without an amp. They're still good without one.