[Eudemon369]

My desktop set-up
SMSL M8 -> VA2
 
Music I listen to:

1. 60% Female Vocals

(Japanese pop, anime song
energetic and bright female vocals
to avoid making you guys listen to music you don't like
I have cut some samples into 20 seconds and uploaded to my server
Examples of music I listen to http://eudemon.org/test2/
also watch a lot of Anime which are female vocals centered)
 

1. 20% Game & Anime sound tracks
2. 20% Others

 
Listening Environment:
At home, quiet place (so open back is preferred)
 
Recently I replace my AD-900X with HE-400i, while I am pleased with the improvement at the low and mid and bass, but the treble does not amaze me
Also I have comfort issue with the HE-400i, I wear glasses and I feel there is too much clamping force, when watch show with it on my eyes often get sour (and it is lot heavier than my ATH)
 
I joined the TH-X00 purple heart at massdrop couple days ago, despite it is semi-open, I think it's good value for the price
I have also been thinking about AD2000X since audio technica is known for female vocals
 
Now my question is, should I stay in this drop or do you have any other recommendation based on my situation (the budget is not a huge problem but I can't go with crazy price stuff like 1k+, and as an average consumer I tend to prefer value stuff, thus the reason of TH-X00)
 
thank you in advance

 

[Deezel177]

I'd suggest giving the BeyerDynamic DT series a shot. They have great comfort and fun V-shaped signatures which I believe will work well with your use case. The DT880's and 990's are worth checking out if an open or semi-open can is what you're looking for.

 

[Eudemon369]

I have taken a look at the DT series before, but I saw someone said that BeyerDynamic are known for mid/bass which is more suitable for genres like rock

 

[serman005]

If you are looking for something open and bright, I think you could do very well with the SoundMAGIC HP200. It definitely tends toward the bright side of the ledger and is otherwise a very good can.

 

[Deezel177]

  I have taken a look at the DT series before, but I saw someone said that BeyerDynamic are known for mid/bass which is more suitable for genres like rock

That's very interesting. I'm pretty sure it's a general consensus amongst Head-fi'ers that Beyers have recessed mids and a prominent bass and treble (to the point where a Beyer's treble has become synonymous with an aggressive treble). But, if the DT line doesn't do it for you, maybe try some Grados or the MrSpeakers Alpha Dog.

 

[typesino]

dt880 600 ohm. They have a reputation for having the best female vocals at this price range.

 

[Eudemon369]

What is the difference between DT880 and 990
and what do you guys think about the TH-X00

 

[Deezel177]

  What is the difference between DT880 and 990
and what do you guys think about the TH-X00

The DT880 I find to be the more neutral one of the two, with a very slightly softer sound signature and a flatter frequency range, while the 990 is a more aggressive and dry headphone with a thumping bass and a lean and forward treble. The DT880 is more suited towards vocal/instrument/orchestra-centered music, while the 990 is a fun head-banging rock-and-roll can. Unfortunately I do not have a TH-X00 nor have I heard one to share my impressions.

 

[Me x3]

Beyerdynamic DT880 is very similar to the Sennheiser HD800 in terms of sound signature.
One of the most neutral headphones around.
They shine with quality recordings in general. 
On the other hand they can sound a tad sibilant or cold with poor masters/over compressed recordings.
 
DT990 is a very different headphone, boosted mid-bass, very open sound and significantly brighter treble.
 
What kind of female vocals do you normally listen to?

 

[Eudemon369]

Quote:

  What kind of female vocals do you normally listen to?

I might not be able to describe well, since I don't know technical terns
I listen to pop, anime song
energetic and bright female vocals
here is just an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9qBx7W9o0

 

[k4rstar]

AD2000's (I've read 2000X isn't as special with the vocals but still has good mids) were made for this I feel, but are unfortunately extremely hard to come by used, and almost impossible to find new even in Japan.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/574882/5-year-re-review-audio-technica-ath-ad2000

 

[Me x3]

  Quote:
I might not be able to describe well, since I don't know technical terns
I listen to pop, anime song
energetic and bright female vocals
here is just an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9qBx7W9o0

Well, DT880 sounds nice, it's borderline sibilant (tss tss you know... but not annoying levels of sibilance)
- Stay away from DT990 -
 
Tried other LiSA recordings and they are less sibilant than Shirushi
 
You should consider the AKG K702, which is very open and a tiny bit softer than DT880

 

[typesino]

IMO, phones like m50, 990 are too bass centric for japanese recordings.

 

[Snozz]

I actually have pretty similar musical preferences to you (I listen to quite a lot of music with female vocalists) and am also in the market for the same sort of mid-forward headphones. I would definitely recommend staying away from the DT-990s. It has a v-shaped sound signature, and the mids are very recessed. I own a pair (picked it up for cheap) and it's pretty much the opposite of what you want. Based on what I've read, the AD1000 and AD2000 (or the newer x versions) might be what you're looking for.

 

[Monsterzero]

+1 ATH AD2000s *check my signature