[quastar]

Hi,
I'm a new comer to the world of high-end headphones and audio.  Perhaps the most expensive and "best" pair of headphones I had were the Sony MDR-V150, but they've been broken for quite some time now.  So, I'm in the market for some new cans, preferably open or semi-open.  My price range is ~$150, but I am willing to push that a little bit if it's clearly worth it.
 
Like I mentioned, I'm a newbie so I have don't have any dedicated amps or amplifier or any of that fancy gear.  I'll mainly be connecting the headphones to my Auzentech X-Fi Forte soundcard, which comes with its own dedicated (and replaceable) headphone amp.  I'll be using the headphones for music, gaming, and movies.  I probably have the broadest taste in music than anyone I know, so I definitely be looking for one that performs well across all music genres.  Although I'm not a "basshead," I do appreciate a good thump

.  I'm not into competitive gaming of late, so I'm just enjoying my single-player games.  Lastly, they'd need to be comfortable enough for up to 4-5 hours without me feeling fatigue.   
 
I've done some reading and so far I've come up with a small list of possible headphones:
 
Grado Prestige Series SR80i
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
Samson SR850
Sennheiser HD-598
Beyerdynamic DT 880 (32) and (250)---side note: for whatever reason I've always wanted one of these. 
Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro (250)
 
Any chance of me getting one of the Beyers at my price range would likely be used or refurbished, but I wouldn't mind too much about that.  Out of all of these, I'm most curious about the SR850 mainly because it's the cheapest of the list.  I've read some good things about them, but curious how they'd hold up to something that's 3-5 times its price like the HD598 or the DT880/990.  Any other recommendations or further insights into these listed headphones would be appreciated.  Thanks!
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Look for a used set of DT880's in the for sale forum since you've pretty much stated you want that one; it's a good headphone. Your Forte will handle it fine.
 
Take a look here.
 
Very best,

 

[Uncle Erik]

Can you push it to $200? A used Sennheiser HD-600 goes in that neighborhood and is one of the finest all-around headphones you can find.

I like the DT880, too. But not as much.

And what happened to your Sony pair? Maybe they can be fixed. At the least, put them in the For Sale Forum so someone can experiment with the carcass.

 

[quastar]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Look for a used set of DT880's in the for sale forum since you've pretty much stated you want that one; it's a good headphone. Your Forte will handle it fine.
 
Take a look here.
 
Very best,

Thanks for the link.  I'll definitely keep an eye out.  I noticed that you wrote an excellent review of the SR850, mainly saying good things about it.  I know they may be in entirely different classes, but how would you measure the SR850 to the 880 or 990?  Or let me put it this way: would you pay $100, 150, or even $200 for them?  My heart may be set, but money still talks

.      
 


Quote:

Can you push it to $200? A used Sennheiser HD-600 goes in that neighborhood and is one of the finest all-around headphones you can find.
I like the DT880, too. But not as much.
And what happened to your Sony pair? Maybe they can be fixed. At the least, put them in the For Sale Forum so someone can experiment with the carcass.

There's nothing that I would like more than to increase my limit, but unfortunately $200+ is stretching it a bit.  One of the reasons why I would even consider the 880s is because they compete well with the HD600 and other models in this tier, but for a little less...or so I've read.  The left speaker on my Sony suddenly died one day.  Also, the plastic piece that's on the lower part of the head band has broken and fallen off, so the right ear muff falls out if I extend it all the way out--sorry, it's difficult for me to explain.  I've never considered selling them broken because they retail for less than $20 at wal-mart; I figure it's really not worth it.           
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Thanks for the link.  I'll definitely keep an eye out.  I noticed that you wrote an excellent review of the SR850, mainly saying good things about it.  I know they may be in entirely different classes, but how would you measure the SR850 to the 880 or 990?  Or let me put it this way: would you pay $100, 150, or even $200 for them?  My heart may be set, but money still talks

.      
 
There's nothing that I would like more than to increase my limit, but unfortunately $200+ is stretching it a bit.  One of the reasons why I would even consider the 880s is because they compete well with the HD600 and other models in this tier, but for a little less...or so I've read.  The left speaker on my Sony suddenly died one day.  Also, the plastic piece that's on the lower part of the head band has broken and fallen off, so the right ear muff falls out if I extend it all the way out--sorry, it's difficult for me to explain.  I've never considered selling them broken because they retail for less than $20 at wal-mart; I figure it's really not worth it.           
 

Heya,
 
Depends on you. I think some small differences are worth hundreds. Which is why I have the HE-500 and D5000 for example. So naturally I would think the DT880 and DT990 are worth the extra $100~200. But I also think price is worth while if the headphone is made of nice materials, feels exceptionally good, looks really nice, etc. The SR850 is a good headphone for it's cost. The DT880 and DT990 are better. But then there's also the Fischer Audio FA-011 which is only $118 new and I consider it an equivalent (if not better, actually) to the DT990. Yet it's cheaper. You know?
 
Very best,
 
 

 

[quastar]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Depends on you. I think some small differences are worth hundreds. Which is why I have the HE-500 and D5000 for example. So naturally I would think the DT880 and DT990 are worth the extra $100~200. But I also think price is worth while if the headphone is made of nice materials, feels exceptionally good, looks really nice, etc. The SR850 is a good headphone for it's cost. The DT880 and DT990 are better. But then there's also the Fischer Audio FA-011 which is only $118 new and I consider it an equivalent (if not better, actually) to the DT990. Yet it's cheaper. You know?
 
Very best,
 
 

Thanks for the heads up on the FA-011.  As a noob, I'm virtually oblivious to potential alternatives

.  I just did a quick read on it, and my only concern is that my Forte may not have enough juice to power it to satisfactory levels.  I live in a smallish city and I don't even think there's a dedicated music store near my area.  The only shop that I know has headphones for demo is the local Best Buy. 

 

[J&J]

For $200.00 bucks you can get a 4yr old or even older top of the line HP from the best companies Senns, Beyers, US, AKG,  ect.  That's where the value is. Check the used forums and don't be afraid to make a respectful reasonable offer. These are tough times and stuff is not flying off used forum shelves.

 

[quastar]

Like I said, I unfortunately don't have $200 to spend...maybe $175 tops.  I know it's 'only' $25 more, but my original budget was $150.  Aren't top of the line headphones at least $800+?   

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Like I said, I unfortunately don't have $200 to spend...maybe $175 tops.  I know it's 'only' $25 more, but my original budget was $150.  Aren't top of the line headphones at least $800+?   

Some lines are less expensive than others. You can tap out at $300 for some. Others, $30,000. You know?
 
By the way, the Forte will power FA-011's just fine.
 
Very best,
 

 

[daveDerek]

a nice, forgiving, and often overlooked phone is the pioneer se-a1000. they're very pleasant & spacious sounding, and easy to drive. new they're ~$150 but periodically they show up on the used market for a lot less. there have been a few write ups extolling their virtues (the first that i recall was by spaceconvoy) but no large fotm type threads about them. just because products don't get all the attention around here, don't be too quick to dismiss them or you'll miss out on some sweet stuff.

 

[quastar]

I decided to pull the trigger, and found what appears to be a good conditioned, used pair of DT 880 for ~$160 shipped a few days ago.  I'm eagerly awaiting for it to arrive.  Timing cannot be any better too, as I'm currently using a pair of $10 headphones that has lobster strength clamps.  Thank you all for your input.