[Jmurphly]

  Hello there Head-fi! 
 
  So as the title states; I'm looking to buy my first set of "serious" headphones. So instead of doing the whole song and dance of "This headphones vs this headphone vs...." I'm going to instead describe the sound signature I want, and let you guys recommend me whatever you feel is appropriate.
 
  Let's start from the low end:
 
 
Sub-Bass: Present. Actually there. Most headphones I see have a freq response that drops off like a cliff after 50hz. I'm no bass head, but I do like to feel alive every now and then.
 
Mid-Bass: Neutral. I'll take recessed mid-bass over muddy mids any day. I once bought a pair of Sony "SUPER BASS" IEMs by mistake and I've been traumatized ever since. 
 
Mids: Again; neutral. Just nice and clear.
 
Highs: Sparkly. I like my highs ever so slightly boosted. Take them right to the limit of being too shrill, then one step back. 
 
 
  If I had to summarize my desired freq response it would be "Take the Golden Ears standard, and boost the treble by a hair." 
 
  So now on to the little details:
 
 
Clarity: Speaking of details; THIS IS WHAT I CARE THE MOST ABOUT! I want to be able to hear the audio engineer take a drag of his cigarette as he is mixing the song. I'm willing to compromise in other areas if it means the headphone is perfectly clear.
 
Soundstage: It's not that I need huge soundstage, it's just that I don't want tiny soundstage. As long as it isn't crazy tight; I'm OK.
 
Closed VS Open: Couldn't care less. I can use either.
 
 
   Alright I think that pretty much sums it up. Below I will list my rig and budget.
 
Currently Using: TIDAL HI-FI > Schiit Modi > Schiit Vali > Philips SHP9500
 
Budget: I'm going to call it at anything under $650. I figure that should get me what I want.
 
 
 Finally: A note about comfort. I tend to agree with Mr. Zeos in that if a headphone is not comfortable it is somewhat useless. I sit at my computer working much longer than I should, so comfort during long listening sessions is extremely important.
 
 
 
   Alright that does it for me! I tried to make this a little different than your typical recommendations thread because I figured you all must be getting pretty damn tired of these.
Thank you to anyone who can help me out! I'm posting this late at night so I may not respond for a few hours whilst I sleep. 
 
  Thank you all again!
 
 
EDIT: Going to add that these will STRICTLY be for at home - at desk use. No portability required.

 

[Jmurphly]

Anyone?

 

[U6astik]

Jmurphly, are you able to audiion the headphones? 
 
In case you are, I would recommend trying he following closed cans: Oppo PM-3, ATH MSR7, B&W P7, Momenum, Shure SRH1540, Beyerdynamic DT 1770 and Audeze EL-8 (50$ more).
The open ones: HD650, Shure SRH1840, Beyerdynamic DT 1770, HE-500 (if you can get one).

 

[Jmurphly]

  Jmurphly, are you able to audiion the headphones? 
 
In case you are, I would recommend trying he following closed cans: Oppo PM-3, ATH MSR7, B&W P7, Momenum, Shure SRH1540, Beyerdynamic DT 1770 and Audeze EL-8 (50$ more).
The open ones: HD650, Shure SRH1840, Beyerdynamic DT 1770, HE-500 (if you can get one).

 
 
Thanks for the suggestions! There is a small audio shop near me but I think they're mainly a Grado dealer... I'll give 'em a call and check.
 
Those Hifimans look pretty nice... I've heard that the HE500 is very similar to the new and widely available HE400i. Any truth to that? Also dear lord those p7s are pretty! 

 

 

[Monsterzero]

   
 
Thanks for the suggestions! There is a small audio shop near me but I think they're mainly a Grado dealer... I'll give 'em a call and check.
 
Those Hifimans look pretty nice... I've heard that the HE500 is very similar to the new and widely available HE400i. Any truth to that? Also dear lord those p7s are pretty! 

 

I own the HE-500,and while theyre my favorite headphone Ive ever owned i wouldnt call them ultra revealing.

Beyer T1s,AKGs,Grados come to mind when I think of revealing headphones.

 

[Jmurphly]

I own the HE-500,and while theyre my favorite headphone Ive ever owned i wouldnt call them ultra revealing.


Beyer T1s,AKGs,Grados come to mind when I think of revealing headphones.

Hmm those Beyers look nice but they are a bit out of my price range.

Speaking of Beyerdynamic, though; after looking around at some freq response graphs it seems like the dt880 premiums have a nearly perfect signature for me. They are quite a bit cheaper than anything else I've looked at, though. Would being less expensive be an indicator of a straight downgrade in SQ compared to something in the $500~ range, or is it more of a case by case thing?

 

[Me x3]

Hello,
 
A few headphones can suit your preferences and they all sound slightly different, so there's still work to do.
Anyway, your descriptions about your preferences are useful.
; )
 
In order to help you pick the right headphone I'll add a short description about these recommended headphones.
 
First of all, forget about the price factor, price means pretty much nothing once you're over 200usd, your preferences are far more important at this point.
 
DT880 is a very neutral heaphone, bass is clear and precise but it's not boosted in any way. Warm recordings sound warm and layered, while anemic recordings sound anemic. Mids have no colorations and treble is very fast and detailed and as you've stated, just a step back of being too loud, these applies to most quality recordings of course. Overall the presentation is neutral with a slightly laid back upper midrange that makes the sound non-intrusive. With the right recordings, these headphones can simply dissapear. If you want some "cons" neutral bass is not suitable for a wide variety of mainstream music and this might appear as bass light headphones, same can be said about the treble, spot on for most quality stuff and normal listening levels, but too bright for poor recordings or very loud listening levels.
 
K702 is not that far from DT880 but it's drier, cleaner, wider, deeper and more layered. It's even less warm sounding, so it's quite far from being a good all rounder.
The treble is not as fast or extended as DT880's but it's still extremely detailed and just a tad less sharp. These are very neutral with the only exception of the upper midrange being slightly raised close to the 2kHz area. K702's sound is more nasal than DT880's and less weighty.
 
K712 is a K702 with different tuning, significantly warmer. It retains most K702 strenghts, but it's easier on the ears and a much better all rounder.
Ultimately K712 is not as expansive or detailed as K702, but still very good in these regards.
 
HD700 is just a tad less neutral, with clearly recessed upper midrange and relatively bright treble. It's not as sharp (chh,shh,chh) as DT880 but it's definitely bright (tss, tss, tss). Less of a reference kind of sound quality and more of a particular tuning that can be pleasing provided the right recordings. These headphone has a thick tonality, opossite to the K702. Soundstage is very good, and transparency is very good as well. Is a step above DT880 in these regards, and similar to the K702.
Next to K712, HD700 might appear as more u-shaped, while K712 more midcentric.
 
If I were to push you in one direction I would say, check the AKG K712 (or the similar but significantly more expensive Beyerdynamic T1.1)
But these are all solid recommendations and you might end up preferring one over the others.

 

[Me x3]

Feel free to share one or two recordings of your preference (could be youtube links).
I can try them with some of my headphones and share a comment.

 

[Jmurphly]

Perfect! The DT880 600-ohm and k712s (just wish they weren't orange

) are raising my eyebrows particularly high. 
 
 

  Feel free to share one or two recordings of your preference (could be youtube links).
I can try them with some of my headphones and share a comment.

 
 
Yeah probably should have included musical taste in my drawn out post, huh?

 Anyways; here's a few of my favorite tracks:
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shSKvEp3HFo&list=RD0YySkt6--h0&index=10
 
https://vimeo.com/154283467
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oib0a2_itA
 
 
Sorry for the random Vimeo link. Couldn't find Little Wing on YT for some reason...
 
So as you can see I'm a Blues Rock guy. I dabble in Alt every now and then, buts it's mostly what you'll find above.
 
Thanks for taking that extra step! Definitely appreciated. 

 

[Me x3]

  Perfect! The DT880 600-ohm and k712s (just wish they weren't orange

) are raising my eyebrows particularly high. 
 
 
 
 
Yeah probably should have included musical taste in my drawn out post, huh?

 Anyways; here's a few of my favorite tracks:
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shSKvEp3HFo&list=RD0YySkt6--h0&index=10
 
https://vimeo.com/154283467
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oib0a2_itA
 
 
Sorry for the random Vimeo link. Couldn't find Little Wing on YT for some reason...
 
So as you can see I'm a Blues Rock guy. I dabble in Alt every now and then, buts it's mostly what you'll find above.
 
Thanks for taking that extra step! Definitely appreciated. 

 
You're welcome.
Skip the HD700, a bit too thick and the slightly odd treble tonality is apparent in your recordings.
 
Listening to Alabama Shakes on my DT880 right now.
DT880 works very well in my opinion. Clean and non intrusive, without sounding overly clinical.
 
Tesla T1.1 is just a tad fuller and more transparent than the flatter DT880. You get more of the room acoustics and those very fine details.
I would say DT880 provides about 85-90% of the T1's perfomance. Both are very detailed and energetic, the T1 is more effortless.
 
The AKG K712 is tuned very close to the T1.1 from bass to mids.
The AKG best the DT880 in terms of instrument separation and ultimate clarity, but the Beyer is better portraying the energy of sound.
 
If you like one, best chances are you'll like the other.
Treble is more special on DT880 but the AKG boasts better instrument separation and spatial capabilities.

 

[Monsterzero]

FYI,

Great deals on used T1s can be found in the "For Sale" section of this forum...seen em recently as low as 375.00,but around 500.00 is about the norm.

 

[Jmurphly]

You're welcome.
Skip the HD700, a bit too thick and the slightly odd treble tonality is apparent in your recordings.

Listening to Alabama Shakes on my DT880 right now.
DT880 works very well in my opinion. Clean and non intrusive, without sounding overly clinical.

Tesla T1.1 is just a tad fuller and more transparent than the flatter DT880. You get more of the room acoustics and those very fine details.
I would say DT880 provides about 85-90% of the T1's perfomance. Both are very detailed and energetic, the T1 is more effortless.

The AKG K712 is tuned very close to the T1.1 from bass to mids.
The AKG best the DT880 in terms of instrument separation and ultimate clarity, but the Beyer is better portraying the energy of sound.

If you like one, best chances are you'll like the other.
Treble is more special on DT880 but the AKG boasts better instrument separation and spatial capabilities.

Alright so the HD700s are definitely out. Right now I think the DT880s are my best bet. Thanks so much for the help!

FYI,


Great deals on used T1s can be found in the "For Sale" section of this forum...seen em recently as low as 375.00,but around 500.00 is about the norm.

Oooh you know I never thought to check the for sale forum... I'll keep an eye out. I think that I'll be going with the DT880 Premium 600ohm, but I'll be waiting awhile before I buy, so I'll keep an eye out and pick up the t1 if I see a good price.

 

[Rhenoware]

I would say the original HE-400 with some mods to reduce the treble a bit and add comfort would fit that description well.

 

[Bleether]

From what you described in sound signature, it sounds like you are describing my AKG k712's. You should try auditioning some.

 

[Jmurphly]

From what you described in sound signature, it sounds like you are describing my AKG k712's. You should try auditioning some.

I'll be sure to test them if I come across a pair. Thank you!