[Doc-holliday]

Good you got the message I ended the other thread. Glad you came over! Thanks for the input TwinQY.

 

[sgjackson]

A few years ago I asked for some advice on headphones for metal for 100 bucks and got some great suggestions here. Now my budget is higher (~200 dollars) and I'm back for advice. Here's the skinny:

-I mostly listen to a wide variety of metal, from intricate, fast genres such as tech death and grindcore to much slower, heavier genres like stoner and doom. As a result, I want something that can handle both of these extremes - something that isolates individual sounds very well for the faster stuff, and is heavy but not overpowering or oppressive for the slower, heavier music. I also make the occasional jaunt into trance and house so if it sounds good with that it's a plus.
 
-I'm going to be using these on the go and at my home quite often and plan on making them my main headphones. As a result, I want them to be closed, and be durable and comfortable. I have a large head and I'm scared of headphones that might fit me poorly, and as I'm using them on the go in addition to at home, isolation and sound not leaking is a big plus. These factors basically rule out Grado in my mind.
 
-I prefer over-ear, but I might be willing to try on-ear if there's a much superior option in that area.
 
-I don't have an amp and would primarily be listening from my laptop and Kindle Fire HD. If I need an amp or amp+DAC to listen through these, suggestions in my budget would be useful (I'd be open to purchasing this later, also).
 
Doing some looking around has led me to the Phiaton MS400, the V-Moda M80 (I'm also considering stretching my budget for the M100), the Sennheiser HD25-II, the Brainwavz HM5 and the ATH-M50 (not as much as the other four because of the nature of its bass, though). If anyone has advice on these models or can point me in another direction I'd appreciate it.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

A few years ago I asked for some advice on headphones for metal for 100 bucks and got some great suggestions here. Now my budget is higher (~200 dollars) and I'm back for advice. Here's the skinny:

-I mostly listen to a wide variety of metal, from intricate, fast genres such as tech death and grindcore to much slower, heavier genres like stoner and doom. As a result, I want something that can handle both of these extremes - something that isolates individual sounds very well for the faster stuff, and is heavy but not overpowering or oppressive for the slower, heavier music. I also make the occasional jaunt into trance and house so if it sounds good with that it's a plus.
 
-I'm going to be using these on the go and at my home quite often and plan on making them my main headphones. As a result, I want them to be closed, and be durable and comfortable. I have a large head and I'm scared of headphones that might fit me poorly, and as I'm using them on the go in addition to at home, isolation and sound not leaking is a big plus. These factors basically rule out Grado in my mind.
 
-I prefer over-ear, but I might be willing to try on-ear if there's a much superior option in that area.
 
-I don't have an amp and would primarily be listening from my laptop and Kindle Fire HD. If I need an amp or amp+DAC to listen through these, suggestions in my budget would be useful (I'd be open to purchasing this later, also).
 
Doing some looking around has led me to the Phiaton MS400, the V-Moda M80 (I'm also considering stretching my budget for the M100), the Sennheiser HD25-II, the Brainwavz HM5 and the ATH-M50 (not as much as the other four because of the nature of its bass, though). If anyone has advice on these models or can point me in another direction I'd appreciate it.

HD25-1 - Probably your best bet. Fantastic speed and voicing for metal (deathcore, symphonic, you name it) becuase of the slightly aggressive mids. Bass hits hard and fast, even for trance and house as well. Isolation is near IEM levels, and comfort...well, try them before you rule them out. I think they are decently comfortable, definitely bearable.
 
Phiaton MS400 - Emphasized bass, warm sound, might not be the absolute best for your music, but good nevertheless. Not the fastest phones on the block. Notes can be quite thick at times
 
HM5 - Just, no. Isolation isn't that bad, but these are way too large for portable use. Hope you like no being able to walk through doorways because the cups are too wide (I kid, I kid)
 
M80 - Leaks as they are vented. Would probably be somewhere between the MS400 and HD25-1 in terms of sig, but maybe less bass emphasized than either. Decent with metal. 
 
ATH-M50 - Isolation is decent, comfort is decent (people say the pads get sweaty after time, but I've only worn them for a hour at a time), not bad with metal at all, trance/techno is pretty good on these. 

 

[sgjackson]

Quote:

HD25-1 - Probably your best bet. Fantastic speed and voicing for metal (deathcore, symphonic, you name it) becuase of the slightly aggressive mids. Bass hits hard and fast, even for trance and house as well. Isolation is near IEM levels, and comfort...well, try them before you rule them out. I think they are decently comfortable, definitely bearable.
 
Phiaton MS400 - Emphasized bass, warm sound, might not be the absolute best for your music, but good nevertheless. Not the fastest phones on the block. Notes can be quite thick at times
 
HM5 - Just, no. Isolation isn't that bad, but these are way too large for portable use. Hope you like no being able to walk through doorways because the cups are too wide (I kid, I kid)
 
M80 - Leaks as they are vented. Would probably be somewhere between the MS400 and HD25-1 in terms of sig, but maybe less bass emphasized than either. Decent with metal. 
 
ATH-M50 - Isolation is decent, comfort is decent (people say the pads get sweaty after time, but I've only worn them for a hour at a time), not bad with metal at all, trance/techno is pretty good on these. 

Yeah the HM5 did look kind of big, I'll rule those out. The MS400s not being fast and emphasizing bass leads me to be inclined to rule those out also - sounds like a bad mix for what I'm looking for (might emphasize the low end too much for stoner and not be fast enough for tech death).
 
I have more questions, though - I'm still thinking pretty hard about the M80 - how bad do they leak? Would you say they lean more towards being fast like the HD25-1 or slower like the MS400? How does the sonic signature of the ATH-M50 compare to either? So you'd say the HD25-1 is the best in my budget period, or would you have another suggestion I didn't mention? 

 

[Doc-holliday]

HD25-1 - Probably your best bet. Fantastic speed and voicing for metal (deathcore, symphonic, you name it) becuase of the slightly aggressive mids. Bass hits hard and fast, even for trance and house as well. Isolation is near IEM levels, and comfort...well, try them before you rule them out. I think they are decently comfortable, definitely bearable.

Phiaton MS400 - Emphasized bass, warm sound, might not be the absolute best for your music, but good nevertheless. Not the fastest phones on the block. Notes can be quite thick at times

HM5 - Just, no. Isolation isn't that bad, but these are way too large for portable use. Hope you like no being able to walk through doorways because the cups are too wide (I kid, I kid)

M80 - Leaks as they are vented. Would probably be somewhere between the MS400 and HD25-1 in terms of sig, but maybe less bass emphasized than either. Decent with metal. 

ATH-M50 - Isolation is decent, comfort is decent (people say the pads get sweaty after time, but I've only worn them for a hour at a time), not bad with metal at all, trance/techno is pretty good on these. 

Don't forget to tell him to get the DT1350

There are about 4 or 5 people selling them in the For Sale forum right now for around 200 bucks. One guy was 190.

 

[sgjackson]

Quote:

Don't forget to tell him to get the DT1350

There are about 4 or 5 people selling them in the For Sale forum right now for around 200 bucks. One guy was 190.

While I'd prefer to buy new if possible, I am curious what make you recommend these over the other options.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Don't forget to tell him to get the DT1350

There are about 4 or 5 people selling them in the For Sale forum right now for around 200 bucks. One guy was 190.

 
Knew you'd come in with the DT1350 suggestion! Can't talk about what I haven't heard though. $190 for those definitely seems like a good deal, people should watch out for these, before I snatch them up.
 
Quote:

Yeah the HM5 did look kind of big, I'll rule those out. The MS400s not being fast and emphasizing bass leads me to be inclined to rule those out also - sounds like a bad mix for what I'm looking for (might emphasize the low end too much for stoner and not be fast enough for tech death).
 
I have more questions, though - I'm still thinking pretty hard about the M80 - how bad do they leak? Would you say they lean more towards being fast like the HD25-1 or slower like the MS400? How does the sonic signature of the ATH-M50 compare to either? So you'd say the HD25-1 is the best in my budget period, or would you have another suggestion I didn't mention? 

 
The M80 would probably be right in between, maybe ever so slightly to the MS400 side. My first time hearing them had been disappointing at first, they sounded muddy and dark. However, I had Etys stuck in my ears for the entire morning commute, so it took some time to adjust. While they are still somewhat slower than the Senns, it's not at all detracting from metal and the likes. Leakage outwards is okay, you'd have to stay around a few feet from them to hear music leaking out. Isolation wise, they are pretty average for on-ears, maybe a 6/10, and the HD-25 would be 9-10/10. Again, the HD25-1 is the most likely out of your choices here, but you should also consider the DT1350s that Doc suggested above. My aural memory on the M50 isn't all that great, so I'll refrain from commenting more on that front.

 

[Doc-holliday]

While I'd prefer to buy new if possible, I am curious what make you recommend these over the other options.

Out of the ones above the HD25-1 ii and the DT1350 are the ones I would recommend for awesome portable cans. The 1350 over the 25.

I just really love the mids presentation of the 1350 and the detail they are capable of without sounding super bright like some of my other Beyer's. They just make things like electric guitars sound awesome and that crunchy grindy sound comes out just beautifully. Being an ex drummer I really love the speed and impact of the toms and kick.

I think honestly you would enjoy either one. Both for sure superior to the M50 in just about every way.

Edit: @twinqy... just saw you 2nd post... lol

 

[sgjackson]

Quote:

The M80 would probably be right in between, maybe ever so slightly to the MS400 side. My first time hearing them had been disappointing at first, they sounded muddy and dark. However, I had Etys stuck in my ears for the entire morning commute, so it took some time to adjust. While they are still somewhat slower than the Senns, it's not at all detracting from metal and the likes. Leakage outwards is okay, you'd have to stay around a few feet from them to hear music leaking out. Isolation wise, they are pretty average for on-ears, maybe a 6/10, and the HD-25 would be 9-10/10. Again, the HD25-1 is the most likely out of your choices here, but you should also consider the DT1350s that Doc suggested above. My aural memory on the M50 isn't all that great, so I'll refrain from commenting more on that front.

 
Quote:

Out of the ones above the HD25-1 ii and the DT1350 are the ones I would recommend for awesome portable cans. The 1350 over the 25.
I just really love the mids presentation of the 1350 and the detail they are capable of without sounding super bright like some of my other Beyer's. They just make things like electric guitars sound awesome and that crunchy grindy sound comes out just beautifully. Being an ex drummer I really love the speed and impact of the toms and kick.
I think honestly you would enjoy either one. Both for sure superior to the M50 in just about every way.
Edit: @twinqy... just saw you 2nd post... lol

It sounds like the HD25 is the resounding opinion should I chose to buy new, and the DT1350 for used. I'm going to assume that the tight clamping force of the HD25 isn't huge deal with the velour pads (I really can't understate that I have a huge head, my hat size is closer to an 8 than a 7). The only thing preventing me from pulling the trigger is I was kind of hoping I'd be able to find a circumaural option rather than a supraaural one - I prefer that form factor by a fair amount, even if it's hard to find in a portable headphone, and I might be willing to stretch my budget a bit to make it happen.

 

[Spen Javer]

First off, sorry I have already started a new thread out there (I really didn't see this thread =( )
 
I'm looking for advice for my next iem (First custom!)

I like DBA-02 MKII for sound signature, bright, fast. UE TF10 for details, sound stage.
 
Currently I'm using Rock It Sounds R-50 which I loveeeee them (Because of details, cold sound signature, separation) but I want more sub bass rumble (not much, I want to 'feel' it but no need to actually 'hear' it) their highs and mids are just right for me.

and larger soundstage (maybe TF10 like or more), sparking trebles (like dba-02 mkII)

I mostly listen to Trance, House, Drum'n'Bass, IDM, Dubstep, Synthpop and sometimes Metal, J-Rock, Ambient, Pop
 
I found out that Hidition NT-6 Pro, UERM, FitEar 334, ACS T1 Classic, Starkey SA-43 "may" be the one.

and I'm now interested in ACS T1 Classic because there's some promotion going on in store near me!

Do you guys have any suggestions? I'll really appreciate it.

Thank you in advance! =D

 

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

First off, sorry I have already started a new thread out there (I really didn't see this thread =( )
 
I'm looking for advice for my next iem (First custom!)

I like DBA-02 MKII for sound signature, bright, fast. UE TF10 for details, sound stage.
 
Currently I'm using Rock It Sounds R-50 which I loveeeee them (Because of details, cold sound signature, separation) but I want more sub bass rumble (not much, I want to 'feel' it but no need to actually 'hear' it) their highs and mids are just right for me.

and larger soundstage (maybe TF10 like or more), sparking trebles (like dba-02 mkII)

I mostly listen to Trance, House, Drum'n'Bass, IDM, Dubstep, Synthpop and sometimes Metal, J-Rock, Ambient, Pop
 
I found out that Hidition NT-6 Pro, UERM, FitEar 334, ACS T1 Classic, Starkey SA-43 "may" be the one.

and I'm now interested in ACS T1 Classic because there's some promotion going on in store near me!

Do you guys have any suggestions? I'll really appreciate it.

Thank you in advance! =D

 

I though the Multi-CIEM thread had stated that the ACS was pretty warm and colored, a huge departure from your stated preferences. Unless that's what you're looking for, something different. 
 
Don't have any customs, so can't help you, sorry. Good luck though, I'm interested in what you'll get as suggestions (as I'm looking for a custom that's more to the analytic/cold side as well)!

 

[Spen Javer]

Quote:

I though the Multi-CIEM thread had stated that the ACS was pretty warm and colored, a huge departure from your stated preferences. Unless that's what you're looking for, something different. 
 
Don't have any customs, so can't help you, sorry. Good luck though, I'm interested in what you'll get as suggestions (as I'm looking for a custom that's more to the analytic/cold side as well)!

 


Thanks for the information and yeah! we shared same preferences =D

So many CIEM got reviewed as 'analytic' but there's always 'warm' and 'enhanced bass' comes with it which I don't want

Looking forward to get some suggestions though, I can't really decide which CIEM should I get.

 

[imusorka]

Thank you so much Wayne and Doc! I'm almost sold on S400/500. My only concern is comfort. Are they both painful with stock pads? How easy is it to replace those with the AKG pads? And most importantly, what is a safe place to buy them to avoid getting a counterfeit product?
 
ADDED: The more I read about JVCs, the more concerned I get about heat, sweat and pressure. Are Beyerdynamic DT 235 or Sennheiser PX 200 II going to be any better in this department? Does their SQ compare? Are they light? Apologies for so many questions.

 

[noobiehifi]

Hi guys,
I am looking for some new in-ear headphones to replace my samsungs which i got with my s2. I like these headphones but I would like to try something better.
I’ve been looking around in the forum for some advice but I found it hard to make a decision.
For now I think I will keep it on a 50-60 $ budget,
I listen to the following music:

1. Trance
2. Progressive House
3. Dubstep

I’ve been looking at quite a lot headphones and I my eyes fell on the A-jays series. They look really good and seem to have a good audio quality.
Well anyway what can you guys recommend me for this music genres?
Thank you,

 

[Doc-holliday]

It sounds like the HD25 is the resounding opinion should I chose to buy new, and the DT1350 for used. I'm going to assume that the tight clamping force of the HD25 isn't huge deal with the velour pads (I really can't understate that I have a huge head, my hat size is closer to an 8 than a 7). The only thing preventing me from pulling the trigger is I was kind of hoping I'd be able to find a circumaural option rather than a supraaural one - I prefer that form factor by a fair amount, even if it's hard to find in a portable headphone, and I might be willing to stretch my budget a bit to make it happen.

Well the new akg k501 is just coming out this month. Definitely made for those of us with big heads. In fact you get a better seal and thereby better sound with a big noggin. I have the k550. The main difference is the cable and color. The new cable will be shorter (4 feet) and have portable control in the cable. It is very comfortable as well and would top both the senny and beyer we suggested in that category.