[Eli D]

Hello guys!
I guess you must be tired of newbies asking for recommandations, but from what I've heard this is the place to go
I want to purchase a closed back headphone for home (pc) and on the go (phone) use. My music preferences are Metal (mostly Nu Metal), Funk, Rock and some Indie.
Oh and i wear glasses, if that matters in terms of comfort.
The price range I'm aiming for is about 150€ to 200€.

Now the models i was considering up until this point were the Sennheiser 598Cs, AKG K550, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and I'm really not sure if i should consider the Audiotechnica ATH m50X aswell.

At the moment I'm leaning more towards the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros, as I heard from all sides that they offer a good listening experience overall, especially given the style of music I listen to. Because I want to use them on the go aswell I think the 32 ohm version would be best suited for me. Allthough I heard that the bass on the 80ohms is more pleasant and the mids less agressive (again, can only judge from other peoples opinion). Now the problem with the 80ohms version is a) the inexchangable extremely long cable that I could imagine woulb be a hassle and b) that I´d have to use a portable amp at any rate (as far as I'm aware), so my question regarding the DT 770 pro's would be: Does the "upgrade" from the 32ohms to the 80ohms junstify the extra money for the amp and the added struggle in terms of portability or is it not "that big of a deal"?
(If yes then could you guys recommend me a cheap portable amp that only serves to drive the headphones, nothing in terms of EQ?)

So anyways I am really curious about your opinion and would be extremely glad for any advice and explanations you could give me, I really enjoy my music and therefore want to step my game up a bit to get the most out of it, but I´m really unsure about the choice of headphones.

Thank you a lot in advance

 

[cossix]

I've never heard any of the Beyers but I'd imagine the lower impedance one is perfectly fine! If it was me, I'd stick with the easier to drive model and only switch it for the other one if I'm unhappy with the sound. This hobby is one of those things that makes people want to spend extra money for stuff they don't need, so if you have the self-discipline then I say go with the 32ohm model and call it a day

 

[Monsterzero]

Dunno the price of gear where you live but I would look at the V-Moda M-100,which IMHO is a much better option than the DT770s.
The only real knock on the M-100 is comfort which can be fixed easily by a pad swap.The same cannot be said about the 'fingernails on a chalkboard' highs on the DT770.

 

[rexhu100]

Given your music preference, why not ATH-M40x, or Fostex T-40RP.

 

[Eli D]

Given your music preference, why not ATH-M40x, or Fostex T-40RP.

Dunno, many reviewers said that their bass sounded quite muddy (ATH-m50X)

 

[rexhu100]

Dunno, many reviewers said that their bass sounded quite muddy (ATH-m50X)

Yep, that's why many people prefer ATH-M40x, over 50x.

 

[rexhu100]

Also, I have a pair of T-50RP MK2, which is considered "semi-open", but it is really a pair of closed cans. Many people say the MK3 is even better than MK2, so I think you should consider those too. The reason why I mentioned T-40RP above is that those are considered (fully) closed.

 

[buke9]

Haven’t heard the M40’s but did not like the bloated bass on the M50’s at all and would pic the M100’s over the 770’s also. The Fostex would definitely need a amp though.

 

[rexdale]

I have the dt 770s 80 ohms and only can speak to that. It's comfortable even with glasses. Performance-wise I have no issue with it, however it's portability is what we need to examine.

If you really like bass then I feel that you're kind of forced to get the 80 ohms version. Then you would also need an amp and have to deal with the 3m wire.
Now if you were using a music player like an ipod, you can simply tie the ipod, amp, and the extra wire length together with a band (I had one that came with my amp). I did this and it gives me minimal annoyance for portable use
But you say you are going to use your phone to play music on the go. Then you can just tie the amp and extra wire to your phone. I've done this too, and the biggest question here is how much will you be using your phone while you are listening to your headphones.
If the answer is rarely, then again the annoyance will be minimal. But if you will be using your phone regularly with an amp and extra wire attached to it, I've found it annoying and not worth it.
So, my recommendation on getting the dt 770 is based on how much will you be on your phone while using the headphones on the go, and if you got any other music player or not.

You should also check out the beyerdynamic custom studio (not custom one pro). It's the dt 770 80 ohm but with a removable cable. So you would still need an amp, but you will have the option of buying a shorter wire on top of that.
The only problem is that the price varies in different places so it may be way out of your budget. This is what I currently have since I got it on sale last black friday.

The people above have recommended the M100. If it really is better sounding or atleast as good as the dt770 and doesn't need an amp, then I see no reason to get the dt 770 80 ohms over it at all. Plus it's probably cheaper to get comfortable ear pads for the m100 than to get an amp for the dt 770.

So let me make a flow chart lol:
1)Do you care about bass? If no, get dt770 32 ohm if it interests you.
2)If yes, get the M100+ear pads if you will be on your phone a lot with headphones
3)If you won't be using your phone a lot, you can get the beyerdynamic custom studio+amp+(optional short cable) instead.
4)If either 2) or 3) are too expensive but somehow dt 770 80 ohms+amp is in your budget, then get that.

Note:
If you get an amp, try finding one that you can use while charging so you can use it with your computer if you wish.

Ofcourse black friday is here so look for some deals.

Remember we are talking about headphone bass here, so don't expect super powerful bass even with an amp

 

[serman005]

I personally think that the best closed headphone in your price range is the SoundMAGIC HP151. You might check it out and see what you think. It is possible it could work for you.

 

[Eli D]

I have the dt 770s 80 ohms and only can speak to that. It's comfortable even with glasses. Performance-wise I have no issue with it, however it's portability is what we need to examine.

If you really like bass then I feel that you're kind of forced to get the 80 ohms version. Then you would also need an amp and have to deal with the 3m wire.
Now if you were using a music player like an ipod, you can simply tie the ipod, amp, and the extra wire length together with a band (I had one that came with my amp). I did this and it gives me minimal annoyance for portable use
But you say you are going to use your phone to play music on the go. Then you can just tie the amp and extra wire to your phone. I've done this too, and the biggest question here is how much will you be using your phone while you are listening to your headphones.
If the answer is rarely, then again the annoyance will be minimal. But if you will be using your phone regularly with an amp and extra wire attached to it, I've found it annoying and not worth it.
So, my recommendation on getting the dt 770 is based on how much will you be on your phone while using the headphones on the go, and if you got any other music player or not.

You should also check out the beyerdynamic custom studio (not custom one pro). It's the dt 770 80 ohm but with a removable cable. So you would still need an amp, but you will have the option of buying a shorter wire on top of that.
The only problem is that the price varies in different places so it may be way out of your budget. This is what I currently have since I got it on sale last black friday.

The people above have recommended the M100. If it really is better sounding or atleast as good as the dt770 and doesn't need an amp, then I see no reason to get the dt 770 80 ohms over it at all. Plus it's probably cheaper to get comfortable ear pads for the m100 than to get an amp for the dt 770.

So let me make a flow chart lol:
1)Do you care about bass? If no, get dt770 32 ohm if it interests you.
2)If yes, get the M100+ear pads if you will be on your phone a lot with headphones
3)If you won't be using your phone a lot, you can get the beyerdynamic custom studio+amp+(optional short cable) instead.
4)If either 2) or 3) are too expensive but somehow dt 770 80 ohms+amp is in your budget, then get that.

Note:
If you get an amp, try finding one that you can use while charging so you can use it with your computer if you wish.

Ofcourse black friday is here so look for some deals.

Remember we are talking about headphone bass here, so don't expect super powerful bass even with an amp

Thanks a lot for this really informative answer.

 

[Eli D]

I personally think that the best closed headphone in your price range is the SoundMAGIC HP151. You might check it out and see what you think. It is possible it could work for you.

I dont know, ive heard that they break very easily and that that hasnt changed with the new 151 at all....

 

[Eli D]

By the way, could I get you guyses opinion on the 598Cs aswell perhaps? Just because they seem ideal for portable use and nobody mentioned them yet, are the like a no-go in terms of sound, especially for metal/rock/funk ?

 

[buke9]

Haven't heard the closed versions but from what I hear others say quite different and not as good as the opens.

 

[JK1]

Have you used closed headphones extensively? I no longer use them, as my ears overheat very quickly, except when using them outdoors in the cold weather. have you considered using IEMs(in the ear canal isolating earphones) for when you want isolation? IEMs are much more convenient than closed headphones for portable use, as when you are finished using them, they can go in a jacket pocket with your player or phone.
Having said that, those who plan to use isolating headphones or IEMs for portable use should make sure to use them only when it is safe to do so, and avoid using them when walking through traffic intersections. When I am walking outdoors I use open earphones and keep the volume low for safety reasons.