[Cyberbeing]

I currently own the Sennheiser HD590 which I bought new ~4 years ago for $100 shipped. I have generally been happy with them. If I had to name a couple gripes, I would say that they are a bit too dark and they cause me fatigue.

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After reading good things about the Shure 440, I decided to buy them sight unseen. Big mistake.

The first issue I had was with the Shure 440's very bright nature and which caused the upper mids to become edgy and harsh at higher volume levels. This was so bad that when there there was any sort of complexity in the upper mids, the upper mids became distorted and blended together into one loud unbearable shriek. If I took an equalizer and knocked 3-4dB off 2-4Khz and 1-2dB off 5Khz+ range the shrieking went away, but being forced to use an equalizer is a deal-breaker.

The second issue is the earpads on the Shure 440 were way too thin at only 0.5". After wearing the them for 30 minutes my ears (which stick out ~1") became very red and sore. If I can't wear them comfortably for at least 2 hours, they are useless to me.

That said, after 2 hours of testing, they went right back in the box and are being returned tomorrow.
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So now in need of some advice on which closed headphone to buy for my second attempt with a maximum budget of $150 shipped. Below are some requirements I have in general order of priority:

First requirement: Earpads which are at least 1" thick (my HD590 earpads are 1" thick). Anything less then that and I'll likely have comfort issues since the tip of my ears stick out about 1".

Second requirement: Easy to drive unamped from a receiver and discrete computer soundcard. I do not own a headphone amp and unless the headphone and amp cost combined falls under $150, I would be buying headphone only. I don't plan to ever use them with a portable audio player or anything else similarly underpowered, so they don't need to be THAT easy to drive.

Third requirement: Mids and highs which do not become distorted and harsh at higher volume levels (I do not want a repeat of the Shure 440). Decent bass (no less then Shure 440 which had somewhat minimal bass). Natural vocals for Japanese music, dialog, and media. My main concern is Japanese female vocals which at times are very high-pitched.

Fourth requirement: Minimal sound leakage when played loud. I need them to be as inaudible as possible when someone is 3ft+ away.

Fifth requirement: Decent isolation. Something with around 45dB+ of isolation would be perfect, but this is a lesser factor for me.


Below are the prices I've seen on various closed headphones I'm considering after a quick look around the web:

Sennheiser 280 PRO $75
Sennheiser HD448 $100

Audio Technica ATH-A700 $115
Audio Technica ATH-M50 $130

AKG K-181 DJ $130
AKG K-171 MK II $140
AKG K-271 MK II $150

Shure SRH750DJ $150


Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[kayaker3057]

shure 840's $134 shipped northern sound and light. easy decision.

 

[momomo6789]

Sigh i would go m50s or used beyer 770 80 ohms !

 

[Cyberbeing]

If possible I would first like help in ruling out any of the headphones I listed which do not have at least 1 inch thick earpads.

Also if people who own one of the particular headphones in question could say a little about how it does for my third and forth requirements in particular that would be helpful.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kayaker3057 /img/forum/go_quote.gif shure 840's $134 shipped northern sound and light. easy decision.

Not an easy decision for me. If anything, I am now very weary of Shure headphones considering how much I hated the sound of the SHR440 (they were like the polar opposite of my HD590 in a bad way).

Are the SHR840 really that much different then the SHR440 in the mids and highs? I saw in another thread that the SRH750DJ supposedly had less emphasized mid and highs compared to the SRH840, so wouldn't they be a better choice?

Do any of the Shure headphones actually have 1" earpads? The Shure website uses the same stock photo for both SHR440 and SHR840, so are the earpads really twice as thick?

Quote:

Originally Posted by momomo6789 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sigh i would go m50s or used beyer 770 80 ohms !

Do the ath-m50 and beyer 770 80 ohms both have 1" earpads?

 

[chintimin]

You want a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770s. He's right. If those were too bright for you, the Beyers are warm, still fairly detailed, laid back, good bass, and have velour earpads that are super-comfy. If you want cheaper, try a pair of Sennheiser HD280s for 65$.

 

[tm.chen]

I wouldnt suggest the 840 since the pads are a lot softer than the 440's and they are about the same thickness too.

 

[loopfreak]

Senn hd 25 1 with velour pads they are very punchy but doesnt overshadow rest of the spectrum , little dark but in your face type of sound can go very loud effortless with maximum isolation and the best thing you can buy them used because they are indestructible !

 

[K_19]

840's are a no go for your needs. There's no way you'll like it's slight upper midrange peak if you are sensitive to it... vocals WILL be shrieking at you in J-Pop. Besides, the earcups aren't deep enough for your ears, it's somewhat on the shallow side. It does sound as if DT770 may be your ticket, but beware the bass, which can sound overblown to many.

Quote:

Originally Posted by loopfreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Senn hd 25 1 with velour pads they are very punchy but doesnt overshadow rest of the spectrum , little dark but in your face type of sound can go very loud effortless with maximum isolation and the best thing you can buy them used because they are indestructible !

For his ears, HD25's may as well be torture device! It's not even circumaural and I wouldn't recommend it for OP's comfort needs. With that said, headphones that meet ALL of OP's requirements will be hard to come by in this price range so he may have to think about making some sacrifices somewhere and prioritize what the most important factors are for him.

 

[Palpatine]

Haven't heard the AKGs...but I think the ATH M50 might be your ticket if you weren't a fan of the Shure 440.

 

[widge34]

Did you burn the 440's in? Because i don't have any issues with the sound that you encountered. I also find them extremely comfortable. I did order the 840 pads but too be honest didn't really find any difference.

 

[Emooze]

I'm gonna throw a wrench in the works and make the JVC RX700 suggestion.

Sound is what you're looking for, vocals are really good with them. Amping them is very easy and I'm actually a bit wary if it even does anything. Isolation is very good.

Comfort is great for me but I hesitate to make any concrete remarks on it because I don't have them in front of me to measure the pads.

Price can't be beat though, <$50

 

[lejaz]

Equation RP21 has very natural and smooth mids and great bass(though too much for my taste)...also easy to drive. AKG's are known for great mids, but may be a little too bass shy for your requirements.

 

[dL.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by widge34 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did you burn the 440's in? Because i don't have any issues with the sound that you encountered. I also find them extremely comfortable. I did order the 840 pads but too be honest didn't really find any difference.

+1. The 440 is one of the better headphones I have tried at that price range. The Shure sound signature is something I personally really liked. I guess I like the mid peak.

dL

 

[roker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by loopfreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Senn hd 25 1 with velour pads they are very punchy but doesnt overshadow rest of the spectrum , little dark but in your face type of sound can go very loud effortless with maximum isolation and the best thing you can buy them used because they are indestructible !

that'd be a good way to describe the hd 25 1

dark, forward, and great isolation.

 

[alraike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayaker3057 /img/forum/go_quote.gif shure 840's $134 shipped northern sound and light. easy decision.

The 840s seem like a bad idea if he doesn't like the sound sig and fit of the 440s.