[Zoofiee]

Hey there
I know I've posted a fair amount, but I find this the best way to find things out - and hearing from people that have had experience with these cans is so helpful.
 
I'm upgrading from M50x headphones. Don't find the sound that inspiring and also not hugely comfortable.

Looking at the Fidelio X2 vs HD598 vs K712 - (or another headphone you would recommend?)
I listen to alot of metal and rock, but also other genres like acoustic, jazz and blues. I would also love to use them for gaming!
I like bass, but not overpowering bass like beats! I actually don't find the bass on the M50s too overpowering. A relatively neutral sound would be great. 
 
I'll be running the headphones, and currently my M50s, through my UR22 interface that I use for recording guitar - so I can't have high impedance cans! However, if you would thoroughly recommend some headphones that need an amp - I'll look into buying one maybe.

Any input at all would be fantastic,

Thanks!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Soundmagic HP200 semi-open headphones.

 

[Zoofiee]

  Soundmagic HP200 semi-open headphones.

 
Only thing putting me off getting those, is how few people own them and can vouche from them. I'm guessing you own them?

 

[PurpleAngel]

   
Only thing putting me off getting those, is how few people own them and can vouche from them. I'm guessing you own them?

 
I do own the Soundmagic HP200.

 

[FumblingFoo]

The HD598 costs about the same as an HD280, but according to this user the HD380 blows the 280 out of the water and punches higher than its price point.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/417831/hd380-vs-hd280/15#post_5577506

 

[FumblingFoo]

I just got in a pair of HD380's, and I must say if the 380's are better than then 280's, I'd hate to have to give the 280's a listen. I never would have imagined that the T90's could sound so much better. Yes, they are quite a bit more expensive at $430 but its as if the diminishing returns curve hasn't kicked in yet. I'm sure that there are better sounding headphones around and below the $150 price point. I will have to check out the HD 598's some time because I owned a pair of HD550's a few years ago (I think, if that model number is accurate they were somewhere around the middle of the 500's) and I never remember having issue with the sound quality. For the first time (I've started out with some relatively hi-fi gear), I actually enjoyed music less listening to these headphones. So, I may have given bad advice on trying the HD380's. Glad I bought them to hear them for myself.


 


On the HD380's, although the bass seems tight and well controlled, and although the mids are clear and present, the treble seems quite blanketed. And, when there is too much going on at the same time in the music, the sound becomes blurred and muddled. Distortion also seemed to kick in for moderately loud listening levels.

 

[Zoofiee]

   
I do own the Soundmagic HP200.

Could you compare them to any other headphones you own?

 

[Zoofiee]

  I just got in a pair of HD380's, and I must say if the 380's are better than then 280's, I'd hate to have to give the 280's a listen. I never would have imagined that the T90's could sound so much better. Yes, they are quite a bit more expensive at $430 but its as if the diminishing returns curve hasn't kicked in yet. I'm sure that there are better sounding headphones around and below the $150 price point. I will have to check out the HD 598's some time because I owned a pair of HD550's a few years ago (I think, if that model number is accurate they were somewhere around the middle of the 500's) and I never remember having issue with the sound quality. For the first time (I've started out with some relatively hi-fi gear), I actually enjoyed music less listening to these headphones. So, I may have given bad advice on trying the HD380's. Glad I bought them to hear them for myself.
   
  On the HD380's, although the bass seems tight and well controlled, and although the mids are clear and present, the treble seems quite blanketed. And, when there is too much going on at the same time in the music, the sound becomes blurred and muddled. Distortion also seemed to kick in for moderately loud listening levels.

 
Yeah the HD598s do appear to be very good according to reviews, however I do listen to Metallica/Maiden etc alot - and apparently the HD598s aren't great for that!

 

[rnros]

  Looking at the Fidelio X2 vs HD598 vs K712 - (or another headphone you would recommend?)
I listen to alot of metal and rock, but also other genres like acoustic, jazz and blues. I would also love to use them for gaming!
I like bass, but not overpowering bass like beats! I actually don't find the bass on the M50s too overpowering. A relatively neutral sound would be great.

Of those three, I would choose the K712. I have the K7XX, but I believe they are more similar than different. The X2 is a fun hphone but they do have bass that is boomy at the upper bass level and it does overpower the vocal range. With the K7XX, if you have a strong bass line, solid vocals and guitars, all three will be featured equally, without one overpowering the other two. It's a clean, mostly neutral hphone. It also has better detail and timbre resolution than the X2.
 
If you can go a little higher in price, the Oppo PM-3 is a low-impedence planar magnetic that has excellent bass and a beautiful balanced midrange with even better resolution. It performs well on DAPs or portable amps, and it really scales well as you improve the amplification.