[Roygbiv610]

My budget for headphones is $350 and those two options looked like my best bet. If anyone has some suggestions I am of course open to them. I have listed some songs that represent my musical taste on a normal day, and just from reflecting I suppose I am looking for a setup that is neutralish if not a bit on the warm side. 
 
In any case, if anyone can recommend a good matching amp (budget for that is $400) then I would also be eternally grateful. I have done a bit of research and have some ideas in mind but I'd rather get a more experienced opinion since I am looking for a certain...sliver of bias in my soundstage
 
Many thanks in advance!
 
The Musical Palette:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQEmaj9C6ko&fmt=18
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKPKbOtEnqg&fmt=18
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MMXjunSx80&fmt=18
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EHLjxZ4AIs&fmt=18
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfecAVzoPPk&fmt=18
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ep6YINlWcI&fmt=18
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnutktJP7M&fmt=18
 

 

[tdockweiler]

I love Boards of Canada and lots of ambient music on the K702. They're fine for electronic music as long as it's not too bass heavy. Some Massive Attack songs could be an issue on the K702.
 
Just as a warning that the K702 and SR-60 don't have a lot of bass at all. I don't think you'll have a problem with them. I don't even find them remotely bass light, but some people do. Bass light to me is more like the AD700 and RE0!
 
I was going to suggest the DT-880, but that would NEVER ever fall under the category of "warm". I'm not a huge fan of it's mids, but they're not that bad.
 
I should also point out that the K702 requires a ton of burn it to be at their best. Around 80-100 hours to smooth the treble or else it's can be a problem at first.
 
The HD-600 is also nice, but not as clear or unforgiving as the K702 is. I think the K702 would be a better match for you. I always disliked Sennheiser headphones for electronic music. I mostly listen to ambient music though like Helios.
 
The K702 are very comfortable as long as you don't have a problem with their bumps.
 
You could also check into the K601. I've found it has a warmer sound than the K702 and more forward mids as well as slightly more bass. Definitely less treble. They're about $60 less than the K702. They actually sound great out of the $120 E9. The K702 is also decent out of it, but not a 100% perfect match. I love my K702 out of the $350 Headroom Micro Amp. That thing is tiny and very powerful. I felt it was totally worth the price. It drove the K702 and HD-650 equally good. I don't think I could ever go back to using the E9 with the K702 again.
 
 
BTW I also should point out that the K702's soundstage is massive. Some people might not like how it presents music because of this. It doesn't bother me at all. It's not quite a front-row like experience llike the SR-60 is. The K601 is closer to that but not as clear and detailed as the K702, but close.

 

[Roygbiv610]

Would you recommend the DT-880's at all? I mean really the reason I felt I should have a "warm" sounding setup is simply because a lot of my music tends to lean towards a more...hazy...well, Boards of Canada type feel. I want something that can provide enjoyable clarity but not to the point where the emotion of the music is lost, and I've heard that the DT-880's were very sharply analytical and treble heavy.
 
Also can you say anything about the 650's? I've heard they're hard to drive but the description of the sound presentation sounded like what I'm looking for. Really a headphone that matches BoC/Tycho type music would be ideal, if it does the rest just as well or worse, no matter really. I could live with that

 

[tdockweiler]

Basically for the DT-880 you just have to listen to them to figure out if you will like them. Some people say they're fun and energetic and others say they're cold, clinical and it's like putting your music under a microscope. For a huge percentage of my music, the DT-880 32 AND 250 seemed to suck the life out of my music, but on other music it's like the complete opposite! For me, I've found them so picky about my source files that I actually had to go and weed out any of my garbage tracks. The DT-880 is still fairly neutral and it's treble didn't even remotely bother me. I do like the DT-880 a lot, but after the first week I just started to like them less and less. They actually "Wowed" me the first day!
 
Some say the DT-880 has recessed mids, but I think they're are just only a tad..barely and it's not even worth mentioning this. I only realized this when I used them for gaming. If you want forward sounding mids, the DT-880 is probably a bad idea. I personally NEED very, very good mids and everything else comes next.
 
As much as I like the HD-650, it's probably my least favorite headphone for electronic music. I'd even say terrible. It did get a little better with a better amp and a new cable, but I've found they don't have enough detail for some music. They're fairly detailed, but not like the DT-880 or K702. There also isn't enough treble on them for some.
 
My HD-650 was rather picky about good amp synergy and I had to switch amps just for me to like it a lot. The HD-600 would be a much better match for your music probably and it's less picky about amping. The only negative with the HD-650 I had is that I wasn't a fan of it's bass at all and it covered up some of the detail. I actually didn't notice this right away.
 
If you listen to a ton of ambient and non bass-heavy electronic music you can't go wrong with the K702. I've found that for ambient I prefer to have as much detail as possible, some forward mids (but not too forward!) and a very clear sound. K702 matches that quite perfectly. The K702's soundstage is HUGE. I actually didn't get into ambient music until I listened to it on the K702! Now it's addicting.
 
It's hard to say if it will have enough bass for you, but it's worth a try. You never know, you might love the DT-880, but both the DT-880 and K702 are hard headphones to suggest unless you know what you're getting into. I think the K702 might be easier to like. I've also found it far more comfortable than the DT-880.
 
If ever are interested in a Sennheiser headphone I'd probably suggest the HD-598 for your music over the HD-650 and HD-600. They don't sound anywhere as clear or detailed as the K702, but are only $175. They have some forward mids, a decent amount of bass and are a good headphone for pretty much anything, even movies and games.
Quote:

Would you recommend the DT-880's at all? I mean really the reason I felt I should have a "warm" sounding setup is simply because a lot of my music tends to lean towards a more...hazy...well, Boards of Canada type feel. I want something that can provide enjoyable clarity but not to the point where the emotion of the music is lost, and I've heard that the DT-880's were very sharply analytical and treble heavy.
 
Also can you say anything about the 650's? I've heard they're hard to drive but the description of the sound presentation sounded like what I'm looking for. Really a headphone that matches BoC/Tycho type music would be ideal, if it does the rest just as well or worse, no matter really. I could live with that

 

 

[Roygbiv610]

Looks like the 702 is my headphone!
 
As far as amps go I've been looking more and more and I'm thinking the Darkvoice 336SE or J Audio Labs Headphone. I considered the Darkvoice 337 but I just don't know if it's worth the jump in price. Maybe someone else does? I've also done a bunch of Googling and it doesn't seem like J Audio Lab Headphones are even available anymore.

 

[tdockweiler]

You might also want to look into the Matrix M-stage. It's very cheap and is said to be a good match for the K702. I haven't heard it though.
I use a Headroom Micro Amp with mine and love it. Runs about $350 and drives my old HD-650 and K702 with ease. Has very good synergy with the K702 for sure.
 
I haven't tried any of those headphone amps you've mentioned, but you may want to ask in the Headphone amp forum.