[KG Jag]

Quote:

Sennheiser HD558 gets my vote.

 Yes--well regarded for music and gaming; easy to drive when compared to most in its class.

 

[TyTB]

Any reason that both of you go for the 558? Purple can you explain why you vote for it? And KG, what do you mean by "easy to drive"?

 

[regicide]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TyTB /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Why is it that they manufacture gaming headphones - and not just manufacture, but dedicate entire companies to, like turtle beach - when you can always just buy a mic? I mean is there really any difference between a gaming headset and a headset with a mic added on? Are you really just paying a premium for the convenience of a mic..or? 
 

I think part of this comes down to people not being aware of the audiophile niche and brands like turtle beach being pushed pretty hard among gamers.
 
The other thing I would put it down to is they have the '<insert console here> compatible' sticker on the boxes so they are a safe bet for console gamers and are often on display at their local game retailers (and are recommended by their in-store staff).
 

Also, I've noticed that, unfortunately gaming headphones are among the best-looking headphones for most 17 year-olds. Yes a pair of Senn's will have vastly superior sound quality, but are there any good audiophile headphones that are sleek and hip? 

I personally don't like the look of the turtle beach headsets, all very chunky and plastic.
 
What about the sennheiser 25s?
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/1374/13
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/643/13
 
At the end of the day sound and looks are very subjective, if you are able to then you should go and find some headphones you like the look of and that sound good to you by listening to them.
 
 
Quote:

So here are my finds, in order of what I personally think looks the most promising:
 
HD 558    http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/1376/14

The 558 (and from memory all the 5xx and 6xx series) are open and so are not really suited for portable use unless you want to hear everyone and for everyone to be able to hear your music.

 

[regicide]

Quote:

Any reason that both of you go for the 558? Purple can you explain why you vote for it? And KG, what do you mean by "easy to drive"?

The sennheiser 5xx series are quite popular around here.
Easy to drive means they are low impedance so you can drive (run them nicely) from almost any device (ipod, pc sound card, etc.).

 

[TyTB]

Quote:

The 558 (and from memory all the 5xx and 6xx series) are open and so are not really suited for portable use unless you want to hear everyone and for everyone to be able to hear your music.

It's interesting that you say that. Im wondering, I have a pair of Solo HD Beats by Dre, and when i put them on (they're on-ear) i find that the entire world has disappeared, even though they have no noise cancellation. As long as these would be as good as that, im more than happy.
 
One thing though, closed-backed headphones, while they are more quiet, is it by an extreme amount? Like can you hear everything pouring out of open-backed cans, or only at high volumes? Because im worried that if i go for closed-backed cans they will heat up faster and be a bit more uncomfortable, seeing as how they cant breath as much.
 
And thank you Regicide for clearing that up.

 

[regicide]

Quote:

It's interesting that you say that. Im wondering, I have a pair of Solo HD Beats by Dre, and when i put them on (they're on-ear) i find that the entire world has disappeared, even though they have no noise cancellation. As long as these would be as good as that, im more than happy.
 
One thing though, closed-backed headphones, while they are more quiet, is it by an extreme amount? Like can you hear everything pouring out of open-backed cans, or only at high volumes? Because im worried that if i go for closed-backed cans they will heat up faster and be a bit more uncomfortable, seeing as how they cant breath as much.

Noise cancellation is a little different.
Noise cancelling means that they have an electronic circuit to remove noise, this is usually achieved by recording the sound outside the headphones and then 'subtracting' it from the sound output by the speaker, the effect is that your brain cancels out any outside noise (this is an oversimplified explanation).
 
Noise isolation on the other hand is what we are talking about, noise isolation refers to being isolated or separated from the noise. Think of holding two pillows over your ears.
 
Closed back (noise isolating) means that you have a piece of plastic (or metal, or wood, or ...) between the speakers and the outside world.
Open back means this piece is either removed entirely or has a bunch of holes punched into it so sound can generally travel both ways.
 
The beats are closed backs.
Fully open back cans (like grados) leak a lot of sound to the outside world (as well as let a lot of sound in).

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Any reason that both of you go for the 558? Purple can you explain why you vote for it? And KG, what do you mean by "easy to drive"?

 
It is a balanced smooth headphone with a very good sound stage.  It is extremely comfortable.
 
Rated at 50 Ohms and a sensitivity of 102 db, it takes just modest amplification to drive it well.

 

[TyTB]

Quote:

Noise cancellation is entirely different.
Noise cancelling means that they have an electronic circuit to remove noise, this is usually achieved by recording the sound outside the headphones and then 'subtracting' it from the sound output by the speaker, the effect is that your brain cancels out any outside noise (this is an oversimplified explanation).
 
Noise isolation on the other hand is what we are talking about, noise isolation refers to being isolated or separated from the noise. Think of holding two pillows over your ears.
 
Closed back (noise isolating) means that you have a piece of plastic (or metal, or wood, or ...) between the speakers and the outside world.
Open back means this piece is either removed entirely or has a bunch of holes punched into it so sound can generally travel both ways.
 
The beats are closed backs.
Fully open back cans (like grados) leak a lot of sound to the outside world (as well as let a lot of sound in).

 
Yes, I am aware of the science behind noise cancellation, and you're right, I was referring to Isolation. This is unfortunate though, because the 558's looked like a great pair of headphones.
 
So then, when it comes to closed headphones, how do my other finds compare? For ease of comparison, saying that the 558's were a 10, what would the 449's and 439's be? And the 380's? Or does anyone else have a suggestion for a different company and headphone altogether?
 
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/2876/43
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/2875/43
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/produit/en/1241/13
http://v-moda.com/crossfade-lp/

 

[GlassTable]

Hi there,

I'm pretty new to the whole audiophile scene and really don't know much about good quality headphones, amps, etc. I have been wanting to upgrade from my Apple iPhone earphones for a while now, and after reading a lot of reviews and opinions, I've settled on the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 - from what I've read it seems like a great bang for my buck and should, hopefully, be a great introduction into higher quality headphones. I am going to use these headphones pretty much entirely with my iPhone 4 and laptop (MacBook Pro), and I was wondering if I needed any sort of portable headphone amp to accompany this pair? I have read varying opinions about this - some say that it isn't necessary, others say it will benefit one's listening experience, etc. Since I don't really know anything about amps and if they are necessary, I was wondering if someone here could help me out a bit on the matter.

Thank you.

 

[regicide]

Most headphones that sound fine without an amp sound better with an amp.
From memory many use the m50s driven out of a portable device so you should be fine.
You could always invest in a cheap portable amp like the fiio e11 further down the track if you feel like it.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hi there,

I'm pretty new to the whole audiophile scene and really don't know much about good quality headphones, amps, etc. I have been wanting to upgrade from my Apple iPhone earphones for a while now, and after reading a lot of reviews and opinions, I've settled on the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 - from what I've read it seems like a great bang for my buck and should, hopefully, be a great introduction into higher quality headphones. I am going to use these headphones pretty much entirely with my iPhone 4 and laptop (MacBook Pro), and I was wondering if I needed any sort of portable headphone amp to accompany this pair? I have read varying opinions about this - some say that it isn't necessary, others say it will benefit one's listening experience, etc. Since I don't really know anything about amps and if they are necessary, I was wondering if someone here could help me out a bit on the matter.

Thank you.

 
Some headphones work fine out of lower powered portable devices (e.g. Grados & most Sonys) and some don't.  You can sure tell if they are not loud enough, but you might not know that, even though they are loud, that they have lost virtually all of their bass (e.g. Ultrsasone Pro 750) without amping.  You probably need do do some searching on this site and Googling others to educate yourself on the subject.
 
Meanwhile a safe and conservative rule of thumb determined by an engineer and headphone lover is:  "Generally, 16 – 32 ohm headphones with a sensitivity rating of at least 100 dB/mW do not need an amplifier."
 
Also check the buying guides that are linked in the opening post of this thread and look for cans rated "1".

 

[Ora M]

So, I received a pair of brand new ATH-M50 in the mail. After a good few hours of listening, I've come to find that, overall, I don't like them. I do like the bass of them though. Also, know that I like the trebles and the mids of my HD555, but it's a bit bass shy. I love my M5's, but I tend to find that the sub-bass is a bit too much. Otherwise it's an amazing IEM.
 
My budget will be around $300 USD. This will pretty flexible though since I may be saving a bit more.
 
I will be buying an amp and dac according to the headphone I choose. I've been contemplating about the Schiit Asgard and Bifrost.
 
The bitrate of my library varies from 156kbps (being the minority), 320kbps (only a few more than the previous), and FLAC (80% of my library.)
 
I listen to a bit of everything, but my library most consists of electronic music now-a-days.
 
This will be a 100% home set-up. I don't mind if the headphone is open or closed, as long as it has the right sound.
 
I've been thinking about picking up a pair of Sennheiser HD650's or possibly waiting on a higher end headphone to fall within reach on the BST.
 
I just need thought from someone a bit more experienced than myself.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

So, I received a pair of brand new ATH-M50 in the mail. After a good few hours of listening, I've come to find that, overall, I don't like them. I do like the bass of them though. Also, know that I like the trebles and the mids of my HD555, but it's a bit bass shy. I love my M5's, but I tend to find that the sub-bass is a bit too much. Otherwise it's an amazing IEM.
 
My budget will be around $300 USD. This will pretty flexible though since I may be saving a bit more.
 
I will be buying an amp and dac according to the headphone I choose. I've been contemplating about the Schiit Asgard and Bifrost.
 
The bitrate of my library varies from 156kbps (being the minority), 320kbps (only a few more than the previous), and FLAC (80% of my library.)
 
I listen to a bit of everything, but my library most consists of electronic music now-a-days.
 
This will be a 100% home set-up. I don't mind if the headphone is open or closed, as long as it has the right sound.
 
I've been thinking about picking up a pair of Sennheiser HD650's or possibly waiting on a higher end headphone to fall within reach on the BST.
 
I just need thought from someone a bit more experienced than myself.

Is your music source a Windows PC? Mac? mp3 player? etc.
The Senn HD558 with the black rubber tape removed from inside the cups, has some decent bass.
And it's only 50-Ohm, so does not need much of an amplifier, which leaves more cash for the DAC.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250-Ohm is good for the concert hall feel. but need more of an amplifier then the HD558.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

So, I received a pair of brand new ATH-M50 in the mail. After a good few hours of listening, I've come to find that, overall, I don't like them. I do like the bass of them though. Also, know that I like the trebles and the mids of my HD555, but it's a bit bass shy. I love my M5's, but I tend to find that the sub-bass is a bit too much. Otherwise it's an amazing IEM.
 
My budget will be around $300 USD. This will pretty flexible though since I may be saving a bit more.
 
I will be buying an amp and dac according to the headphone I choose. I've been contemplating about the Schiit Asgard and Bifrost.
 
The bitrate of my library varies from 156kbps (being the minority), 320kbps (only a few more than the previous), and FLAC (80% of my library.)
 
I listen to a bit of everything, but my library most consists of electronic music now-a-days.
 
This will be a 100% home set-up. I don't mind if the headphone is open or closed, as long as it has the right sound.
 
I've been thinking about picking up a pair of Sennheiser HD650's or possibly waiting on a higher end headphone to fall within reach on the BST.
 
I just need thought from someone a bit more experienced than myself.

 I think that you are on the right track--or at least one of them.  Take a look at the HD 600, which are faster, although some find them to be somewhat boring because they as so close to neutral.  I like them with my CD's and vinyl.

 

[Ora M]

Quote:

 I think that you are on the right track--or at least one of them.  Take a look at the HD 600, which are faster, although some find them to be somewhat boring because they as so close to neutral.  I like them with my CD's and vinyl.

Thanks KG Jag.~
 
Quote:

Is your music source a Windows PC? Mac? mp3 player? etc.
The Senn HD558 with the black rubber tape removed from inside the cups, has some decent bass.
And it's only 50-Ohm, so does not need much of an amplifier, which leaves more cash for the DAC.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250-Ohm is good for the concert hall feel. but need more of an amplifier then the HD558.

My source will be a Windows PC > Foobar > Fiio E17 (currently.) Also, $300 isn't my complete budget. That's a slice of a larger budget that I've set aside for headphones. Total budget is gonna be around a grand.
 
I'm a bit worried about the DT990's as I've read they have recessed mids, which is what killed the M50 for me. I recall really enjoying the 598. So, I'll consider the 558 with tape mod, for sure. I'll probably re-listen to the 598 when I get the chance to make sure.
 
I'll definitely consider those for options before I foot the bill for the HD650, Schiit Asgard, and Schiit Bifrost.