[DarwinC]

Hi everyone,
 
I've been using my Plantronics GameCom 367 for gaming and movie watching for two years now. I connect them to my Turtle Beach Earforce DSS and so far, I'm happy with the sound quality (which I'm sure is not audiophyle grade ). Lately I've been having issues with the right cup losing audio and that's why I intend to replace my headphones. I'm on a budget (no more than $70) and so far, I've found the following candidates:

JVC HARX700
Audio-Technica ATH-M30
Beyerdynamic DTX 710
Beyerdynamic DTX 910

Never tested any, and don't have the chance to either. That's why I'm asking your advise. Which of these would be a better choice for gaming/movie watching? I love detailed sound in my games/movies, like ambient sounds that adds up a lot to the whole experience. I'm also looking for comfort, and that's why I lean toward the Beyerdynamics (velour pads, love them) because I think pleather pads will melt my ears after a long gaming session. Will sure appreciate your opinions and comments. Thanks in advance!

 

[jazh23]

What mod that you mean, velvet earpads or the filter mod?
 
This earpad works with the samson SR850?
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-EDT-Replacement-Cushions-Pair/dp/B007VCKA00/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1341844258&sr=8-35&keywords=replacement+velour+earpad
 
Or this one? 
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-EDT-Replacement-Cushions-Pair/dp/B007VCKACI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_2
 
Quote:

 
Creative Aurvana Live are pretty good for gaming - see the gaming headphones thread as well - might get some other opinions there.
 
Samson are also good if you're ready to mod them...

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Need advice by someone who owns the "Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250ohm" headphones.
I am getting an ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCI-E sound card tomorrow (has it's own amp). Want to know if that set of Beyerdynamic headphones will be good for what I want.
What I want:
A headphone that is awesome for listening to hip hop/rap music, playing games such as; BF3, TF2, CS:S etc, and has good bass which doesn't overpower or make everything else sound bad.
Have a price range of <$300

The DT770 Pro 250-Ohm will do the job for what you want.

 

[Jan Roman]

Hello, I am quite new to audio. I am currently running a cheap Asus laptop and Sennheiser HD 429. I don't think the laptop's output quality is high, but I have nothing to compare it to. I am thinking about buying a DAC/amp combo, probably E17 or E10. Is there any way to tell how much the DAC/amp might help? It would be my first amp/DAC so I don't really know how much difference to expect. Thank you.
 
EDIT: DAC/amp doesn't have to be portable, but portable solutions seems to be the cheapest. My budget is somewhere around 150$, but I would like the price to be lower. E10 or E17 seem to be the best out there, but I don|t know if the E17 is worth considering the price difference.
 
EDIT2: Do I really need the amp? I don't seek higher volume, it's high enough already with my 32 ohm HD 429s. I could use more bass however. Excuse my stupid questions please, this area is really confusing for a beginner.
 
EDIT3 (oh god why): I've just finished reading more reviews on this matter and it confused me even more. E10 is DAC/amp and it should sound very much the same as E17, it jsut not that versatile. Is that correct? I want to improve sound of my HD 429s and if there is not much difference in sound between E10 and E17, I will choose the E10.

 

[Cotnijoe]

Hey guys! Can anyone explain what a balanced amp and dac is, and what it does to the sound? And for it to work...does the entire setup have to be balanced?

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

 
Agreed. From what I've read, there's not a big difference between the different SR/MS series models. I'd get the $100 Alessandro MS1 and if you particularly love them then possibly look into the higher end models down the road.
 
But for your genres and needs I would choose the HD600 or HE400 over any Grados, mostly because of the Grado's lack of a wide soundstage.

 
Thanks for the rec, sounds good. I have a buddy with SR60s, I might ask for a listen to see if I like them.
 
I'm a little worried about the pace of the HD600s though, that's my only real problem I might have. I listen to a bit of punk (Ramones, Husker Du) and I have a feeling it doesn't do fantastic with that. Of course, I can always go back to the HD25s for that music I suppose. I guess I just want to know if it handles that adequately or not.

 

[umermajeed]

I made this exact post in the IEM recommendation thread but since I am not sure if I am getting IEMs or full size cans, I decided to post it here as well.
 
I have been thinking of buying new headphones/IEMs for a couple of weeks. I currently have JVC FX700 and I used Earsonics SM3 before these. I like the bass on FX700 and they perform very well with house/trance type stuff but they are bit lacking when I play classic rock/metal on them. SM3 on the other hand were very consistent across genres and although I think they were a little lacking on bass, I loved the crispness of the sound. It was bright and lively. I would love something with sound signature which is a mixture of both if such a thing exists.
 
I'd be selling my FX700 and adding some money to that so my budget is around $400-450. The additional use that I am going to put these to is plugging them directly into my guitar when I don't want people aroudn me disturbed. Or use them when I am recording something. So I thought of getting full-size cans as they might be better(?) but I am still gonna need IEMs for when I am at work. This might end up being very expensive but I read the reviews for Audio Technica M50 and they seem to be a good cheap option. Although, I don't know how good they'll be for monitoring/recording type work. Then it leaves me around 300 for IEMs. What can I get for $300?
 
Or I can use the full budget go down the custom IEM route. I can then use that for both listening to music and plugging in to my guitar to record and stuff. Its just gonna be a line in to the PC from the guitar (recording to Guitar rig or something) and line out from PC to my monitors.
 
Any help is much appreciated.

 

[nunez9619]

All Right so here this goes. I'm a new kid to the whole audiophile world and have barely scratched the surface the past two days. My budget is about $100-300, I think I can get a pretty good pair of headphones within that price range? I listen to Blues, Jazz (Ragtime, Big band, Bebop, Fusion) Classic Rock, Alt/Indie Rock, Funk, Folk, Dubstep, Latin music, and Disco so I'd like a pair that's all around not something too bass heavy. I'd prefer closed because I often find myself listening to music late at night when everyone in my house is asleep and they sometimes complain they can hear it(My family has light sleepers). Also I'd rather have save up a little longer and get better quality headphones then order lesser quality ones right now. So far I'm looking at: Sennheiser HD 598, AKG K702 and Audio-Technica ATH-M50S. Any help/recommendations would be much appreciated!

 

[imackler]

Quote:

All Right so here this goes. I'm a new kid to the whole audiophile world and have barely scratched the surface the past two days. My budget is about $100-300, I think I can get a pretty good pair of headphones within that price range? I listen to Blues, Jazz (Ragtime, Big band, Bebop, Fusion) Classic Rock, Alt/Indie Rock, Funk, Folk, Dubstep, Latin music, and Disco so I'd like a pair that's all around not something too bass heavy. I'd prefer closed because I often find myself listening to music late at night when everyone in my house is asleep and they sometimes complain they can hear it(My family has light sleepers). Also I'd rather have save up a little longer and get better quality headphones then order lesser quality ones right now. So far I'm looking at: Sennheiser HD 598, AKG K702 and Audio-Technica ATH-M50S. Any help/recommendations would be much appreciated!

Sadly, the only option there for closed is the M50. Have you considered the D2000 for closed? Personally if you don't need closed, I'd pick the HD598 from that list and a cheap amp, which it benefits from.  

 

[lostmage]

Quote:

Hello, I am quite new to audio. I am currently running a cheap Asus laptop and Sennheiser HD 429. I don't think the laptop's output quality is high, but I have nothing to compare it to. I am thinking about buying a DAC/amp combo, probably E17 or E10. Is there any way to tell how much the DAC/amp might help? It would be my first amp/DAC so I don't really know how much difference to expect. Thank you.
 
EDIT: DAC/amp doesn't have to be portable, but portable solutions seems to be the cheapest. My budget is somewhere around 150$, but I would like the price to be lower. E10 or E17 seem to be the best out there, but I don|t know if the E17 is worth considering the price difference.
 
EDIT2: Do I really need the amp? I don't seek higher volume, it's high enough already with my 32 ohm HD 429s. I could use more bass however. Excuse my stupid questions please, this area is really confusing for a beginner.
 
EDIT3 (oh god why): I've just finished reading more reviews on this matter and it confused me even more. E10 is DAC/amp and it should sound very much the same as E17, it jsut not that versatile. Is that correct? I want to improve sound of my HD 429s and if there is not much difference in sound between E10 and E17, I will choose the E10.

The E17 has a battery whereas the E10 doesn't. A battery isn't much of a problem if you're using it on a laptop, since the E10 is USB powered. The E17 also has a higher quality DAC IIRC, but the E10 is much cheaper. I got an E10 for my Sennheiser HD428s, and I'd have to say it made a huge improvement over the integrated sound on my desktop. I would rather have bought the E17 since I'd like to have something portable, but it all depends on your needs. 
 
An amp doesn't just add volume, it drives your headphones to their full potential. I won't go into it as I don't exactly understand it myself and I'm still a newbie, but the amp and DAC, even while the volume was perfectly fine on my PC made a huge difference. I would upgrade your headphones first though before you go spending 150$ on an amp, but thats just my opinion. 

 

[nunez9619]

Quote:

Sadly, the only option there for closed is the M50. Have you considered the D2000 for closed? Personally if you don't need closed, I'd pick the HD598 from that list and a cheap amp, which it benefits from.  

 
So you'd recommend  the Sennheiser HD 598 out of the A-T M50s, Denon D2000 and those? Having closed isn't absolutely necessary for me, it was just a preference.

 

[Bludd]

Edit: Didn't see this thread originally, very bad form on my part. Sorry about that.
 
I am thinking of replacing my aging Sennheiser HD590s. I've very happy with them, but I think I have blown the right speaker.
 
What I like about the 590s:

1. comfortable, light weight and good fit for my head
2. good sound quality
3. worked fine in my Soundblaster X-Fi (discrete sound card)
4. worked fine in my Samsung Galaxy S2
5. Detachable 3 m cable
6. only 1 cable and 1 input to the headphones
7. 3.5 mm jack as standard, no adapter needed

 
What I don't like:
 

1. Slightly flimsy construction, very plastic-y, but this is probably why it's so comfy

 
So basically, I love these cans. I know some people don't like them but they have been my only headphones for 8-9 years now. I have replaced the cable several times, but last time it was kinda an ordeal getting a new cable and it was expensive.
 
Maybe I am naive but I have never felt I needed an amplifier to drive these headphones when using my computer. I have the main volume control in Windows set to 30% and Foobar2000 is set to -5 dB and when I watch movies I the media player set to 60-70%. I'd like some feedback on this point, too.
 
Any recommendations, bearing all this in mind?
 
Thank you.

 

[imackler]

Quote:

 
So you'd recommend  the Sennheiser HD 598 out of the A-T M50s, Denon D2000 and those? Having closed isn't absolutely necessary for me, it was just a preference.

If you're not amping, I think its a great headphone for your musical taste, as long as you can get away with open. There are some other really good options amped but you're kind of adding at least $100 to your max, so I would go with the HD598; it'll be cheap enough you can get a cheap amp if you want. Its a very satisfying headphone. (You should be able to get it for about $200 from RazorDogDeals if you submit an offer to him on ebay or via email.) 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

All Right so here this goes. I'm a new kid to the whole audiophile world and have barely scratched the surface the past two days. My budget is about $100-300, I think I can get a pretty good pair of headphones within that price range? I listen to Blues, Jazz (Ragtime, Big band, Bebop, Fusion) Classic Rock, Alt/Indie Rock, Funk, Folk, Dubstep, Latin music, and Disco so I'd like a pair that's all around not something too bass heavy. I'd prefer closed because I often find myself listening to music late at night when everyone in my house is asleep and they sometimes complain they can hear it(My family has light sleepers). Also I'd rather have save up a little longer and get better quality headphones then order lesser quality ones right now. So far I'm looking at: Sennheiser HD 598, AKG K702 and Audio-Technica ATH-M50S. Any help/recommendations would be much appreciated!

 
To give you good advice, many us need to know:
 
What equipment will be powering these cans?  Will you be using an amp?
 
What is the format of your music and other sounds you will putting into these cans?
 
The HD 598 is open--it leaks a great deal.  I don't think it meets your need, as you described them.
 
The K 702 is semi open (leaks but less than a fully open can).  Will your family members be in the same room as you are when you listen to your new cans and if so--how close will they be?  The AKG Q 701 is newer and probably a better (and cheaper) choice.  Both need an amp.
 
The M50 is closed, but features a "V" shaped EQ with mucho bass but recessed mids.  It does not give you the sound you way that you want.
 
Other cans appear to better meet your needs, but you'll need to answer the questions above to get to a specific list of options.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Edit: Didn't see this thread originally, very bad form on my part. Sorry about that.
 
I am thinking of replacing my aging Sennheiser HD590s. I've very happy with them, but I think I have blown the right speaker.
 
What I like about the 590s:

1. comfortable, light weight and good fit for my head
2. good sound quality
3. worked fine in my Soundblaster X-Fi (discrete sound card)
4. worked fine in my Samsung Galaxy S2
5. Detachable 3 m cable
6. only 1 cable and 1 input to the headphones
7. 3.5 mm jack as standard, no adapter needed

 
What I don't like:
 

1. Slightly flimsy construction, very plastic-y, but this is probably why it's so comfy

 
So basically, I love these cans. I know some people don't like them but they have been my only headphones for 8-9 years now. I have replaced the cable several times, but last time it was kinda an ordeal getting a new cable and it was expensive.
 
Maybe I am naive but I have never felt I needed an amplifier to drive these headphones when using my computer. I have the main volume control in Windows set to 30% and Foobar2000 is set to -5 dB and when I watch movies I the media player set to 60-70%. I'd like some feedback on this point, too.
 
Any recommendations, bearing all this in mind?
 
Thank you.

 
The Senn HD 598 is probably the closest fit.  The less expensive HD 558 is also good.