[dragonxx21]

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The HM5's are very large--think Princess Leia or more. 
 
The sound between the HM5 and the 440's is close.  I would give a slight edge to the HM5, which also isolates better. 
 
Comfort is the about the same (HM5 clamp and 440 so-so ear pad comfort), until you replace the ear pads of the 440 with 880 ear pads.  Then the 440 wins.
 
The 440 folds up and is much better as a portable can.
 
If the Sony MDR 7510 & 7506 and KRK KNS 8400 & 6400 can be had in Canada within your budget, all four are all worth considering.

I checked and one of the stores nearby does carry both the 7510 and 7506, both being within my budget. Just wondering, do the 7510 or 7506 have cables that you can take off? I know both the 440's and the HM5 have detachable cables and that's a big plus. It's a really hard choice to pick between the HM5 and the 440's. For $30 less I could get the 440's, but at the same time, I kind of like the looks of the HM5 better, which isn't too big of a deal, but I would be using these outside of my home so looks would be kind of a plus. Looking at some videos of the HM5 on youtube the size doesn't seem like too big of a problem, unless those people's hands were huge.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I checked and one of the stores nearby does carry both the 7510 and 7506, both being within my budget. Just wondering, do the 7510 or 7506 have cables that you can take off? I know both the 440's and the HM5 have detachable cables and that's a big plus. It's a really hard choice to pick between the HM5 and the 440's. For $30 less I could get the 440's, but at the same time, I kind of like the looks of the HM5 better, which isn't too big of a deal, but I would be using these outside of my home so looks would be kind of a plus. Looking at some videos of the HM5 on youtube the size doesn't seem like too big of a problem, unless those people's hands were huge.

Those Sony's do not have detachable cables.  You have to get to the very expensive 7520 for that.
 
In practical terms "big" is only important because it makes the HM5 less suitable for portable use.

 

[hipster2010]

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I don't mind the mids being a little recessed if the bass is really that good, I just meant that I don't want bass that is so bloated and uncontrolled that it completely washes out the mids and treble. I've got my Grados for mid and treble centric music, I want some bass lovin' and it sounds like the DJ1's will do the trick. Thanks for the advice mate!

Glad to help. The DJ1 are known to have some of the biggest bass around, so you will get all that you want and more there. If you decide to go with them, I hope you like them as they will be a very different sound signature than your current Grados

 

[dragonxx21]

Quote:

Those Sony's do not have detachable cables.  You have to get to the very expensive 7520 for that.
 
In practical terms "big" is only important because it makes the HM5 less suitable for portable use.

Would you personally go for the HM5 or the 440's? I could also wait a little while and get the 840's. If you could find anything here http://www.long-mcquade.com/departments/43/Pro_Audio_Recording/Headphones.htm that you would highly recommend, that would be great.

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

Would you personally go for the HM5 or the 440's? I could also wait a little while and get the 840's. If you could find anything here http://www.long-mcquade.com/departments/43/Pro_Audio_Recording/Headphones.htm that you would highly recommend, that would be great.

If you're adventerous you could get a pair of Fostex T50rp and do some mods. there is literally a whole section of the forum dedicated to that headphone

 

[dragonxx21]

Quote:

If you're adventerous you could get a pair of Fostex T50rp and do some mods. there is literally a whole section of the forum dedicated to that headphone

This would be my first set of cans and I would really rather not risk messing up my first pair while trying to mod it.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Would you personally go for the HM5 or the 440's? I could also wait a little while and get the 840's. If you could find anything here http://www.long-mcquade.com/departments/43/Pro_Audio_Recording/Headphones.htm that you would highly recommend, that would be great.

Pricing is much different in Canada.  I would "normally" tell you is to wait and get the 840, as the price spread between it and the 440 is about $50 here.  However, in Canada--they're both at MSRP (U.S.) and the 840 costs twice what the 440 does.  In your situation, I can't make a strong recommendation either way on the 840.
 
Between the HM5 and the 440, I would go with the HM5 in a close call.  The HM5 comes with a better kit and is technically a little better, but it is also bland.  Both are decent so you won't get stung either way. 
 
In the U.S. the older AKG K 240 Studio (the new one is the MK II and goes on your site for $199) can be had for $80 shipped from Amazon and under $100 many places.  It has a detachable cord and better sound than both the HM5 and 440.  It is however semi-open and benefits from a little amping.  Too bad you can't get it or one of the KRK's.

 

[dragonxx21]

Quote:

Pricing is much different in Canada.  I would "normally" tell you is to wait and get the 840, as the price spread between it and the 440 is about $50 here.  However, in Canada--they're both at MSRP (U.S.) and the 840 costs twice what the 440 does.  In your situation, I can't make a strong recommendation either way on the 840.
 
Between the HM5 and the 440, I would go with the HM5 in a close call.  The HM5 comes with a better kit and is technically a little better, but it is also bland.  Both are decent so you won't get stung either way. 
 
In the U.S. the older AKG K 240 Studio (the new one is the MK II and goes on your site for $199) can be had for $80 shipped from Amazon and under $100 many places.  It has a detachable cord and better sound than both the HM5 and 440.  It is however semi-open and benefits from a little amping.  Too bad you can't get it or one of the KRK's.

This website has both the AKG K240's as well as the MK II for only a ~$20 difference. http://www.axemusic.com/search.asp?strKeywords=k240&numRecordPosition=1 It also ships within Canada so with shipping, it would be roughly ~$166 for the reg K240's incl. shipping and ~$222. At an $56 difference is it really worth it?  Also, if I were to get the MK II, it would roughly be the same price to just buy it from L&M, which is a local store, which would save me the trouble of having to wait for shipping. That being said, MK II's are kind of out of my price range for now. But I could possibly stretch to get the regular K240 studio if it's better than the HM5 and 440. Then again, putting an amp on top of that would putting it out of my price range. Also, that website might have the KRKs you mentioned, although I'm not sure.
Edit: After looking at the website I found out they do indeed have both the KRK KNS-6400 and 8400. The 8400 might be out of my range incl. shipping fees but I will most likely be able to get the 6400's.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

This website has both the AKG K240's as well as the MK II for only a ~$20 difference. http://www.axemusic.com/search.asp?strKeywords=k240&numRecordPosition=1 It also ships within Canada so with shipping, it would be roughly ~$166 for the reg K240's incl. shipping and ~$222. At an $56 difference is it really worth it?  Also, if I were to get the MK II, it would roughly be the same price to just buy it from L&M, which is a local store, which would save me the trouble of having to wait for shipping. That being said, MK II's are kind of out of my price range for now. But I could possibly stretch to get the regular K240 studio if it's better than the HM5 and 440. Then again, putting an amp on top of that would putting it out of my price range. Also, that website might have the KRKs you mentioned, although I'm not sure.
Edit: After looking at the website I found out they do indeed have both the KRK KNS-6400 and 8400. The 8400 might be out of my range incl. shipping fees but I will most likely be able to get the 6400's.

Check out the buying guides linked in the opening post of this thread.  The KRK's are included on one of them--as is a link to this review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/560605/krk-kns-6400-review-impressive-99-giant-killer

 

[devhen]

Hello all! I wrote in this thread last October, so I could buy my first pair of actually nice headphones. I wanted something with a little bit of bass, and something in the $100-$200 price range that didn't require an amp (I don't know a thing about amps). Like many new member being recommended their first set of cans, I was recommended the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's. I have now owned them for 9 months. They actually did not meet my expectations. While I liked them, I wasn't blown away like others in the reviews I read. The sound quality was great, although the bass was a little bit less than I expected. However, it was the fit that I hated. No matter how much I shifted or adjusted that actual headphones or their spot on my head, I could not go without reshifting them every 10 minutes or so because I found them to be way too clamping. Either they were clamping on my head too hard, or I had them adjusted so big on my head that the headphones were actually slipping off my head. Either way, I think it's time for a new pair.

What do I want in these new cans? First off, I want for them to be a LOT more comfortable. Comfort is my main priority, especially around the band. I want to be able to listen for an hour without having to adjust my headphones once (or at least not nearly as often as my M50's). I don't care whether I get an open or closed pair, however, I am leaning towards an open pair as it will probably make my airs sweat less and be slightly more comfortable.

What about the sound? I'd love a headphone that has a great bass. Not one that's overpowering, but one that has more than my current M50's, because I was disappointed at the amount of bass that they packed. I'd also like a pretty decent soundstage.

I mainly listen to alternative, electronic, and rap music.

What is my budget? I'm not planning on buying the headphones for a few weeks (even a few months), however, I am fine with anything going up to the $500 mark (give or take some money for an amp which I'm going to do some research in and buy one. If anyone has some good links and resources about amps, it would be much appreciated ). 

Some headphones I have already looked at are Beyerdynamic DT990s and the Sennheiser HD 650s. 

Thanks in advance! I hope I can make a purchase that makes me love headphones even more. I like the head-fi community and I'd like to become a little more involved in it!

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. More bass than the M50 and probably the most comfortable headphone ever made. Mine never give me sweaty ears. The HD650 would probably be a bit lacking in bass for you. The 990s would be OK but open headphones inherently have less bass impact so if you found the M50s lacking in bass then I would recommend the closed DT 770 Pro or possibly one of the closed Ultrasones that have velour ear pads.

 

[jacknight]

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Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. More bass than the M50 and probably the most comfortable headphone ever made. Mine never give me sweaty ears. The HD650 would probably be a bit lacking in bass for you. The 990s would be OK but open headphones inherently have less bass impact so if you found the M50s lacking in bass then I would recommend the closed DT 770 Pro or possibly one of the closed Ultrasones that have velour ear pads.

 
I have DT770/250, but im currently using fiio e10 for the amp. any recommended amp that have good sinergy with DT770/250?
my friend said graham slee novo is good, how about ALO national? which one is better?  or there is any other good amp? my budget is around $300

 

[jawbra]

Where do I begin, I've been searching for months for a great sounding pair of headphones. Countless hours spent watching youtube reviews and scrolling google have left me confused as to what type of headphones I want.
 
I have come across a couple headphones I am interested in:  AKG 495nc, AKG 490nc, Audio Techinica ath m50, bowers and wilkins P5
 
Price range: 200-350
 
Music: Drum and bass, Trance, progressive house.
 
I love clarity in my songs and I'm not a fan of over powered bass. Portability,durability and comfort are also important to me (I listen to music for at least 3hours a day,I take my headphones everywhere) 
 
 
I'm very new to high end headphones, so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. 

 

[devhen]

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I have DT770/250, but im currently using fiio e10 for the amp. any recommended amp that have good sinergy with DT770/250?
my friend said graham slee novo is good, how about ALO national? which one is better?  or there is any other good amp? my budget is around $300

 
What don't you like about the E10? Does it drive the DT770/250 loud enough?

 

[walross]

Quote:

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. More bass than the M50 and probably the most comfortable headphone ever made. Mine never give me sweaty ears. The HD650 would probably be a bit lacking in bass for you. The 990s would be OK but open headphones inherently have less bass impact so if you found the M50s lacking in bass then I would recommend the closed DT 770 Pro or possibly one of the closed Ultrasones that have velour ear pads.

"Probably the most comfortable headphone ever made" I really like the sound of that. Do you recommend any amps?

 

[devhen]

Quote:

"Probably the most comfortable headphone ever made" I really like the sound of that. Do you recommend any amps?

 
Do you mean portable amps? If so, I don't have any personal experience with those but most of them can adequately power the 80 and 250 ohm versions of the 770.