[MrPopo]

Hey, im looking for new headphones, and this is really going to be my first attempt at quality audio. im looking to spend under $150, and I mostly listen to hip-hop, so bass is important for me. I would prefer closed headphones, although it isn't a must, and I really would prefer not to need to buy an amp (unless the E5 will cover me.)
thanks

 

[eucariote]

Quote:

Ok, so im looking for a new set of closed headphones with good bass for under 150. So far ive looked at the M50s, HD 448s, and the ath-a700s

I compared a bunch of closed headphones not long ago (unfortunately none of the three you list) & I thought that the Shure SRH840 had the best bass of any closed headphone I tried that cost less than $300 (D5000, K271MKII, DT770-80).  It is defined, ample, punchy but controlled and not overpowering other frequencies.  They also sound good without an amplifier, but they do improve with one.

 

[MrPopo]

thanks, ive read some reviews on those, and they seem like a really good choice, i may just end up getting them. How much would a E5 amp help their sound? If its a decent improvement, i may just get one

 

[sbaker34]

I have some AKG 240s which I really like but the vocals and highs sound a little veiled, I miss the clarity my zune earbuds seem to have had, if I crank the volume up it sounds better but I like my hearing. am I better off getting a Fiio5 for desktop use or a grado SR60I?

 

[qwertytre]

I got Shure's SHR 750DJ right now. I'm kinda tempted to get a pair of SHR 840, but I feel like the differences between the two are never developed enough in reviews. Anyone got the two?
 
Listen to some wacking metal bands (dillinger escape plan, converge,..), electronica, but recently I'm also tending toward more instrumental things (Bon Iver, jazz, classic, voices,...). My range of taste is pretty wide.
 
I like the energy, forwardness and bass, but I'm curious about the gains in quality in the others areas with the SHR 840. Is the gain in ''awe'' enough replace the ''fun'' of the 750djs? Are the 840s too dull? Is there a clear quality gain? I don't mind the confort or the price. 

 

[Killer0Kevin]

Hi, I just joined the forums; I'm looking for the best headphone under $200CND to buy tomorrow for boxing day. 
 
I'm going to be using them on an iPod and I will be listening to many genres, what would you guys recommend from http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/, and http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/.
 
My brother has beats, and I am not impressed with the SQ considering he paid $400 for it...
 
Thanks, fast responses would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[qwertytre]

Quote:

Hi, I just joined the forums; I'm looking for the best headphone under $200CND to buy tomorrow for boxing day. 
 
I'm going to be using them on an iPod and I will be listening to many genres, what would you guys recommend from http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/, and http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/.
 
My brother has beats, and I am not impressed with the SQ considering he paid $400 for it...
 
Thanks, fast responses would be GREATLY appreciated!

The general consensus seems to be: Audio technica's m-50 (bass), Shure's 750DJ (Bass), or Shure's 840 (More laid back and rich (?)) They're pretty much the best headphones you can around that price range, at least it's the opinion of the majority. The cool thing about Shure's is the replacable cord, which can extend your headphone's lifetime greatly.

 

[wabbitt]

Hey guys,

For Christmas, I received Sony Mdr-V6 headphones, and they sound very good, but the thing is...Most of the music that I listen to is techno, and dependent on heavy bass.

These headphones sound good for songs that don't require lots of bass, but I feel the need for more bass for most of my music.



...So my question is

would it be wise to exchange my sony mdr v6 headphones for some mdr-xb500s or mdr-xb700s?

I hear that these are very good on bass, and may fill my need nicely.



opinions are greatly appreciated



some background on my music preference:

-I love bass!, whenever in a car or listening to music and have the option, I crank the bass to full

- to be honest, I'm no audiophile, so aspects like the music sounding like the original source as close a possible is not of high priority to me

-I have used equalizers on the mdr-v6s to increase bass, but am still not satisfied



Also price does not matter in this decision, I can exchange the v6s for the other headphones for around the same price (found some xb700s online for $50, refurbished), so please do not take this aspect into consideration when answering
 

 

[bvzxa3]

 
Quote:

Hey guys,

For Christmas, I received Sony Mdr-V6 headphones, and they sound very good, but the thing is...Most of the music that I listen to is techno, and dependent on heavy bass.

These headphones sound good for songs that don't require lots of bass, but I feel the need for more bass for most of my music.



...So my question is

would it be wise to exchange my sony mdr v6 headphones for some mdr-xb500s or mdr-xb700s?

I hear that these are very good on bass, and may fill my need nicely.



opinions are greatly appreciated



some background on my music preference:

-I love bass!, whenever in a car or listening to music and have the option, I crank the bass to full

- to be honest, I'm no audiophile, so aspects like the music sounding like the original source as close a possible is not of high priority to me

-I have used equalizers on the mdr-v6s to increase bass, but am still not satisfied



Also price does not matter in this decision, I can exchange the v6s for the other headphones for around the same price (found some xb700s online for $50, refurbished), so please do not take this aspect into consideration when answering
 

One thing I need to point out is the MDR-V6 have a decent amount of bass. I used these in a portable and amped using an old Awia shelf system and my custom built computer.
 
In a portable you will get bass naturally. My iPod Touch 2G had great sound coming out for songs even though the Touch is not that great of a player. My Sansa e260 Rockbox'd benefited the best with the MDR-V6 hands down.
 
On an amped source was where I saw the drastic EQ change. I use OTS Turntables Pro to mix. The EQ was pretty ,much bass heavy and the middle range semi low, and the highs set to medium high. Well two things using the MDR-V6 is there is no mid-range, but there was waay too much bass, and lots of treble. So the EQ on OTS was changed to compensate but I knew that the MDR-V6 are monitoring headphones and they really lack the mid-range.
 
To me it depends on your source, and the MDR-v6 to me has bass, not so much a flavored bass like the XB500, or the XB700. I truly liked the sound of the MDR-V6 vs. the XB500 as far as bass, the XB700 I don't know. I heard they are very decent amongst some users here.
 
too bad you can't do a side by side comparison.
 
Another question is did you buy your MDR-V6 from a trusted source, or china. China produces many fakes and the fakes do not sound as good as the real.

 

[FreedomG]

Quote:

 
Quote:

Hey guys,

For Christmas, I received Sony Mdr-V6 headphones, and they sound very good, but the thing is...Most of the music that I listen to is techno, and dependent on heavy bass.

These headphones sound good for songs that don't require lots of bass, but I feel the need for more bass for most of my music.



...So my question is

would it be wise to exchange my sony mdr v6 headphones for some mdr-xb500s or mdr-xb700s?

I hear that these are very good on bass, and may fill my need nicely.



opinions are greatly appreciated



some background on my music preference:

-I love bass!, whenever in a car or listening to music and have the option, I crank the bass to full

- to be honest, I'm no audiophile, so aspects like the music sounding like the original source as close a possible is not of high priority to me

-I have used equalizers on the mdr-v6s to increase bass, but am still not satisfied



Also price does not matter in this decision, I can exchange the v6s for the other headphones for around the same price (found some xb700s online for $50, refurbished), so please do not take this aspect into consideration when answering
 

One thing I need to point out is the MDR-V6 have a decent amount of bass. I used these in a portable and amped using an old Awia shelf system and my custom built computer.
 
In a portable you will get bass naturally. My iPod Touch 2G had great sound coming out for songs even though the Touch is not that great of a player. My Sansa e260 Rockbox'd benefited the best with the MDR-V6 hands down.
 
On an amped source was where I saw the drastic EQ change. I use OTS Turntables Pro to mix. The EQ was pretty ,much bass heavy and the middle range semi low, and the highs set to medium high. Well two things using the MDR-V6 is there is no mid-range, but there was waay too much bass, and lots of treble. So the EQ on OTS was changed to compensate but I knew that the MDR-V6 are monitoring headphones and they really lack the mid-range.
 
To me it depends on your source, and the MDR-v6 to me has bass, not so much a flavored bass like the XB500, or the XB700. I truly liked the sound of the MDR-V6 vs. the XB500 as far as bass, the XB700 I don't know. I heard they are very decent amongst some users here.
 
too bad you can't do a side by side comparison.
 
Another question is did you buy your MDR-V6 from a trusted source, or china. China produces many fakes and the fakes do not sound as good as the real.

The sony store at the mall near my place has both of them on display. You can plug in your own mp3 and listen to both So if you have a sony store, they might have both on display and you can try it.

 

[Armaegis]

Killer0Kevin
The Shure 750 is your best bet from either Futureshop or Best Buy.
 
wabbitt
Go with the XB500. Reportedly they have better bass than the 700.
 
sbaker34
Definitely get the Grado 60 (actually I recommend the Alessandro MS1 over that for $20 more) and consider an amp later down the line.
 
MrPopo
You have to tell us what kind of headphones and source you have first before we can tell you if the E5 will make a difference. In general, the E5 is a starter amp to give you a taste of what amping can do, and you'll probably want to upgrade down the road.

 

[wabbitt]

I bought the mrd-v6 headphones from walmart, so I would say thats trustworthy. Thanks for the response!
 
Also, if I was just using a source like an mp3 player or computer without an amp, would the V6s or the XBs be a better choice, and would there even be an easily noticeable change in bass between the headphones?

 

[FreedomG]

Quote:

Killer0Kevin
The Shure 750 is your best bet from either Futureshop or Best Buy.
 
wabbitt
Go with the XB500. Reportedly they have better bass than the 700.
 
sbaker34
Definitely get the Grado 60 (actually I recommend the Alessandro MS1 over that for $20 more) and consider an amp later down the line.
 
MrPopo
You have to tell us what kind of headphones and source you have first before we can tell you if the E5 will make a difference. In general, the E5 is a starter amp to give you a taste of what amping can do, and you'll probably want to upgrade down the road.

I think he should go with the XB700's for soundstage.. The bass is still amazing and soundstage sounds awesome with techno.

 

[wabbitt]

also to add...I mostly listen to techno-like music, but I also listen to a lot of alternative rock music too like
The killers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Modest Mouse
MGMT
The killers
311
 
Would the Xb500 and Xb700 be ok with these types of songs too?

 

[Armaegis]

 
Quote:

I'm going to buy some headphones to replace my old Sennheiser HD212 PRO, mostly due to confort issues with this model - after, what, an hour of listening, I find my ears to hurt unbearably and can no longer listen to music.
 
I'm looking for something that can give me an uncompromising sound, around the 100€ price range. So far, I've read about Sennheiser HD555 and HD558 models...
 
Also, I've read abou the KOSS PRO4AA or PRO4AAT, but have some serious concerns on the sound quality of these models...
 
Also in consideration are the Audio-Technica ATH-M50, of which I've read many great reviews, namely in TestFreaks, but a few users voiced concerns over confort in long listening sessions, which is a must-have for me.
 
I have also checked out the ATH-T500, but haven't found much on them.
 
So, what do you guys say? Would appreciate any help and suggestions
 
I already posted this on a separate topic before posting it here because I didnt notice this topic existed. sorry

If you like the Sennheiser sound and fit, the HD555 is a solid buy and is easily modded into the 595. You can also find the older 580 which mods into the 600. The M50 is popular and flavour of the month/year, but it has recessed mids and is not that great for anything with vocals. If you want that kind of sound, perhaps the Shure SRH750DJ would work for you. A quick fix to increase the comfort on the M50 is to purchase the Shure 840 pads and swap them out for better comfort and isolation.
 


Quote:

Thank you, you're right, but I really dont have the chance to try them out, because I cant find most of them (besides the grado) here in portugal. Thats why I really need help choosing the headphones.

 

Are there any other headfiers or upcoming meets in your area? Heck, even consider planning on visiting an audio shop or another headfier the next time you take a trip or go on vacation. It really isn't worth it to drop that kind of money without first being able to hear the headphones. The next best thing is to buy off the sale forums here. If you're careful with your transactions, you can generally buy/sell and not lose too much money if the headphones are not to your liking.
 
Since you already have the RS2i, you already have a reasonable idea of what the higher end grados will sound like. If you're looking at the Senn, maybe consider buying the 600 or 650 first before taking a risk on the 800.
 


Quote:

 
I recently received a pair of Bowers and Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi headphones, which cost about 320 dollars with tax at the Apple store. They look amazing, but the price is pretty overwhelming, especially due to the fact that I am much closer to being a considered a casual listener than a musical maestro on the listening spectrum. I was considering returning the P5's and instead purchasing the ATH-M50's by Audio-Technica. I was hoping to get some advice on whether or not this was a good plan, and if the Bowers and Wilkins P5's are really worth the price for someone who is not an expert. What would you guys do?
 
PS... I posted this to its own thread, but realized that making threads like this is sort of frowned upon on here. Sorry for any inconvenience. 
 
Thanks again,
 
-Paul

The P5 has rather divided opinions here on the forums. The main thing to ask is: are you happy with them? If so, then don't worry about it and enjoy them. If you're worried about it, then suck up the money for a week and purchase the M50, give it a listen, and decide which headphone you want to keep after that.


Quote:

hey ppl, i just wanted to know if i made a wise purchase recently. i recently purchased the Shure SRH 440, and after reading around the forums, i also purchased the 840 ear pads. i will be using them primarily and mostly to listen to music off of my ipod, mostly metal such as iron maiden, dream theater, opeth, and megadeth, if that helps. thanks in advance.

What's the point of worrying about something before you even get it? Take them, enjoy them, call it a day.
 

 
Quote:

Hi! I'm looking for a new hifi headphones. My first hifi headphones.
 
I love rock, i know that Grado rocks but... SR60i? SR80i? SR125i? or SR225i?
 
I'll use them with iPod, iPhone and PC (no sound card). Will i need an amp?
 
Thanks!!

I consider the Alessandro MS1 the best bang for the buck in the early grado lineup (costs $100 for quality about on par with the 125).
 
 

 
Quote:

I purchased the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones, though I eventually found them to be lacking,
 
Since it's Christmas time, I have about $200 to spend for another headphone system for my desktop PC. This budget is flexible, but the ~$200-250 range covers both the cans and perhaps a USB DAC for my PC, since my motherboard has really poor onboard sound.
 
I do not have a sound card and am unsure whether to buy one or a USB DAC. I can hear very annoying static from the PC peripherals when I plug in my CX-200s to the input in the back of my PC, worse even from the headphone port in the front. I can hear a hiss on those CX-200s on my Ipod shuffle too: they were not the best purchase I made, but this is beside the point.
 
I am a music education major and saxophonist, so I often listen to music critically (jazz like Coltrane, classical like Mahler) and can distinguish very subtle timbre differences. I also like to mess around with mixing tracks and mastering, so take a hint of monitoring into consideration as well.  
As of now, I live in a dorm where it is somewhat noisy, which is why I purchased the closed cans (HD 280 Pro). I really liked the noise isolation, though I have never tried quality open headphones. My dorm life is temporary anyway, and I am thinking of the years to come. I am really unsure if I want to sacrifice the sound quality just for noise isolation for the next couple of years. At home and perhaps 60% of the time I spend in my dorm, it is quiet and I can make some noise with no problem: I don't have to worry about sound leaking through open headphones, as I hear they do sometimes.
 
So far, I've done some research and have come up with the following:
 
1.) Sennheiser HD555, currently $90 on Amazon, with perhaps a cheap DAC to go with it. I know of the FiiO E7 USB DAC, the HeadRoom Total AirHead, and the Bithead, just so I won't hear the static of my PC and perhaps to enliven the already beautiful sounding headphones. I heard from reviews that the HeadRooms do not have good electro-magnetic shielding, so I am unsure if this is a viable option, as the static of my PC is unbearable!
 
2.) I am also considering other Sennheisers around the ~$100 price range, such as the newer HD 518. A little more pricey @ $130, though. Maybe I should audition some at a local store first? 

 
3.) I am completely unfamiliar with other brands other than Sennheiser. Sorry, I'm kinda new here, but am willing to learn, and listen! Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
 
4.) Or, you can ignore all of my recommendations I provided and go with a route you deem as better or more practical for my needs.
 
I really owe the people that reply to this essay. Maybe I'll make you some breakfast in the future or something. 

 
Much appreciated,
Mangoloid

For your purposes, I would consider a good closed headphone. It is very difficult to enjoy music when it's competing with outside noise, and even though you're thinking of "down the road", chances are you'll get bit by the upgrade bug long before then and wind up buying another set anyways

Popular options for closed cans are the M50, Denon D1000, Shure 440 (these are all around $100, although the M50 has bumped back up to $150 lately). One that doesn't much press around here is also the Senn PX200-ii, which is a closed supraaural can that's actually quite good and has a neutral frequency response.
 
Actually you know what, I'm going to throw out an unconventional recommendation for you: Fostex T50RP and the E7+E9 combo. The T50 is an orthodynamic can which is excellent for monitoring work, and has great sound to it especially when amped, runs for about $80. The FiiO E7+E9 combo has been getting very good press lately and will serve as a portable dac/amp as well as desktop amp which will provide the power needed to drive the Fostex to their full potential. The whole thing should run you under $300 and will serve you for a good while.
 

 
Quote:

Reposting for some advice:
 
 
Just returned my THIRD pair of Denon D2000's due to quality issues; first pair right screw holding on the cup hinge broke, another pair had a loose screw that had no ability to tighten, and the third came with a kinked headband....
 
I love these headphones without a doubt, just not sure if I should get them from a different supplier or switch headphones completely....
 
Thanks.

Where are you buying from?