[Doc-holliday]

I have started to zero in a bit and could use some advice about the AKG Q701 and the Beyerdynamic DT990 pro's.   I am very interested in the comfort level of both headphones particularly over long listening sessions.  I am aiming for 6-8hrs a day so the comfort really factors in.  I know the Q701's get knocked by some for the headband bumps, but those really large can's look extra comfortable.   I am drawn to that and the detachable cable...I would also really like an opinion on how large a feature that is, I am not sue how to factor that into the decision.    I wish there was a review metric along the lines of "I could stand to wear them for X hours before they drove me nuts"  Thanks

Headband did not bother me on the 701. I did not use it for 7 hours either. I have worn my 990 Premiums (less clamping than the 990 pro) for many hours with no issue. Found the 701 to be superior to the 990. In comparrison the DT990's highs are less realistic and the 701 is a more neutral headphone with excelent mid detail. The bass was weak for my taste until I put it on the Fiio E11 with the EQ setting on 2 (boosted bass). I really enjoyed them a lot out of my FiiO. It fills in nice and for my taste they are a level above the 990 which I also like. The comfort of the velour pads is equal in softness ot the 990 but I find the 701 to be more itchy (I hear people complain about beyer's being itchy too but not for me). If you are really into treble sparkle go with the beyer, but for reasons above I prefer the 701.

 

[Doc-holliday]

Hello fellow Head-fi residents. Currently, I'm in the market for a new pair of cans. These will be used with a variety of genres - mostly rock, indie, pop, a smidgen of classical, and a good deal of electronic music. I enjoy a nice, forward detailed treble and transparent mids. I like my bass tight and detailed; basshead phones make me nauseous. Comfort isn't a very big factor, I can wear my Grados for hours at a time and feel completely fine.

Requirements:
- Closed
- Good all-rounders
- Reasonably durable
- easy to drive
- under 150$, can stretch higher if it is absolutely worth it


Thanks

Try the KRK kns8400. They match your description IMO very very closely. Very natural and detailed highs without siblance or being "too bright", Just right IMO. Sorry to disappoint but they are also comfortable

Cost $150. I think they were made for you...

 

[Doc-holliday]

I have a budget of around 150$ to 200$ im looking for a new headset preferably closed back of the same or greater quality as my akg k240 mk II's. i listen to rock (lynyrd skynrd, autopilot off, green day, rise against, pink floyd, basically all of it) , trailer music (videogame theme songs and such) im NOT  a bass head and ive heard the krk kns 8400's are a good choice. I'd prefer to spend below my price currently to save money for computer updates.

 

Yes as above you are rigth those KRK's are a good idea.

 

[winst]

Hello everyone, after lurking around the site for a possible set of cans, i am still confuzzled.
I am looking for a pair of headphones that:
 

1. Cost around $150-200.
2. Are relatively easy to drive; I will be using it mostly on my laptop, however, the ability to use in on my iPod will be great!
3. Have a good soundstage; I will be playing some games on my laptop.
4. Have GREAT lows (I am a "bass-head") and highs-- mids don't have to be too great because I listen mainly to Electronics (house, dubstep, trance) and Hip-Hop.
5. Open/Closed? I'm thinking Open because of the better sound stage.
6. An amp if necessary, but not really looking to exceed my budget.

 
I heard that the Beyerdynamic DT990 is good, are there any other headphones that are better/fit my description at this pricerange? If the Beyer DT 990 is perfect for me, should i get the 80,250 or 600 ohms?
 
Thanks you very much,

 

[jham1496]

Hello Head-fi.  I am looking to get an entry level desktop rig.  i currently have a good portable rig (sansa clip> sennheiser ie8) which i like but i am sick of using iems for home listening.  I also think want a more exciting headphone than the ie8s which have somewhat recessed mids. I also have a pure i20 ipod dock/dac that i am happy with but i will need some sort of amp because my receiver's headphone jack is broken
 
Type of Headphone
Full sized open.  i will be using them at home so i have no use for isolation, etc.  I would consider closed headphones like denon. 
 
Music Taste and Sound preferences
Mostly rock and alternative, some jazz and acoustic guitar.  No classical or heavy metal. 
Favorite Artists: Bruce Springsteen, u2, Lifehouse, Dave Brubeck Herbie Hankcock, Mumford and Sons
Most of my music is in flac or 320 mp3 but i want a forgiving headphone because i listen to pandora one (128 kbs) a lot to find new music and i would like to still be able to enjoy this. 
 
I like good bass but i DO NOT want it to be overpowering.  I had the sony xb700s and HATED them.  I really like the bass of the senn ie8- it is defenitly boosted but not overpowering. 
I am looking for more forward mids than the ie8s.  i like the sennheiser sound but i am looking for something different.  
I love good soundstage and imageing, this is the most important requirement for me.  
 
Budget
I can not go over 400 and would prefer to stay under 350 for the headphones and amp.
 
Currently Looking at
Beyer dt 990 pro (or used premium) and little dot mkii
Grado sr 325 or sr 80 and mod with wood cups (i tried the rs1s and loved them) and cmoy or fiio e11
Sennheiser hd598 and cmoy or e11
Denon d2000 and e11/cmoy (these are getting hard to find for under 300 now.  
 
I am leaning towards the dt 990/mkii combo but i want to hear other's opinions.  

 

[Pual]

Quote:

Hello everyone, after lurking around the site for a possible set of cans, i am still confuzzled.
I am looking for a pair of headphones that:
 

1. Cost around $150-200.
2. Are relatively easy to drive; I will be using it mostly on my laptop, however, the ability to use in on my iPod will be great!
3. Have a good soundstage; I will be playing some games on my laptop.
4. Have GREAT lows (I am a "bass-head") and highs-- mids don't have to be too great because I listen mainly to Electronics (house, dubstep, trance) and Hip-Hop.
5. Open/Closed? I'm thinking Open because of the better sound stage.
6. An amp if necessary, but not really looking to exceed my budget.

 
I heard that the Beyerdynamic DT990 is good, are there any other headphones that are better/fit my description at this pricerange? If the Beyer DT 990 is perfect for me, should i get the 80,250 or 600 ohms?
 
Thanks you very much,

Sony MDR-XBXXX are great bass heavy cans and come in a variety of price ranges, I think the 700's are $125

 

[chuckle490]

Im sorry I keep bothering everyone but can somebody make up my mind for me? I'm looking at the Ultrasone's DJ 1, DJ 1 Pro, and the HFI 780s. I listen to House, Dubstep, Drum and bass, and Techno exclusively. I love bass but im coming from sony xb 500s and I know that I want tight accurate bass with clear mids, and shiny highs. Which pair of cans would be the best for me?

 

[photonos]

Copying from a different thread. Hadn't seen this one earlier:
 
 
 
Hey guys, I apologize if this topic has been addressed before (in which case, could someone please link me to the appropriate thread?), but I'm in the market for some good headphones that I can use while gaming as well as for watching movies.

Let me list the major considerations for this purchase:
 
First off, the price. I'm hoping to spend below $300 for the whole purchase. Though I'm willing to go significantly above that if it's a great deal and satisfies all the other requirements. I just splurged a ****load of cash on a new TV, so I suppose I might as well get the sound to go with the picture. Keep in mind that I'm speaking of the total cost of the purchase here, so if the recommendation is for a $350 headphone, but to use it I have to buy a $400 amp, I'm probably not going to take that option very seriously.

Second, the purpose of the cans is mainly gaming and movies. As far as gaming is concerned, I hope to be able to use them on my PC, PS3, and XBOX 360. But if not all three, then at least on the consoles (PS3, XBOX), since I have a couple of pretty decent headsets that I can use for PC gaming already. Keep in mind that I don't need a mic with them (i.e., a headset), I'm just looking for good quality sound on these headphones. Also, since neither the XBOX nor the PS3 have a direct headphone jack, let me know what auxiliary equipment will be needed to make the setup work. As for movies, that's the other thing I want to use the headphones for most often, so if the recommendation is good for both these uses, that would be best. As far as music is concerned, I don't listen to music much, so that's not a serious consideration for me.

Also, please don't recommend wireless headsets -- they usually don't have great sound even though they are convenient. (Unless you are aware of a seriously kickass pair of wireless cans, in which case I'm certainly willing to reconsider.)

Though I do live in Canada I'm fairly close to the border, so you don't have to worry about taxes + import duties in your consideration.

For reference, here are the headphones I currently have and my brief opinions about them (as it should be clear, I'm no audiophile):

Logitech G35 -- Love them for gaming (only on the PC unfortunately), decent for music and movies. Heavy and not very comfortable.

Sennheiser HD 598 -- Great for music and movies, but not great for gaming since 3D-positional audio is not replicated well on them when I'm using the X-Fi CMSS 3D option on my sound card.

Sony MDR-7506 -- Not sure why I even bought them. Use them as my default headphones at work.

Titton AX Pro 5.1 -- I bought these because they can be used on all different systems, but they were terrible. I don't know if it was just the set that I got, but I barely used them for more than a few days because I found them to be neither good for games nor movies. They're basically collecting dust in some box now.

Thanks in advance. All helpful suggestions are appreciated!

 

[sacrifice13]

This might be a big ask, but if anyone could give out a short list of some reasonably priced. balanced-sounding headphones that would be awesome! By balanced I mean bass that isn't boomy, mids that aren't recessed and treble that isn't harsh. So basically the opposit of the HFI-580 (which I own).
 
So far all I can think of is the Brainwavz HM5 and the ATH A900X

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

This might be a big ask, but if anyone could give out a short list of some reasonably priced. balanced-sounding headphones that would be awesome! By balanced I mean bass that isn't boomy, mids that aren't recessed and treble that isn't harsh. So basically the opposit of the HFI-580 (which I own).
 
So far all I can think of is the Brainwavz HM5 and the ATH A900X

Well... that's a pretty broad question. I suppose the HD 600 would be a good option. They're famed for having great balance at the price. They have that laid back senn sound so don't worry about anything being really harsh. Perhaps a few more details would help, as in price, type (opened/closed), music, etc, etc.

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

Hello Head-fi.  I am looking to get an entry level desktop rig.  i currently have a good portable rig (sansa clip> sennheiser ie8) which i like but i am sick of using iems for home listening.  I also think want a more exciting headphone than the ie8s which have somewhat recessed mids. I also have a pure i20 ipod dock/dac that i am happy with but i will need some sort of amp because my receiver's headphone jack is broken
 
Type of Headphone
Full sized open.  i will be using them at home so i have no use for isolation, etc.  I would consider closed headphones like denon. 
 
Music Taste and Sound preferences
Mostly rock and alternative, some jazz and acoustic guitar.  No classical or heavy metal. 
Favorite Artists: Bruce Springsteen, u2, Lifehouse, Dave Brubeck Herbie Hankcock, Mumford and Sons
Most of my music is in flac or 320 mp3 but i want a forgiving headphone because i listen to pandora one (128 kbs) a lot to find new music and i would like to still be able to enjoy this. 
 
I like good bass but i DO NOT want it to be overpowering.  I had the sony xb700s and HATED them.  I really like the bass of the senn ie8- it is defenitly boosted but not overpowering. 
I am looking for more forward mids than the ie8s.  i like the sennheiser sound but i am looking for something different.  
I love good soundstage and imageing, this is the most important requirement for me.  
 
Budget
I can not go over 400 and would prefer to stay under 350 for the headphones and amp.
 
Currently Looking at
Beyer dt 990 pro (or used premium) and little dot mkii
Grado sr 325 or sr 80 and mod with wood cups (i tried the rs1s and loved them) and cmoy or fiio e11
Sennheiser hd598 and cmoy or e11
Denon d2000 and e11/cmoy (these are getting hard to find for under 300 now.  
 
I am leaning towards the dt 990/mkii combo but i want to hear other's opinions.  

Take a look at the HD 600. I love mine. It's fantastically balanced. And apparently, more forgiving than it sister in terms of amping. Though her sister (HD 650) may have more bass. However, with balance comes the option of eq. SO you can kinda mold it to where ever you like. Now what i did was purchase my HD 600 used ($240) then bought the FiiO E10 ($60). I use the E10 as a DAC,  the amp isn't the best, not bad, just eh. And to top that off i got a fairly cheap pro amp (symetrix 304) also used ($50). And that seems to drive them pretty well. I don't have another dsesktop amp to compare to but it makes a huge difference form, an ipod. All in all that set up should run you right around what you want to pay and afford you some of the best sq for the buck. If you want more details (sound sig, retail location, general help with set up, or more questions) please, feel free to pm me.

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

Im sorry I keep bothering everyone but can somebody make up my mind for me? I'm looking at the Ultrasone's DJ 1, DJ 1 Pro, and the HFI 780s. I listen to House, Dubstep, Drum and bass, and Techno exclusively. I love bass but im coming from sony xb 500s and I know that I want tight accurate bass with clear mids, and shiny highs. Which pair of cans would be the best for me?

well, assuming you liked the xb 500 why not just step up to the xb 700? It has a bit more of a deep bass presentation. And considering the amount of bass, the mids and highs aren't bad at all. I find them delightful for the genres you listed. Perhaps you should just take a look at them. Pm and i can send you a full review i did on them. hope that helps, probably just complicates things but.....

 

[Roller]

Quote:

well, assuming you liked the xb 500 why not just step up to the xb 700? It has a bit more of a deep bass presentation. And considering the amount of bass, the mids and highs aren't bad at all. I find them delightful for the genres you listed. Perhaps you should just take a look at them. Pm and i can send you a full review i did on them. hope that helps, probably just complicates things but.....

 
Unfortunately, both the XB500 and XB700 lack the clarity of any of the Ultrasones chuckle490 listed.
 
chuckle490, the most balanced set is the HFI-780, but if you want a stronger bass presence, you can get either the HFI-580 or the slightly louder DJ1 (sound quality is the same).

 

[Doc-holliday]

Hello everyone, after lurking around the site for a possible set of cans, i am still confuzzled.
I am looking for a pair of headphones that:

• Cost around $150-200.
• Are relatively easy to drive; I will be using it mostly on my laptop, however, the ability to use in on my iPod will be great!
• Have a good soundstage; I will be playing some games on my laptop.
• Have GREAT lows (I am a "bass-head") and highs-- mids don't have to be too great because I listen mainly to Electronics (house, dubstep, trance) and Hip-Hop.
• Open/Closed? I'm thinking Open because of the better sound stage.
• An amp if necessary, but not really looking to exceed my budget.

I heard that the Beyerdynamic DT990 is good, are there any other headphones that are better/fit my description at this pricerange? If the Beyer DT 990 is perfect for me, should i get the 80,250 or 600 ohms?

Thanks you very much,

Dt990 80 or 250 ohm meets you description in sound. You are going to need a portable amp like the E11 with an L3 or L9 line out cable for your ipod.

My question though, is it sounds like you are going to be using this set up portably? Please confirm you understand that the DT990 is an open air headphone and will allow you to hear all background noises.

 

[grinny]

Hello all! Can anyone help me to choose my next phones?
 
Equipment:

1. Asus Xonar Essence STX: Bought it after I completed my PC built, and I have to say I searched for them for a long time. Just to get the chance to drive upper grade phones for relatively less money.

1. Grado SR60: Got it from USA around 6 years ago, my first "real" headphones. Really like the phones to this day but can't listen to them for a long period. The sound seems just too fatiguing and bright for long period listening, still like the airness of open design and energy of these fellas tho.
2. Sennheiser MX 680: Bought them just for sports in mind, but kind of liked the sound (Meh). Since I don't have any better IEMs atm, I use them on a daily basis outside plus while doing sports. 
3. Audio Technica ATH-2: Got this one for mere interest in ortho phones, and didn't have any expectations since I got them for nearly nothing. Well, I can say it didn't surprise me with SQ in overall but has a kind of good detail in sound.

1. Sennheiser PXC 450: Couple of months ago I found a used and in good condition pair for around 50 USD. They were not the phones exactly in my mind but couldn't miss them for the price. Anyway, after I got them I realized that they are just sweet sweet phones. Haven't heard anything like them before, sounds detailed and smooth to my ears, but a little too smooth maybe. I kind of miss the openness and airy feel of music when I listen music on them.
    

Music Preference:

1. Rock based; Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Muse, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, City and Colour, Dream Theater,  etc.
2. Blues; John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Yavuz Çetin etc.
3. Other; jazz, soul, classic and little bit electronic music if I have mood (French House?)

 
What I Want:

1. Hear something what my PXC 450 cannot offer to my ears. Basically all I want to have is to feel the improvement.
2. Want to hear the detail and feel the sense of space in music, especially when I'm listening to live records. But that doesn't mean I like analytical and cold sound so much. I like balanced and warm sound more.

1. I'm not a basshead, but I want to feel presence of it when the time comes.
2. Open headphones, I will be using them in quite and alone environment mostly anyway.

 
How Much Can I Offer:

1. Around 300-350 USD. (I can get something used for this price too of course)

 
Thanks in advance, for your help!
 
Cheers!