[DrSeven]

Quote:

I am not very familiar with the HD 700.
 
I don't think that any of the cans on your list sounds like the HD 650.
 
About all I can tell you is that the DT 880 is an excellent value on the "low" end of your budget and that the HE 500 is the best can on the list and a great value to boot.
 
Read about most of the cans you have referenced here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-57-headphones-compared-update-hifiman-he-400-added-12-24-12

OK thx 4 the response. I already read that! 
 
Would the Hifiman He-400 or 500 be the better choice for metal music? I also have some sibilance problems with the hd 700s in combination with "bad recordings" and some not-FLAC/WAV files. Would this be different with these? 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Quote:

I am not very familiar with the HD 700.
 
I don't think that any of the cans on your list sounds like the HD 650.
 
About all I can tell you is that the DT 880 is an excellent value on the "low" end of your budget and that the HE 500 is the best can on the list and a great value to boot.
 
Read about most of the cans you have referenced here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-57-headphones-compared-update-hifiman-he-400-added-12-24-12

OK thx 4 the response. I already read that! 
 
Would the Hifiman He-400 or 500 be the better choice for metal music? I also have some sibilance problems with the hd 700s in combination with "bad recordings" and some not-FLAC/WAV files. Would this be different with these? 

The link I previously provided gives a good review of the sound of both.  In short--the HE 400 has a bit of a colored sound while the HE 500 is full, balanced  and neutral.
 
Some people are more sensitive to sibilance than others and it can be a very individual thing.  The HE 500 accurately reproduces the treble that has been laid down on the track.  If its garbage in; it will be garbage out.

 

[DrSeven]

Quote:

The link I previously provided gives a good review of the sound of both.  In short--the HE 400 has a bit of a colored sound while the HE 500 is full, balanced  and neutral.
 
Some people are more sensitive to sibilance than others and it can be a very individual thing.  The HE 500 accurately reproduces the treble that has been laid down on the track.  If its garbage in; it will be garbage out.

thank u very much! do you think the he-400 has more emphasis on the vocals? I really like it when the vocals are prominent and almost take over. I read this: "The HE-400 has a clear — but not overpowering — emphasis in the midrange, which as Lauren suggested tends to make voices sound clearer if a little exaggerated at times."
Whatsur opinion on that?

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Quote:

The link I previously provided gives a good review of the sound of both.  In short--the HE 400 has a bit of a colored sound while the HE 500 is full, balanced  and neutral.
 
Some people are more sensitive to sibilance than others and it can be a very individual thing.  The HE 500 accurately reproduces the treble that has been laid down on the track.  If its garbage in; it will be garbage out.

thank u very much! do you think the he-400 has more emphasis on the vocals? I really like it when the vocals are prominent and almost take over. I read this: "The HE-400 has a clear — but not overpowering — emphasis in the midrange, which as Lauren suggested tends to make voices sound clearer if a little exaggerated at times."
Whatsur opinion on that?

Although he and I have very different primary genre preferences (I'm a U.S. roots music guy), our ears appear to quite similar.  But here's the problem.  The sound of the HE 400 has changed over time with at least two versions of this can.  I'm not confident that I can give you an exact fix on the version that ends up on your ears.  In addition I prefer the uncolored (and unmatched at anything near its price) HE 500 that does all music and genres so well.

 

[DrSeven]

Quote:

Although he and I have very different primary genre preferences (I'm a U.S. roots music guy), our ears appear to quite similar.  But here's the problem.  The sound of the HE 400 has changed over time with at least two versions of this can.  I'm not confident that I can give you an exact fix on the version that ends up on your ears.  In addition I prefer the uncolored (and unmatched at anything near its price) HE 500 that does all music and genres so well.

OK thanks again. U make me really wanna give the 500s a try! 

 
Two questions left: I would primarily wanna use the hifiman with my colorfly c4 and my htc one xplus. colorfly should be no problem but I'm not sure bout the cell. It drove my sennheiser hd 650 without problems in regards of volume (of course the quality was not "audiophile"). whats you're experience with this?
 
And are the he-500 suitable for metal music?

 

[Fighterboy89]

Quote:

Where do you see these "amp rating", are you talking about sensitivity?

 
Umm, well I figured I would go on Apple's iPhone 4 specs page and just read the impedance for the headphones that are included with it as reference http://support.apple.com/kb/SP587
 
Quote:

The 2400 and 940 need an amp beyond your iPhone.
 
The 840 will work well enough (except it won't reach high volume) from an iPhone--better with an amp.
 
Check the buying guides linked in the opening post of this thread.  Once there, look for cans rated "1".  Some rated "2" will work but its hit or miss depending on your equipment.

 
Ok, I'll consider the SRH840 for sure.
 
Quote:

The 440 works fine right out of my iPhone 4. 
 
Check the buying guides linked in the opening post of this thread.  Once there, look for cans rated "1", which accurately includes the 440.  Some rated "2" will work but it's hit or miss depending on your equipment.

 
Ok, so it sounds almost as good as plugging it on a laptop's audio out?
 
Quote:

 
SRH840 actually work very well without an amp.  They're extremely good closed headphones for the price.

 
Yes, KG Jag also told me the same thing. But I'm afraid they will sound too weak to my taste since I'm assuming Apple only designed the iPhone 4's amp to drive the included earbuds. Just an assumption of course, it might be more powerful to accomodate hungrier headphones.

 

[TooPoor]

 JVC DX700 v. DX1000? I've been searching and reading reviews. Many contradictory. What are signatures of both? Where do they differ?

 

[dryvadeum]

Quote:

 JVC DX700 v. DX1000? I've been searching and reading reviews. Many contradictory. What are signatures of both? Where do they differ?

I want to know more in-depth comparisons on these two headphones as well as I'm considering purchasing one or the other. Most I've heard is that th DX700 has tighter bass whereas the DX1000 has boomier bass. That's not a lot to go by...

 

[bloodbringer]

Rookie looking to join the audio appreciation club. I should start by saying that I am not a DJ nor do I intend to mix music, I'm just looking to enhance my listening experience.
 
[size=small] Budget - I'd like to keep it around $150-$200.[/size]

[size=small] Source - Desktop PC mostly, maybe a little TV for my blu rays.[/size]

[size=small] Isolation - The more the better, I live with others.[/size]

[size=small] Preferred Tonality - Balanced and/or lows. I'm not a total basshead but I just can't see myself going without. Guilty pleasure.[/size]

[size=small] Past headphones - Crap that sounds like crap, I filter great songs through piles of dung with these low-end speakers[/size]

[size=small] Preferred Music - Industrial preferred, then metal, soul and electronic.[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] In short, I would like to hear Cynic, Tool, NIN, Deftones, Buckethead etc. at their best, while still enjoying Hotter Than July or Otis Redding.

Everytime I do research on a pair, I get ready to pull the trigger, even after reading the subpar/negative reviews, and then I wonder if the person reviewing them is listening to the same thing I am. "These are great headphones! (for listening to Nikki Minaj)". Give some guidance, I'd hate to be the guy writing a 3-star review on Amazon.[/size]

 

[MattTCG]

Welcome to heafi!! In that price range you'll want to look for a closed hp possibly the Beyerdynamic dt770. It's right in your price range, incredibly solid on the build quality and super comfortable. 
 
gL!!

 

[eucariote]

Quote:

I always read here that the bass on LCD-2 is amazing, but I dont understand how an electrostatic driver can move more air (bass is basically strong air waves) than a mechanical driver.

 
Electrostatics have a low moving mass driven over a large area, which gives a better transient response.  They don't necessarily move more air, but the transients are faster and the membranes of LCD-2 and HE500 have ~2x more surface area than most dynamic headphones.  I've found that the bass in dynamics 'punches' more- if you put your hand if front of DT770 or D7000 you can literally feel the wind, but I haven't felt this with LCD-2 or HE-500.  Most dynamics also drop off sharply in spectral power in the low bass (10-20 Hz).  But I don't know if you can say that all electrostatics have better bass- for example I preferred the bass of Edition 8 to HE-500. 

 

[viralcow]

Quote:

Rookie looking to join the audio appreciation club. I should start by saying that I am not a DJ nor do I intend to mix music, I'm just looking to enhance my listening experience.
 
[size=small] Budget - I'd like to keep it around $150-$200.[/size]

[size=small] Source - Desktop PC mostly, maybe a little TV for my blu rays.[/size]

[size=small] Isolation - The more the better, I live with others.[/size]

[size=small] Preferred Tonality - Balanced and/or lows. I'm not a total basshead but I just can't see myself going without. Guilty pleasure.[/size]

[size=small] Past headphones - Crap that sounds like crap, I filter great songs through piles of dung with these low-end speakers[/size]

[size=small] Preferred Music - Industrial preferred, then metal, soul and electronic.[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] In short, I would like to hear Cynic, Tool, NIN, Deftones, Buckethead etc. at their best, while still enjoying Hotter Than July or Otis Redding.

Everytime I do research on a pair, I get ready to pull the trigger, even after reading the subpar/negative reviews, and then I wonder if the person reviewing them is listening to the same thing I am. "These are great headphones! (for listening to Nikki Minaj)". Give some guidance, I'd hate to be the guy writing a 3-star review on Amazon.[/size]

 
AKG K167
Beyerdynamic COP
Beyerdynamic DT770/80
Sennheiser HD25-1 ii // Sennheiser Amperior (refurbs can be had for <$180)
Audio Technica ESW9
Ultimate Ears UE6000
Shure SRH840
Ultrasone HFI-780
V-Moda M80

 

[potatoos]

Quote:

Source: 24-96 flac and 320mp3 (for the less available stuff) via foobar2000
              Fiio E17
 
Genres: Metal- mainly melodeath, stuff like Opeth (kind of melodeath), Be'lakor, Insomnium, but also technical death metal like The Faceless, as well as various metal bands like Anaal Nathrakh. Rap- Almost solely Eminem and Hopsin. Classical- Beethoven, Beethoven, Beethoven
 
Can preference: Circumaural, preferably closed but open if fine too, comfort is a plus, but not a serious consideration. I have a pretty big head, long hair, and facial hair, which can make a difference with seals. I where glasses, but can compromise (I made due for the longest time with my current/previous headphones).
 
Preferred sound signature: I love the sound signature of my Ety hf3 and Superlux HD662f, so I would say reproductively accurate with a flat curve. I don't mind somewhat harsh highs, and love detail, but overall accuracy to the way things really sound is the biggest thing.
 
Price range: Cheaper the better. I don't like buying used, and would be willing to save for a while if it is worth it. Preferably under $200, but like I said, I can flex quite a bit if the pay off is present.
 
Current headphones: Superlux HD662f which developed a crackling in the right ear. I have put thousands of hours through them, and Superlux is not know for build quality, so it is what it is, as well as Ety hf3. Love them both.

Anyone else care to give some suggestions?

 

[bloodbringer]

Welcome to heafi!! In that price range you'll want to look for a closed hp possibly the Beyerdynamic dt770. It's right in your price range, incredibly solid on the build quality and super comfortable. 
 
gL!!
 

 
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll take a look at them. How would you say they stack up against the list viralcow made below?
 
Quote:

 
AKG K167
Beyerdynamic COP
Beyerdynamic DT770/80
Sennheiser HD25-1 ii // Sennheiser Amperior (refurbs can be had for <$180)
Audio Technica ESW9
Ultimate Ears UE6000
Shure SRH840
Ultrasone HFI-780
V-Moda M80

 

[dryvadeum]

Quote:

 

I'd recommend the Soundmagic HP100's. They're quite neutral, if a tad warm - good tonality. They have sufficient bass for a bit of punch when it calls for it on the song. They also have great detail retrieval & just a great overall smoothness to their presentation. The mids are probably slightly recessed & the highs have a good sparkle but aren't at all harsh. The soundstage isn't hugely wide but I think that will probably suit the music you listen to more. I was really amazed by how balanced and smooth this can sounded when I had them. I think they'd be a good all-rounder. Plus, they're really comfortable and isolate really well.
 
I'd say they're an overlooked gem.
 
I can't speak to any of the other recommendations.