ru32day
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
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Recommendation between A500/A900/DT250 (or if you think these are way off the mark, suggestion for something else) please
I'm looking into buying some new headphones. The more I'm researching the more confused I'm getting so I'm hoping you can help. I have a pretty clear idea of what I like, but not how to achieve the best compromise.
Comfort - a primary requirement on which I can't compromise - I'll be wearing these for long periods at a time so they have to be really comfortable - I also wear glasses so don't want them clamping too hard - eg I have some Senn HD590s that I can't wear because of the clamping force. I know from experience that if they're not comfortable I won't use them, no matter how wonderful they sound.
Isolation - the main "job" of these cans is to listen to music in the same room where others are watching TV. However I would compromise on some level of isolation if necessary to improve comfort (eg reduced clamping force).
Can't be canal phones - got some Etymotic many many years ago (from you as I recall) - the more I used them the worse my ears reacted - itch, heat etc. Just not for me I think.
I'd prefer them not to be too power-hungry. Don't mind buying a small Amp (in fact am considering an Amp/DAC as I'm often listening out of the laptop) but don't want lots of money on one.
Sound-wise, I listen to just about all genres of music except electronic and hip-hop. Things that I notice are:
- Separation - I don't like sounds to mush together, esp noticable on some harmonies (on not hugely well-recorded tracks) like Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody and The Band's The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
- Bass - I like impactful tight quick moving base vs loud and flabby.
- Air - I like to "hear" the air around the music (eg Carol Kidd's When I Dream). I don't like the headphone to feel like the music is pressing in on my ears, but rather like it's floating around them.
- Snare drums - Like to hear the note they give out, not just a "thunk" (eg Pink Floyd's Time has a passage where there's a real tune played on the snares).
- Love sweet high notes (The almost final trumpet note in James Morrison's The Old Rugged Cross is just perfection) but hate any harshness.
- Detail (like to hear what happens after the string is hit in, eg, acoustic guitar).
- However, I'm VERY sensitive to any hint of harshness and if necessary I would compromise on some detail if this was necessary to listening for reasonably long periods without fatigue.
So in summary, the primary considerations are comfort and lack of fatigue, but I'm interested in tight bass, detail and "open" sound.
There are also some issues about availability as I am in Australia and some of the phones are hard to get here - I'm reluctant to buy overseas as, if I really hate them, I'd like to be able to exchange them for something else without spending a fortune in return postage.
I'd pretty much narrowed it down to A500/A900/DT250 (all available in OZ and around my price range) but (not having the opportunity to audition any of them) this could be way off beam.
Would appreciate any advice you could provide (including whether the phone benefits from an amp and any suggestion for one - ATM I'm operating on the assumption that any amp is better than none ).