[DSG3002]

I was looking to buy the Ultrasone HFI-580's, however I asked someone I know about them and he said I would definitely need a sound card in my PC in order to use them to their full potential. I was wondering if anybody knew how necessary it was to have a sound card for using the HFI-580 headphones? I wasn't really looking to pay additional money for a sound card on top of this $130 set of phones, especially if the card is going to be in the $100-range.
 
Could someone help me out with this? If the HFI-580 is going to require me to get an expensive sound card, could someone recommend me the next-best pair of headphones that won't require a sound card but would still be able to produce high-quality sound? (Specifically for a variety of metal music, occasional heavy/deep dubstep, and occasional gaming)

 

[200poundsofamp]

Quote:

I was looking to buy the Ultrasone HFI-580's, however I asked someone I know about them and he said I would definitely need a sound card in my PC in order to use them to their full potential. I was wondering if anybody knew how necessary it was to have a sound card for using the HFI-580 headphones? I wasn't really looking to pay additional money for a sound card on top of this $130 set of phones, especially if the card is going to be in the $100-range.

How about a Xonar DG? It should be plenty for those Ultrasones.
 

 

[Armaegis]

 
Quote:

Ok, I have read through pages and pages of reviews and suggestions for 2 days and still can't make my mind up or possibly find the best headphone/soundcard.
I play Counter-Strike i want to have the best directional sound and soundstage, I listen to dubstep often as well so I like the bassyness, I will occasially
listen to rock and metal as well. I also watch a good bit of youtube videos. I have only ever had cheap 20 dollar logitech headset from walmart, and Gamecom 777 7.1 virtual surround sound headset. My opinion is the Gamecom makes you feel like you're in a theater and like you're where the sound is, the sound is so good, the bass is awsome, the directional and soundstage isnt really though. I also want to feel like I'm there, I want the sound to be life-like if you know what I mean.
I would also probably like opened eared headphones, but you can recommend closed eared headphones as well if it's that good.
 
I have found the ad700's, but then i found the ad900's, I read that they had the best soundstage and u could pinpoint footesteps real good and was going to buy those, but I read about the bass not being there and people returning it because of that so i am stuck now, I have a $250 for the headphones, I also need a sound card $150 limit for that, and please recommend an amp if i need that (I don't know anything about amps) I would be grateful if someone could help me, I play CS competetivly so i want real good positioning, and I listen to hardcore dubstep "WOBWOBwobwob", i can sacrifice a little as well, but i would rather not. Please help me choose what to get.
Thanks for reading

As mentioned already, heavy bass and soundstage do not mix. Simplified, bass overwhelmes and obscures direction sense. Getting two headphones for this would be ideal.
 
If you want to stick with a single headphone to sort of fit both criteria, I would suggest maybe the Senn HD380 or the Fostex T50rp.
 
For sound card, a popular choice around here is the Asus Xonar STX which has a built in headphone amp. You should be able to get headphone + amp for around $300.
 

 
Quote:

Hey guys. Long time lurker, first time poster here. Here's what I'm looking for:

 

Super comfortable headphones for long listening sessions, ~$200, that sound good with the following musical genres: ambient, dubstep, alternative, metal, shoegaze, classical, folk, jazz, hip hop, trip hop, visual kei.

 

No amp. Listening from Macbook Pro or Samsung charge. Mostly using pandora, grooveshark, and internet radio stations.

 

Best headphones so far were Sony MDR V600s that my dog destroyed. Want something with more detail and better bass. Leaning toward DT 770s (80ohm). Especially since I can get them new for $170 right now.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance. Would really appreciate some help. 

 
Anyone else wanna weigh in?

I don't remember if I answered you before... you're covering quite a wide range of genres, so I'm assuming you want a neutral sounding headphone. I'm also assuming you're looking for closed headphones, as the two you mentioned are closed.
 
Anyhow, the DT880 is a find headphone, but might be too bassy/U-shaped and might not sound that great with the midrange focused genres. It is also a little harder to drive and likes to have an amp behind it. A strong bass but more neutral sounding headphone would be the Shure 840 which is sloped to the low end but still has a great midrange and sounds nice with classical, and is also very easy to drive. 
 
One of the most comfortable cans I've ever owned is the Phiaton PS500. Mids are slightly scooped out, though not to the extent of the DT770, and it is also quite easy to drive.
 
Sennheisers are also great all-rounders. The HD380 or HD598 could work (closed and open respectively).

 

[DSG3002]

Quote:

Quote:

How about a Xonar DG? It should be plenty for those Ultrasones.
 

After reading reviews for it I'm kind of cautious about buying a cheaper-end sound card to go with a rather expensive set of headphones (seeing problems with switching between speakers/headphones, sleep/freezing issues, etc.)...

 

[darkydark]

Hey guys,
I was thinking of  buying an HD 598, getting it for around USD 221, and a xonar essence st. Is this a good combination or should I go in for some other headphones? The thing is  I listen to all kinds of music, no specific genre, and wanted a headphone that would sound good with all.
 
Also I will be modding the st later, any suggestions for good op amps. Thanks

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

Hey guys,
I was thinking of  buying an HD 598, getting it for around USD 221, and a xonar essence st. Is this a good combination or should I go in for some other headphones? The thing is  I listen to all kinds of music, no specific genre, and wanted a headphone that would sound good with all.
 
Also I will be modding the st later, any suggestions for good op amps. Thanks

Ask here.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Here's a more direct one: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/421890/the-xonar-essence-stx-q-a-tweaking-impressions-thread
 
I'm also pretty sure I saw an STX on the sale forums the other day.

 

[olor1n]

Armaegis, I want to rename this thread to "Ask Armaegis: Patronus Saintus of Noobus". What say you?

 

[Question2]

I figured i might as well post here since nobody who is reading the earphone forum has heard of yuin apparently....
 
 
Quote:

No in ears, cant stand them.
 
I was using the yuin pk2s, but today a door slammed shut on the cables...ruining it beyond repair probably. And yuin doesnt seem to have any contact details available so i cant email them to see if they will repair it.
 
I will probably get another pair of PK2s since i love the sound, but i just wanted to see if anyone had any other recommendations for a earbud?
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-HiFi-Quality-Professional-Earphones-YUIN-PK-2-/280721836755?pt=Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&hash=item415c534ad3
 
I see these pk2s are available for about US $50...anyone bought from this seller before?

 

 

[darkydark]

Thanks

 

[darkydark]

Quote:

Here's a more direct one: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/421890/the-xonar-essence-stx-q-a-tweaking-impressions-thread
 
I'm also pretty sure I saw an STX on the sale forums the other day.

thanks, i will check it out.

 

[Guoy]

[size=small]Hey everyone,[/size]
 
[size=small]My first post! Luckily I saw this thread in time, otherwise I would’ve made a new one. [/size]
 
[size=small]I’m looking to buy full-sized headphones to use on my mp3 player or laptop. I hope someone can point out some good headphones to me after I described the features I’m looking for:[/size]

1. [size=small]Full-size (over ear) headphones (told you already);[/size]
2. [size=small]Spiral cord (all the sites I visit never give information whether it has a spiral cord or not;[/size]
3. [size=small]Max 100,- (dollars or euro’s);[/size]
4. [size=small]No studio headphones. I live in Amsterdam and use the bike a lot. I want to hear some sounds from the outside while I’m riding the bike.[/size]

 
[size=small]I now have the cheap Senheiser HD 201 headphones. I love everything about it (sound, design, weight, price, it’s an over-ear headphone) except that it has no spiral cord. It has a cord that is too long and it always ends up in a knot.[/size]
 
[size=small]Okay, I hope my story is clear. [/size]
 
[size=small]Thanks if you want to help me![/size]
 
[size=small]Guoy[/size]

 

[koolkat]

Hi Guoy, can you give us examples of the types of songs you listen to? Bands, genres? 
 
That would be very useful to the guys who run this thread (lol). 

 
Quote:

[size=small]Hey everyone,[/size]
 
[size=small]My first post! Luckily I saw this thread in time, otherwise I would’ve made a new one. [/size]
 
[size=small]I’m looking to buy full-sized headphones to use on my mp3 player or laptop. I hope someone can point out some good headphones to me after I described the features I’m looking for:[/size]

1. [size=small]Full-size (over ear) headphones (told you already);[/size]
2. [size=small]Spiral cord (all the sites I visit never give information whether it has a spiral cord or not;[/size]
3. [size=small]Max 100,- (dollars or euro’s);[/size]
4. [size=small]No studio headphones. I live in Amsterdam and use the bike a lot. I want to hear some sounds from the outside while I’m riding the bike.[/size]

 
[size=small]I now have the cheap Senheiser HD 201 headphones. I love everything about it (sound, design, weight, price, it’s an over-ear headphone) except that it has no spiral cord. It has a cord that is too long and it always ends up in a knot.[/size]
 
[size=small]Okay, I hope my story is clear. [/size]
 
[size=small]Thanks if you want to help me![/size]
 
[size=small]Guoy[/size]

 

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

I was looking to buy the Ultrasone HFI-580's, however I asked someone I know about them and he said I would definitely need a sound card in my PC in order to use them to their full potential. I was wondering if anybody knew how necessary it was to have a sound card for using the HFI-580 headphones? I wasn't really looking to pay additional money for a sound card on top of this $130 set of phones, especially if the card is going to be in the $100-range.
 
Could someone help me out with this? If the HFI-580 is going to require me to get an expensive sound card, could someone recommend me the next-best pair of headphones that won't require a sound card but would still be able to produce high-quality sound? (Specifically for a variety of metal music, occasional heavy/deep dubstep, and occasional gaming)

 
They are sensitive enough that they should be fine out of a sound card, especially if it has a headphone plug.  My only caveat is that Ultrasones aren't very shy in the treble department, which means they really emphasize any noise in the signal.  You might notice computer electrical noise with the HFI-580 that you've never noticed out of other sources.  You should be able to get plenty of bass impact through the computer, though.
 
 

 

[Guoy]

Hey Koolkat,
 
Thanks for the quick reply. My taste is quite diverse. Mostly indie rock, punk, jazz, singer songwriter, hiphop.
 
The Sennheiser HD 201 is good enough for me, only the 3 m cord is too annoying. If they made a HD 201 with a shorter spiral cord I would've bought it, no doubt.
 
I'm not used to 250,- plus studio headphones, so of course they're better, but I don't use ir for recording or anything. Just for listening to music outside (on the bike, in the train, etc.)
 
Thanks for your help!
 
Guoy

 
Quote:

Hi Guoy, can you give us examples of the types of songs you listen to? Bands, genres? 
 
That would be very useful to the guys who run this thread (lol).