[filterpunk]

Quote:

What do you guys think are the best headphones for  Metal (Iron Maiden, In Flames, Insomnium, etc), Jazz, Classical and some EDM? 
This is mainly for use out of a laptop, so no high-end dacs/amps. I've auditioned the Beyerdynamic dt880 250 ohm and it seems to be the one for me but I am wondering if you guys know of other cans that are better (I tried the dt990 250 ohm and I didn't like it at all)

 
I haven't heard the DT880's, but I suspect your laptop probably won't do a great job of driving 250 ohm cans.  

My experience with a wide range of headphones is pretty limited, but you might want to consider Denon AH-D2000's.  I bought mine about a week ago and so far, they've sounded great with everything I've thrown at them, particularly electronic music and metal.  A touch recessed in the mids, which you'll probably see plenty of people talking about on here, but this seems to give things kind of a "middle of the theater" presentation, and surprisingly, I'm finding this sounds more natural and realistic to my ears.

I didn't audition them before ordering, since I'd found a good deal for them and got a little impulsive, so it's probably sheer luck that they turned out to suit me so well, but if you can, it might be worth checking them out.

 

[Slickman]

 Are $1,000 headphones worth it? I had a pair of headphones in the cart with all my info typed in then I realised they're just too darn expensive, probably not worth the money. I wish there was somwhere I could go to hear them but unfortunately there's nowhere to go that's near me.

 

[PhoenixClaw]

Hmmm, I auditioned the DT880s with my sansa clip+ with the hippo box+ portable amp and it sounded very well, so I think my laptop should be able to drive it as well. 
 
I will try to audition the D2000 next time, it seems like the closest competitor. However, I am slightly worried about the comfort because I currently have the m50 and after trying out the DT880 there is no contest in comfort. Seeing as the D2000 also uses something that looks like leather, I'm afraid that the comfort won't be as good as the DT880.
 
Also, would the soundstage be comparable? I find that the DT880's soundstage to be very optimal, which is very wide but not too far. I felt that the hd25's and dt1350's soundstage to be severely lacking while the m50's to be noticeably more compressed than the DT880. I understand that this is probably because they are closed cans versus the semi-open design. Would the D2000 share the same soundstage?

 

[EdChap]

Big fan of male singer songwriters (Tom Waits, Josh Ritter, Bon Iver) as well as The National; also like a bit of rock (AC/DC-ish mould) and am looking for a semi-portable HP (i.e. one I can take on longer journeys/planes), so probably closed cup.
 
Thinking of either...
Beyer T50p (noticably more expensive than the others... worth it?)
Shure SRH840
Ultrasone HFI-580
ATH M50s
 
Do any jump out as a top performer for my type of music? If so, would it need to be amped?
 
Thanks a lot.
 
P.S. Realise I've got another thread here, but thought I'd put a request out here too to catch some more people now that I've settled on what I want!
 
 

 

[onesome]

Quote:

What do you guys think are the best headphones for  Metal (Iron Maiden, In Flames, Insomnium, etc), Jazz, Classical and some EDM? 
This is mainly for use out of a laptop, so no high-end dacs/amps. I've auditioned the Beyerdynamic dt880 250 ohm and it seems to be the one for me but I am wondering if you guys know of other cans that are better (I tried the dt990 250 ohm and I didn't like it at all)

 
I think Grado’s profile is best for Iron Maiden /It is hard for most headphones to reproduce Iron Maiden’s Japan releases but my MS1i shines there / Actually I was surprised  to find how otherwise wonderful kns 6400 fails to play Iron Maiden properly. At the same time In Flames sound excellent on  6400.   Of course I’m far  from advanced head-fier so you shouldn’t take my words for granted.
 

 

[PhoenixClaw]

Really? Some of the main reasons why I like Iron Maiden are the smooth guitars, rich vocals and brilliant bass playing. I've read about Grado's a lot but I've never tried them before. The impression I get would be that they would be very forward sounding and aggressive and I am worried that the sound signature won't be suitable for Iron Maiden (I am imagining The Number of the Beast album to sound different)

 

[filterpunk]

 
Quote:

Hmmm, I auditioned the DT880s with my sansa clip+ with the hippo box+ portable amp and it sounded very well, so I think my laptop should be able to drive it as well. 
 
I will try to audition the D2000 next time, it seems like the closest competitor. However, I am slightly worried about the comfort because I currently have the m50 and after trying out the DT880 there is no contest in comfort. Seeing as the D2000 also uses something that looks like leather, I'm afraid that the comfort won't be as good as the DT880.
 
Also, would the soundstage be comparable? I find that the DT880's soundstage to be very optimal, which is very wide but not too far. I felt that the hd25's and dt1350's soundstage to be severely lacking while the m50's to be noticeably more compressed than the DT880. I understand that this is probably because they are closed cans versus the semi-open design. Would the D2000 share the same soundstage?

Yeah, I went through a similar dilemma over comfort, and was torn between the DT880's at one point.  My post is a couple pages back, but basically, I was concerned that they would pinch my ears, or the pads would hit at just the wrong point and itch, or they'd be too heavy...you get the idea.  So far, I'd describe them as feeling utterly weightless on me, almost like they're floating - they don't drag or pinch my ears at all, the pads sit around my ears without clamping around them, and the headband is softer than I'd expected, which is nice, since I shave my head.  They don't create a seal around your ears that a lot of closed cans do though, which I like, but this also means that they don't isolate too well and will shift around a little if you start moving too much.

As far as soundstage goes, I couldn't give you a comparison with the DT880's, but I would describe the soundstage as similar to sitting in a studio or small, intimate venue rather than standing in an arena.  Everything's in its right position, sounds very natural, but you won't get that huge, expansive presentation that a lot of people crave.

 
 

 

[PhoenixClaw]

thanks for your response. I will definitely try to listen to the denons when I get the chance.

 

[thedrivel]

I'm looking for some inexpensive headphones for the office. I bought some cheap Sennheiser HD 202s from Amazon thinking they'd be sufficient for the office but I hate them. They are really bass heavy and muddled sounding. I prefer the sound from my ratty old MDR-V600s, even though I think they are a little sterile sounding to my ear for music. I have some Denon C751 IEMs that I'm satisfied with after buying come Comply foam tips, but I want some full-size headphones for the office. 
 
Budget: Less than $100, preferably $50 or less
Source: MacBook / unamped
Music Pref: I listen to a lot of genres, but I don't listen to metal or classical.
75% Rock/Indie/ElectronicNeil Young, Radiohead, Neko Case . . . )  |  25% Funk/Jazz: (McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Bar-Kays, Quincy Jones . . )
Design: Closed
 
I've looked online at the Audio Technica M40/M30, Shure SRH240, Sennheiser HD-280, JVC HARX700 
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[onesome]

Quote:

 Some of the main reasons why I like Iron Maiden are the smooth guitars, rich vocals and brilliant bass playing.

If this is what you like in Maiden  then Grado aren't your cup of tea. You probably should look for more analytical and neutral phones - kns 6400/8400 or Shure 840/940. But I still think that otherwise great metals headphone could make IM  sound unacceptable.
 

 

[Slickman]

 So the $1,000 headphones aren't worth it, that's good to know. I'm glad I didn't waste my money.

 

[EdChap]

Quote:

Big fan of male singer songwriters (Tom Waits, Josh Ritter, Bon Iver) as well as The National; also like a bit of rock (AC/DC-ish mould) and am looking for a semi-portable HP (i.e. one I can take on longer journeys/planes), so probably closed cup.
 
Thinking of either...
Beyer T50p (noticably more expensive than the others... worth it?)
Shure SRH840
Ultrasone HFI-580
ATH M50s
 
Do any jump out as a top performer for my type of music? If so, would it need to be amped?
 
Thanks a lot.
 
P.S. Realise I've got another thread here, but thought I'd put a request out here too to catch some more people now that I've settled on what I want!
 
 

Really close to pulling the trigger on ATH M50s... am I making a mistake given my music tastes? About to get trigger happy, help! Haha.

 

[ProcessJunkie]

I just found a local deal at a pair of Audio Technica M50, they're about $70, with shipping, new. 

They need a amp? I have a pretty humble rig, no DAC or amp (so far) but i read really nice things about then. 

 

[Armaegis]

 
Quote:

What do you guys think are the best headphones for  Metal (Iron Maiden, In Flames, Insomnium, etc), Jazz, Classical and some EDM? 
This is mainly for use out of a laptop, so no high-end dacs/amps. I've auditioned the Beyerdynamic dt880 250 ohm and it seems to be the one for me but I am wondering if you guys know of other cans that are better (I tried the dt990 250 ohm and I didn't like it at all)

Quote:

Hmmm, I auditioned the DT880s with my sansa clip+ with the hippo box+ portable amp and it sounded very well, so I think my laptop should be able to drive it as well. 
 
I will try to audition the D2000 next time, it seems like the closest competitor. However, I am slightly worried about the comfort because I currently have the m50 and after trying out the DT880 there is no contest in comfort. Seeing as the D2000 also uses something that looks like leather, I'm afraid that the comfort won't be as good as the DT880.
 
Also, would the soundstage be comparable? I find that the DT880's soundstage to be very optimal, which is very wide but not too far. I felt that the hd25's and dt1350's soundstage to be severely lacking while the m50's to be noticeably more compressed than the DT880. I understand that this is probably because they are closed cans versus the semi-open design. Would the D2000 share the same soundstage?

The DT880/250 are a good all-rounder headphone, and if you think they sound good powered by your hippo amp, then by all means stick with that. As mentioned before, along the same price range would be the D2000 which is a little smoother with less thump but more rumble in the low end. I'm assuming you've got mildly portable/transportable in mind though, in which case I would stick with the Beyers which are more rugged. Isolation would be about the same on them, despite the Denons being closed but they are terrible at keeping noise out/in. I would say the Denon is actually more comfortable than the Beyer, but this is in part also due to the very low clamp. The Beyers maintain a reasonable hold on your head; the Denons tend to flop around on mine if I move around. I would say soundstage is pretty close between the two of them (the D2000 is good for a closed can), with the Beyer edging out a bit.
 
A couple other headphones that I like that you can look into: Pioneer HDJ-2000, Sennheiser HD380.
 
 
 


Quote:

 Are $1,000 headphones worth it? I had a pair of headphones in the cart with all my info typed in then I realised they're just too darn expensive, probably not worth the money. I wish there was somwhere I could go to hear them but unfortunately there's nowhere to go that's near me.

No one can judge whether $1k headphones are worth it for you. Personally, my sense of "is it worth it?" is directly proportional to my mortgage payments.
 

 
Quote:

Big fan of male singer songwriters (Tom Waits, Josh Ritter, Bon Iver) as well as The National; also like a bit of rock (AC/DC-ish mould) and am looking for a semi-portable HP (i.e. one I can take on longer journeys/planes), so probably closed cup.
 
Thinking of either...
Beyer T50p (noticably more expensive than the others... worth it?)
Shure SRH840
Ultrasone HFI-580
ATH M50s
 
Do any jump out as a top performer for my type of music? If so, would it need to be amped?
 
Thanks a lot.
 
P.S. Realise I've got another thread here, but thought I'd put a request out here too to catch some more people now that I've settled on what I want!
 
 

In open headphones, I've always liked Audio Technicas for female vocals, and Sennheisers for male vocals. In closed headphones, hmm I might still lean towards a closed Senn like the HD380. Off your list, I'd go with the Shure 840 which has a nice midbass growl to it. The T50p is more of a rock headphone to me. The 580 and M50 don't have the mids that I like for vocals.
 


Quote:

I'm looking for some inexpensive headphones for the office. I bought some cheap Sennheiser HD 202s from Amazon thinking they'd be sufficient for the office but I hate them. They are really bass heavy and muddled sounding. I prefer the sound from my ratty old MDR-V600s, even though I think they are a little sterile sounding to my ear for music. I have some Denon C751 IEMs that I'm satisfied with after buying come Comply foam tips, but I want some full-size headphones for the office. 
 
Budget: Less than $100, preferably $50 or less
Source: MacBook / unamped
Music Pref: I listen to a lot of genres, but I don't listen to metal or classical.
75% Rock/Indie/ElectronicNeil Young, Radiohead, Neko Case . . . )  |  25% Funk/Jazz: (McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Bar-Kays, Quincy Jones . . )
Design: Closed
 
I've looked online at the Audio Technica M40/M30, Shure SRH240, Sennheiser HD-280, JVC HARX700 
 
Thanks in advance.

Take a look at the Sony V6/7506 or perhaps the ZX700/7510
 
The Shure 440 is worth the price bump over the 240.
 
Senn HD280 if you really need the isolation.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

I just found a local deal at a pair of Audio Technica M50, they're about $70, with shipping, new. 

They need a amp? I have a pretty humble rig, no DAC or amp (so far) but i read really nice things about then. 

That's approacing the "too good to be true" assuming they're new. Is the store an authorized reseller.
 
And no they don't need an amp. Get the headphones and enjoy them first before deciding to spend money on diminishing returns.