[Xavier Zoh]

Hi all.  Loooooong term lurker.  Years even :S  But only just joined up.
I want to get a circumaural cans for my commute to work.  I have some ER4Ps from ages ago which are nice.
And I did/do have ATH-ES7s but the cable is damaged and needs replacing (will ask for help on that elsewhere )
I've been making do with MEE HT-21s but time to get something else.
 
Due to the sometimes limited selection online in the UK I've looked at the AKG 512 and the ATH-T500 headphones.
Any opinions on these or others within that price range?
My every day mp3 player is a Cowon D2+, I was thinking of getting a FiiO E6 if that would help?
 
Thanks for any help guys.

 

[jalamanta]

Hello guys,
I am looking to buy HD598 but also considering Beyer DT770. I am by no means an audiophile, just want a quality headphones.
My previous headphones were HD555 and comfort-wise they were great, that's why I am leaning towards 598 (also they look great)..
Basically, I need universal headphones, as I listen to completely different styles of music. What I don't like is when headphones sound flat and bass-less, with very loud highs which melt my brain. That exactly how sounded HD590 which I took from my friend to test.
Also, I happened to have m-audio fast track pro audio card but have no idea how good it is.
Any suggestions would be great and thanks in advance.
 

 

[SynapseR]

Hi head-fiers, I'm new to this domain. I used to buy "gaming headsets", hoping that they would provide me with top notch material and performance. 5.1 surround sound headsets are famous among gamers, probably because we're ignorant in many aspects. 
 
I'm done with my tritton ax pro's: they're a mess, both from a tecnical standpoint, but also in terms of comfort and performance. 
 
I live in Portugal, so I'll order a new pair of headphones through an european website like amazon.co.uk
 
I was thinking about purchasing the sennheiser HD 555, they've been discountinued, but amazon still has them in stock. I've also read about the mod that improves their frequency range, making them almost as good as the 558's
 
I wanted your input about the sennheiser HD 555: are they good for entry level audiophiles? Do they perform well with games? 
 
I also wanted to touch the amp subject. I'm completely oblivious to this matter, is it worth investing in a desktop amp righ away? Can you seggest me one amp with great performance/price ratio? 
 
I would be much appreciated if someone answered my questions, I'm thinking about ordering the headphones this same day.
 
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

HD 598. I'll recommend it time and time again. 
 
I haven't found a genre yet that it doesn't do well with. They're mid focused which I think pretty much works for anything, but the bass is no slouch either. 
 
Quote:

Hello guys,
I am looking to buy HD598 but also considering Beyer DT770. I am by no means an audiophile, just want a quality headphones.
My previous headphones were HD555 and comfort-wise they were great, that's why I am leaning towards 598 (also they look great)..
Basically, I need universal headphones, as I listen to completely different styles of music. What I don't like is when headphones sound flat and bass-less, with very loud highs which melt my brain. That exactly how sounded HD590 which I took from my friend to test.
Also, I happened to have m-audio fast track pro audio card but have no idea how good it is.
Any suggestions would be great and thanks in advance.
 

 
 

 

[tracylynn MkII]

Sorry I'm back again and didn't see this thread again immediately as I thought it would have been pinned...oh well here is a copy of my topic:
 
 
Up to £250? (Up to $400 really)

 

I currently own 2 fotm's (Goldring 150's and Superlux 662B), fine, one open, one closed, and I thought they were great. Recently however, I have started becoming more critical of my music and might just focus on one particular instrument through an entire song, and critique how it sounds, where it is coming from and what could be improved. This came to a head when I compared them with my father's Senn 580's. What a difference! Instead of the singer being right in front of my face and smothering, he was further back, and the 3D projection of instruments changed from them sounding as if they were simply coming from my right and left to in front of me, either side of the singer.

 

I'm not saying I want another pair of senn's for myself, but I'd like to be able to appreciate my music this much more, where guitar strings have a special twang to them and are not merely an afterthought.

 

Both my 'phones have only cost me c. £50, and I was hoping to get something on the same level or greater than the 580's/600's with a large soundstage, good mids/vocals and an "enjoyable" sound that brings a smile to your face like those senn's did mine. I know that's not a great way of putting things, but I guess I'll just say I want beautiful clarity but not a pair of purely analytical headphones either.

 

Oh and they need to be very comfy too. For example a pair of Grado's are unbearable for me to wear.

 

My musical taste is fairly ecclectic, ranging from Beatles, to Southern folk and country to techno, but the most important thing for me is the vocals and guitar and obviously nice bass but it doesn't need to be pounding.

 

I hope you can help me find an all-round contender, as I had been looking at the Denon AH-D2000's, but I don't want heavy rock or metal cans that may make softer vocals an afterthought.

 

Thanks,

 

Jens

 

[BBlord]

Hi all,
I have been lurking the forums for a while, reading reviews and what not, but just recently joined.
I needed some advice on two sets of headphones I want/need.

The first set I need is for using at work (or on air planes, since I travel fairly frequently).  I need these to be closed, fully surrounding the ear.  I listen to classic rock (Queen, etc.), hard rock, a little metal, rap, hip-hop, some country, R&B, a little electronic--basically whatever.  At work I stream Pandora One or listen to Apple Lossless.  I like bass on my music--I don't want bass that sounds "tinny" if that makes sense, and do like a bit of a heavy feel on them, just not at the expense of vocal, guitar, and drum clarity, which I regard highly.
 
I don't have a huge budget for these, (I'm thinking sub $35) since I have some other major purchases I had to make.  I know its hard to get decent sound for this price, but I can update later, but need something right now.
 
The second purchase I am contemplating further down the road is a set for gaming through Xbox 360.  A few friends of mine have Turtle Beach sets, but I feel like they are over priced.  However, I don't know any other sets that have a microphone in the set (though i figure I can just add a clip on mic).  Does the "5.1 surround sound" make a difference? 
For reference, I play FPS on the Xbox, and thus directional sound does help when enemies are sneaking up on you.
 
This purchase can be made later so the budget is higher, but I still don't want to spend too much on these (think sub 150-200 in the future).
 
Just to be clear, the first set for music/work is more important and an immediate purchase, the second set is going to be purchased some time around Christmas.
 
Thanks!

 

[happyR]

Hello everyone,
 
I am looking for a full size closed around ear headphone. It seems most people rave about ATH-M50. I have some doubt because it seems the price has gone up. It is about USD150 on amazon. It is not as cheap as it used to be. At 100-200 price range does it still hold its value? Would there be any other alternatives better than M50 in this price range? I also have reservation against Audio-Technica. My previously owned ATH-M40fs has good reviews on amazon, but to me, the high and low can be easily separated, but within the sound range bass are relatively muddy to me compared to Sennheiser PX100. It is not easily differentiating different instrumental parts. Kind of similar Bose AE2 or QE headphones sold in target (one of them has noise canceling) in terms of muddi-ness, but better. (You can also say PX100 has relative wide soundstage for different tracks. I don't know what midrange is though.) I was more happy when I owned Sennheiser HD203 even though it doesn't have much clarity, but it was hell of cheap. 
 
Warmth is not a priority to me. The ability to hear imperfection in a recording seem like a hobby to me. Accurate sound reproduction seems more important. I can describe my preference for headphones are similar to Shure SM57 v. condenser mics. I listen to soundtracks from computer sources mostly so genre wise have wide variety. I always have my headphones on all the time on daily basis, so if they are comfortable they would help my big head wearing glasses. Ideally any recommendation under 100 mark would be nice, but I am open to anything up to 200. 
 
Any thoughts?

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Hi all.  Loooooong term lurker.  Years even :S  But only just joined up.
I want to get a circumaural cans for my commute to work.  I have some ER4Ps from ages ago which are nice.
And I did/do have ATH-ES7s but the cable is damaged and needs replacing (will ask for help on that elsewhere )
I've been making do with MEE HT-21s but time to get something else.
 
Due to the sometimes limited selection online in the UK I've looked at the AKG 512 and the ATH-T500 headphones.
Any opinions on these or others within that price range?
My every day mp3 player is a Cowon D2+, I was thinking of getting a FiiO E6 if that would help?
 
Thanks for any help guys.

If there are AKGs available, look into the K81/518 or the bigger K181. 
 
edit: oh shoot, you wanted circumaural... what's your selection of Sennheisers like? There must be an HD280 available somewhere; those are practically the bog standard in the recording and DJ industry and should be close to your budget when on sale (or bought used/refurb). 
 


Quote:

Hello guys,
I am looking to buy HD598 but also considering Beyer DT770. I am by no means an audiophile, just want a quality headphones.
My previous headphones were HD555 and comfort-wise they were great, that's why I am leaning towards 598 (also they look great)..
Basically, I need universal headphones, as I listen to completely different styles of music. What I don't like is when headphones sound flat and bass-less, with very loud highs which melt my brain. That exactly how sounded HD590 which I took from my friend to test.
Also, I happened to have m-audio fast track pro audio card but have no idea how good it is.
Any suggestions would be great and thanks in advance.
 

The HD598 is generally very favourably regarded here and viewed as quite balanced. The DT770 is very bass heavy and provides strong isolation. They suit very different needs.
 


Quote:

Hi head-fiers, I'm new to this domain. I used to buy "gaming headsets", hoping that they would provide me with top notch material and performance. 5.1 surround sound headsets are famous among gamers, probably because we're ignorant in many aspects. 
 
I'm done with my tritton ax pro's: they're a mess, both from a tecnical standpoint, but also in terms of comfort and performance. 
 
I live in Portugal, so I'll order a new pair of headphones through an european website like amazon.co.uk
 
I was thinking about purchasing the sennheiser HD 555, they've been discountinued, but amazon still has them in stock. I've also read about the mod that improves their frequency range, making them almost as good as the 558's
 
I wanted your input about the sennheiser HD 555: are they good for entry level audiophiles? Do they perform well with games? 
 
I also wanted to touch the amp subject. I'm completely oblivious to this matter, is it worth investing in a desktop amp righ away? Can you seggest me one amp with great performance/price ratio? 
 
I would be much appreciated if someone answered my questions, I'm thinking about ordering the headphones this same day.
 
 

 
The mod for the 555 actually makes them into a 595. They are excellent entry level cans and I would highly recommend them. From what I understand, they are also the chassis from which the PC360 headset is derived from. 
 
Don't jump into an amp right away. Spend some time with the headphones and enjoy them. Once you're familiar with them, try powering them from a receiver and see if you notice a difference. If no, then you're fine. If yes, then come back and ask us about amping. 
 
 


Quote:

Sorry I'm back again and didn't see this thread again immediately as I thought it would have been pinned...oh well here is a copy of my topic:
 
 
Up to £250? (Up to $400 really)

 

I currently own 2 fotm's (Goldring 150's and Superlux 662B), fine, one open, one closed, and I thought they were great. Recently however, I have started becoming more critical of my music and might just focus on one particular instrument through an entire song, and critique how it sounds, where it is coming from and what could be improved. This came to a head when I compared them with my father's Senn 580's. What a difference! Instead of the singer being right in front of my face and smothering, he was further back, and the 3D projection of instruments changed from them sounding as if they were simply coming from my right and left to in front of me, either side of the singer.

 

I'm not saying I want another pair of senn's for myself, but I'd like to be able to appreciate my music this much more, where guitar strings have a special twang to them and are not merely an afterthought.

 

Both my 'phones have only cost me c. £50, and I was hoping to get something on the same level or greater than the 580's/600's with a large soundstage, good mids/vocals and an "enjoyable" sound that brings a smile to your face like those senn's did mine. I know that's not a great way of putting things, but I guess I'll just say I want beautiful clarity but not a pair of purely analytical headphones either.

 

Oh and they need to be very comfy too. For example a pair of Grado's are unbearable for me to wear.

 

My musical taste is fairly ecclectic, ranging from Beatles, to Southern folk and country to techno, but the most important thing for me is the vocals and guitar and obviously nice bass but it doesn't need to be pounding.

 

I hope you can help me find an all-round contender, as I had been looking at the Denon AH-D2000's, but I don't want heavy rock or metal cans that may make softer vocals an afterthought.

 

Thanks,

 

Jens

I would strongly consider either the AKG K701/702/Q701 or Audio Technica AD900/1000/2000 (you can get the top model used near your budget)
 
Both are mid centric, with the AKGs leaning more towards the treble end and being stronger with acoustics and instrument separation, and the Audio Technicas being more mellow and spacious and bringing vocals forward. Neither are particularly bass heavy. Both are comfortable, though I give the nod to the winged system of the Audio Technicas. 

 
Quote:

Hi all,
I have been lurking the forums for a while, reading reviews and what not, but just recently joined.
I needed some advice on two sets of headphones I want/need.

The first set I need is for using at work (or on air planes, since I travel fairly frequently).  I need these to be closed, fully surrounding the ear.  I listen to classic rock (Queen, etc.), hard rock, a little metal, rap, hip-hop, some country, R&B, a little electronic--basically whatever.  At work I stream Pandora One or listen to Apple Lossless.  I like bass on my music--I don't want bass that sounds "tinny" if that makes sense, and do like a bit of a heavy feel on them, just not at the expense of vocal, guitar, and drum clarity, which I regard highly.
 
I don't have a huge budget for these, (I'm thinking sub $35) since I have some other major purchases I had to make.  I know its hard to get decent sound for this price, but I can update later, but need something right now.
 
The second purchase I am contemplating further down the road is a set for gaming through Xbox 360.  A few friends of mine have Turtle Beach sets, but I feel like they are over priced.  However, I don't know any other sets that have a microphone in the set (though i figure I can just add a clip on mic).  Does the "5.1 surround sound" make a difference? 
For reference, I play FPS on the Xbox, and thus directional sound does help when enemies are sneaking up on you.
 
This purchase can be made later so the budget is higher, but I still don't want to spend too much on these (think sub 150-200 in the future).
 
Just to be clear, the first set for music/work is more important and an immediate purchase, the second set is going to be purchased some time around Christmas.
 
Thanks!

For airplanes on a budget... honestly just get some cheap IEMs like a JVC Marshmallow and save the money for better cans later. I can't think of any decent in the $35 range. Any iem will provide far better isolation than anything at that point. 
 
For gaming, consider something like the Sennheiser HD555 or Audio Technica AD700. Both are fantastic budget headphones for gaming with great direction sense. 

 

[tracylynn MkII]

Quote:

I would strongly consider either the AKG K701/702/Q701 or Audio Technica AD900/1000/2000 (you can get the top model used near your budget)
 
Both are mid centric, with the AKGs leaning more towards the treble end and being stronger with acoustics and instrument separation, and the Audio Technicas being more mellow and spacious and bringing vocals forward. Neither are particularly bass heavy. Both are comfortable, though I give the nod to the winged system of the Audio Technicas. 
 

I think I'll be going for the Q701's after some checking, thanks a bunch for your help and wish me luck
 

 

[linuxid10t]

Quote:

The HD598 is generally very favourably regarded here and viewed as quite balanced. The DT770 is very bass heavy and provides strong isolation. They suit very different needs.
 
The mod for the 555 actually makes them into a 595. They are excellent entry level cans and I would highly recommend them. From what I understand, they are also the chassis from which the PC360 headset is derived from. 
 
Don't jump into an amp right away. Spend some time with the headphones and enjoy them. Once you're familiar with them, try powering them from a receiver and see if you notice a difference. If no, then you're fine. If yes, then come back and ask us about amping. 

So, this may just be my opinion, but I find people that try the HD595/598 find them really bass lacking without an amp.  Even with their low 50 ohm nominal impedance, it is far higher in the bass region.  As an Computer Engineering major, I see the HD5XX series and cry that people think they can be used unamped with satisfactory results.  Okay, well, they are okay without an amp, but you might as well buy a pair half the price without one.  Also, if you are using a receiver to amp them, make sure it is a high quality one, you will be able to hear the distortion and noise if it isn't.

 

[benzy2]

For the last few years I've been using the ATH-M30 and have been fairly happy with them.  With time, and being chewed up by a puppy, I think it is now the time to upgrade to a new set.
 
Use is mostly at home on a PC or MP3 device (either an Ipod touch or the Droid cell phone).  Music is mostly rock of various forms from soft to metal, anywhere from Jack Johnson to Slipknot.  Occasionally rap/r&b will be played but not enough to really base the purchase on those uses.  It also sees a little pc gaming, but again, not to the point that I'd buy based on the best PC gaming headphones in my price range.
 
From a portability stand point, I'm not really concerned.  I only use full sized headphones at home or on a plane and I've had no issues traveling with the M30 so far.  While some of the bigger sets might be a little much, I really don't see the limited (once or twice a year) flight travels being something to really worry about.
 
When it comes to audio I know practically nothing.  I've used the M30s and Klipsch Image S4 running straight through either the computer or the MP3 player.  With time though, I've come to respect better sound and would like to step up the headphones now and the amp/dac etc shortly down the road.  With that said, I'd like to try to get a headset that sounds good without an external amp but has a bit of room to grow with a better source.
 
Reading a few pages around here it seems that the MS-1i, SR-80i, SRH840, SRH750DJ, Senn HD25, M50 are all recommended budget beginner headsets that perform about as well as the price point allows.  I know when I bought the M30 that many reviews of the M50 said they didn't seem to sound any better than the M30.  I don't have a local shop (at least that I know of) to try many/any of these before I buy.
 
What would you suggest if money were no concern to someone with little to no understanding of what is and isn't important starting with audio coming from a pc/mp3 player?  If money were a concern, say a $100-$200 budget, would things change and why?  

 

[tracylynn MkII]

http://www.awooza.com/uk/catalog/product/view/id/170619?aff_code=gg
 
Is there any way of knowing whether these are real or replicas apart from contacting the website?

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

For the last few years I've been using the ATH-M30 and have been fairly happy with them.  With time, and being chewed up by a puppy, I think it is now the time to upgrade to a new set.
 
Use is mostly at home on a PC or MP3 device (either an Ipod touch or the Droid cell phone).  Music is mostly rock of various forms from soft to metal, anywhere from Jack Johnson to Slipknot.  Occasionally rap/r&b will be played but not enough to really base the purchase on those uses.  It also sees a little pc gaming, but again, not to the point that I'd buy based on the best PC gaming headphones in my price range.
 
From a portability stand point, I'm not really concerned.  I only use full sized headphones at home or on a plane and I've had no issues traveling with the M30 so far.  While some of the bigger sets might be a little much, I really don't see the limited (once or twice a year) flight travels being something to really worry about.
 
When it comes to audio I know practically nothing.  I've used the M30s and Klipsch Image S4 running straight through either the computer or the MP3 player.  With time though, I've come to respect better sound and would like to step up the headphones now and the amp/dac etc shortly down the road.  With that said, I'd like to try to get a headset that sounds good without an external amp but has a bit of room to grow with a better source.
 
Reading a few pages around here it seems that the MS-1i, SR-80i, SRH840, SRH750DJ, Senn HD25, M50 are all recommended budget beginner headsets that perform about as well as the price point allows.  I know when I bought the M30 that many reviews of the M50 said they didn't seem to sound any better than the M30.  I don't have a local shop (at least that I know of) to try many/any of these before I buy.
 
What would you suggest if money were no concern to someone with little to no understanding of what is and isn't important starting with audio coming from a pc/mp3 player?  If money were a concern, say a $100-$200 budget, would things change and why?  

 
My vote goes for the Shure 840. Relatively comfy (though a bit heavy), very good isolation, and it'll give you something different from the M30. Actually, the Shure 440 might sound better for you, as the 840 is a bit more bass heavy.
 
 


Quote:

http://www.awooza.com/uk/catalog/product/view/id/170619?aff_code=gg
 
Is there any way of knowing whether these are real or replicas apart from contacting the website?

You can always try finding the list of authorized resellers on their site, or contact AKG. 
 

 

[nfsplayer99]

Hey all, just joined the forums. So I recently bought the Koss Portapros as some entry level headphones. They work fine, but I definitely want some better quality headphones. I'm not sure if it's just me, but they seem about just as good of quality as my ipod earbuds. Maybe I set my expectations too high?
 
I've been looking at the ATH M50 (seems to be fairly popular around here). I was also considering the Grado Prestige Series SR80i since they are a little cheaper. My price limit is around 150. I'll be using these for mostly electronic music (house, trance, etc).
 
Also, where is a place I can try out these headphones? I really think that would be the best way to determine which headphones I like the best...except I can't find anywhere to try any of these out. Also, feel free to throw out other names that might be a potential candidate.
 
Edit: Does anyone happen to know where I can buy the ATH M50 for cheap? I know soundprofessionals have them for like 120 or whatever.

 

[BotByte]

Quote:

Hey all, just joined the forums. So I recently bought the Koss Portapros as some entry level headphones. They work fine, but I definitely want some better quality headphones. I'm not sure if it's just me, but they seem about just as good of quality as my ipod earbuds. Maybe I set my expectations too high?
 
I've been looking at the ATH M50 (seems to be fairly popular around here). I was also considering the Grado Prestige Series SR80i since they are a little cheaper. My price limit is around 150. I'll be using these for mostly electronic music (house, trance, etc).
 
Also, where is a place I can try out these headphones? I really think that would be the best way to determine which headphones I like the best...except I can't find anywhere to try any of these out. Also, feel free to throw out other names that might be a potential candidate.
 
Edit: Does anyone happen to know where I can buy the ATH M50 for cheap? I know soundprofessionals have them for like 120 or whatever.

If you don't know the difference of the Portapro vs ibuds, then you'll find the M50's as a waste of money
 
That aside, don't buy a cheaper M50, there are fakes out there.
 
If you can't afford it, go get a MDR-V6 with a FiiO E6. That will be cheaper and about the same. Portability will be lowered, but the same and experience will remain the same.