[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

 
Yeah, from days past, the 600 or 650 were at the top of the list before I made that post last night. If that's still the way to go -- assuming I don't want to spend a heck of a lot more money, which seems to be what people are doing these days -- I'm okay with that.

Yeah, from what I hear, a lot of the popular flagships (HD800, T1, etc) tend to be a bit on the brighter side. 600/650 tend to be the only dark options under $500.
 


Quote:

hi,
i'm looking for a closed and foldable (or with a really good case....since i will travel a lot) hp....that is as similar as possible at the sound of the hd 598.
i havent try the M50 cuz there is no re-seller where i live..but i'm worried about the more bass (witch i'm worry that would be too much for my taste..since hd598 sounds already perfect) and quite recessed mids..witch would be a killer for me.
is that true??
 
what about:
HFi 580?? (coming from sr60i..this should be quite good)
other ultrasone??
senn hd-25-1-ii?? 
denon AH-NC800? ( i dont need noise isolation...but somewere i've read that r similar to d2000, is that true?)
 
other options?
 
budget until 500$
 
thanks..

The M50s bass is really not that overpowering, but it will probably be more than the 598s. Also, from what I've heard, the 580s will probably have even more bass. The HD25s might fit too, but they're also fairly bass heavy, and don't fold, although they're compact. Also consider the SRH840 for a less bass-oriented sound.
 


Quote:

I just purchased a pair of Sennheiser HD598 to be delivered next Tuesday so this post is after the fact...  Still I thought I would ask for thoughts on my choice.
 
First, my headphone will plug into a Citypulse DA7.2xII with the TCXO clock upgrade.  Sources are:

• FLAC either direct from my PC via S/PDIF from a Musiland Monitor 01 USD or through a Logitech Touch, and
• vinyl from an Opera Consonance LP-2.0/Grado Sonata/Mørch UP-4 turntable/cartridge/tonearm combination through a PS Audio GCPH.

 
Second, my musical tastes are diverse: 70's AOR/progressive rock, bluegrass, metal, classical, vocalists, trance, jazz, ambient, country, etc.  My favorites are female vocals such as Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant and Alison Krauss, and rock like Supertramp, Pink Floyd and 3 Doors Down.
 
Third, I love the pair of Shure e3 IEMs I use when I travel and I really liked the sound of the Sennheiser HD400 I owned in the late 70's early 80's.
 
And last, there is nowhere local where I could audition the headphones I was considering so I performed extensive online research.
 
I considered Audio Technica ATH-M50s & ATH-AD700, KRK KNS 8400 (I have a pair of Ferrari red KRK Rokit RP6G2's on my desltop.), Grado 225i, and Sennheiser HD518/HD558.  My original budget was in the $150 range but I stretched a little for the HD598's.  Was it a good choice?  (I'll find out on Tuesday.

)
 
Martin
 
 

I'd say yes
 


Quote:

Hi!
 
I've had a HD 650 for some time now (my first "real" headphones) and recently acquired Sleek Audio CT6 custom IEMs, which are really revealing and detailed (as far as I can tell), which makes the HD 650s sound a bit veiled in comparison. They certainly don't have as much detail.
I still like the HD 650s for many genres, but especially with electronic music their laid-back sound isn't as satisfying. I also read they are too slow for fast metal but I don't hear that (I might be lacking a good comparison).
 
So now I'm looking for new headphones with a more bright and detailed sound. I use a nuforce Icon HDP as DAC and amp, and my budget is ~200-250 Euros for now.
 
After reading some review the Beyerdynamic DT 880 (600 Ohms) seem to fit the bill, but maybe there are better candidates?

How much are you amping them? it's possible that that's why they're a bit underwhelming. For a brighter sound, the DT880 would fit the bill
 

 

[xirtam85]

Quote:

The M50s bass is really not that overpowering, but it will probably be more than the 598s. Also, from what I've heard, the 580s will probably have even more bass. The HD25s might fit too, but they're also fairly bass heavy, and don't fold, although they're compact. Also consider the SRH840 for a less bass-oriented sound.
 

 
ok for the bass side but how they do in soundstage, mids and highs??
btw...if something have more bass,, but also more mids and highs and basically a "good balance" (always comparing to hd598) that will do it.
 
 
 
 

 

[tobold]

Quote:

How much are you amping them? it's possible that that's why they're a bit underwhelming. For a brighter sound, the DT880 would fit the bill
 

Like I said, I got a Nuforce Icon HDP, I don't have much knowledge or experience, but I'm sure I read somewhere it's sufficient to drive the HD650s...
I wouldn't call them underwhelming, really, just not all that detailed. Details are what I want (for a second set of full-size-headphones), maybe not necessarily bright.

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

 
ok for the bass side but how they do in soundstage, mids and highs??
btw...if something have more bass,, but also more mids and highs and basically a "good balance" (always comparing to hd598) that will do it.
 

Well out of those, I'd think the SRH840s would be the most balanced. The M50s have a definite, but not too overwhelming V-curve, as do the HD25s
 


Quote:

Like I said, I got a Nuforce Icon HDP, I don't have much knowledge or experience, but I'm sure I read somewhere it's sufficient to drive the HD650s...
I wouldn't call them underwhelming, really, just not all that detailed. Details are what I want (for a second set of full-size-headphones), maybe not necessarily bright.

I don't know anything about that amp, but you might want to look around a dedicated HD650 thread to ask about amping requirements, as I've heard you might need more amping to coax fie details out of them. However, with regards to a different set, a brighter pair with more treble emphasis will make details more obvious.
 

 

[OneCarlos]

Hi everybody. I am a new and found this forum very interesting. I want to buy headphone under 50$. There is my list :
 
Audio technica ATH-M10 35$
 
Sennheiser HD 201 40$
 
Sony MDR-XD100 23 $  (what about XD200?)
 
JVC HA-RX300 23$
 
Koss UR20 23$
 
 
I read on head-fi that sony are not very good and that the HD 201 are so so. That the JVC's quality/price is very good. But nothing about the Koss UR20. Are they goods?
 
I am very interested in the ATH-M10, which I think is the best choise?(True?) But it seem that they are for monitoring. What would be the difference in comparasion with a normal headphone with my utilization? Currently I am using Sony MDR-V500.
 
I will only use the headphone with my computer, for listening music, gaming and for watch video. I will buy also a Asus xonar DG maybe this month who have a build-in amp and is Dolby Headphone.
 
If there are people who use the ATH-M10 or the others headphones in the list, feedback is very apreciated.
 
PS : Sorry for my English, I am a French Canadian.

 

[drtturnip]

I have the jvc. It has a bloated bass and weird rolled of highs I modded mine but they are still lacking. For about $40 you can get the rp-htf600 panasonic or Superlux. I have the panasonic and like it but some say the superlux cans are better.

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Hi everybody. I am a new and found this forum very interesting. I want to buy headphone under 50$. There is my list :
 
Audio technica ATH-M10 35$
 
Sennheiser HD 201 40$
 
Sony MDR-XD100 23 $  (what about XD200?)
 
JVC HA-RX300 23$
 
Koss UR20 23$
 
 
I read on head-fi that sony are not very good and that the HD 201 are so so. That the JVC's quality/price is very good. But nothing about the Koss UR20. Are they goods?
 
I am very interested in the ATH-M10, which I think is the best choise?(True?) But it seem that they are for monitoring. What would be the difference in comparasion with a normal headphone with my utilization? Currently I am using Sony MDR-V500.
 
I will only use the headphone with my computer, for listening music, gaming and for watch video. I will buy also a Asus xonar DG maybe this month who have a build-in amp and is Dolby Headphone.
 
If there are people who use the ATH-M10 or the others headphones in the list, feedback is very apreciated.
 
PS : Sorry for my English, I am a French Canadian.

I don't think the last 3 will work for you. They're all very entry-level, and probably won't be a huge improvement over your existing cans. I would try the Audio-Technicas, and see if you can get some of the better ones for under $50. Also look into the Prodipe Pro 800s.
 

 

[Bonobo Loco]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I've been doing a lot of reading and research here on the forum and elsewhere on the web, trying to learn everything I can.
 
Some background on me: I guess you could call me a 'budding' audiophile. I recently bought a pair of Sennheiser HD380's. Got them for $165, seemed like a good sound for the price. I need headphones that are portable, full size, closed, offer as balanced of a sound as possible, and work with as many genres of music as possible. In particular, I listen to acoustic/indie rock, electronica, classic rock, with some R&B and other random stuff mixed in... it also helps if they're comfortable and not too bright/shrill. I listen on my ipod & laptop. My recent purchase of the 380's was so that I'd have a good headphones that would faithfully reproduce the music better than my crappy earbuds. Well these succeed at that. Actually I was blown away by the difference. I had a pair of Klipsch S4's and they were good but don't get the full spectrum, and I find in-ear headphones uncomfortable for long-term listening.
 
So anyway enough boring stuff about me, just thought some background might be useful for anyone wanting to help me out. Having these 380s has made me curious about what else is out there. I feel like I want to hear everything, and maybe upgrade what I've got to something better. Been thinking about the Ultrasone 900's. I know it's a jump in price, but seems like it might be worth it if the performance is much better, I've never heard any of their headphones so I don't know but the reviews are awesome.
 
Also I picked up the X fi go pro usb sound card, to improve the sound on my laptop, and am pretty satisfied with it. The things I'm wondering about is whether I need a DAC or an amp or whether upgrading to the Ultrasone is worthwhile. For being on the go, I don't really want to carry a ton of equipment. The usb sound card is the size of a thumb drive, and these headphones fold up nicely in the case they included. Someday I'll build a nice home setup but for now I'm a student and need to be mobile. 
 
I have more questions but I don't want to ask too many things at once. I'm very new to the audiophile community and trying to learn as much as I can quickly, like what the purpose is for a DAC as an example, and so if anyone has general advice or a list of the best threads to view on this forum... there are so many I don't know where to start. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[LimeANite]

Quote:

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I've been doing a lot of reading and research here on the forum and elsewhere on the web, trying to learn everything I can.
 
Some background on me: I guess you could call me a 'budding' audiophile. I recently bought a pair of Sennheiser HD380's. Got them for $165, seemed like a good sound for the price. I need headphones that are portable, full size, closed, offer as balanced of a sound as possible, and work with as many genres of music as possible. In particular, I listen to acoustic/indie rock, electronica, classic rock, with some R&B and other random stuff mixed in... it also helps if they're comfortable and not too bright/shrill. I listen on my ipod & laptop. My recent purchase of the 380's was so that I'd have a good headphones that would faithfully reproduce the music better than my crappy earbuds. Well these succeed at that. Actually I was blown away by the difference. I had a pair of Klipsch S4's and they were good but don't get the full spectrum, and I find in-ear headphones uncomfortable for long-term listening.
 
So anyway enough boring stuff about me, just thought some background might be useful for anyone wanting to help me out. Having these 380s has made me curious about what else is out there. I feel like I want to hear everything, and maybe upgrade what I've got to something better. Been thinking about the Ultrasone 900's. I know it's a jump in price, but seems like it might be worth it if the performance is much better, I've never heard any of their headphones so I don't know but the reviews are awesome.
 
Also I picked up the X fi go pro usb sound card, to improve the sound on my laptop, and am pretty satisfied with it. The things I'm wondering about is whether I need a DAC or an amp or whether upgrading to the Ultrasone is worthwhile. For being on the go, I don't really want to carry a ton of equipment. The usb sound card is the size of a thumb drive, and these headphones fold up nicely in the case they included. Someday I'll build a nice home setup but for now I'm a student and need to be mobile. 
 
I have more questions but I don't want to ask too many things at once. I'm very new to the audiophile community and trying to learn as much as I can quickly, like what the purpose is for a DAC as an example, and so if anyone has general advice or a list of the best threads to view on this forum... there are so many I don't know where to start. Thanks in advance for any help.

The X-fi Go is a little portable DAC and amp, so you don't really need one (though better ones exist).  As long as everything sounds good to you, there's no real need to upgrade it.
 
However, if you decide to get the Pro900s, you'll definitely want something a little better to drive them.  They'll work out of the X-fi Go, but they won't reach their full potential, and they may even sound worse than the HD380s.
 

 

[RainbowJack]

Hi!  I am looking to move into the world of fantastic sound.  I've had decent speakers and decent soundcards, but never decent headphones.
 
I listen mostly to rock (alternative/punk mostly) I'd say 75% of the time, and also folk, electronic, rap, classical, etc (all genres, really).
 
Rock is the most important to me, and I like emphasis on the mids and the highs much more so than bass.
 
I would prefer closed headphones, since I will be using these at work and people can get loud and obnoxious, and likewise, I do not want to bother people, but I could also be convinced to do open if this is the better option and will deliver a better sound.  I will not have an amp.  Budget is at most 200.
 
I was looking at the:
 
Closed:
Ultrasone HFI-780 $150
Beyerdynamic DT-770 80 ohm $200
Audio Technica ATH-M50s $150
 
Open:
Audio Technica ATH-AD700 $100
Grado 225 $200
 
All suggestions are appreciated as to what would be good.  I've been eying the 780s.  How do they sound for rock?  They seem like they would also suit my other genre needs quite well.
 
Thank you very graciously in advanced for any suggestions.

 

[Bonobo Loco]

Quote:

The X-fi Go is a little portable DAC and amp, so you don't really need one (though better ones exist).  As long as everything sounds good to you, there's no real need to upgrade it.
 
However, if you decide to get the Pro900s, you'll definitely want something a little better to drive them.  They'll work out of the X-fi Go, but they won't reach their full potential, and they may even sound worse than the HD380s.
 

Thanks. Also I'm wondering, the go pro came with some additional software which included THX tru studio pro. It's got an equalizer, eas effects, and a bunch of other stuff: simulated surround sound, enhanced bass and stuff like that. I'm wondering what the head-fi community's opinion is on software like this. I notice when I use it, that the sound becomes "bigger" sounding, and perhaps less realistic. You can use it to boost the volume of things like dance music, but if you try it with something quieter like classical, where there is space between the notes you get a slight hissing sound. 
 
So yeah just curious what's up with that. Also the forum seems to encourage people not to use an EQ and I was curious as to why. Thanks again.

 

[deggerman]

I've been looking for a pair of good over ear headphones, I typically listen to music through Pandora on my PC. The genre I usually listen to is Modern Rock.  I want to get the best over ear headphones possible for  $100 the headphones cannot exceed $100.

 

[Ultramus]

I'm looking at the Hifiman he-500 and Audez'e lcd2 rev and was wondering if anyone had any preference between the two, I understand that the price difference is pretty significant but if the lcd2s are noticeably better I really don't mind. Mainly I'm looking for a headphone that will nix my fix of wanting more headphones. Right now I'm leaning towards the hifiman's but if anyone has listened to both any input would be much appreciated.

 

[Bonobo Loco]

Quote:

I've been looking for a pair of good over ear headphones, I typically listen to music through Pandora on my PC. The genre I usually listen to is Modern Rock.  I want to get the best over ear headphones possible for  $100 the headphones cannot exceed $100.

Over ear meaning around ear? Also do you mean your home desktop PC? Because if it's a desktop I'd assume it's ok to have the headphones be open, where if it's your laptop you'd probably want closed.
 
Nothing beats the Grado sr80i at the $100 price point, in my opinion. Those are open, on-ear headphones. You can get Sennheiser 518's for that price. That's an open, around-ear headphone. Very different sound than the Grado, but still a nice well rounded headphone. If you want closed headphones you might want to save up and spend a bit more. You can get a pair of Ultrasone pro 550's for about $150. Those would be my recommendations.

 

[repsi]

 
hello guys! I've been reading this forum for more than 1 year and finally i can afford to get some more serious audio gear. I have soo many options available that im completely lost and confused and everything u could imagine.. 
 
I know that Beats headphones are not so popular here, im not a fan of them too, just wanna say that i tried them yesterday and i was not really pleased with the quality of the sound and when u check the price of these headphones everything is clear.. now im a little bit afraid of spending 1000+e on the setup and not being satisfied with the sound quality..
in that case i'd just pick up something cheap like ath m50 or maybe denon ah-d2000, bassy "semi-closed" cans without wasting my money on amp/dac unit and call it a day (maybe e7?)
 
In case that i wont be dissapointed with the sound quality i have ~1500e bugdet for both cans and amp/dac.
 
Im a piano player so i'd use them for that, a little bit of jazz, classical, pop, techno... but nothing really fast i'd say..
 
Like 10 days ago i had an awesome deal: Burson HA-160DS with the Sennheiser hd800 for 1400e which i think is really good deal. Yesterday i contacted the dealer and he said that senns are like 20% more expensive now so i can expect like 250-300e more for the same package these days.. is it worth it? should i spread a little more and get it or not? I was not sure if i should buy it coz i've read here on the forum different expiriences and most of the hifi-ers doesnt like that combination and im completely aware that burson wont pull 100% out of hd800, but at the same time im not sure if i will be dissapointed with it or not? I cant even imagine what can i expect from it? I have no opportunity to test any kind of headphones (best headphones i tested were beats). 
 
third solution: Burson HA-160DS with senn hd 650 - same thing, lot of different things heard about this setup but i think that hd 650 is far easier to drive compared to his older (actually younger) brother hd 800.
 
My "ultimate" setup would be burson with LCD-2.2 coz i've heard only good things about it but its really hard to find a decent price for a used rev 2 headphones (that are willing to ship around EU) and new pair is pretty expensive in Europe. I've contacted one dealer in UK and they are asking 1k for it which is plenty in my case coz i wont have enough money to get a decent dac/amp for them. Any suggestions where could i find lowest prices for the lcd's in EU?
 
Thanks a lot for your time and effort!