[50an6xy06r6n]

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Hi guys,
 
This is my first entry in Head Fi. Would call my self an amateur Audio Lover not Audiophile.
 
I have the Sennheiser HD 457 for around 2 Years and Want to move to something better now.
 
First of all, I like Open style of headphones . I hardly need isolation as I will use them with my laptop at home and Also, comfort is an important factor as virtually My headphones are on my head 12 Hours a day .I don't care about leakage and my priority is good quality music , more over I live alone so Who the hell cares about leakage.
 
Further, My budget is 200 US$. I am not a bass lover but having said that, I do prefer a good and tight bass response but not overwhelming bass.  I like my vocals and mids to be strong and not too bright.
 
For my music taste, I listen to a lot of Rock, Metal,some dance/trance, Rap and ..that would be all. I don't listen to Jazz/Classic/Acoustic/Pop.
 
I have chosen 2 headphones on my own research, 1) Sennheiser HD 518, 2) Audio Technica ATH M50
 
I have two options,
1) As i will use a laptop as my source with inbuild sound card,I want to get a dedicated amp. So, I can go for HD 518 + Fiio E10/E7., this will sum up to around 200 USD
 
2) I can also go for ATH M50 + Fiio E10/E7 as well.
 
Now firstly, I want to know that are HD 518 a good open headphones for my style, and secondly, do they benifit from the use of Fiio E7/10. The same for ATH M50 as well and how much of a difference could i possible notice in both these headphones with amps. I have heard that the HD518 respond better to amp. as compared to ATH M50. How far is that true?
 
 
Further, a bit different topic, I want to know what is the difference between AMP and DAC. For example, E10/7 are amp dac, I understand the function of amplifier but what does a DAC do and how could it possible give better quality considering I use a laptop as source,.
Thanks all for reading and responding.

 

I say get the HD558 and wait to get an amp later. They sound good unamped, though they can sound a bit better with one.
 


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i'm not looking for head rattling bass.  i need tight/punchy/fast bass.  enough to stir your heart yet, enough to warm up female vocals so you feel it in your chest
 
fast and firm for metal but extended and controlled enough to be atmospheric.

Q701 or HD598? Sorry, don't know a ton more.
 


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hey, so im kinda new to this whole headphone thing
 
i was just wondering if somebody could give me a couple suggestions just to get me started
 
i'm looking to spend $300 - $600 ish
 
i'll mostly be using these with my desktop, so leakage wont be an issue
 
as for my musical taste, i listen to a lot of shoegaze/dream pop (my bloody valentine, m83, blonde redhead)
 
also, a lot of electro house (justice) so it would be nice for them to have a bit of kick to them 

Denon D2000/5000 for bassier stuff, but still good all around, HD598 for all-around, but less bass. I think it might come down to how much bass you want. Also, the 598 and D5000 would like an amp, so actor in that cost. The Beyers suggested earlier are good options as well.
 


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what about pro700mk2?

Well, that's a bit more bass-heavy, and you requested something with mids and treble as well...
 


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Hi,
 
I'm looking for open-back headphones for home use with my laptop. Uses include music, movies, TV shows and anime. I guess I need an all-rounder considering the general use. The only other requirement is that I should be able to watch a whole movie without feeling too much discomfort. I'm concerned about my ears heating up too often.
 
As for the budget, I'm not really sure. I was thinking of getting a pair for no more than £50, but maybe that's too low? Provided I'm not an audiophile, would I be able to hear a huge difference between something that's £50 and something that's £100? It's subjective, but I just need a rough idea.

Creative Aurvana Live fits the bill, though I don't know how much they run across the pond. They're $55 stateside atm and are excellent all-around.
 


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Hey all,
 
Another newbie to headfi, I'm looking to upgrade from my RX700s and keep my Xonar D1 soundcard. Hoping you guys can give me some recommendations for an all purpose/genre set of headphones around the £150 mark with heavy emphasis on soundstage/positioning for competitive gaming.
 
So far I've been looking at AKG K701s (£160), Beyerdynamic DT770s 80ohm (£130), HD598s (£160), Ultrasone pro 550/650s (£140/£120) and the Fostex T50RP (£120).
 
I get the impression that the AKGs have large but somewhat misleading soundstage for gaming, and might need a headphone amp from my soundcard? I've not really read enough about the Fostex to figure out whether its suitable for gaming. None of the rest seem to have any glaring flaws but I'd really appreciate your input in comparing them all.
 
Cheers!

I've heard the Q701 fixes some of the soundstage airiness of the K701s, and are the same price stateside, don't know about internationally. Don't really know much about gaming with headphones, but try looking and asking around a bit in the Gaming headphones thread.
 


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Hey guys, Im thinking of getting the Grado sr80i, and i hear that the pads which come with them wear out quickly. What are the best pads then i should get for these headphones once the bundled ones wear out? Thanks
 
Update: I mostly listen to jazz and Funk and a small bit of Rock

I know some people like Sennheiser HD414 pads, and just replacement pads from Grado
 


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I'm looking for a good set of IEMs for working out. I want something sweat resisitant, comfortable and with good sound for around $200 or less. I'm currently using the B&W C5 but think I'm gonna return them to the apple store as I keep hearing I can probably get more bang for my buck elsewhere. Should I wait for something like this to come out? 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Balanced-Armature-Sports-Headphones/dp/B006K55748/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330274653&sr=8-1

For exercise, something like the Sonys seem like they could work pretty well, but also check out the offerings from H2OAudio, which are supposed to sound pretty good as well. Most IEMs won't be too sweat resistant, so something specific to exercise would be your best bet. 
 


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I'm looking to buy my first pair of mid/upper tier headphones and would appreciate a few recommendations. I don't really know enough to offer any technical preference, but here is the best idea I have of what I'm looking for.
 
- A sharp, clean, and balanced sound. I mostly listen to rock from the likes of Third Eye Blind, Incubus, Billy Talent, etc. The remainder of the time I spend listening to music is divided fairly equally between classical and hip hop. I don't need skull-crushing bass or any other kind of sound bias, just a pair of headphones that will give me a higher level of clarity.
- I can part with $200 to $300, unless there is an exceptionally compelling option just outside of that range.
- I'd rather have a pair that I can use without an amplifier.
- As a layman, I have no idea whether I prefer closed or open back. If I receive recommendations for both types, I'll just go and do some research myself.
- These headphones will be pretty exclusively for use at home and on long distance trips. They don't need to be extremely portable, but I would like to be able to move around my house while listening.
 
Thanks ahead of time for your help and advice.
 

M50, HFI780 for a fun sound (might not work as well for classical), HM5, SRH940 for a neutral sound. And yeah, closed back is probably better for your purposes.
 


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I just realised the last time I posted on here was when I was looking to move from Sennheiser CX-300s to Denon AH-C751s. That was three years ago, and while they still work, the Denon's aren't wowing me anymore, just like the Sennheisers did eventually.
 
I picked up some Phonak Audeo PFE022's for a very good price (£30 ... less than half RRP).. but they're not that special I don't think. I've ordered some Comply tips to see if they'll improve.
 
But in the mean time, I feel like I'm ready to move to some cans. My criteria:
 
Good quality, balanced sound. Yes to bass for when I want it, but no to muddy and artificial bass boost.
£250 or less
Detachable cord
Closed-back
Stylish - I know this is down to the individual, but I love AKG Q/K701's and Grados looks-wise (shame they're all open back).
 
Closest I've found to ticking all boxes so far are AKG K271 Mk2's, but some say they're only good for acoustic music. Also found the Ultrasone Pro 550s after reading some threads on here.
 
My music taste is eclectic to say the least. It's not unusual for me to move from dirty dubstep to some Chopin depending on how my mood changes, hence a need for balanced phones.
 
Source will mostly be my iPhone 4 (sorry), and I will couple my new buy with a Fiio E11+L3.
 
Thanks.

The HM5s will be a good choice for balanced, but may not have the bass necessary for dubstep and the like. 
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

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So, I'm looking for 2 pair of headphones in the $200 USD (each) price range that will benefit from amping. I currently own a pair of HD555's that I've become quite bored with. I'm really just looking to find a nice sound signature and go with it. Just looking to get a well rounded collection before I jump off into a top dollar set-up.
 
Only things I'm asking for:
 
2 different pair
1 to be a closed pair.
Must benefit from amping
~$200 price range per pair (give it a nice $75 buffer)
Circumaural is prefered
 
The only types of music I don't listen to are rap (not hip-hop) and screamo, Everything else I'm open to, as long as it's amazing.

Denon D2000 for the closed one, HD598 or Q701 for the open one.
 

 

[Madhawanm]

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Barring being able to get an open box AKG Q 701 or Denon AH-D2000 (closed) at or slightly above your price range, you should consider the HD 558 (the 518's are good, but these are better), Beyer DT 770 Pro (closed) or Brainwavz HM5 (closed).
 

Thanks for the reply. I guess AKG Q701 are out of my budget as I can spend max. 200$, Including the Headphone itself and amp. So, Is HD 558 the best option? Is the sound quality considerably better than HD 518, I mean are the extra 50$ worth it? Just asking as Have heard on numerous forums that both the HD518/558 have similar sounds and the difference is minute. Between Fiio E7/10 which is the better amp? Thanks again.
 

 

[derbigpr]

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Thanks for the reply. I guess AKG Q701 are out of my budget as I can spend max. 200$, Including the Headphone itself and amp. So, Is HD 558 the best option? Is the sound quality considerably better than HD 518, I mean are the extra 50$ worth it? Just asking as Have heard on numerous forums that both the HD518/558 have similar sounds and the difference is minute. Between Fiio E7/10 which is the better amp? Thanks again.
 

HD558 don't sound "considerably" better than HD518.  Not even HD598's sound much better. They're all headphones with drivers that come from the same production line and 95% of parts that are identical. They only have different grills and different clamping forces. Drivers are also put into various models depending on their measurements. Best performing drivers are close matched and put into HD598's. "Worse" performing drivers are put into HD558's and HD518's, and their "faults" are masked by different damping materials, but of course you don't hear the "faults" (unless you have measuring instruments in your head ), you only hear slightly different sound signatures.  HD518's are the most bassy sounding of the bunch. But to be honest, having heard all three of them and owning HD558 for more than a year, I'd say you aren't missing out or gaining anything that special if you go for either of them, and HD518's are probably best value for money of the entire series.  HD518's have slightly more bass and slightly less midrange than HD558's according to some graphs, but difference is really small.  Both will give you great comfort, great sound stage from angled drivers, nicely balanced sound with a touch of warmth, smooth forward mids and lots of fun.
 
Having said that, if Q701's is what you're also interested in, I'd highly recommend saving up some more money and getting them instead, they're in different world compared to HD518/558. I just got them a couple of days back and they blow HD558's away in every single imaginable way, and even beat HD650's in majority of music genres.  Best value for money mid-high end headphones on the market IMHO.

 

[drtturnip]

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Having said that, if Q701's is what you're also interested in, I'd highly recommend saving up some more money and getting them instead, they're in different world compared to HD518/558. I just got them a couple of days back and they blow HD558's away in every single imaginable way, and even beat HD650's in majority of music genres.  Best value for money mid-high end headphones on the market IMHO.

For the sake of my wallet I wish people wouldn't say thins like that! :>)

 

[DayofCalm]

Look at the Sennheiser HD598 maybe for open-back; not terribly certain about closed back in that range, maybe something like Beyerdynamic DT880 (if you're not using an amplifier, the 32 ohm version may be your best bet).
Quote:

I'm looking to buy my first pair of mid/upper tier headphones and would appreciate a few recommendations. I don't really know enough to offer any technical preference, but here is the best idea I have of what I'm looking for.
 
- A sharp, clean, and balanced sound. I mostly listen to rock from the likes of Third Eye Blind, Incubus, Billy Talent, etc. The remainder of the time I spend listening to music is divided fairly equally between classical and hip hop. I don't need skull-crushing bass or any other kind of sound bias, just a pair of headphones that will give me a higher level of clarity.
- I can part with $200 to $300, unless there is an exceptionally compelling option just outside of that range.
- I'd rather have a pair that I can use without an amplifier.
- As a layman, I have no idea whether I prefer closed or open back. If I receive recommendations for both types, I'll just go and do some research myself.
- These headphones will be pretty exclusively for use at home and on long distance trips. They don't need to be extremely portable, but I would like to be able to move around my house while listening.
 
Thanks ahead of time for your help and advice.
 

 

 

[KG Jag]

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Thanks for the reply. I guess AKG Q701 are out of my budget as I can spend max. 200$, Including the Headphone itself and amp. So, Is HD 558 the best option? Is the sound quality considerably better than HD 518, I mean are the extra 50$ worth it? Just asking as Have heard on numerous forums that both the HD518/558 have similar sounds and the difference is minute. Between Fiio E7/10 which is the better amp? Thanks again.
 

The 558 is better than the 518. The 518 does not have enough difference to buy them when you have the 555 (from what I have read about its sound).  In fact you may go be going down or just staying level with the 518.  The 558 would be a slight improvement.  The 598 might be worth the money, if they are in your budget.
 
Can't help you with the amp question.
 

 

[derbigpr]

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For the sake of my wallet I wish people wouldn't say thins like that! :>)

HD518 and HD558 both suck.  Get Q701's.  There...have fun! 

 

[KG Jag]

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HD518 and HD558 both suck.  Get Q701's.  There...have fun! 

Well--you're about half right, tongue in cheek or not.
 
The 518 is good and the 558 is very good.  The Q 701's are different and excellent, but they cost me about $70 more than the 558 and $50 more than my 598, both bought just months earlier.
 
Between the 598 and Q 701, I would go with the 701.  Reasonable folks with a decent pair ears--but different tastes--could easily go with the 598.
 

 

[mikiphile]

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For the sake of my wallet I wish people wouldn't say thins like that! :>)

Better to save up than to be impatient.. I did the same, I was very impatient.. and well I spent more than I ever imagined. You will find out soon enough. 

 

[Arboginge911]

Does anyone have any experience with Incase Sonic's? I'm thinking about getting a pair since they're gonna have a 45% coupon really soon

 

[Byakushiki]

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Does anyone have any experience with Incase Sonic's? I'm thinking about getting a pair since they're gonna have a 45% coupon really soon

Going off of my half hour demo and memory, the first thing that comes to mind is a nice, VMODA LPish bass, and massive comfort. Noise isolation was fine, and it overall it sounded like a fun headphone. A tad veiled but it also means no overly sparkly treble, if I recall right. Fun bass, neutral mids(ever so slightly veiled, but no matter), and slightly veiled treble.

 

[mechgamer123]

Okay people I need some more help. I purchased the Q701s from Amazon, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to return them, because the headband is starting to hurt my head after less than 30 minutes of use. I love the mids on the q701, but I found the bass to be a bit overpowering, and the highs to not be as crisp as I would like. Could anyone recommend me a different can with good mids that aren't recessed, as well as good highs, but not something too simbilant, as I have very sensitive ears to high frequencies, and the bass can be non existent for all I care. Anyway, my budget currently is ~$267, so could someone recommend me a set of cans around that price, and preferably available through amazon so I can get them overnight with amazon prime? Also, would there be a large increase in sound quality if I stretched my budget to $300, or even $400?
 
Also, I'll be listening to mainly classic rock and a bit of indie music, so nothing too fast. Also, I have my music in lossless so headphones picky about source wouldn't bother me.

 

[JaidynM]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this in so please correct me if it isn't.

I'm looking for a pair of headphones that needs to be:

• Comfortable
• Able to be folded and put in a case
• Under $50
• Not ridiculous looking

I listen to alternative rock (Coldplay, One Republic etc.) but I also listen to Dubstep so the headphones need to have decent bass.

Thanks in advance,
Jaidyn

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Okay people I need some more help. I purchased the Q701s from Amazon, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to return them, because the headband is starting to hurt my head after less than 30 minutes of use. I love the mids on the q701, but I found the bass to be a bit overpowering, and the highs to not be as crisp as I would like. Could anyone recommend me a different can with good mids that aren't recessed, as well as good highs, but not something too simbilant, as I have very sensitive ears to high frequencies, and the bass can be non existent for all I care. Anyway, my budget currently is ~$267, so could someone recommend me a set of cans around that price, and preferably available through amazon so I can get them overnight with amazon prime? Also, would there be a large increase in sound quality if I stretched my budget to $300, or even $400?
 
Also, I'll be listening to mainly classic rock and a bit of indie music, so nothing too fast. Also, I have my music in lossless so headphones picky about source wouldn't bother me.

If you thought the Q701s were to bassy (never heard that before...), maybe something like the SRH940 or AD900 could work, as I heard those are more treble-oriented. See if you can find some comparisons to gauge their sound compared to the Q701s.
 


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Hi,
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this in so please correct me if it isn't.
I'm looking for a pair of headphones that needs to be:

1. Comfortable
2. Able to be folded and put in a case
3. Under $50
4. Not ridiculous looking

I listen to alternative rock (Coldplay, One Republic etc.) but I also listen to Dubstep so the headphones need to have decent bass.
Thanks in advance,
Jaidyn

Your requirements fit a lot of ultraportable headphones like the Koss Portapro and Senn PX100/200. However, you can also get something more along the lines of the AKG K81, which is probably a bit bassier, but also clamps a bit harder. This might come down to whether or not you need isolation, as the portapros won't isolate much, but the AKGs will, at the expense of some comfort.