[shorke]

I've narrowed it down to the AKG Q701s or the Sennheiser HD650s, I am really interested in the HD 650s since I like the Sennheiser laid back sound but the AKGs are supposed to have incredible clarity and the Qs are warmer and less of a studio monitor from what I've heard. Any thoughts on the two?

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hello,
 
I'm looking for some help. I want either IEMs or (full-size) headphones. My budget is around 150-200 dollars. What are the big differences between IEMs and headphones? I listen to (Instrumental) Rock, classical, a bit of everything really. So I would like them to be versatile.  If it's a headphone, then I want them to be comfortable (I have glasses). So far I've been looking at: 
 
Audio Technica ATH-M50
Sennheiser HD 598
AKG K701
 
Monster Turbine Pro Copper
Monster Turbine Miles Davis
Logitech / Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10
 
I will be driving these from my iPhone 4 / laptop, I might buy a CmoyBB though.
 
Thanks in advance!

In my experience headphones are far superior to IEM's.  In addition--the fit, comfort and ultimate sound quality may all depend upon how well each plugs into your head.  While the comfort--especially [but not only] with glasses--can be an issue with headphones, it is far less a problem.
 
The M50 is best for portable use and/or public use--it is also the only closed can of the group.
The Senn is best for what you have to drive it; has the biggest sound stage and is the most comfortable of the three.
The Q 701 (better than the K 701 fro about the same price) edges out the Senn for sound--especially for clarity, but it's close and reasonable people could prefer the Senn
 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I've narrowed it down to the AKG Q701s or the Sennheiser HD650s, I am really interested in the HD 650s since I like the Sennheiser laid back sound but the AKGs are supposed to have incredible clarity and the Qs are warmer and less of a studio monitor from what I've heard. Any thoughts on the two?

If it helps, I have the the Q 701's and HD 600's.  I love them both and your descriptions of the two cans strikes me as accurate.  For pure sound, I would have to go with the HD 600's by a small margin.  For best value--the Q 701 wins when they were only $40 apart (and both significantly less expensive) very recently, but does so hands down at current prices.  There is now at least a $100 spread if both are purchased new.
 
Of course you have to tack onto that price spread to get the 650's
 

 

[shorke]

Quote:

If it helps, I have the the Q 701's and HD 600's.  I love them both and your descriptions of the two cans strikes me as accurate.  For pure sound, I would have to go with the HD 600's by a small margin.  For best value--the Q 701 wins when they were only $40 apart (and both significantly less expensive) very recently, but does so hands down at current prices.  There is now at least a $100 spread if both are purchased new.
 
Of course you have to tack onto that price spread to get the 650's
 

Yeah, I think the Q 701s are the next stop on my journey here. This time I'll have a proper amp hopefully (the O2), instead of nothing. But I really doubt amping would have given me the sound I wanted on the D2000s anyways. I've heard the K701s are hard to drive or something, is that true about the Q701s also? The O2 seems like it should be up to the job.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Yeah, I think the Q 701s are the next stop on my journey here. This time I'll have a proper amp hopefully (the O2), instead of nothing. But I really doubt amping would have given me the sound I wanted on the D2000s anyways. I've heard the K701s are hard to drive or something, is that true about the Q701s also? The O2 seems like it should be up to the job.

I won't say that the Q 701 is tough to drive, but I would say it takes more than all or most of my modern mid-fi ish cans.  More than my Senns, Beyers, Grados, Alessandros and Ultrasones--but only a bit more than my Denons.  They take a great deal less to drive than my early 90's Senns.
 

 

[uXses]

Hello.
 
I'm looking for some headphones for the office. My main criteria are:
 
1) Comfort (not clamping)
2) Low leakage
3) Sound quality
4) Budget is around 300€
 
I currently have a pair of Sennheiser PX-200. At the volume I'm listening to music, they don't seem to leak at all. (Which I find pretty amazing for something that's on-the-ear. My coworker's in-ear thingies leak a LOT more.) Any new pair I'm buying should leak just as little as these. (Or less.) For another reference point, I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD-555's, and those definitely leak too much.
 
I want to switch away from the PX-200 because the padding on one ear is starting to fray. I'm also getting annoyed with having them push on my ears for hours at a time.
 
Type of music I'm listening to: alternative rock, indie rock, some metal. Think Tool, Muse, Radiohead, Eels. Also classical music. And Rammstein.
 
Any suggestions? To emphasize: sound leakage (to the outside, the other way around is a bit less important) and comfort are the absolute most important criteria here.

 

[scohen158]

Quote:

Yeah, I think the Q 701s are the next stop on my journey here. This time I'll have a proper amp hopefully (the O2), instead of nothing. But I really doubt amping would have given me the sound I wanted on the D2000s anyways. I've heard the K701s are hard to drive or something, is that true about the Q701s also? The O2 seems like it should be up to the job.

Have you used an amp with the Denon D2000? If not I would suggest that first my guess is it would tighten up the bass from what I've read which may go a long way. At a minimum give them a Dac & Amp to try them with before getting rid of them as if may clear up your issues. I know they are a low impedance headphone but from what I've read they do benefit from a quality source and power.
 

 

[miyinan]

Looking for advice from people own or owned any pair of the headphones below:

ATH AD900, Beyer DT880 32ohm, Ultrasone HFI 780 and Alessandro MS1i.

I have heard many cans and dac/amps. But I sold them all and now using a udac2 and my TF10. I need a pair of full size cans that can be driven to its 95% or above with my udac2 as I'm not planning to buy any dac/amp anymore.

Here is a little more info:
Music: 30% pop, 30% rock, 35% metal and 5% classical.
Cans owned but sold: HD580, K701, ESW9, HF2, MS1i, D2000
Top priority: comfort
Favorite sound: sweet mid, airy and enough bass ( not a bass head)

I did not like the lack back sound from the HD580 and the very analytical sound fromthe K701. And the D2000 were just a disappointment to me, not sue where all the love came from for them.

Before you said that was amp problem, well I don't think so. While I owned the above cans, I also owned glimore lite, yulong d100, nuforce hdp and udac, and audiogd sparrow. I'm not sure if they would drive the above cans to their full potential but id say at least 90%?!.

My favorite were: HF2, ESW9 and MS1i. Sold HF2 because they were a bit too heavy on my head. Sold ESW9 because they were not air enough and the ear pads were not comfortable. Sold MS1i because they were my first real cans and I wanted better clarity out of them. All three share something I liked: sweet mids (not enough from ms1i) and enough bass and airy (not enough from esw9). I can stand the grado high and actually found they are pretty comfortable with comfy.

Now back to my question (sorry for the long read). Which of the cans above will be right for me? Just want to see if any cans can serve me better before I buy back the MS1i

Thanks for reading

Lee

 

[ahuffman]

I need some advice. I have Sennheiser 598's and love them, but I am going on the road for work next tues and need some closed headphones. I listen to a little bit of everything music wise. I was looking at the Beyer DT770 M, Koss DJ100, but any suggestions would be welcomed.
 
Thanks
Aaron

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

I need some advice. I have Sennheiser 598's and love them, but I am going on the road for work next tues and need some closed headphones. I listen to a little bit of everything music wise. I was looking at the Beyer DT770 M, Koss DJ100, but any suggestions would be welcomed.
 
Thanks
Aaron

The worst thing you can do is buying a full sized headphones that needs amps just to sound okay, like the DT770. I can't help much other than point you to the portable headphones comparison thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-93-portable-headphones-reviewed-pioneer-se-mj71-coloud-colors-added-9-4-11

 

[ahuffman]

Quote:

The worst thing you can do is buying a full sized headphones that needs amps just to sound okay, like the DT770. I can't help much other than point you to the portable headphones comparison thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-93-portable-headphones-reviewed-pioneer-se-mj71-coloud-colors-added-9-4-11

I thought my j3 would be able to drive 80 ohms? Perhaps not, I am not sure. Around the ear headphones are a must for my btw, I have never found an on/in the ear headphones that were comfortable for me. Comfort is a huge deal imo.

 

[st1gmatic]

Hai, I was wanting to know which pair of headphones are better: V-Moda's Crossfade LP's or Audio-Technica's ATH-M50's? I need something for making dubstep, so basically music production and for everyday listening. I want something with a good amount of bass as well. The genre of music I listen to is: Dubstep, Hip Hop, Pop, J-rock, J-Pop, Rock, Punk, some Alternative, and a little bit of Rap. I really wanna know the difference between these two pair of headphones

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

I thought my j3 would be able to drive 80 ohms? Perhaps not, I am not sure. Around the ear headphones are a must for my btw, I have never found an on/in the ear headphones that were comfortable for me. Comfort is a huge deal imo.

A budget in mine would also help for others to help. And taste of music. From my reading around, maybe the Shure SRH840 and SRH940 could be put into consideration too. But that's more like neutral, studio sound than what the HD598 sounds like. For the most part though, I too have been eyeing for closed high end cans (for potential future purposes, or rather just to curb my ailing upgraditis, I like to read a lot) but so far manufacturers seems to be reluctant to develop more closed cans. I posit mostly because that open cans are usually more superior sound-wise, but they could get more credit and renowned if they can deliver the same sound superiority in a closed can, IMO.
 
Sorry for the drivel though; as you can see, I can't help much. I'll leave it to others.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I need some advice. I have Sennheiser 598's and love them, but I am going on the road for work next tues and need some closed headphones. I listen to a little bit of everything music wise. I was looking at the Beyer DT770 M, Koss DJ100, but any suggestions would be welcomed.
 
Thanks
Aaron

The DT 770 M is a specialty can made for drummers.  Unless you are one, I'm not sure why you would buy that.  The DT 770 Pro is a good closed can but very different from the Senns--more like a Grado but with more bass (until you get up to the $300 level with the 325).
 
I don't know of a closed can that sounds close to your Senns.  I have not heard the Koss.
 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Looking for advice from people own or owned any pair of the headphones below:
ATH AD900, Beyer DT880 32ohm, Ultrasone HFI 780 and Alessandro MS1i.
I have heard many cans and dac/amps. But I sold them all and now using a udac2 and my TF10. I need a pair of full size cans that can be driven to its 95% or above with my udac2 as I'm not planning to buy any dac/amp anymore.
Here is a little more info:
Music: 30% pop, 30% rock, 35% metal and 5% classical.
Cans owned but sold: HD580, K701, ESW9, HF2, MS1i, D2000
Top priority: comfort
Favorite sound: sweet mid, airy and enough bass ( not a bass head)
I did not like the lack back sound from the HD580 and the very analytical sound fromthe K701. And the D2000 were just a disappointment to me, not sue where all the love came from for them.
Before you said that was amp problem, well I don't think so. While I owned the above cans, I also owned glimore lite, yulong d100, nuforce hdp and udac, and audiogd sparrow. I'm not sure if they would drive the above cans to their full potential but id say at least 90%?!.
My favorite were: HF2, ESW9 and MS1i. Sold HF2 because they were a bit too heavy on my head. Sold ESW9 because they were not air enough and the ear pads were not comfortable. Sold MS1i because they were my first real cans and I wanted better clarity out of them. All three share something I liked: sweet mids (not enough from ms1i) and enough bass and airy (not enough from esw9). I can stand the grado high and actually found they are pretty comfortable with comfy.
Now back to my question (sorry for the long read). Which of the cans above will be right for me? Just want to see if any cans can serve me better before I buy back the MS1i
Thanks for reading
Lee

I know the last two on your list and between them suggest the Ultrasone.  That said, I think the Grado 225 might be the best choice for you, based on what I have read when deciding between it and the 325.