[Hughkk]

Quote:

i am considering buying full headphones (my first pair of full headphone) there are a few choices(other choices are also welcomed) sr80i,ATD AD700, Shure 840.
Which is the best value of money?
(i use it mostly in my dormitry)

I mostly listen to the top40 in BBC1 (which is mostly pop, rock, rap...... many genres of music)
Also, both open or closed are fine for me.
I just want one with the best sound quality with the music i am listening to.
Also, is an amp needed? if yes, which under $75 amp is recommended?

 

[hex207]

 
Goal: to find an excellent beginner set of headphones to listen to music and maybe an occasional movie.
 
Budget: $50-$100
 
Coming from: standard earphones that come with most mp3 players.
 
Types of music: aphex twin, arcade fire, fleet foxes, grizzly bear, classical, and a lot of radiohead
 
Amp or no amp: No amp right now, maybe in the future.
 
Comfort: they just need to be comfortable for 1-2 hours. I would estimate that 90% of my listening sessions will be 30-60 minutes. I don't foresee myself ever listening for 3+ hours straight.
 
Portability: it would be nice to have a very portable set but I expect almost all my listening will be at home.
 
Outside of music: It would be nice to have a set that I could use for the occasional movie, if it's going to sound a whole lot better than the standard speakers on my tv. But these will be used largely for music.
 
Models I have researched and that are in the running:
 
fostex t50rp
shure srh440
shure srh840
ath-m50
senheiser HD555 or HD448
 
Looking for any feedback and/or suggestions.

 

[eucariote]

Quote:

Quote:

i am considering buying full headphones (my first pair of full headphone) there are a few choices(other choices are also welcomed) sr80i,ATD AD700, Shure 840.
Which is the best value of money?
(i use it mostly in my dormitry)

I mostly listen to the top40 in BBC1 (which is mostly pop, rock, rap...... many genres of music)
Also, both open or closed are fine for me.
I just want one with the best sound quality with the music i am listening to.
Also, is an amp needed? if yes, which under $75 amp is recommended?

I owned SR60/SR225 and have SRH840.  As much as I love the Shures, I prefer the Grados overall for their punch and liveliness.  They also don't have any 'closed in' sound, which unfortunately the Shures and most closed headhones have to some degree.  They are not as good with deep bass in electronica and some rap, but kill my other headphones with rock & pop, which is what I mostly listen to.  They'll leak in/out sound so that is something to consider if you ever want to go to the library, etc.  For the $75, get a uDac amp/dac which will provide some amplification and a much better signal the headphones if you use good (>256kbps) music files.  Don't know AD700, so can't comment on those.

 

[Hughkk]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

i am considering buying full headphones (my first pair of full headphone) there are a few choices(other choices are also welcomed) sr80i,ATD AD700, Shure 840.
Which is the best value of money?
(i use it mostly in my dormitry)

I mostly listen to the top40 in BBC1 (which is mostly pop, rock, rap...... many genres of music)
Also, both open or closed are fine for me.
I just want one with the best sound quality with the music i am listening to.
Also, is an amp needed? if yes, which under $75 amp is recommended?

I owned SR60/SR225 and have SRH840.  As much as I love the Shures, I prefer the Grados overall for their punch and liveliness.  They also don't have any 'closed in' sound, which unfortunately the Shures and most closed headhones have to some degree.  They are not as good with deep bass in electronica and some rap, but kill my other headphones with rock & pop, which is what I mostly listen to.  They'll leak in/out sound so that is something to consider if you ever want to go to the library, etc.  For the $75, get a uDac amp/dac which will provide some amplification and a much better signal the headphones if you use good (>256kbps) music files.  Don't know AD700, so can't comment on those.

so for rap SRH840, for rock Grado?
also, is MS1(alessandro) or Sr80i better?

 

[HawaiiR]

Thanks for this bit of info. I'll take a look at the Maestro. Do you recommend any other models of theirs? I'm actually looking into spending about $600-ish for the headphones themselves. I can always pick up an amp for it later if the 410 isn't doing it justice (which might be the case).
 
 
Quote:

If equipment factors into that budget, things will change.
 
Assuming you split the costs, I will recommend the German Maestro GMP 450 PRO - it is absolutely a monitoring type headphone intended for studio use.  It'll run you about 350 USD.
 
I know German Maestro mentioned they'd be releasing a new flagship soon for around 800 USD this spring, no idea what the progress is on that though.
 
The best reviews/impressions I can give you in the forum of reading is on this forum for the CharterOak Acoustics SP-1, which is essentially a rebranded equivalent of the GMP 450 PRO.  Joel does a good job with his initial review on song impressions (I agree with him for the most part) but if you have any specific questions about the headphone feel free to post it on that thread.  kkl10 and I have been exchanging back and fourth on it for some time with changing opinions, so be sure to read the latest posts as well if you start diving into the newer stuff.
Quote:

wow...95 pages of this. too lazy (and not enough time) to browse through all of this, but here's my question to you guys. i'm looking to purchase a set of studio headphones for about $600 - $700 (approx). Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but i can't find any local stores here that actually carry decent studio qualility cans. old roommate had a pair of ATH-W1000's which sounded and looked amazing. however, that's the only point of reference i have.
 
can you guys suggest a few pair in that price range that you'd recommend, and maybe why?
 
i listen to mostly electronica - downtempo, trip-hop, house, etc. i'll be using these to write music with mostly, either on my G5 and/or my mbpro. I have am-audio firewire 410 to power it. it seemed sufficient for the AT; should i be purchasing a separate amp as well?
 
thanks for the help!

A higher end solid state amp will match best.  I'm not sure what kind of juice the 410 puts out - but you'll need something that'll do 100mW continuous into 300 ohms like a breeze.

 

[smibe]

Hey everyone I am looking to buy a pair of full-size closed-back cans that are sort of portable.
 
I have a pair of Koss PortaPros that I've owned for about 7 years now and am looking to upgrade. I want closed-back as the sound from my PortaPros obviously leaks which isn't ideal when listening at my desk at Uni, and in turn isn't great for walking around town with traffic, etc.
 
I have narrowed the list down to these alternatives:
 
Phiaton MS 400
 
Ultrasone DJ1
 
Ultrasone HFI-680
 
I was also considering the Audio Technica ATH-A900's but unfortunately I don't think they are portable enough for my uses. I will mostly be listening through my laptop or Ipod mini, and maybe occasionally through my integrated amplifier at home. I am considering getting a portable amplifier, probably the Nuforce Icon Mobile or the fiiO E7, both of these would be quite useful in improving my laptops onboard audio as well. I would definitely get a portable amp if I decide on the HFI-680, as they're a little harder to drive then the other options, but would like to know if it would be worth getting an amp for the MS 400's or DJ1's as well?
 
The type of music I listen to varies quite a lot, but I listen mainly to rock, everything from the Melvins to the Kinks to Radiohead, and occasionally Drum and Bass, and classical. I will also be using it for movies and gaming, but would rather have a headphone suited to music than anything else. So I guess I would like the headphone to be pretty versatile, which I hear the DJ1's and MS 400's are, if a little bass-heavy, which I don't mind.
 
At the moment, I am leaning more to the MS 400's as I like the fact that they are designed to be used as portables, but are almost full-sized cans at the same time. I just seem to be getting mixed-messages over their sound quality. With a lot of reviews describing them as 'fun', but not strictly speaking audiophile quality. I wonder if this is partly due to their positioning as a stylish headphone? I am not seeking an audiophile quality headphone though, that will reveal flaws in my music, etc. Just want something that's enjoyable to listen to without being too coloured or skewed one way or the other.
 
Also, I saw a review of the "second generation" MS 400's at Digitaltrends, they've now released them in an all black version, which would probably suit my fashion sense a little better, and have included an extension cord as well as apparently improving the headband. Has anyone had a chance to get their hands on this revised edition?
 
Also, does anybody know if the original red and black model has been updated as well? Or is the update restricted to the new all-black model? I ask because none of the online retailers I've visited include an updated description regarding the inclusion of the extension cable. Obviously the best advice you could give me would be to try them myself at a local store. Unfortunately, I'm from New Zealand and the only thing I could trial here was a basic range of AKG's and Sennheiser's, neither of which impressed me very much.
 
So to sum up, any general opinions regarding the way the three headphones I'm considering sound against each other would be appreciated.
 
Thanks for your help with this, I wrote a little more than I expected but I have been considering this purchase for quite a long time.

 

[eucariote]

Quote:

so for rap SRH840, for rock Grado?
also, is MS1(alessandro) or Sr80i better?

Yes, electronica, rap & hip hop are better with the SRH840.  They do a very very good job with rock, just not as good as Grados.  Rock, jazz & even classical are better with the Grados.  Not that they are great with classical, Shures just don't do it justice with their limited soundstage.  Haven't heard Alessandro headphones so can't answer your second question.  

 

[joelpearce]

I would definitely recommend Ultrasone, Beyerdynamic, and probably a couple other brands over the Shures for those genres, though.  They are a bit dull, and for those genres you want something that will kick it at both ends of the spectrum.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

what do you guys think of a senn HD481? does it worth 45$?

 

[R-Audiohead]

I've heard good things about their "indestructible" GMP 8.300 as well.  It will be more closed than the GMP 450 and thus isolate better (IMO the 450 is semi open, or at least has a large stage for a closed headphone).  Apparently they're actually fairly comfy as well.
Might be worth your time to look here
 
The price is pretty low considering how unbias and monitor-like this headphone really is.  It won't give you that rich, live Sennheiser sound like the HD 650 does, but a more detailed, close, and analytical one - much better suited for monitoring.
 
If you're looking for a can at the 600 dollar level, there is a good chance you may be able to find something better, as the GMP 450 PRO is the GM flagship at the moment (although apparently they're releasing one this spring that will be around 800 USD).  I don't know anything about the new release at this time.... just waiting patiently.
 
Graphs are far from tell-all, but here on this old thread are some FR responses buried somewhere I am pretty sure.  You can bring up some graphs of familiar headphones using Headroom's site to compare, but keep in mind the scales are different AND graphs don't tell you as much as your ears will
Quote:

Thanks for this bit of info. I'll take a look at the Maestro. Do you recommend any other models of theirs? I'm actually looking into spending about $600-ish for the headphones themselves. I can always pick up an amp for it later if the 410 isn't doing it justice (which might be the case).
 
 
Quote:

If equipment factors into that budget, things will change.
 
Assuming you split the costs, I will recommend the German Maestro GMP 450 PRO - it is absolutely a monitoring type headphone intended for studio use.  It'll run you about 350 USD.
 
I know German Maestro mentioned they'd be releasing a new flagship soon for around 800 USD this spring, no idea what the progress is on that though.
 
The best reviews/impressions I can give you in the forum of reading is on this forum for the CharterOak Acoustics SP-1, which is essentially a rebranded equivalent of the GMP 450 PRO.  Joel does a good job with his initial review on song impressions (I agree with him for the most part) but if you have any specific questions about the headphone feel free to post it on that thread.  kkl10 and I have been exchanging back and fourth on it for some time with changing opinions, so be sure to read the latest posts as well if you start diving into the newer stuff.
Quote:

wow...95 pages of this. too lazy (and not enough time) to browse through all of this, but here's my question to you guys. i'm looking to purchase a set of studio headphones for about $600 - $700 (approx). Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but i can't find any local stores here that actually carry decent studio qualility cans. old roommate had a pair of ATH-W1000's which sounded and looked amazing. however, that's the only point of reference i have.
 
can you guys suggest a few pair in that price range that you'd recommend, and maybe why?
 
i listen to mostly electronica - downtempo, trip-hop, house, etc. i'll be using these to write music with mostly, either on my G5 and/or my mbpro. I have am-audio firewire 410 to power it. it seemed sufficient for the AT; should i be purchasing a separate amp as well?
 
thanks for the help!

A higher end solid state amp will match best.  I'm not sure what kind of juice the 410 puts out - but you'll need something that'll do 100mW continuous into 300 ohms like a breeze.

 

 

[Fried Onion]

Hi,
I know this has been asked a thousand times, but i cant seem to find the right answer...
 
I am looking for a pair of closed headphones that are around $100 (I can go a bit higher) It has to be driven by a ipod tough 4g unamped.  I mainly listen to house/ techno music.
 
Thanks

 

[Hughkk]

so anyone had a pair of ATD AD700? or M-50?
 
can anyone compare those 2 to SRH840? (compare sound quality)
 
also, in my place, SRH840 cost around 200USD and ATD AD700 cost 120USD.
you guys think it is worth me to buy SRH840?
 
(i know ATD AD700 is open can)
i am also new to the hifi headphones, so which one would be a good entry for High quality hifi headphones? (under $200)

 

[keanex]

The ad700s and the m50s are completely different in every aspect. Ad700s have a huge soundstage, great clarity, but lack bass. The Ad700s also leak sound and would be bad if you intend to use them on the go. I loved mine, but I could imagine others not liking them because of the lack of bass. The AD900s have better bass and are on Amazon right now for $209 new. If you jump on them and only intend to use them at home you won't be disappointed.

 

[HawaiiR]

thanks again R-audiohead. this is definitely the type of input and information I was looking for.
now the biggest obstacle for me is to find some of these headphones and/or amps out here. our guitar center equivalent doesn't carry them unfortunately. hoping one of the hi-end stores might.
 

 

[doghands]

Hi,
 
I'm fairly new to Head-fi, so obviously I'm not a audiophile. I'm looking for a good pair of starter headphones around the $100-300 range. I listen to a variety of music, ranging from Trance, Hip-Hop, Instrumentals, to Rock. I looked through the website, and I really like the retro look of a few models I browsed upon. I'll mainly use the headphones for my desktop. Any inputs would be appreciated.