[derbigpr]

Quote:

 
AKG Q 701, Senn HD 598 or Ultrasone Pro 750.
 
The first two are open.  The third is closed.

 
No, not the Pro750. Ultrasones Pro line is not that good for music listening, its overly bright and has a weird tonality.  HFi2400 or HFi780 is what he should get for music.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
No, not the Pro750. Ultrasones Pro line is not that good for music listening, its overly bright and has a weird tonality.  HFi2400 or HFi780 is what he should get for music.

 
Yes they are (and so are the Grado SR line which are even brighter)--although they might not be to your taste.  In addition the 750 is highly recommended by both buying guides here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide
 
and
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/buying-guide-headphones-by-price-range

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

 
Yes they are (and so are the Grado SR line which are even brighter)--although they might not be to your taste.  In addition the 750 is highly recommended by both buying guides here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide
 
and
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/buying-guide-headphones-by-price-range

 
To be honest I don't even think it comes down to personal taste here, I simply feel that HFi2400 are clearly better sounding headphones than Pro 750. Or any lower end Ultrasones. Its like comparing Sennheiser HD558 and HD650, it doesn't come down to preference, one is clearly better.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
To be honest I don't even think it comes down to personal taste here, I simply feel that HFi2400 are clearly better sounding headphones than Pro 750. Or any lower end Ultrasones. Its like comparing Sennheiser HD558 and HD650, it doesn't come down to preference, one is clearly better.

 
My point is that the 750 is a good can.  I have never heard the open 2400, so I can't comment on it.
 
I do know that the price difference between the 2400 and what you call "lower end" Ultrasones (perhaps a more accurate description in this context is "closed" vs. "open" Ultrasones) is much smaller than that between the Senn HD 598 and HD 650.  That fact is to the advantage of the poster in terms of his options.

 

[jeffzoom]

Long time lurker, first time poster:
 
So after having used IEM's for a long time (mostly low end Shure), I decided to move up to a full set of cans when I got my first big boy job.
 
I ended up with a set of SRH840's. I knew they were closed back, but I thought they sounded great for the price and went off and bought a Fiio E9i and an E7 because the built in line out from my desktop suffered from pretty intense interference and it was now noticeable. 
 
After a while I noticed that the E7 actually sounded worse in every scenario than the line out from my Macbook Pro. So when I got my iMac I stopped using it.
 
So it was iMac->E9i->SRH840's
 
After a while though, my ears began to hurt. Unfortunately it was more than standard ear fatigue, my whole head seriously hurt after about an hour of listening.
 
Since I have a massive head I decided to try a different set of cans and see how those did. I went open backed this time and got a set of Audio Technica ATH-AD900's.  These were super light and the sound was much much better.  The Shure's by comparison sounded like they were huge speakers on the end of a pole that was jammed in my ear canal. Like a laser beam of sound.
 
Once again however the AD900's are causing me pain.  The ear fatigue is something I'm not understanding. Even if I listen at a low volume level, and to things that are not inherently harsh sounding (Piano based tracks), within an hour not only do I have some fatigue, but the whole area around my ears just plain HURTS.  The AD900's don't clamp hard at all and are light as a feather.
 
With that said, my current walk around IEM's are Westone 1's, and (Cost the same as Shure SE215's, my last pair, but they sound worse than the SE115's; no detail, cold and distant sounding) they are supremely comfortable. I've fallen asleep wearing them and can listen to them to hours with no fatigue.
 
Should I give up on full can's? Any advice on how to deal with the pain? Any other open can's out there around the AD900's price range that might suit me better?I love the soundstage of the AD900's and IEM's can't reproduce that. Perhaps a change in amp or DAC would reduce the harshness?
 
P.S: To give you an idea of what the pain feels like, push hard on the area right below your earlobe and hold it there for a while. Take it off. That's what it feels like after an hour.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Long time lurker, first time poster:
 
So after having used IEM's for a long time (mostly low end Shure), I decided to move up to a full set of cans when I got my first big boy job.
 
I ended up with a set of SRH840's. I knew they were closed back, but I thought they sounded great for the price and went off and bought a Fiio E9i and an E7 because the built in line out from my desktop suffered from pretty intense interference and it was now noticeable. 
 
After a while I noticed that the E7 actually sounded worse in every scenario than the line out from my Macbook Pro. So when I got my iMac I stopped using it.
 
So it was iMac->E9i->SRH840's
 
After a while though, my ears began to hurt. Unfortunately it was more than standard ear fatigue, my whole head seriously hurt after about an hour of listening.
 
Since I have a massive head I decided to try a different set of cans and see how those did. I went open backed this time and got a set of Audio Technica ATH-AD900's.  These were super light and the sound was much much better.  The Shure's by comparison sounded like they were huge speakers on the end of a pole that was jammed in my ear canal. Like a laser beam of sound.
 
Once again however the AD900's are causing me pain.  The ear fatigue is something I'm not understanding. Even if I listen at a low volume level, and to things that are not inherently harsh sounding (Piano based tracks), within an hour not only do I have some fatigue, but the whole area around my ears just plain HURTS.  The AD900's don't clamp hard at all and are light as a feather.
 
With that said, my current walk around IEM's are Westone 1's, and (Cost the same as Shure SE215's, my last pair, but they sound worse than the SE115's; no detail, cold and distant sounding) they are supremely comfortable. I've fallen asleep wearing them and can listen to them to hours with no fatigue.
 
Should I give up on full can's? Any advice on how to deal with the pain? Any other open can's out there around the AD900's price range that might suit me better?I love the soundstage of the AD900's and IEM's can't reproduce that. Perhaps a change in amp or DAC would reduce the harshness?
 
P.S: To give you an idea of what the pain feels like, push hard on the area right below your earlobe and hold it there for a while. Take it off. That's what it feels like after an hour.

 
It seems to me that your next should be to the doctor and not the headphone shop.  You may save yourself a great deal of aggravation at multiple levels.

 

[Turfie]

I think i've decided on the denons.
 
Now i only struggle with this;
 
What is the better option?
 
A D2000 and a FIIOE17
or 
A D5000?
 
Thanks in advance,

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I think i've decided on the denons.
 
Now i only struggle with this;
 
What is the better option?
 
A D2000 and a FIIOE17
or 
A D5000?
 
Thanks in advance,

 
I'm not sure I fully understand your question, as both will need amping to sound their best.
 
What is the price spread between the D2000 & D5000 where you live?

 

[Turfie]

I live in EU but prices on Denons are insane atm,
 
my ante from US is going to visit next month, so i'm going to let her buy me the phones.
Was going to buy from amazon.
 
Well, if i buy a 5000 i don't really want to spend anymore than that so i'll use them unamped for a long time.
But that does give me a better phone to start with and maybe later get an amp...
 
Or is the D2000 and fiio just way better sounding than an 5000 without amp?
 
I'll be using it on mbp13"

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hi, I really don't know anything about what's good, only that marketed crap is bad.
 
I'm looking for over-ear headphones to use at home simply to listen to music, nothing else.
 
Atm I have Sony MDR-XD200 stereo headphones, and have been using them A LOT since the beginning of this year. I feel like I'm ready to get my next set of headphones so I can really appreciate them and compare them to these Sony ones.
 
I'm looking to spend 200-300$, can you guys point me in the right direction?
 
Recall: I'm not looking to produce music, simply wanting to listen to it.
 
Edit: Also, idk if this means anything, but when listening to music I simply plug my headphones into my computer.
 
And the type of music I listen to... mostly rock (RHCP), sometimes more dubsteppy (I don't know the specific names to classify this kind of music, just got into an artist called "Blackmill" though)
 
 
Edit2: What's the difference between open and closed headphones? Open simply needs an amp? Should I just get closed though, or is it worth it?

 
Closed cans means sealed ear cups.  Those ear cups are open to some degree with open & semi-open cans.  Generally speaking open designs give you better sound stage and closed offers greater bass.  You want closed cans if leaking sound will affect others.  Being open or closed will not tell you whether or not a can must be amped.  The individual efficiency of the design, partially measured in Ohms (the lower the easier to drive--all else being equal & often its not), determines whether, how much and what type of amping might be needed and/or helpful.
 
You might want to start by checking the links to the buying guides that can be found in the first post of this thread.  Going unamped from your computer will limit your options.  When at the guides look for a "1" rating if you are not going to amp.
 
After you've poked around the buying guides and the rest of the site, post again with a little more specificity with regard to what you think would sound good to you; fall within your budget and meet the needs of your system.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I live in EU but prices on Denons are insane atm,
 
my ante from US is going to visit next month, so i'm going to let her buy me the phones.
Was going to buy from amazon.
 
Well, if i buy a 5000 i don't really want to spend anymore than that so i'll use them unamped for a long time.
But that does give me a better phone to start with and maybe later get an amp...
 
Or is the D2000 and fiio just way better sounding than an 5000 without amp?
 
I'll be using it on mbp13"

 
Both are being discontinued.  I would give first priority to getting the can you want.  I have never used either unamped, so I can't speak to that issue.  Personally I'd get the the D5000 under these circumstances.  They are more balanced and controlled with stronger mids.  They also have a superior sound stage when amped properly.  
 
Both are excellent and on Tyll's Wall of Fame for good reasons.

 

[Endfinity]

Hi!
 
Long time lurker, first time poster here. First things first, I wanted to thank the community for your help and your hard work.
 
I got some time ago a Mixamp and I've been using it with the Grado SR60i, but after reading a bit about gaming headphones, I made my mind to buy a pair of headphones with better imaging and soundstage. 
 
After reading the massive guide about headphones for the mixamp, I was almost ready to fetch the ATH AD-700 when my video card decided to stop working and had to be replaced, so my buget took a hit.
 
Now i'm wondering if there's cheaper alternatives to the AD-700 for headphones that will be used ONLY for gaming. I want mainly good positioning with Dolby Headphone.
 
I don't like bassy headphones, and it's important that they're open so I can hear other people in the room when they talk to me. Oh, and I have usually problems with circumaural (big ears) so supraaural is preferred. Also, I'm from Spain so i'll be ordering from europe where possible.
 
I've seen the entry models from Audio Technica (ATH-AD300/TAD300 and AD400/TAD400) but I don't know if they retain at least some of the famous soundstage from the AD700 (I guess not). I would like to know also if i'm better off saving again for the AD700. 
 
If it's better to wait, can I do something to the SR60i's to improve the soundstage in the meantime?
 
TL/DR: Looking for open headphones under 80$ with good sound positioning when used with Dolby Headphone, not bassy, supraaural better than circumaural.
 
Thanks in advance for any recommendations. 

 

[miceblue]

This might not be the right thread, but I figured I would get a quick reply here without starting a new thread.

What would be a decent analytical portable DAC/amp under $70 that would be able to power my Shure SRH940 headphones?

I was thinking of either the FiiO E7 or the HiFiMan 101.

 

[Silverspar]

Can someone tell me what's the best choice between the HARX700, the Superlux 668B, the Samson SR850 and the Koss ProDJ100?
 
I'm an avid gamer who listens to about anything and i watch movies every once and a while.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Can someone tell me what's the best choice between the HARX700, the Superlux 668B, the Samson SR850 and the Koss ProDJ100?
 
I'm an avid gamer who listens to about anything and i watch movies every once and a while.

 
For movies and gaming, you'll want something open.  That points to the 668B, which I recommend at this price from personal experience, or the Sampson SR 850, which I recommend at this price on the basis of reviews and reputation.