[iLol]

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Alright, time to stop bumping my redundant thread and post here. So I'm looking to step up from my HD555's, which I've grown tired of. What cans would you recommend? I'm eying the D2000, DT770/880/990, and I'm open to other suggestions. Also, if I get the new cans, should I sell my HD555's? (If the new cans aren't good for games (especially FPS where I need soundstage and positional audio) and movies)

Once again, We need more info before we suggest headphones. We need to know what your looking for specifically. My perception of "upgrade" is different form your "upgrade", so you need to tell us specifically what you want more of.
 
sorry for the double post.....

Sorry, but I can't really say much than I want better sounding headphones than the HD555. And I'd like it to be a multi-purpose phone, but music has the most priority. And with music, well, I pretty much listen to everything, so again I can't really specify. What I can say is that I really disliked my HD555's lack of bass, and I do want bass, but not overpowering bass, just the appropriate amount.
 
Oh, and I want to use this with my Essence STX soundcard, so high resistance phones it is!

 

[log0]

Thanks for the reply,
I think it's a pretty good setup too. My only fear is that the amp won't be powerful enough to drive LCD-2s and that plugging a portable amp into the wall may introduce a background noise into the music. I may look into a getting a tube desktop amplifier later at a reasonable price. Thanks again for your comment, take care.
 
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Hello,
First post but long time lurker. I'm new to the audiophile headphone world. I currently use an iPhone 3GS and Shure SE530's to listen to music when I want, but would like an upgrade above the IEMs as I don't find them too comfortable and will be taking a job working from home, so listening to some music on my own time has become a possibility.
 
After reading several posts I decided not to waste anytime and go to the top. I've preordered some Audez'e LCD-2s and plan on powering it with a Meier Stepdance portable amplifier. My source will continue to be an iPhone 3GS and I will be buying a iPhone/iPod LOD. I'm assuming this whole setup may cost me around ~$1400 dollars ($1000 for LCD-2, ~$350 for Meier Stepdance, and ~$50 for high quality LOD cable). I will be listening to FLAC files from the iPhone.
 
Obviously I want the best headphones. I suffer from upgraditis so I figured I'd go straight to the top and grab some LCD-2's and save myself the time. As for the Meier Stepdance, I do want a portable amp as I listen to music mostly on the go and I hear that this is the best portable amp for the money at the moment. I hope that with this amp, I can take advantage of 95% of the performance the LCD-2's have to offer (I'm OK with losing the last 5% if that's gained through a desktop amp that cost more than 3x as much). I see that the Meier Stepdance can also be driven via plugging it into the wall so I think I'd be ok there. If I wanted a desktop solution, what is the best bang for the buck amplifier to drive some LCD-2's? I've read through a couple pages of the "Amps for LCD-2" thread but have not found a clear winner. To be honest, if the Stepdance can drive the LCD-2's at a respectable audiophile level while plugged into the wall I doubt I will spend another couple hundred to squeeze the last bit of performance out of it.
 
What do you guys think? If I spend ~$1400 on this setup have I maximized what I get for my money? I know the amplification could get better for home listening but for a portable listening solutions isn't this the best?  Would I have a better listening experience buying something else? I mainly listen to rock but do listen to jazz and classical some time. I started off wanting to buy some Grado RS1i before reading about the LCD-2s.
 
As always, I appreciate the opinions of others who have spent time in this profession/hobby.
 
Thanks!

I think it's smart to start with the top headphones.  Although it's a lot of fun, I've been paying a pretty steep price learning gradually with a lot of headphones and several amps & dacs, and I think your system will be worlds better for much less.  About the amp, you should probably ask in the Headphone Amp thread since you'e already arrived at your dream headphones, and have very specific questions about suitable amps.  imo it's wise to aim for something good that isn't terribly expensive, as you will get much faster diminishing returns spending on an amp & dac compared to headphones.

 

[maverickronin]

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@maverickronin
Thx for answering,
How much do gel pads improve the isolation. on DT 770
 
Since my last post I did more research, and got to listen to Denon AH-D2000...
Are there any 'phones that have similar quality + the isolation.
Also does anyone know how are German Maestro GMP 8.35 D with my genres?

Thanks a lot.

P.S. I did try M50s didn't like them for some reason... maybe because they get pushed a lot here, as soon as someone mentions bass. =(

I don't have any measurements, but the gel pads additional isolation is easily noticeable.  Its not the sort of slight thing you have to go back and forth looking for, but its not something huge that puts the isolation of IEMs or something either.
 
Th D2000s are great for everything you want except the isolation.  I've never tried the GMPs.

 

[donedj]

I will be commuting a bit with these headphones, and will be using in my residence as well. I will be using my Android phone to run them, and my laptop. So the requirements become a bit of a hassle.
 
What I am looking for;
 
1 - Good/great sound quality
2 - To be used by a portable media player (smartphone), so the phones should not need an amp
3 - Must keep the sound in mostly, and not open up to outside too much (do not want to disturb people)
4 - Must be light, and in decent size (If the actual pads are the same or similar size to Bose AE2 it would be great). I do not want a 1lb brick to carry on my head. Maybe up to 8-9oz, 250gr.
5 - Price up to $200
6 - I do not like Made in China stuff, and do not find value in paying $200 for stuff that is made using $1 labor... So I would prefer made elsewhere. Of course the cheaper it gets, the more I don't care where it is made. But if the quality, sound, comfort all there, I will let myself accept the phones no matter where they are made in.
7 - I listen to all kinds of music, mostly classic rock, hard-rock, 80's metal, house/underground, brit pop, top 40... and anything else I feel like. These will be at times used for watching movies etc. I do not want a boombox, with massive amounts of base, a good clean base with good amounts of it. I am for the quality over quantity when it comes to base.
8 - No i do not want in-ear, in-canal phones.
 
Am I asking too much?
 
Well that is why I am here.
To get opinions from you guys.
 
Thanks for all the inputs.

 

[andtobis]

are the best bass cans for hip-hop for under 200 the ath-m50s, the shure 750 djs and the sennheiser 595s? or are there other ones that would work well unamped

 

[PhoenixClaw]

If so, what pair of headphones can be used instead then?
 
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Alright, thanks. Do they sound good un-amped? The only amp i have is the Fiio E3 (i got for free when i bought the dt231s) but ive noticed that there is a bit of noise when i use it with the dt231s
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PhoenixClaw: Yes. You will almost certainly notice more bass and more details from the A700, because they isolate much more effectively than the DT231.

 

 
The A700 should be fine unamped. Just as a head's up, i didn't find Heavy metal to work to well with the A700's. I felt that the Mids were recessed, so the guitars wouldn't shine, and i found the tone overly bright. 
 

 

[R-Audiohead]

Quote:

I will be commuting a bit with these headphones, and will be using in my residence as well. I will be using my Android phone to run them, and my laptop. So the requirements become a bit of a hassle.
 
What I am looking for;
 
1 - Good/great sound quality
2 - To be used by a portable media player (smartphone), so the phones should not need an amp
3 - Must keep the sound in mostly, and not open up to outside too much (do not want to disturb people)
4 - Must be light, and in decent size (If the actual pads are the same or similar size to Bose AE2 it would be great). I do not want a 1lb brick to carry on my head. Maybe up to 8-9oz, 250gr.
5 - Price up to $200
6 - I do not like Made in China stuff, and do not find value in paying $200 for stuff that is made using $1 labor... So I would prefer made elsewhere. Of course the cheaper it gets, the more I don't care where it is made. But if the quality, sound, comfort all there, I will let myself accept the phones no matter where they are made in.
7 - I listen to all kinds of music, mostly classic rock, hard-rock, 80's metal, house/underground, brit pop, top 40... and anything else I feel like. These will be at times used for watching movies etc. I do not want a boombox, with massive amounts of base, a good clean base with good amounts of it. I am for the quality over quantity when it comes to base.
8 - No i do not want in-ear, in-canal phones.
 
Am I asking too much?
 
Well that is why I am here.
To get opinions from you guys.
 
Thanks for all the inputs.

Personally, the new Sennheiser PX 360 has me intrigued.  I have been looking to possibly upgrade my current portable headphones (Senn HD 448), despite having a huge softspot for them.  Either can is easy to drive, and are something to consider.  The 448 is SO much for only $100, and the PX 360 will run you about $170. Not much is really known about the PX 360 seeing as I only know of one head-fier which owns them.  If they resemble Senn sound, they should be quite detailed, laid back, and bass-light (but accurate).
 
I've been so close to pulling the trigger..
 
My impression of the Senn HD 448: http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd448-around-the-ear-headphones/reviews#4486

 

[slapshot30]

The ATH M50's are very nice. They are known for their bass but they do not have too much of it in my opinion. If you want any bass at all though I would not suggest getting the senn hd448's. They are so bass light I had to return them. But other than that they are well balanced and great headphones.

 
Quote:

I will be commuting a bit with these headphones, and will be using in my residence as well. I will be using my Android phone to run them, and my laptop. So the requirements become a bit of a hassle.
 
What I am looking for;
 
1 - Good/great sound quality
2 - To be used by a portable media player (smartphone), so the phones should not need an amp
3 - Must keep the sound in mostly, and not open up to outside too much (do not want to disturb people)
4 - Must be light, and in decent size (If the actual pads are the same or similar size to Bose AE2 it would be great). I do not want a 1lb brick to carry on my head. Maybe up to 8-9oz, 250gr.
5 - Price up to $200
6 - I do not like Made in China stuff, and do not find value in paying $200 for stuff that is made using $1 labor... So I would prefer made elsewhere. Of course the cheaper it gets, the more I don't care where it is made. But if the quality, sound, comfort all there, I will let myself accept the phones no matter where they are made in.
7 - I listen to all kinds of music, mostly classic rock, hard-rock, 80's metal, house/underground, brit pop, top 40... and anything else I feel like. These will be at times used for watching movies etc. I do not want a boombox, with massive amounts of base, a good clean base with good amounts of it. I am for the quality over quantity when it comes to base.
8 - No i do not want in-ear, in-canal phones.
 
Am I asking too much?
 
Well that is why I am here.
To get opinions from you guys.
 
Thanks for all the inputs.

 

[Trollzama-V6]

Hello everyone.
 
I've been looking for headphones for a while, and I recently stumbled upon Audio Technica ATH-M35s. I recently ordered them. Would they be good for my tastes?
 
I listen to Rock, Alternative, Orchestral, and Pop, in that order. My sources are my Compaq Pressario CQ-61 (With IDT Audio Codec) and my BlackBerry Pearl 8130, both unamped.
 
Did I make the right choice?

 

[Eric_C]

Trollzama-V6: they should be fine unamped, and for the genres you listed (except for orchestral. I don't know how they perform with orchestral). What headphones were you using before this?

 

[choji1212]

Ok. So im in a dilemma once again. Which headphone should i get? I listen to electric music/ pop/ HOUSE/ some classic rock/ lounge and etc. yeah pretty much everything.
 
so here are the headphones im deliberating on. Kicker 09HP541 DJ Style Over-the-Ear Stereo Headphone [size=1.1em]KOSS UR55 Studio Pulse Stereo Headphone[/size]

 

[Dhoodle]

 hi forum,

I am after my first set of proper headphones, after getting sick of crap in ears.

I am an Australian in the US at the moment, so my budget is $200US

I will be using them mostly traveling to and from work. So a closed headphone would be ideal.

I have seen a lot of headphones with 3m cables, but this will not be ideal when traveling. I see many suggestions for the Shure SRH-440, but the cord is way too long. Is there ways to get a smaller cable?

I listen to a lot of genres, and am looking for a jack of all trades. I am not a total Audiophile (and my wallet thanks me for that) but I do want a good sounding set of cans.

I do not like the feel of on ear headphones. An iPhone 4 will be driving the headphones.

Also, I will be in San Fran for the next few days, and was wondering if there was a store where I can check out (listen) to the headphones... I have been to Best Buys etc, but they only have Bose and Beats stands...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,
dhoodle

 

[R-Audiohead]

Quote:

 hi forum,

I am after my first set of proper headphones, after getting sick of crap in ears.

I am an Australian in the US at the moment, so my budget is $200US

I will be using them mostly traveling to and from work. So a closed headphone would be ideal.

I have seen a lot of headphones with 3m cables, but this will not be ideal when traveling. I see many suggestions for the Shure SRH-440, but the cord is way too long. Is there ways to get a smaller cable?

I listen to a lot of genres, and am looking for a jack of all trades. I am not a total Audiophile (and my wallet thanks me for that) but I do want a good sounding set of cans.

I do not like the feel of on ear headphones. An iPhone 4 will be driving the headphones.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,
dhoodle

Senn HD 448... don't let the price fool you.  That is, unless you cherish bass - then need not apply.
My Thoughts: http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd448-around-the-ear-headphones/reviews#4486

 

[ZetsuBozu0012]

Okay, I know that this is a REALLY old discussion, but I'm down to choosing between the Grado SR80i's and the Alessandro MS-1i's (mostly for portable use).
 
 
I enjoy listening to classic and modern rock, pop, classical, *some* jazz, techno, and R&B. Portability's not much of an issue, since I realize that the both of 'em aren't exactly IEMs 

I'm just wondering which of them has the better sound stage, and are more comfortable. I prefer the looks of the Grados (the button means a lot to me XD), though the Alessandros are slightly cheaper. Not sure between the "punchier"-ness of the Grados, or the neutrality (do they sound THAT boring?) of the Alessandros. 
 
I may also get a pair of closed-backs. In that case, I'm down between the A-T PRO700MK2 (No reviews on it yet... Why won't anyone order a pair from Japan?! 

), and the DNHP1000. 
 
Seriously... No one gonna try and get a pair of PRO700-MK2s? Though the only reason I prefer them over the M50s is 'cuz they come with two detachable cables (a long one for home use and a short one for portable use). 

 

[peterb21]

[size=medium]I wonder if you can help me.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I currently have some Grado 225s and find that I am getting that distortion type noise when listening to music with quite a deep bass textured sound. My source is either a reasonable quality CD player and amp, or an Ipod. I want to get some new headphones that can cope with this kind of music. The Grados are great for acoustic and most other types of music, just not this kind of bass heavy ambient drone that I quite like at the moment![/size]
 
[size=medium]So what headphones would be suitable for using with an Ipod as well as a Hi-Fi set up, and have a strong bass response and give a warm sound?[/size]
 
[size=medium]Price wise I am looking at around £150 or $250[/size]
 
[size=medium]Thanks for any ideas! [/size]