[Armaegis]

Quote:

Oops, posted this in a new thread before noticing this one...

Hi all, first post here but I've been lurking for a while...

 

I currently own PortaPros and a pair of Senn HD320s.  I'm looking to upgrade, but have no real idea what I should be looking at.

My music taste is varied, but mainly classic rock and drum & bass, so I want something which has deep bass without being overpowering.  My ears tend to tire quite quickly if headphones are overly bright, but anything with no top end will just sound dull and uninteresting.  I guess I'm looking for something which has a fairly flat frequency response.

 

I have a QED MB45 headphone amp; I've replaced all its caps with proper audio-quality components and it now has a "proper" (not switched-mode) regulated PSU.

 

I'm in the UK, my budget is about £300 - I can just about get the Grado SR325is for this.  I like the look of Grados, but reviews seem to imply their soundstage is limited and they do mid/highs better than bass.

 

Relatedly, I'm a part-time live sound technician and am also looking for a pair of closed-back headphones for monitoring purposes - my colleagues have the Sennheiser HD25-ii and I'll probably also get a pair, unless anyone has a huge reason for me not to.

 

Thanks for any help!

If you do not like headphones that are bright, the Grado 325 is a terrible choice. Grados have a great soundstage, but are characteristically bright and the 325 is the brightest in the family.
 
Some random suggestions: Phiaton PS 500 and Beyerdynamic DT770
 
For sound tech, one of your main requirements is isolation. Most DJ headphones work well in this regard, as do a few studio headphones. The Beyer DT770 I mentioned above is good and has excellent isolation, but is not portable at all. The HD25-1-ii is very popular and deservedly so. The Sennheiser HD280 is also a standard in this realm and is perhaps the king of passive isolation.
 


Quote:

Hey people, first time poster here;
 
Ive been looking at getting me some new phones (my old audio technica es7's were stolen...) and im pretty enarmoured to audio technica, though open to ideas.  Ive been looking towards the ATH-M50 or the ATH-OR7.  I know what people are likely to say about that setup.  M50s are pretty popular...  has anyone tried OR7's? 
There dont seem to be any reviews about, even after a search on here.  Is there any real reason to try them? 
Is there something else in the £100 price range i should know about?
I do hear that the bass overwhelms the mid and high range on the M50's a bit.  Sounds lake a poor trade off to me, but is there any real reason to worry?
 
 
I listen to a pretty eclectic range of music, from 8-bit to folk, mostly via indie-rock, electro, brit pop.  Oh and comfort is a pretty big issue to me.
 
Cheers!

I'm not sure I've ever seen the OR7 mentioned on these forums... your best bet is to buy them and write a review for us

 
The Audio Technica line are a pretty safe bet and they share similar characteristics of being slightly airy with a great midrange which meshes particularly well with vocals. The exception is the M50 which I consider the black sheep of the family with it's emphasized bass and highs. I am personally not a fan, but begrudgingly admit that it suits particular genres well.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Never heard ath-or7.  Rule of thumb is that any headphones that don't get mentioned a lot on head-fi is usually not that great.
 

Only partly true because lots of things get hyped up, then hype builds itself, and people act like parrots and make recommendations without ever having heard the product.
 
There are plenty of headphones (and amps) that don't get much notice on the forums because they simply didn't have a big name reviewer put up pretty pictures. Regional availability also skews things.

 

[excelsior]

i need help deciding new headphone
i own akg 412p now but i want to buy something new
especially in term of sound signature

after reading from joker thread, im interested in akg 430, beyer 235, n numark phx pro
i will cross out akg since i decide to try other brand

i need comfort headphone preferably closed n can be used directly from clip+ rb
havent decided to buy amp or not
i like to listen to various kind of music

so now the candidates are beyer dt 235 and numark PHX( is it the same with PHX pro??)
which one u recommend for rock and jazz listening??
or do you have better recommendation??full size is OK as long as they are easy to drive(budget around $60 or 50euro)
but no grado n ATH as those hard to find in german

thanx

 

[Owlface]

Hey guys, first time poster here! I'm stepping up from a pair of SRH 440s, mainly due to the fact that they aren't the most comfortable for my big head. I've been looking at picking up the AD-900 or the AD-1000. Looking around head-fi, it seems people avoid both like the plague. Most either go for the cheaper AD-700, skip straight to the 2000, or avoid ATH altogether. I'm mainly trying to decide between these two due to the fact that I currently run an Essence STX on my computer. I don't currently have, or have plans in the near future, to buy a dedicated amp or anything like that. As such, I have been restricting my search to headphones that are easy to drive, which the AD-700/900/1000 all seem to fit. 
 
I managed to find one review by user MomijiTMO and have found a few on Amazon concerning the AD-1000. Feedback seems to be consistent in that the clarity is quite good, and the bass, while present, is a bit on the light side. The local store here allowed me to try the AD-1000, which I found to be extremely comfy + clear, though they weren't burnt in. I plan on having another listen tomorrow when they open up again. Unfortunately, they don't have the AD-900 in store for me to try, despite being able to help me order a pair. 
 
Has anyone actually used these and can provide some further insight on whether one is more preferred over the other? 

Thanks! 

 

[olor1n]

Quote:

Denon D2000 - there is a good offer on right now.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/505970/the-deals-thread/330
 
 

1. Electronics Expo is carrying this Headphones for $348.00
2. Apply $141.76 off Exclusive coupon code "edealinfosave" on it (Limited Time)
3. Shipping cost on this item is $9.99
4. Final Price: $348.00 - $141.76 + $9.99 = $216.23 Shipped

I would have so pulled the trigger on that if they shipped to Australia.
 

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

Hey guys, first time poster here! I'm stepping up from a pair of SRH 440s, mainly due to the fact that they aren't the most comfortable for my big head. I've been looking at picking up the AD-900 or the AD-1000. Looking around head-fi, it seems people avoid both like the plague. Most either go for the cheaper AD-700, skip straight to the 2000, or avoid ATH altogether. I'm mainly trying to decide between these two due to the fact that I currently run an Essence STX on my computer. I don't currently have, or have plans in the near future, to buy a dedicated amp or anything like that. As such, I have been restricting my search to headphones that are easy to drive, which the AD-700/900/1000 all seem to fit. 
 
I managed to find one review by user MomijiTMO and have found a few on Amazon concerning the AD-1000. Feedback seems to be consistent in that the clarity is quite good, and the bass, while present, is a bit on the light side. The local store here allowed me to try the AD-1000, which I found to be extremely comfy + clear, though they weren't burnt in. I plan on having another listen tomorrow when they open up again. Unfortunately, they don't have the AD-900 in store for me to try, despite being able to help me order a pair. 
 
Has anyone actually used these and can provide some further insight on whether one is more preferred over the other? 

Thanks! 

Interesting question - was faced with same dilemma last week.  Haven't tried the AD-1000.  Did try both AD-700 and AD-900 last week.  Spent about 1/2 an hour with my own source (Ipod Touch G4 + LOD + Fiio E7) at J&R deciding between the two of them.  In the end I bought the 700's.  Main reasons:
 - price / value (I just couldn't justify the diff in price between the two)
 - SQ -> difference to me was mainly in the bass, and with my set-up, I can either use the Fiio's bass boost or EQ using the Touch EQ apps, to achieve same/similar as AD-900 (to my ears).
 
To be honest, after listening to the AD-700 for most of the past week, I'm getting more and  more impressed with them.  They don't have the bass punch of my SRH 840's, but the bass is there, and it can be extended using the Fiio / EQ.
 
An option may be to look at getting the E7 + the AD-700 (combo would be similar to the AD-900 price).  Then you get the benefit of a reasonable quality DAC/amp if you want to upscale your cans at any stage.  You definitely don't need an amp for the AD-700's - but I'm enjoying the combo at the moment.
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

I was ready as soon as I saw it...But I guess they were out of stock already. No 'Add to Cart' button. ;~;
 
Quote:

I would have so pulled the trigger on that if they shipped to Australia.
 

 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

i need help deciding new headphone
i own akg 412p now but i want to buy something new
especially in term of sound signature

after reading from joker thread, im interested in akg 430, beyer 235, n numark phx pro
i will cross out akg since i decide to try other brand

i need comfort headphone preferably closed n can be used directly from clip+ rb
havent decided to buy amp or not
i like to listen to various kind of music

so now the candidates are beyer dt 235 and numark PHX( is it the same with PHX pro??)
which one u recommend for rock and jazz listening??

or do you have better recommendation??full size is OK as long as they are easy to drive(budget around $60 or 50euro)
but no grado n ATH as those hard to find in german

thanx

I mirror Joker's thoughts that the 235 is your safer bet.
 

 

[Ratchet]

 
Quote:

1) I vastly prefer the ESW9 for anything vocal.
2) The Beyers are decent all-rounders, although personally I am not a fan of their sound signature and their mids feel recessed to me. The Denons are good performers as well and have a laid back sound; though suffer from poor isolation which gives an odd frequency response at times (which is why I always recommend the jmoney earpad upgrade)
3) Both are semi-open, the 990 moreso than the 880. I found the 990s to be more shrill up top.
4) Absolutely. Headfiers in general grossly exaggerate how much power is needed to drive a headphone.
5) Yes, but it isn't a priority. The ESW9 are particularly easy to drive.
6) My favourite headphones are still a vintage pair of AKG K240 Sextetts (MP)

 
Thank you very much, kind sir. I decided to order the ESW9s and I think I'll wait until I get those before making a decision on any others, although the Denons keep looking better and better.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Tell me what you think about the ESW9s. I'm planning on picking up a pair for a costume later this year, but I've been wanting some for awhile now.
 
Quote:

 
 
Thank you very much, kind sir. I decided to order the ESW9s and I think I'll wait until I get those before making a decision on any others, although the Denons keep looking better and better.

 

 

[Mauzer]

Yesterday my headphones (HD485's) died, so now I'm looking to buy new ones and some help would be appreciated.
 
I'll be using them mostly for movies. I'll plug it straight in the TV or PC since i don't have an amp (yet), besides an E5, but I may get one in the future. I do own SRH440's, but I don't find them to be that comfy for long use.
 
After reading a couple threads here I got my eye on either the DT770Pro/80 or 250, or the DT990Pro/250. Also the HD595 and AD700 seem interesting. I can get either one of these for a bit under €150,-
Any other suggestions would be welcome though, as long as it's about the same price range.

 

[MorbidToaster]

The Beyer cans are good choices, but the problem will be driving them. You can't get a set of 250 Ohm cans without an amp. Even the 80 Ohm version might be a hard drive depending on your source.
 
EDIT: A lot of those options are open (which you probably realize), but just making sure you don't have to worry about sound leakage.
 
Quote:

Yesterday my headphones (HD485's) died, so now I'm looking to buy new ones and some help would be appreciated.
 
I'll be using them mostly for movies. I'll plug it straight in the TV or PC since i don't have an amp (yet), besides an E5, but I may get one in the future. I do own SRH440's, but I don't find them to be that comfy for long use.
 
After reading a couple threads here I got my eye on either the DT770Pro/80 or 250, or the DT990Pro/250. Also the HD595 and AD700 seem interesting. I can get either one of these for a bit under €150,-
Any other suggestions would be welcome though, as long as it's about the same price range.

 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

The Beyer cans are good choices, but the problem will be driving them. You can't get a set of 250 Ohm cans without an amp. Even the 80 Ohm version might be a hard drive depending on your source.
 
EDIT: A lot of those options are open (which you probably realize), but just making sure you don't have to worry about sound leakage.
 

 
Well you *can* drive them, but you may not be able to drive them very loud. If you have a home receiver, you can plug straight into that and you will be just fine.
 
For the prices you gave, the Beyers are probably your best value. The AD700 and HD585 should be at least half that.

 

[KakZ]

 
I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 408. 

But wasnt too happy with the sound ( I like a perfect mix the lows mids and highs), by pluging them directly into the iPod Classic.

So invested in a Headphone amp (FIIO E7).

But now the problem is the bass sounds too synthetic and very un-appealing, on the HD408.

SO I'm planning on getting new Headphones.

Initially was planning to get the HD448s but then a friend of mine told me to research the net before getting them, so I stumbled upon this forum.'

 

So could anyone please recommend me good (closed) headphones, that would go well with the Ipod Classic + Fiio E7, within the price range of about 80 - 90 dollars (4,500 rupees)

Thanks. 

 

 

[Armaegis]

The 448 is a solid headphone. If you want a little more bass in exchange for uppermid detail, go with the 438. If you don't mind supraaural/portable, the 228 is also quite nice and super comfortable.