++ FULL-SIZE HEADPHONE RECOMMENDATIONS THREAD++ CLOSED: Please post a thread in the Introductions, Help and Advice forum
May 11, 2011 at 6:30 PM Post #3,886 of 29,490
Hi, I'm kind of new to headphones. I currently own MEE electronics m6's and think they sound good, but sometimes I need to hear what's going on around me. I enjoy heavy bass and often listen to hip-hop, rap and dance remixes.
 
I've narrowed my choices to:
 
Superlux HD681
Sony MDR-XB500
Sony MDR-XB700
AKG 240
Beats by Dre Studio
 
My budget is about $150 and I would prefer to keep the costs as low as possible as I have to save for school next year.
 
May 11, 2011 at 7:34 PM Post #3,887 of 29,490

 
Quote:
Hi, so I'm trying to decide between two sets of cans that are sold near me. The first set are the ATHAD700's currently they're 150$. The other set are the ATHM50's, these on the other hand are 180$.
Can anyone comment on which they prefer? Or which is a better buy considering the prices, or if anyone wants to recommend a different pair of cans altogether I'm open to that, my budget is 180$(+shipping) max, I'm in Canada so it has to be able to ship here. Thanks for any help.


Well The AD700 is a very large open design with great soundstage and a midrange focused sound. The M50 is a closed semi-portable with good bass & highs but meh for mids and soundstage. Decide based on your requirements and what kind of sound you're looking for.
 
Buying in Canada really sucks for prices. Here's a list of retailers I've been working on: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/548624/listing-canadian-companies-retailers
 

 
Quote:
Quote:
Your best isolation choices are the DT770 and HD380. For travel purposes, the HD380 can fold up and come with a case. They are also easier to drive than the DT770, so overall I think the Sennheiser is your best choice.
 


Ive read reviews of all the phones and the Shures along with the M50 come forward as 'better' bass wise. Portability isnt a big issue. What are your thoughts on the Shures?


I really liked the sound of the 840. Strong bass without losing the mids, good isolation, but a bit iffy for comfort depending on your head shape since it places all its weight at the top of your head. The M50 has a slightly recessed midrange, a punchier and brighter sound, but does not isolate as well as the 840. Neither of these isolates as well as the DT770 or HD380.
 
I've got a review of the M50/840/Q40 in my profile if you want to see some comparisons.
 

 
Quote:
Hi, I'm kind of new to headphones. I currently own MEE electronics m6's and think they sound good, but sometimes I need to hear what's going on around me. I enjoy heavy bass and often listen to hip-hop, rap and dance remixes.
 
I've narrowed my choices to:
 
Superlux HD681
Sony MDR-XB500
Sony MDR-XB700
AKG 240
Beats by Dre Studio
 
My budget is about $150 and I would prefer to keep the costs as low as possible as I have to save for school next year.


The Superlux headphones have been getting a lot of press, but I haven't heard them myself. The Sony XB series are becoming a staple for bass heavy headphones though, so you can't really go wrong there. Skip the K240 and Beats; the former will not be bassy enough for you, and the latter is stupid expensive.
 
 
May 11, 2011 at 7:50 PM Post #3,888 of 29,490
I haven't heard the XB700, but I recently bought a refurbed XB500 for $20.  I'm not a bass head and I really bought it just for the pads.  It does have an amazing amount of bass, that extends lower than any other headphone I own.   The bass does mask the mid range some which isn't good for me, but should be fine for bass heads.  It's a decent headphone and well worth the $20 I paid at geeks.com (now $33).  They're worth $50 for a new one for bass heads.  If there's a Sony Style store near where you live, you can most likely audition both the XB500 and XB700 there.
 
The XB500's earpads are kind of small and are just about the same size as my ears.  That can get a little uncomfortable.  I also recently bought XB700 pads to put on another pair of headphones, and they are bigger and very comfortable.  It's like having 2 pillows on your head.
 
May 11, 2011 at 10:30 PM Post #3,889 of 29,490
Follow up question....is there anything recommended over the HFI 580 for rock/alternative/a little jazz type music in the same price range?  The 580s seem to be good but I've heard that the mids aren't the greatest because it has so much bass?  I'm looking for a balanced sound, not all bass.  If it matters, I'll be using an E7 with whatever I end up with.  
 
Thanks
 
May 11, 2011 at 11:29 PM Post #3,890 of 29,490
I really like the Grado sound, so I am biased (as is everybody of course to one extent or another). I listen to plenty of rock/alternative plus jazz and artists like Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, Thievery Corporation. My SR225s are very enjoyable and offer what I find to be engaging and dynamic sound. ALL speakers are coloured (the laws of physics ensure that), and what is coloured depends on the persons taste to no small extent. Speakers are artifical devices, you will always have some trade-off with any design. For me, I actually think the Grados are very nice and do an excellent job at more than just rock, but that is just an opinion, nothing more, nothing less.
 
Based on what you said (FlyBPR) I would at least audition a pair of 225s. Do you have a dealer anywhere near you?
 
May 12, 2011 at 1:33 AM Post #3,892 of 29,490


Quote:
 

Well The AD700 is a very large open design with great soundstage and a midrange focused sound. The M50 is a closed semi-portable with good bass & highs but meh for mids and soundstage. Decide based on your requirements and what kind of sound you're looking for.
 
Buying in Canada really sucks for prices. Here's a list of retailers I've been working on: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/548624/listing-canadian-companies-retailers
 

 
 
 

Alright thank you for the info and that list is pretty helpful. I plan on using these with an Ipod and im listening mainly to indie rock, post-rock and folk. Does anyone have any other recommendations for cans for that type of music? 200$ max.
 
 
 
May 12, 2011 at 4:06 AM Post #3,893 of 29,490
Hey all, my tax refund is in and I'm looking to finally upgrade from my HD595s. My only real headphone experience is with Sennheiser (different entry-level models) and I've always been pleased with their sound, but I'd like to branch out and after reading a lot of reviews around here I'm leaning in favor of K701s instead of the HD600s. I feel like I might be overlooking a really great pair of headphones, however, so I'd love some input from people more in the know. 
 
These will be exclusively for music listening at home for extended periods, so portability and isolation are nice but nonessential. I listen to FLAC or V0 on my Macbook, currently without an amp though I plan to get (a hopefully inexpensive) one once I decide on the cans. I mostly listen to folk, acoustic, bluegrass, classical, and "indie" rock, nothing heavier than Led Zeppelin. I occasionally listen to electronic music, but not house or dubstep or anything bass-heavy. 
 
I'n hoping to buy used in the $250 range, so please keep suggestions within the $350 (retail) ballpark. All opinions greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
 
May 12, 2011 at 4:16 AM Post #3,894 of 29,490
I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones in the $200-$300ish range.
 
 
A few weeks ago I purchased some m50's as my first set of cams.  Its already time to upgrade.  I have a fiio e7 coming in the mail and some Shure 840 Replacement Ear pads for my m50's but I want a nicer sounding set of cams that are very plush on the ears as ill be wearing them for 6-8 hour shifts at work, 5 days a week.  (I think my right ear has a ear infection going on with it right now, maybe due to the moisture buildup with the closed back m50's .)

 

Id like a pair of that would sound really good with Sonic Youth's - Murray Street cd

 

My only concern with open air headphones is will the guy in the cubicle 5ft away hear what im listening to?  also the office can get pretty noise with keyboard smashing.

 

I guess I should throw in that my current mp3 player is a ipod touch 3rd gen.

 

Any recommendations?

Thanks

 
May 12, 2011 at 4:25 AM Post #3,895 of 29,490


Quote:
I've heard the 5LEs and the 6s. The 4s are supposed to be exactly the same as the 5LEs except less efficient because they have fewer magnets in them though I don't know how this holds up sound wise.  They're both a little bright for my tastes (I'd go for the LCD-2 if I could get much use out of an open 'phone), but I'm pretty sensitive to treble.  They're hardly ear piercers like the Beyer DT990s or something though.  I've come to like Orthos because they have speed, extension, and smoothness that doesn't sacrifice any detail.  IMO, only a few dynamic 'phones really compete (or might if I got further listening) with orthos in those departments.
 
A few people come away with a completely different impression though.  They don't just not find them to their tastes, which is reasonable and easily understandable, but describe their sound completely differently than most people so they aren't exactly a sure thing.
 
For genre bandwidth, I can really only speak to my more preferred genres lest I sound like a pompous "classical snob" who complains about things I don't know much about.  They are fast, detailed, transparent, and have very good tonality which should make them good with that but I couldn't say for sure since I don't listen to a ton.  Those traits do make them great with metal though.  Death metal blast beats aren't muddied, the occasional synth, keyboard, piano, or pan flute will come through unmolested by the heaviest guitars,  solo shreds retain all their detail, and operatic female vocals are lush and ephemeral without smoothing over any harshness from growls and screams.  For electronica, all of the new ones seem to go low enough for deepest synthesized notes along with good imaging and phase coherency for the sort of crazy effects that move all over the place.


I'm still thinking I might want to go with a more mainstream option than orthodynamics, but how deep are the earpads on the HE-4's and the like?  My A900's are only just deep enough for my ears, and for reference I think this property is about the same among all of AT's 3D wing headphones... or are some of the ear pads different?  Point is, I don't want my ears being compressed.  
 
If I get cold feet on these orthos I'll probably go with some Senn HD598's.  I'm not looking for something as diametrically opposed as the DT 990, just not exactly the same.  
 
May 12, 2011 at 8:16 AM Post #3,896 of 29,490
Hi,
 
I'm looking for good full-size wired headphones in the 40-70€ price range. I need them for general usage (music, gaming, movies). Most important things are 1) comfortable to wear for longer periods 2) sound quality. A volume control would be nice. Either open or closed phones are fine. Until now I've used Vivanco SR222s and found its sound quality just fine.
 
Any ideas? I've been looking at Sennheiser HD201 and Steelseries Siberia v2, are they any good?
 
May 12, 2011 at 11:56 AM Post #3,897 of 29,490


Quote:
Hey all, my tax refund is in and I'm looking to finally upgrade from my HD595s. My only real headphone experience is with Sennheiser (different entry-level models) and I've always been pleased with their sound, but I'd like to branch out and after reading a lot of reviews around here I'm leaning in favor of K701s instead of the HD600s. I feel like I might be overlooking a really great pair of headphones, however, so I'd love some input from people more in the know. 
 
These will be exclusively for music listening at home for extended periods, so portability and isolation are nice but nonessential. I listen to FLAC or V0 on my Macbook, currently without an amp though I plan to get (a hopefully inexpensive) one once I decide on the cans. I mostly listen to folk, acoustic, bluegrass, classical, and "indie" rock, nothing heavier than Led Zeppelin. I occasionally listen to electronic music, but not house or dubstep or anything bass-heavy. 
 
I'n hoping to buy used in the $250 range, so please keep suggestions within the $350 (retail) ballpark. All opinions greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!


I'd stay away from the K701.  They're a bit picky with amps and some find them uncomfortable.  Personally, I prefer the K601 to the K701 as well.  One caveat is that I've only heard the K701 at meets which is not the best environment for such an open headphone.
 


Quote:
I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones in the $200-$300ish range.
 
 
A few weeks ago I purchased some m50's as my first set of cams.  Its already time to upgrade.  I have a fiio e7 coming in the mail and some Shure 840 Replacement Ear pads for my m50's but I want a nicer sounding set of cams that are very plush on the ears as ill be wearing them for 6-8 hour shifts at work, 5 days a week.  (I think my right ear has a ear infection going on with it right now, maybe due to the moisture buildup with the closed back m50's .)
 
Id like a pair of that would sound really good with Sonic Youth's - Murray Street cd
 
My only concern with open air headphones is will the guy in the cubicle 5ft away hear what im listening to?  also the office can get pretty noise with keyboard smashing.
 
I guess I should throw in that my current mp3 player is a ipod touch 3rd gen.
 
Any recommendations?
Thanks


I agree that open headphone aren't ideal in a cubicle.  I listen at low enough volumes that my music won't disturb anyone else but they don't provide any isolation from background noise.  I don't really have a recommendation beyond that though because I'm not that familiar with closed headphones that are comfortable for 6-8 hours.  The only one I own that fits the bill is a vintage Fostex ortho that's hard to find.  I'm also not familiar with Sonic Youth. 
 
 
May 12, 2011 at 1:25 PM Post #3,898 of 29,490


Quote:
Hey all, my tax refund is in and I'm looking to finally upgrade from my HD595s. My only real headphone experience is with Sennheiser (different entry-level models) and I've always been pleased with their sound, but I'd like to branch out and after reading a lot of reviews around here I'm leaning in favor of K701s instead of the HD600s. I feel like I might be overlooking a really great pair of headphones, however, so I'd love some input from people more in the know. 
 
These will be exclusively for music listening at home for extended periods, so portability and isolation are nice but nonessential. I listen to FLAC or V0 on my Macbook, currently without an amp though I plan to get (a hopefully inexpensive) one once I decide on the cans. I mostly listen to folk, acoustic, bluegrass, classical, and "indie" rock, nothing heavier than Led Zeppelin. I occasionally listen to electronic music, but not house or dubstep or anything bass-heavy. 
 
I'n hoping to buy used in the $250 range, so please keep suggestions within the $350 (retail) ballpark. All opinions greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!


I find all the higher level Senns tend to have similar sounds. For the sake of getting something different, I would go with the K701. Skip the fancy amps and just plug them into a home receiver. The nice thing about headphones is that it is fairly easy to simply switch to a different set for a change in sound, whereas with speakers it's a bit more work.
 
You should be able to find a used K701 for $200 or so. Another option to look into (if you don't mind closed) would be a Denon D2000/5000. I've seen a couple of those on the sale forum recently as well.
 

 
Quote:
I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones in the $200-$300ish range.
 
 
A few weeks ago I purchased some m50's as my first set of cams.  Its already time to upgrade.  I have a fiio e7 coming in the mail and some Shure 840 Replacement Ear pads for my m50's but I want a nicer sounding set of cams that are very plush on the ears as ill be wearing them for 6-8 hour shifts at work, 5 days a week.  (I think my right ear has a ear infection going on with it right now, maybe due to the moisture buildup with the closed back m50's .)
 
Id like a pair of that would sound really good with Sonic Youth's - Murray Street cd
 
My only concern with open air headphones is will the guy in the cubicle 5ft away hear what im listening to?  also the office can get pretty noise with keyboard smashing.
 
I guess I should throw in that my current mp3 player is a ipod touch 3rd gen.
 
Any recommendations?
Thanks


If sweat buildup is becoming a problem, I would suggest that you stay away from full sized and stick to leather/pleather earpads which will be easier to clean and more sanitary. I've read of some people who even go so far as to put dustcovers over their earpads, partly to keep them clean and sweat free, and partly to change the sound.
 
For comfort and isolation in a supraaural set, the B&W P5 is excellent, although it tops out your budget.
 

 
Quote:
Hi,
 
I'm looking for good full-size wired headphones in the 40-70€ price range. I need them for general usage (music, gaming, movies). Most important things are 1) comfortable to wear for longer periods 2) sound quality. A volume control would be nice. Either open or closed phones are fine. Until now I've used Vivanco SR222s and found its sound quality just fine.
 
Any ideas? I've been looking at Sennheiser HD201 and Steelseries Siberia v2, are they any good?


Skip the Siberia.
 
If you're looking at the HD201, go a step up to the HD428. For open, consider the 515 or 555 (which can be modded to the 595 very easily.)
 
 
May 12, 2011 at 5:54 PM Post #3,900 of 29,490
Background information:
- I listen to everything from dubstep to rock, from trance to pop.
- Currently use a pair of Grado SR225i's modded with 2" Cocobolo cups
- Source is Creative Titanium HD/computer, no amp (Creative says it can handle up to 330ohms)

1)  I'm looking for a pair of closed cans to complement my Grados.  I've been looking at the Sennheiser HD-25 II. Are there any headphones that would better complement the Grados?  Budget is $200ish.  I figure since I'm not going to be using an amp the HD-25 II would be perfect since they are 80ohm and highly recommended for dubstep/drum and bass.

2)  I'm also looking for some in-ear phones or earbuds to use when working out/running.  Source is iPod Shuffle 2g + Fiio e5 amp. I'm currently using Shure e2c's but they are crapping out ( http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/553526/shure-e2c-problems#post_7463795 ).  Budget is $100 but cheaper would be better.  Comfort and durability being more important than sound quality.  I have no idea what would be some good alternatives.

 
 

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