[skivbly]

 

Hey guys, so I've been lurking around the forums since I started looking for new full-size headphones, and I've pretty much narrowed it down to these 4. However, I'm not quite sure as to which one would suit my needs more. I'm by no means an experienced audiophile. All my previous phones have been pretty heavy on the bass (cx-300-ii [RIP], Brainwavz pro alphas [RIP]), and I've been meaning to try out more analytical sounding balanced headphones. So yeah, my question is really which one of these would be better for a person new to analytical sounds?

 

Feel free to suggest others, though preferably not more than £50. I'm on a budget here Also, I tend to go through headphones quite fast hence, the unwillingness to splash on expensive ones, so durability would be a relevant factor. 

 

p.s. not sure if this is relevant but other headphones I have in my possession are the koss portapros and the Brainwavz M2 (yeah there is a pattern in how i pick my earphones )

p.p.s. I started another thread before i noticed this thread lol. So apologies for that

 

[Airw4ves]

So I'm currently looking for some new cans. I will be honest, I'm fairly new to the higher end headphone world, and in the past have spent a max of $100 on headphones so I do not have too much knowledge on differences between certain specs.  I have been searching the threads looking for some info regarding the 558's as they are the ones I am interested in...well until I began reading about the 598's which seem to be great, but there doesn't seem to be much info regarding them (558).  Now I remember the 555's being very similar to the 595 if you performed the foam removal mod.  I'm just curious if this still holds true to the new models or if it really is worth the money to jump up to the 598's.  I listen to mainly to rock, alternative, indie music with a bit of dance type stuff thrown in every once and awhile, but my main use of these will be for my PC gaming.  If anyone has used either of these or could recommend any others that might work for me, feel free to let me know.  Also, I am in Canada so if anyone knows of a place to find these, post away
Thanks again

 

[HiFidelity]

Hi All.
 
This place is a treasure trove of knowledge and good stuff. I love it. Big thanks to all your guys in advance firstly. I really am digging and feeling the passion and enthusiasm.
 
I'm in the market to a large full sized can to add to what I'm currently using. I've been using my Grado SR 325i for well over a 7 months now and keen on upgrading. 
 
I've taken a liking to the HiFiMan HE-5LE. I was also thinking about the AKG 702, purely based on soundstage and aesthetics. I listen to alot of different genres of music, mainly off computer audio. I am currently using the Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1 as a dedicated amp. I'm currently reading about how Planar Magnetic Headphones work. I'm still a novice when it comes to all the technicality of headphone selection. My price point is in the range of the HE-5LE. Would you guys be kind enough to point me in the right direction as to whether I'm making the right choice and any obvious question I should ask myself before splashing out?
 
Apologies if my questions are too general.
 
Cheers,
HiFidelity

 

[chaos68]

Hey guys, i've been lurking for a while here and thought i'd finally register and throw something up.  So here's what's what, I've currently got some HD-280's which have served me pretty well over the past years, but they're starting to get pretty worn out and i'm looking to upgrade. 
 
So far i'm looking to spend maybe around $400 for some new stuff.  I'm pretty sure i want a closed setup for the noise isolation, and they'll be used for everything from gaming to music.  For the moment i've been considering the DT 770's and Ultrasone pro 900, but i'd love to get some second opinions about other options.

 

[Emperor Jordan]

 
Quote:

So I'm currently looking for some new cans. I will be honest, I'm fairly new to the higher end headphone world, and in the past have spent a max of $100 on headphones so I do not have too much knowledge on differences between certain specs.  I have been searching the threads looking for some info regarding the 558's as they are the ones I am interested in...well until I began reading about the 598's which seem to be great, but there doesn't seem to be much info regarding them (558).  Now I remember the 555's being very similar to the 595 if you performed the foam removal mod.  I'm just curious if this still holds true to the new models or if it really is worth the money to jump up to the 598's.  I listen to mainly to rock, alternative, indie music with a bit of dance type stuff thrown in every once and awhile, but my main use of these will be for my PC gaming.  If anyone has used either of these or could recommend any others that might work for me, feel free to let me know.  Also, I am in Canada so if anyone knows of a place to find these, post away
Thanks again

 
Hey man, I think I can help you out a bit with your questions.  I live in Canada and I recently picked up a pair of 598's for music and competitive gaming and all I can say is that going from Astro A40's to these is absolutely mind blowing.  To my ears, there is nothing wrong with them.  My old A40's gave directional sound positioning which was great, but these do it better.  Not only can I hear (in an FPS game) where enemies are shooting and coming from, I can hear how far away they are (for the most part).  They are very, very accurate.
 
In terms of the old 555 to 595 mod with removing the foam, it has been proven that the same cannot be accomplished by attempting the trick on the 558's since the housing is actually quite a bit different on the 598's compared to the 558's.  If you don't mind the colour, I would *highly* suggest the 598's due to their outstanding gaming performance and comfort (did I mention the 1-inch thick soft leather headband and velour ear cups?  )
 
As for where to buy these guys... I don't think you can.  Unless you can find an audio specialist shop (very few around) I doubt it.  And even if you do your going to pay full retail ($350 - $370) for them.  I bought mine from head room for $240 which, to me, was a great deal since I cannot go the US route and get them for $199.
 
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/sennheiser-hd-598.php
 
Shipping was about $30-ish so they came to just around $270, tax-paid, duties paid, shipping paid.
 
I would say go for the 598's, it sounds like you've been reading some info on them due to your search for info on the 558's so I imagine you know that their good (and they are).  You will not be disappointed.
 
(Note:  For gaming I use the astro mixamp for dolby headphone to simulate 7.1 virtual surround sound.  I am unsure if this is necessary but probably something to look into if your getting into headphone gaming)
 
 

 

[krtzer]

Ok after a lot of research and elimination, I'm back with a narrowed focus, also I'm might get two headphones just because I don't think there is a jack of all trades for me because "metal" is a pretty broad genre and I really don't think one can recommend Grados every single time for every type (of metal). When I listen to music it's the guitars that hook me but the drums that keep me. (Typical list of bands I listen to section): Dillinger escape plan, Isis, Arcade Fire, Converge, Deftones, Discordance Axis, Enslaved, Agalloch, Katatonia, God Speed You, Pelican, Rosetta and I'm particularly fond of Phillip Glass. I think you get the idea. Here are the headphones I'm considering I've listened to all of these and like a lot about each of them, I've listen my grievance with each next to them:
 
Beyer DT-880/250
(Cymbals were in your face but I figure I could just drop the 8k Hz down in the equalizer and solve the problem.)
 
Senn HD 600
(They're not really good with faster music and don't have the aggression for converge)
 
Grado SR 225i
(I heard these straight out of the box and didn't think they sound that much different than the SR 60s, but then again they were right out of the box)
 
Hifiman HE-4
(Haven't had a chance to listen to these but I read they were a lot like an upgrade to the 880s. Amping is also an issue but it is garage sale season)
 
These are really pushing the budget and I have not had the chance to listen to:
 
RS1i
ATH-AD2000
 
Headphones I've listened to but did not like:
B&W P5
(If I'm going to spend 300 I'd rather go with the HD600, this just covered up too much of the music for me)
 
HD 650
(The veil was too much on this set, and the instrument didn't have the separation I was looking for. It was possible it was underpowered, but
 
Beyer DT-990/250
(while most people complain about the highs, there was too much bass for me to the point where it ruined the atmosphere of any song)
 
Denon D2000
(Guitars did not sound right on these, I'm not sure what was going on with them, but they just sounded wrong and not fun)
 
AKG 702
(Made everything seem very far away from itself. The music did not come together for me. Also, I did not like the bass.)
 
Again, I'm looking for solid metal/rock/classical headphone(s) with good details and a full bodied sound, which means well defined, impactful bass, which does not overwhelm, mids that glorify the growls/screeches, gives really nice definition and body to the guitars, and makes it sounds like the cymbals aren't in my face. I want everything it's right place. I do not want to move into balanced gear, I don't have that kind of money/skill. I'd prefer the phones to be open as well, this is for home use so I do need to hear when I'm being addressed. Price range is less than 600. I still need to buy/built an amp and dac. 

 

[classicRocker]

Please help me pick out new headphones!
 
All my life I have been listening to the awful ipod earbuds and 10 skullcandy in ear headphones. I've recently been buying new music and really getting into listening a TON, so I decided to invest a good amount of money into some decent headphones. The criteria for the phones is pretty simple:
 
My price range is mid-range about $100-150, maybe pushing $200 max. Many of my friends have Beats by Dre, and while they are very impressive, they break the bank AND aren't really suitable for my needs. I listen to classic rock, rock, metal, 70's rock and 80's pop the most, but I also listen to all kinds of others. 
 
I was looking at Bose AE2's, but then I saw how much they are bashed around like people hate 'em. I was kinda bummed because they are comfortably sitting in my price range and are VERY comfortable on the ears. I heard the sound quality wasnt that great, but considering I only listen to oldie's, I might pick them up anyways. What do you guys think? Could you recommend some other phones?

 

[classicRocker]

Quote:

Please help me pick out new headphones!
 
All my life I have been listening to the awful ipod earbuds and 10 skullcandy in ear headphones. I've recently been buying new music and really getting into listening a TON, so I decided to invest a good amount of money into some decent headphones. The criteria for the phones is pretty simple:
 
My price range is mid-range about $100-150, maybe pushing $200 max. Many of my friends have Beats by Dre, and while they are very impressive, they break the bank AND aren't really suitable for my needs. I listen to classic rock, rock, metal, 70's rock and 80's pop the most, but I also listen to all kinds of others. 
 
I was looking at Bose AE2's, but then I saw how much they are bashed around like people hate 'em. I was kinda bummed because they are comfortably sitting in my price range and are VERY comfortable on the ears. I heard the sound quality wasnt that great, but considering I only listen to oldie's, I might pick them up anyways. What do you guys think? Could you recommend some other phones?

Oh and I listen to all my music through my ipod touch.
 

 

[guitargeek]

I need advice! I am currently looking at Sennheiser HD201, HD202 and PX100-II. I am on a tight budget. I want to get something that's good for street use (i.e. stylish looking) and something that provides decent sound for the price I'm paying. Comfort is also a factor as I will be using them for long hours. Not expecting anything that's even close to audiophile quality but something meant for casual and fun listening. Which of the above 3 would you guys recommend? I'm open to other recommendations as well, just no headphones that look too dorky.
 
I listen to a wide genre of music: pop, rock, jazz, alternative, country etc. I have a lot of acoustic music too. Artists that I listen to: Lady Antebellum, John Mayer, Katy Perry, Cary Brothers, Matt Nathanson and others.

 

[Kudos]

Sorry if this is a bit unrelated, but if I plug the Fiio E7 through LOD from my iPod, does it bypass the iPod's DAC?

 

[singha]

No, it does not bypass the ipod's DAC. You will be using the E7 as purely an amplifier since the signal out of the ipod will be analog. Explained by better people than me here
 
 
Quote:

Sorry if this is a bit unrelated, but if I plug the Fiio E7 through LOD from my iPod, does it bypass the iPod's DAC?

 

 

[sleightofhand]

I am about to order the Grado SR325is, but I have one last question.
I really only listen to rock. Bands like Pearl Jam, Bush, and Wilco.
I love vocals and Sr325is' seem to be the right fit. 
However, the way their sound signature is described reminds me of
the equalization preset found in many car stereos called "Powerful." 
Which emphasizes high bass and treble. In the car stereo setting I do not
like this. Does that mean I will not like the Grado sound signature? 
Or is this comparing apples to oranges? 
 
I do like strong vocals and edgy guitars, thus my leaning towards the Grado,
otherwise I was considering the K702, but these seem to be not as "fun" for rock 
and lack bass when compared to some other cans. 
 
Additional information: I am using the Xnor Essence sound card, so the headphones
will be amped to at least some degree. 

 

[zomg]

Quote:

Ok after a lot of research and elimination, I'm back with a narrowed focus, also I'm might get two headphones just because I don't think there is a jack of all trades for me because "metal" is a pretty broad genre and I really don't think one can recommend Grados every single time for every type (of metal). When I listen to music it's the guitars that hook me but the drums that keep me. (Typical list of bands I listen to section): Dillinger escape plan, Isis, Arcade Fire, Converge, Deftones, Discordance Axis, Enslaved, Agalloch, Katatonia, God Speed You, Pelican, Rosetta and I'm particularly fond of Phillip Glass. I think you get the idea. Here are the headphones I'm considering I've listened to all of these and like a lot about each of them, I've listen my grievance with each next to them:
 
Beyer DT-880/250
(Cymbals were in your face but I figure I could just drop the 8k Hz down in the equalizer and solve the problem.)
 
Senn HD 600
(They're not really good with faster music and don't have the aggression for converge)
 
Grado SR 225i
(I heard these straight out of the box and didn't think they sound that much different than the SR 60s, but then again they were right out of the box)
 
Hifiman HE-4
(Haven't had a chance to listen to these but I read they were a lot like an upgrade to the 880s. Amping is also an issue but it is garage sale season)
 
These are really pushing the budget and I have not had the chance to listen to:
 
RS1i
ATH-AD2000
 
Headphones I've listened to but did not like:
B&W P5
(If I'm going to spend 300 I'd rather go with the HD600, this just covered up too much of the music for me)
 
HD 650
(The veil was too much on this set, and the instrument didn't have the separation I was looking for. It was possible it was underpowered, but
 
Beyer DT-990/250
(while most people complain about the highs, there was too much bass for me to the point where it ruined the atmosphere of any song)
 
Denon D2000
(Guitars did not sound right on these, I'm not sure what was going on with them, but they just sounded wrong and not fun)
 
AKG 702
(Made everything seem very far away from itself. The music did not come together for me. Also, I did not like the bass.)
 
Again, I'm looking for solid metal/rock/classical headphone(s) with good details and a full bodied sound, which means well defined, impactful bass, which does not overwhelm, mids that glorify the growls/screeches, gives really nice definition and body to the guitars, and makes it sounds like the cymbals aren't in my face. I want everything it's right place. I do not want to move into balanced gear, I don't have that kind of money/skill. I'd prefer the phones to be open as well, this is for home use so I do need to hear when I'm being addressed. Price range is less than 600. I still need to buy/built an amp and dac. 

 
Interesting. I'm currently looking for pretty much the same thing. So far, besides the cans you tried, I've seen people talking about DT150's, HFI780's and HD25's.

 

[Kudos]

Quote:

No, it does not bypass the ipod's DAC. You will be using the E7 as purely an amplifier since the signal out of the ipod will be analog. Explained by better people than me here
 

Ah, so I'll need the Algorhythm Solo. Guess I'll go for the E11 and save some bucks.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

I just got a pair of JVC FA-RX700's, I'm quite dissapointed in their performance there's almost no bass and the mid-high's hurt my ears after about 10 mins of listening.
 
I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones... I'm wondering what I should be looking for? I want some strong bass.
 
I've seen headphones that take batteries, do they perform better? or can an amp take care of that?
 
 

 
bass heavy budget cans:
Sony XB300/500
Sennheiser PX100-ii
AKG K81/518
 
Batteries in headphones are usually for active noise cancellation. In general, there is no strict rule about whether they are better or worse, but many on this forum feel they perform worse. A bigger factor to consider is that the noise cancellation adds quite significantly to the cost of the headphone.
 
Amping some headphones makes a difference. For most though (especially budget and mid level ones), amping makes almost no discernible difference.
 
Amping noise cancelling headphones doesn't work (usually).
 
Quote:

Hello,
I am going to improve my sound system at my pc. At the moment I have only on-board sound card and Logitech X-230. I've been reading reviews and comments for a long time and I was decided to buy ATH-M50 but then I came into some supplier's problems and they are not as cheap in Europe as in USA so it made me rethink this. I'm looking for an all-rounder which will be used for movies, music and a little for gaming. My goal is to get best sound possible for budget approximately 400€(550$). I have no interest in buying used because there is a 2-year mandatory warranty in EU for new stuff and most of second hand offers are from overseas anyway).Headphones will be occasionaly used for listening to music from mine cell phone(which is said to have a decent 3,5mm line out) but that is not so important.
 
After I read some nice reviews I am thinking about getting Asus Xonar Essence ST(X) (150€) which has a built-in headphone amp. Or perhaps I will read some reviews of Auzentech sound cards first(Xonar has only digital 7.1 out, analog 5.1 might be useful somewhen in the future ). I am not so much fan of external amplifiers. I have a lot of junk around my pc already. Will it be a big difference between this built-in amp and an 100€ external one? But I would have to buy a cheaper sound card then.. External audio DAC would be probably unsuitable because as far as I know most of them are not well compatible with games.
 
Regarding headphones.. I like balanced sound, nice vocals but some basses also(mainly because of movies, no need to be overbassed). I read that M50s have recessed mids. I was also thinking of Beyer's DT880. I need some sound isolation cause there is often used another notebook in the room which is kind of noisy when it vents out hot air. I also like to watch movies in night what could possibly be disturbing with open headph. to others. I like that Bayers with velur earpads, they are half-open, I hope that could be enough. However they are quite big, that would make them uncomfortable for watching movies in bed. But I'm mostly concerned about sound quality so perhaps you could recommend other headphones.. I have read o lot of reviews about different hadphones that are very good but they lack basses. For example ATH-A700... Can basses there be enhanced (perhaps with software EQ) and would they sound well then? I listen to all kinds of music and I watch a lot of movies in which I like punchy basses. They however shouldn't supress mids or other frequencies.
 
Every idea will be appreciated. Thanks

My first thought was the Shure 840, but I believe they are also expensive in Europe. Maybe consider a Senheiser HD380. It sits fairly slim on the head and provides good sound and isolation.
 
Using the EQ is the easiest way to alter the sound of a headphone. Amps and such make very little difference to the sound signature of most heaphones and more just fine tune what they already sound like.
 


Quote:

Just a quick question: is $65 ok for Sennheiser PX200-II's? Found them in a few local stores for this price.

That's a very good price.