[Kudos]

Alright, big help Armaegis, definitely putting them on my wishlist then. (I can't help but notice how that came off in a sarcastic tone)

 
The immersive echo is somewhat what I've been wanting to explain. That full, forward sound that gets you real into it.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

What about getting the Denon D2000 and the AD700 or AD900?
They should be even more apart, one heavy on the bass and with small soundstage the other with huge soundstage and light bass.
If I understand correctly the DT880, especially the 600ohm, should be roughly in between the two with added detail and more emphasis on the treble? So I can get the two extremes first and see if I like them or if I feel the need for something more balanced I will then get the DT880.
Does this make any sense?
 

The bass on the D2000 comes more from the deep extension and rumble rather than having a pronounced low end. The overall response of the D2000 is actually fairly flat but sloped towards the bass. The AD700/900 is midstrong with weaker bass. The DT880 is stronger in the lows and highs with a slightly recessed mid.
 
That said, starting off with the D2000 and DT900 is a nice way to go. I'm personally not a big fan of the DT770/880/990 series (though the 880 was the least disagreeable of the family).
 

 

[TaskMasterSteve]

Thanks Armaegis,
Also I found the ultrasone pro 750s for $130 and some Denon AH-D7000s for $190, so I was thinking the 750s for portable use and the Denons for home. Thoughts?

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

Thanks Armaegis,
Also I found the ultrasone pro 750s for $130 and some Denon AH-D7000s for $190, so I was thinking the 750s for portable use and the Denons for home. Thoughts?

Care to share where you're getting D7000's for $190 - or was that D2000's?
 

 

[The Dark Shadow]

Quote:

The bass on the D2000 comes more from the deep extension and rumble rather than having a pronounced low end. The overall response of the D2000 is actually fairly flat but sloped towards the bass. The AD700/900 is midstrong with weaker bass. The DT880 is stronger in the lows and highs with a slightly recessed mid.
 
That said, starting off with the D2000 and DT900 is a nice way to go. I'm personally not a big fan of the DT770/880/990 series (though the 880 was the least disagreeable of the family).
 

DT900? You mean AD900?
Thanks by the way you really helped getting thing more clear.
 
 

 

[mashedpotatoes]

 
[size=medium]

Hi,
 
I recently decided on going with the ath-ad900 since after reading up on some reviews it seemed to fit well with my taste in music, but I'm stuck on whether I want a Xonar STX soundcard or not. I don't really care for gaming audio because I'm a very casual gamer, so I've been trying to figure out whether I want an external usb DAC (since I don't trust my onboard sound) and amp or maybe an inexpensive sound card with an amp as opposed to the STX. I mostly listen to electronica, acoustic, symphony or orchestra, pop, and R&B, and my FAVORITE songs tend to be slower and softer with female vocals. Any suggestions on what I should get with a budget of about 200 dollars?
​

[/size]

 

[romdj]

Hello everyone, I know I haven't done a lot of research and all but here it is:
First of all what I have right now are the AIAIAI TMA-1 so a pretty good start...
Although I'm very happy and satisfied with these (unbreakable) great headphones, I'm looking for headphones in that price range that are a bit less DJ oriented... What I would enjoy the most is a sensation of complete music surround and precision when it comes to spatial precision... I don't know if I'm being ridiculous or not...
But yeh, I listen to late (Animals, Wish You Were Here...) Pink Floyd most of the time, 
And so I was thinking about the Shure SRH-840, Sennheiser HD-25... 
 
Thanks A LOT,
 
Romain 

 

[McStuff]

Quote:

The M50s are a strong headphone in their price range. Common alternatives to consider would be the Shure 840/750 or Audio Technica Pro700mk2.
 

Cool, thanks! What would be the difference between the 4? And since I just have the turntable and preamp, what's the best way to get volume control? Would I need to get a headphone amp, and would any of these benefit from an amp more than others?

 

[HyperionXL]

Quote:

 
[size=medium]

Hi,
 
I recently decided on going with the ath-ad900 since after reading up on some reviews it seemed to fit well with my taste in music, but I'm stuck on whether I want a Xonar STX soundcard or not. I don't really care for gaming audio because I'm a very casual gamer, so I've been trying to figure out whether I want an external usb DAC (since I don't trust my onboard sound) and amp or maybe an inexpensive sound card with an amp as opposed to the STX. I mostly listen to electronica, acoustic, symphony or orchestra, pop, and R&B, and my FAVORITE songs tend to be slower and softer with female vocals. Any suggestions on what I should get with a budget of about 200 dollars?
​

[/size]

I just got the STX, and while I'm no Audiophile, I plugged them into my Shure SRH840s and everything just sounds 20 times better. I listen to a lot of what you do, as well. I haven't been able to do any gaming with it yet, but I'm betting it will sound just as great.
 
I used to own an x-fi fatality professional sound card, and that worked great with my speakers, but things would pop and crackling would occur on my speakers. It didn't like my headphones. What I liked was the digital input/output which was awesome for my Xbox gaming sessions over my speakers.
 
My only complaint is that Asus, on 90% of their higher end sound cards, don't make it easy to plug in a set of Logitech X-540 5.1 surround sound speakers. Still not completely sure how I'll get those to work, but they still sound fine with on-board audio. Also, the STX only uses 2 channels with virtual 7.1 surround sound (which still sounds fine on my Shures). If I could find any Sound Card possible at the moment, I'd look for a xonar xense card. Newegg reviews are great and they give you a set of great cans to top it off. It's around $300, but you could probably sell the headphones and make a majority of that back, if you didn't need them. If HT Omega's are available in your area, HT Omega Claro Plus+  was the soundcard I really wanted to buy, but they are not available in Thailand where I am.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

DT900? You mean AD900?
Thanks by the way you really helped getting thing more clear.
 
 

Whoops sorry, yeah I meant the AD900.
 


Quote:

 

Hi,
 
I recently decided on going with the ath-ad900 since after reading up on some reviews it seemed to fit well with my taste in music, but I'm stuck on whether I want a Xonar STX soundcard or not. I don't really care for gaming audio because I'm a very casual gamer, so I've been trying to figure out whether I want an external usb DAC (since I don't trust my onboard sound) and amp or maybe an inexpensive sound card with an amp as opposed to the STX. I mostly listen to electronica, acoustic, symphony or orchestra, pop, and R&B, and my FAVORITE songs tend to be slower and softer with female vocals. Any suggestions on what I should get with a budget of about 200 dollars?
​

If all your listening is done at the computer, go with the internal sound card. It frees up your powers and will give you (typically) better power. USB can be prone to noise.
 


Quote:

Hello everyone, I know I haven't done a lot of research and all but here it is:
First of all what I have right now are the AIAIAI TMA-1 so a pretty good start...
Although I'm very happy and satisfied with these (unbreakable) great headphones, I'm looking for headphones in that price range that are a bit less DJ oriented... What I would enjoy the most is a sensation of complete music surround and precision when it comes to spatial precision... I don't know if I'm being ridiculous or not...
But yeh, I listen to late (Animals, Wish You Were Here...) Pink Floyd most of the time, 
And so I was thinking about the Shure SRH-840, Sennheiser HD-25... 
 
Thanks A LOT,
 
Romain 

If you're looking for something less DJ oriented, the 840 and HD25 are not going to do it. Look towards some open Sennheisers or Audio Technicas.
 


Quote:

Cool, thanks! What would be the difference between the 4? And since I just have the turntable and preamp, what's the best way to get volume control? Would I need to get a headphone amp, and would any of these benefit from an amp more than others?

M50 - strong bass and highs, slightly recessed mid
750 - even more U shaped
Pro700mk2 - even more U shaped, particularly in the bass
840 - flatter frequency response though sloped towards bass
 
Does your preamp have a headphone output? If not, then you'll need a separate headphone amp. The simplest and cheapest option would just be a receiver.
 

 

[McStuff]

Quote:

M50 - strong bass and highs, slightly recessed mid 750 - even more U shaped
Pro700mk2 - even more U shaped, particularly in the bass
840 - flatter frequency response though sloped towards bass
 
Does your preamp have a headphone output? If not, then you'll need a separate headphone amp. The simplest and cheapest option would just be a receiver.

U shaped as in an uneven frequency response favoring bass and highs? Isn't a flat response most desirable? In that case, M50s and 840s sound more appealing. And the preamp has a 1/4" jack, so I use a 1/4" to miniplug adapter. But what I really need is volume control. Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions, I'm just trying to get up to speed here. Your information has been of great help to me, thanks!
 
 

 

[Armaegis]

Depending on music style and personal tastes, some people prefer the U shaped frequency response. Most headphones these days will have a slightly pronounced midbass at the very least.
 
Does your preamp not have volume control?

 

[McStuff]

My preamp does not have volume control; it's rather basic. Here's what I use http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PP400-Ultra-Compact-Phono-Preamp/dp/B000H2BC4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309071338&sr=8-1
 
Also, the m50 and 840s sound like more desirable sound signatures to me. I wouldn't mind a little extra bass, but I would not want it at the cost of a compromised even frequency response.

 

[joelpearce]

Quote:

Thanks Armaegis,
Also I found the ultrasone pro 750s for $130 and some Denon AH-D7000s for $190, so I was thinking the 750s for portable use and the Denons for home. Thoughts?

Depending on your amp, the Ultrasones are actually unexpectedly hard to drive.  That's a good price for them if you can handle the overbearing treble, though.  If you have a decent portable amp, you should be able to get away with it.
 
Also, D7000 at $190 is getting into "too good to be true" territory.

 

[Yuri Ius]

Thanks for the help, Armaegis. HD555 FTW