[scuttle]

I'm looking for open(?) phones to be driven by a Cowon J3. I'm in the UK, so Grados carry a stupid mark-up (and I've also heard support from their UK dealer is very poor). Music I listen to: Dylan and the Band; Pixies (do other people find that the Pixies are an especially tough challenge for hardware?) and other alt rock; Johnny Cash, Gillian Welch and other "Americana"; The Clash; Miles Davis; Glen Gould; Brian Wilson; lately some pygmy chanting and avant garde drone music. (I.e. almost everything, but it's boring and annoying when people say that.)
 
Qualities I value
 
- Detail even at low volumes
- Responsiveness to EQing (well, doh - I bought a Cowon!)
- Comfort
- Toughness/repairability (my tomcat thinks that all cables are Cat Martial Arts training devices and he is HUGE)
 
Cables that have connectors so they come out of my phones if I step on them are a nice extra, but no more! A cable that is indestructible or replaceable at reasonable cost in some way is essential if I'm paying much for the phones.
 
I don't care about:
- The ability to get enormous maximum volume
 
Stuff I've tried and liked: Senn HD212 Pros (with the bass EQed way down), Koss Porta Pros, JVC FXC51s.
Stuff that underwhelmed me: my Ety HF5s
 
Price: I'm willing to buy used, willing to pay more for tough gear with decent repairability. It would be nice to pay less than 50 pounds, but I'd go over 100 for the right hw if I was very sure it was right in every way.
 
Particular questions:
- What Senns should I look at?
- How are the Grados on repairability, especially cable replacement? Is it worth going beyond the 60 or 80?
- Better deals from less known makers? I don't mind ordering direct from China, etc.
- I'm tempted by Superlux 668Bs as they seem terrific value, but would they the sound signature I'm looking for, even after EQing?

 

[khanis]

Hello. I broke my JVC HA RX700's again ( 2nd time it happened in 3 years, my fault completely), and I really enjoyed them.
I have up to $75 to spend. Should I go for them again? Is there any other alternative? I was thinking about the RX900 for a change, but some say the RX700 is superior un amped.
I listen to rock music mostly (Beatles, Queen, etc).
Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SennheiserHD]

 
Quote:

I would like to first, thank all of the many audiophiles, industry majors, and general enthusiests that pore countless hours and information into this website. I have been bitten by the sound bug, I am stepping into this brave new world with about a $300 dollar budget for cans and maybe a $200 budget for an amp/dac. I have a love for a wide diversity of music : Blues, Metal, Rock, Hip Hop, Ska, Jazz, Classical /Orchestrated, Etheral and atmospheric, Opera,  Examples of Music I listen to on a regular basis are Phillip Glass, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Charlie parker, Godspeed! you black emperor, My Bloody Valentine, Black Sabbath, The White Stripes, BassNectar,  The Glitch Mob, Radiohead, Aesop Rock, Rattata, BLockHEAD, Coheed & Cambria Etc, Dir En Grey... I am Beginning to dable in Creating and referencing Music, And I am looking for a Portable, (folding preferred but not necessary)   closed back, noise isolating, Circumnuaral, set of cans That lends itself to this kind of music. Sound clarity and instrument seperation as well as "soundstage " are very important to me as well as a high range of dheffinition in the low base, a generaly true mid level, and a detailed treble and higher end. I am driving my music from an Ipod Touch 3g (64 G) and a modest HiFi- setup with a technics MkII turntable, and a macbook pro.  I have been doing hours and hours of research and I have been dancing around these cans

 

-Audio Technica ATM-M50

- Ultrasone HFI 780

-BeyerDynamic DT 770 (or pro 80)  ( 32 ohm without amp 250 ohm with proper amp/dac)

-Dennon D2000


I have listened to The ATM-M50's and The Beyer Dynamic and it has become apparent that the BeyerDynamics are unable to be the clear choice until amped properly.  The M50's sound amazing but they seem to be so honest that it is a little off putting with some lower level recordings such as blues tracks tend to be and the more operatic and highly composed aria's. 

 ANy suggestions as to which cans and even Amp/dac Combos in this price range with this music in mind would be absolutely phenomenal and deeply appreciated as i have spent countless hours searching threads for pieces of a seemingly empty puzzle. I have a basic referencing and music background and very little engineering knowledge (sub novice) but I love music, I don`t want to upgrade every time a new ibasso and set of grado's come out) although I don`t blame those who do I just want to start with a nice set of cans and a decent amp. Suggestions and comments ?  

 
 

fiio e7/e9, for portability fiio e5 or a cmoy amp you can build yourself/buy off ebay. there are also tons more headphone amps/dacs if you want to spend more money just let me know. also if you're into that sort if thing it there are many sound cards with amps in them that can give you great bang for your buck.

 

[mp3gamefreak]

I have been lurking and searching around the forums looking for headphones to buy to enjoy some casual listening but there are too many to count so I would like some recommendations.
 
Music Source: Sansa Clip+ RB and my Toshiba Satellite L505 laptop with Potplayer w/ Reclock.
Music Genre: 80% Vocaloids, 20% Hip Hop.
Portable: I don't mind carrying it everywhere since I'll be using this at home and at college.
Amp: I don't have an amp so that would be a no for amped headphones.
Closed/Open: I would prefer closed.
Circum-aural: Yes please.
Price Range: $100 to $150.
 
I listen to Vocaloids more than my Hip Hop so I would like the headphones to not have overpowering bass but do have quality bass and bass impact when the songs call for it, Mids to be slightly forward not too forward, and for the Highs to not be too fatiguing.
 
I would also be using these headphones to watch Anime, TV Shows, and Movies so please factor these in as well. Thank you for reading my post and answering it in later post(s).

 

[Extra]

So, I've decided that my Sony MDR XB500's can't control my need for quality audio. There fine if I'm getting around places, but for home use, I would like something better.

Price: Around 400$ (A bit over is fine) however, if an amp is needed, than I may need to lower that.
Usage: Home use only, so open headphones would be fine.
Kind: I don't enjoy the feeling of headphones that rest on my ear, so I would like to avoid that kind of headphone as much as possible.
Music: Mainly rock and metal, with a bit of hip hop and alternative thrown in.
Source: Currently just my iPod touch, but But I plan on upgrading that soon.

I enjoy the XB500s bass, but I don't really care if what I get doesn't have that kind of bass.

If there's anything else anyone needs to know to help me, please ask.

 

[label]

(just a brief recap of what I want before I go into more questions)
 
I am looking for headphones to listen to mostly bass heavy music, watching movies, and playing video games. I'm going to college and need them to be closed so I don't disturb my room mate.
 
I was recommended the M50's, but was told the Beyerdynamic 770's on this thread.
 
Any other suggestions besides the 770? Also which of the 770's should I get? And which amp should I get with it? I suppose it would have to be a portable amp...
 
And I was also told that the 770's are best if you replace the pads...
 
p.s. my budget is $350-400 total...

 

[kchapdaily]

Quote:

So, I've decided that my Sony MDR XB500's can't control my need for quality audio. There fine if I'm getting around places, but for home use, I would like something better.

Price: Around 400$ (A bit over is fine) however, if an amp is needed, than I may need to lower that.
Usage: Home use only, so open headphones would be fine.
Kind: I don't enjoy the feeling of headphones that rest on my ear, so I would like to avoid that kind of headphone as much as possible.
Music: Mainly rock and metal, with a bit of hip hop and alternative thrown in.
Source: Currently just my iPod touch, but But I plan on upgrading that soon.

I enjoy the XB500s bass, but I don't really care if what I get doesn't have that kind of bass.

If there's anything else anyone needs to know to help me, please ask.

if you want higher quality audio, your most likely going to want an amp. without a good amp you wont be able to use most hi-fi headphones to their full potential. 


Quote:

(just a brief recap of what I want before I go into more questions)
 
I am looking for headphones to listen to mostly bass heavy music, watching movies, and playing video games. I'm going to college and need them to be closed so I don't disturb my room mate.
 
I was recommended the M50's, but was told the Beyerdynamic 770's on this thread.
 
Any other suggestions besides the 770? Also which of the 770's should I get? And which amp should I get with it? I suppose it would have to be a portable amp...
 
And I was also told that the 770's are best if you replace the pads...
 
p.s. my budget is $350-400 total...

i recommend a pair of denon ah-d2000's and a decent amp and a dac depending on what your using for your source. im a diy amp guy myself so im not too up to date on production amps but ive heard things about the nuforce udac headphone amp and dac combo. i think if anything, this setup will be the best bang for your buck in your budget range. a used pair of d2000's can be had on amazon for 200$ and the udac is about 130$
 

 

[Extra]

Alright, thanks. I'm going to keep my budget for the headphones the same, and worry about an amp later. Any suggestions on headphones?

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

I have been lurking and searching around the forums looking for headphones to buy to enjoy some casual listening but there are too many to count so I would like some recommendations.
 
Music Source: Sansa Clip+ RB and my Toshiba Satellite L505 laptop with Potplayer w/ Reclock.
Music Genre: 80% Vocaloids, 20% Hip Hop.
Portable: I don't mind carrying it everywhere since I'll be using this at home and at college.
Amp: I don't have an amp so that would be a no for amped headphones.
Closed/Open: I would prefer closed.
Circum-aural: Yes please.
Price Range: $100 to $150.
 
I listen to Vocaloids more than my Hip Hop so I would like the headphones to not have overpowering bass but do have quality bass and bass impact when the songs call for it, Mids to be slightly forward not too forward, and for the Highs to not be too fatiguing.
 
I would also be using these headphones to watch Anime, TV Shows, and Movies so please factor these in as well. Thank you for reading my post and answering it in later post(s).

 
Shure 440 or Sony V6 come to mind. 
 
 

 

[WoahReQQuiem]

HD650 vs A2000x for musicality across all kinds of genres? Will be powered by M-stage + Mini-i.
And how about other options within $400-$600?

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

HD650 vs A2000x for musicality across all kinds of genres? Will be powered by M-stage + Mini-i.
And how about other options within $400-$600?

For all genres, the HD650 is probably a safer bet. The Audio Technicas have a certain lightness and soundstage which lends themselves extremely well to vocals and acoustics, but not so much for heavy and synthetic genres.
 
Other options:
Denon D5000/7000
Smeggy Thunderpants
Hifiman HE-4 or a used HE-5
 

 

[mik1219]

Hey, I'm new to Head-fi. I was just wondering, what headphones should I get, the Senn HD 438 or the Senn HD 448? I listen to mainly Rock and Hip-Hop. So yeah.

 

[SennheiserHD]

Quote:

(just a brief recap of what I want before I go into more questions)
 
I am looking for headphones to listen to mostly bass heavy music, watching movies, and playing video games. I'm going to college and need them to be closed so I don't disturb my room mate.
 
I was recommended the M50's, but was told the Beyerdynamic 770's on this thread.
 
Any other suggestions besides the 770? Also which of the 770's should I get? And which amp should I get with it? I suppose it would have to be a portable amp...
 
And I was also told that the 770's are best if you replace the pads...
 
p.s. my budget is $350-400 total...

d2000+ fiio e7/e9 is within your budget but barely. there are a few other dac/amp combos and you could also use a sound card with an amp, but the e7/e9 combo with the d2000 denons is my recommendation. if you aren't happy with my suggestions i have a few other headphones in mind
 

 

[nickdc]

 
hi guys, i need a new pair of headphones
 
source: sansa fuze, asus xonar dx, xbox 360
music genre: rock, metal, progressive, some jazz
budget: around 50€ (60-70$)
 
what i found in the shop here in italy
panasonic htx7 (39€)
senn hd265 (59€)
philips 9560 (55€)
 
which one should i buy between these? i really like the panasonic and i've read a lot of good review about...are te hd265 really better as the price say?
 
i can also shop on the web and go for a pair of superlux hd668b/662f or something different (suggest me something good...)
 
what do you suggest me to do?

 
 

 

[Tacoboy]

 
Quote:

 
hi guys, i need a new pair of headphones
 
source: sansa fuze, asus xonar dx, xbox 360
music genre: rock, metal, progressive, some jazz
budget: around 50€ (60-70$)
 
what i found in the shop here in italy
panasonic htx7 (39€)
senn hd265 (59€)
philips 9560 (55€)
 
which one should i buy between these? i really like the panasonic and i've read a lot of good review about...are te hd265 really better as the price say?
 
i can also shop on the web and go for a pair of superlux hd668b/662f or something different (suggest me something good...)
 
what do you suggest me to do?

 
 

I like my Superlux HD-668Bs