[Armaegis]

Quote:

Hmm, I'm currently looking to buy headphones for my brother. He listens mostly to reggae, rap, hip-hop, and R&B while I'm the polar opposite since I listen to Rock, some metal, industrial metal, and some dubstep. He currently has the beats earbuds and apparently he likes the Bose headphones. Question is what kind of headphones compliments his music?  At the most I'm looking for anything below $120. Any help would be appreciated. 

Pioneer HDJ-500 - great style and heavy bass
 


Quote:

So, yeah.
 
Thanks for the recommendations.
 
I'm afraid I really want circumaural cans, so I guess the Senn HD25 II is out.
 
What I have on the list right now:
 
Shure 440
Audio Technica M50S
Numark PHX Pro
Beyer DT660
 
I'm currently leaning towards the DT660, as i've read reviews that they're great for classical/jazz, which is what I usually listen to. Could anyone recommend any others? I'll probably be getting these.
 
My criteria: Portable (!), Circumaural, and sounds fine unamped. Around 100 - 200 dollars.
 
I've heard great things about the Audio Technica M50S, but they're currentlay at $160 on amazon, and i've heard that they should not be more than $100. For the record, due to my location, I pretty much HAVE to buy from amazon.
 
Any ideas?

The M50 wobbles all over the place. It usually hovers around $150 now, though it used to be $110, and over a year ago it was nearly $200. I do not consider them a great can for classical/jazz though; in the same price bracket I would go for the Shure 840 which has nicer mids. The 440 is cheaper and has less bass, but arguably clearer midrange and is also lighter.
 

 

[Aninda]

 
Quote:

Actually  if you want an introduction to the Grado sound - but don't want to outlay a lot of cash - get the Alessandro MS1i.  USD 100 delivered anywhere in the world.  Gorgeous mids.  Easy to drive.  Scale well if you prepared to mod.  I'm not a practical guy - but even I'm surprised how easy it is.  Funny thing is that I currently have Shure SRH940s, the MS1is and the DT880 Pros.  The one headphone I'm definitely keeping is the Alessandro.  Going to woody them at some stage.
 
Thanks for the link.  Keep in touch once you make your decision - I'll do same when my HD600's get here.  I'll be interested to see how you end up (compare notes).

You say you're located in New Zealand? Do you remember how long it took for your MS1i's to ship? That is, if you ordered it from the Alessandro website. I'm living in Australia and I'm a bit put off by the "14-100 day" range for economy shipping

 

[AltCtrl]

Quote:

The E9 has no trouble driving the 250 ohm - and should also be able to cope with the 600 ohm as well.  Get a second opinion on the 600 ohm though - I haven't tried them.
 

Ok think I might go with buying a Asus Xonar Essence ST + DT 880 600ohm.
 
Or should I stick with my Creative SB Titanium and get a Fiio E9 + 880DT 600ohm?
 

 

[Agavehound]

Hey gang, I'm contemplating buying a pair of HD 598's for music/gaming. I've got an X-fi Titanium HD and was wondering if it would drive the 598s adequately.
 
Tnx in advance.
 
Chas

 

[anemoii]

Alright.
 
So, opinions?
 
Shure 840 or Beyer DT660?
 
Both are closed cans, and I can't try them out, so I can't really form an opinion. Spec seems identical.
 
(Classical/Jazz)
 
Note: Where the heck can I find some sort of protective casing for those? I'm using those as portables.

 

[Mijka]

Hi there. I'm looking for a recommendation to buy my first pair of high-ish quality headphones (i used an old Sennheiser PC150 "headphones" before).
 

Usage :

  - Gaming 50% (usually i play with the minimal volume on the game to focus on voice chats and/or music of my choice)
  - Music   40%
  - Movies/Shows 10%


Music Breakdown :

  - Techno/Trance 40%
  - Electro/pop 30%
  - Classical/jazz 20%
  - Rock 10%

 
Basically I want something that will perform well for games but equally if not a little bit better for music and movies.  Open headphones could be fine as these will mainly be used alone anyway but sound leakage could be a concern for the voice chat.

My  budget is around €200 for the headphones

To go along with the headphones I am also looking for a recommendation for a soundcard or DAC/AMP that will help these run well.  
The price range for the soundcard/whatever else needed is an additional €200.


I was told on other (french) hi-fi forums that these ones could fit : DT770 pro 80Ohms, DT880 250/600 Ohms, DT 990 250/600 Ohms, ATH A900...

 



Thanks for your help.


And sorry if my English isn't perfect, it's not my native language.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Ok think I might go with buying a Asus Xonar Essence ST + DT 880 600ohm.
 
Or should I stick with my Creative SB Titanium and get a Fiio E9 + 880DT 600ohm?
 

Well do you want an all-in-one unit or would you rather have a modular setup? If desk space is a premium, the Xonar might be more convenient.
 


Quote:

Hey gang, I'm contemplating buying a pair of HD 598's for music/gaming. I've got an X-fi Titanium HD and was wondering if it would drive the 598s adequately.
 
Tnx in advance.
 
Chas

It should be fine. You can always upgrade the soundcard or get an external amp later, but for now just get the headphones and enjoy. 
 


Quote:

Alright.
 
So, opinions?
 
Shure 840 or Beyer DT660?
 
Both are closed cans, and I can't try them out, so I can't really form an opinion. Spec seems identical.
 
(Classical/Jazz)
 
Note: Where the heck can I find some sort of protective casing for those? I'm using those as portables.

 
The 840 is decent for classical, though I consider a bit bass heavy for the genre. I would rather get something with a stronger mid to midhigh focus. 
 
I haven't heard the DT660 so can't really offer anything constructive there.
 
Both these headphones are rather large though. You can look into the big cases that Beyer sells for its DT770/880/990 headphones.  I think they can be purchased separately for around $30. 
 
 

Quote:

Hi there. I'm looking for a recommendation to buy my first pair of high-ish quality headphones (i used an old Sennheiser PC150 "headphones" before).
 

Usage :

  - Gaming 50% (usually i play with the minimal volume on the game to focus on voice chats and/or music of my choice)
  - Music   40%
  - Movies/Shows 10%


Music Breakdown :

  - Techno/Trance 40%
  - Electro/pop 30%
  - Classical/jazz 20%
  - Rock 10%

 
Basically I want something that will perform well for games but equally if not a little bit better for music and movies.  Open headphones could be fine as these will mainly be used alone anyway but sound leakage could be a concern for the voice chat.

My  budget is around €200 for the headphones

To go along with the headphones I am also looking for a recommendation for a soundcard or DAC/AMP that will help these run well.  
The price range for the soundcard/whatever else needed is an additional €200.


I was told on other (french) hi-fi forums that these ones could fit : DT770 pro 80Ohms, DT880 250/600 Ohms, DT 990 250/600 Ohms, ATH A900...

Thanks for your help.


And sorry if my English isn't perfect, it's not my native language.
 

Since you're looking at the Beyerdynamic headphones, consider the MMX300 (though I just noticed it might be a bit outside your price range.
 
Of the DT series, I consider the 880 the most balanced. Look at the pro models instead of the premium/consumer model for cheaper prices.
 
If you'll be at a computer, then a soundcard like the Xonar STX might be good enough. 

 

[Mijka]

The MMX 300 is a T770 premium 32 Ohms with a miccrophone for ~100 more euros, clearly not worth it :-/. I will use little mics (like zalman zm mic1) with hi-fi headphones.
 
Thx for the tips =).

 

[ifwere1021]

This turned out longer than I wanted, I really appreciate the help though gents. I've got some ideas from the research I've been doing but I want additional input, and would greatly value a more knowledgeable opinion than my own.
You're kind souls.


< $100 I would love to spend more, but I'm a heavy user and between weather, regular wear and tear in my pocket, and thieves my headphones historically haven't lasted more than a year, usually less, so that's the highest I can really warrant as a student without a lot of cash flow.

Must be portable. Not necessarily in terms of size, but functionality. They have to sound good driven by an iphone/ laptop, and isolate noise well enough to be clear on a busy street, subway, bicycle, etc. Isolation is pretty important to me, open style phones probably wouldn't work.

Those two criteria alone narrow it down a lot, but if more info would help, here it is:
Looking at headphones I've enjoyed in the past, I generally prefer clear, even sounds across the full spectrum rather than just being a bass junky or anything, although at this price range I understand true sound accuracy is difficult to manage, and forced a choice I prefer punchy bass to surgical treble.

I think I have a fairly wide range of interests, but among an audio crowd like yourselves maybe not... roughly speaking, it's rap, rock, electronic, ummm... I don't really pay much attention to genre, here's a fairly representative cross sample though.
Rob Dougan, Portishead, Sia, Rage Against the Machine, The Subways, Lupe Fiasco, The Faint, Baths, Explosions in the Sky, and quite a bit of piano music of which I don't know the artist/composer.

I'm also open to an in-ear style, although I'll just post again over there.

 

[Astrozombie]

Just got my SR60s and yowwwzaaaa

"Blooooood Brooootheeeerrsss!" What do you mean don't listen to them too loud Mr. Grado?!?
One thing i found interesting is how it says not to let them run for long periods of time, which is something i wondered when people would say they run headphones for a day or two once getting them to burn them in.
 
I just lost an ear-tip for my M9 and now i'm having second thoughts about upgrading my IEM and just going with a full-size Superlux for on the go, yes i am clumsy and will hate having to always buy new tips.

 

[Agavehound]

Oh my! Newegg has the HD 598 on sale for $180.95. Do they ever come cheaper than that?

 

[iowercase]

I'm an infrequent headphone buyer who usually only owns or uses one all-purpose pair at time to do everything (music, gaming, movies), mostly on a home PC, with.  In the past I've owned Koss Portapros (got sat on), Grado SR80s (pads crumbled, developed infamous grattle), and currently Senn PX100s.  My computer stereo system recently broke down and I realized I'd rather just replace them with some higher-end headphones for once.
 
-My price range is maybe $150-250, not set in stone though.
-I game often (mostly first person offerings) and my sound card does have dolby headphone surround capability.
-I don't do any mixing or studio work though I always entertain the idea of venturing into it and it'd be nice to have something that could handle the basics.
-I wear headphones for extended periods and comfort is a pretty big deal, I also unfortunately live next to a CHAC unit and sound isolation is important.
-My music choices usually involve electronic and hiphop, some fairly eclectic indie rock and jazz, admittedly very little classical aside from a little solo instrumentation.
-I like punchy but not overwhelming, booming, or rumbling base; with my old Logitech Z560 400W sub I had to keep the bass dial at minimum and still adjust the lower bands of my EQ way down to tolerate the bass from that setup, if that's any indication.
-If I was being fanciful and free-associative I might say I enjoy a sound that could be described as textured, responsive, expansive and sparkling (but who wouldn't?)
 
Historically I've tried to buy the cheapo all-rounder offering and I've usually been satisfied (aside from the grados chewing at my ears) but I haven't exactly had the benefit of auditioning many headphones to see if I could be more satisfied with something else.  This time around I've been eyeing these items:
 
-AT ATH-M50
-AT ATH-ESW9
-AT ATH-A900
-Beyer DT880 Premium
-AKG K271S
 
But I am sort of picking names out of a hat and am welcome to suggestions.  Thanks.

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

 


You say you're located in New Zealand? Do you remember how long it took for your MS1i's to ship? That is, if you ordered it from the Alessandro website. I'm living in Australia and I'm a bit put off by the "14-100 day" range for economy shipping

From memory - it was almost exactly 2 weeks for me.  Worth the wait though.  BTW the comfort (or sometimes lack of) can take quite a bit to get used to.  Sound is gorgeous if you like the grado house sound though.  And the ability to modify the sound (see the long grado mods thread) is the icing on the cake.

 

[Brooko]

Quote:

Ok think I might go with buying a Asus Xonar Essence ST + DT 880 600ohm.
 
Or should I stick with my Creative SB Titanium and get a Fiio E9 + 880DT 600ohm?
 

As Armaegis said - it depends on what sort of set-up you want.  Why don't you get the 880's first, and see if your Creative card will drive them OK.  Then maybe just look at using the Creative as a DAC and get a tube amp (tubes go nicely with the DT880).  Or do the same thing with the Xonar - use it for a start - then think about a separate amp. 
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

This turned out longer than I wanted, I really appreciate the help though gents. I've got some ideas from the research I've been doing but I want additional input, and would greatly value a more knowledgeable opinion than my own.
You're kind souls.

< $100 I would love to spend more, but I'm a heavy user and between weather, regular wear and tear in my pocket, and thieves my headphones historically haven't lasted more than a year, usually less, so that's the highest I can really warrant as a student without a lot of cash flow.

Must be portable. Not necessarily in terms of size, but functionality. They have to sound good driven by an iphone/ laptop, and isolate noise well enough to be clear on a busy street, subway, bicycle, etc. Isolation is pretty important to me, open style phones probably wouldn't work.

Those two criteria alone narrow it down a lot, but if more info would help, here it is:
Looking at headphones I've enjoyed in the past, I generally prefer clear, even sounds across the full spectrum rather than just being a bass junky or anything, although at this price range I understand true sound accuracy is difficult to manage, and forced a choice I prefer punchy bass to surgical treble.

I think I have a fairly wide range of interests, but among an audio crowd like yourselves maybe not... roughly speaking, it's rap, rock, electronic, ummm... I don't really pay much attention to genre, here's a fairly representative cross sample though.
Rob Dougan, Portishead, Sia, Rage Against the Machine, The Subways, Lupe Fiasco, The Faint, Baths, Explosions in the Sky, and quite a bit of piano music of which I don't know the artist/composer.

I'm also open to an in-ear style, although I'll just post again over there.

 
Sony V6/7506 - built tough, even sound, sort of an inbetween over-ear and on-ear.
Shure 440 - a bit bigger, better isolation, circumaural, a touch warmer sound
Senn PX200-ii - not as durable as the other two but much smaller
 
Quote:

Oh my! Newegg has the HD 598 on sale for $180.95. Do they ever come cheaper than that?

 
It was $174 a couple weeks ago. 
http://camelcamelcamel.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Audiophile-Headphones/product/B0042A8CW2