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Hey guys I'm considering an upgrade from my AD700. I was looking into the AKG K701/2. Do you guys think that would be a nice upgrade? Any other suggestions? I liked how the ad700 had a nice soundstage and a sparkle to it. I mainly game,skype calls, and music when I use my ad700's thanks.
If you're looking into the AKG K701/2's and you don't want to use an amp, the Shure SRH940's offer a similar sound signature. They probably won't have the same soundstage as the open AD700's but I find them to be really good as a closed headphone. I wrote a review for the 940's and it can be found in my
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I'm looking for a pair of closed headphones in the $100-$200 range. After searching the Head-Fi forums for a bit, I've honed in on the Audio Technica M50s, Ultrasone HIFI-580, and Ultrasone HIFI-780 (I'm open to other recommendations as well). I found several threads comparing the relative merits of these, but there are a number of conflicting opinions. From what I've gathered, the Audio Technicas produce a flater, more natural sound while the Ultrasones are better suited to electronic and bass-heavy music.
All three headphones are currently priced very similarly when purchased new at online retailers ($160 for the ATs, $171 for the 580s, and $158 for the 780s on Amazon w/free shipping).
My questions:
1). Which of these headphones is best suited to general listening, not just for music but also occasional movie watching and gaming? Music is certainly my top priority but I would prefer good general purpose headphones if possible. I listen to a variety of musical genres including electronica (mostly downtempo and ambient but also some techno and D&B), rock, and classical so I don't want headphones that only excel with one music type.
2) If price weren't a factor, which of these three headphones would you most recommend?
3) What are the differences between the 580s and 780s? I've heard both that the 780s are superior and vice versa. Thoughts?
The opinions about the M50 vs HFI-580 are pretty mixed. Generally I have read that the 580's have more controlled lows and highs but suffer from their tight clamping force on your head. Both headphones are good for electronic music however.
1. I think most people would use the M50's as an all-purpose headphone, but many people here use the 580's for movies and gaming as well, so either would probably be fine.
3. I think the 580's have big bass, while the 780's have slightly less bass and more treble. The 780's are a love/hate headphone (some people like myself find the highs to be a bit too harsh), but almost everyone here seems to like their 580's.
I should also note that the Ultrasone DJ1 headphone is the same as the HFI-580, but with a coiled cable (rather than straight), and has a different appearance. Some people like the coiled cord or looks of the DJ1 so I just wanted to make that a point to say.
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Hey,
Typical Consumer here. I bought a pair of Shure750DJs 8 months ago, returned them 2 months ago due to a splitting of the plastic on the sides that allow for size adjustments. Foolishly returned to Future Shop and got the same pair (free of course) but they too just split. I don't know if it is my huge head, or that I just store them improperly (in he backpack). My biggest gripe with these was that they were way too small for my head. I really actually have an abnormally large head.
I'm going to return them again, and throw that money into a new, hopefully more comfortable pair and hoping for some advice.
Price Range: $100-175 (lower the better, but I could do higher if there is no good low priced options)
Type of music: Varied (rock, pop, rap etc.), no gaming though, just music
Desired characteristics:
- Headband size is big (for my big head)
- If possible non-plastic adjustments on the sides (I just seem to break them)
- Very sturdy and durable
- Very, very comfortable and over the head type (I use these at the library for 6+ hours a day) -> Picture me being hugged by a cloud around my ears
- Don't need to be noise cancelling, but good if the design facilitates blocking low levels of library noise
- In a library, so I don't want others to suffer through my music, so if they localize the sound somewhat great
- sound quality doesn't needed to be pristine necessarily (I would sacrifice that, blasphemy I know, for more comfortable. I'm not a DJ, just a student)
- Chord over 2m
I saw the AKG K172HDs and they looked like fun.
Note: I am from Canada eh
Beyerdynamic headphones are famous here for being so comfortable...although they aren't in your price range.
The Sennheiser HD25-1-II's are known to be really rugged if you're worried about durability. I thought they were tight on the head at first but you get used to them over time (try wearing a pair before you buy it, some people don't like its comfort).
I haven't tried them yet, but maybe the new V-Moda Crossfade M-80's will suite your needs. They have a metal construction so they would be pretty durable ideally.
The Shure SRH840's are also a good headphone to recommend, but again, it's a headphone you have to wear before buying since a lot of people (including myself) say that it's a bit heavy on your head.
