[Armaegis]

Quote:

@Armaegis I have an amp, it's rated up to 600ohms as well. Have you tried the DT990s with the D1?

I have not heard the D1, sorry.
 

 
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Not 'big' bass, strictly speaking, just accurate to what was recorded in the studio (I prefer balance so I don't drown out some ranges in favor of others). The headphones I wrote down on impulse are Sennheiser HD 280 Pro ($80), HD 380 Pro ($180), HD 558s ($170), and V-MODA Crossfade LP ($80). It sounds like the 558 is at least in the right direction; does my clarification on bass change your recommendation(s) any?

I'd still recommend the HD558, unless you need isolation in which case the HD380. 
 

 
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Hi Headfiers
 
Basically i want a pair of solid closed back super aural or circumaural (not fussed) cans for generaly listening in a noisy environmet such as on the sofa with someone watching tv and travelling. Ideally Not noise cancellers!
 
My budget is strictly around £80-£100 GPB
 
My taste in music is 80% 80's rock  10% blues and another 10% of anything and everything
what i really look for is a balanced response (i know this term is chucked around alot but nice integration between bass and mid range not overpowering bass and a nice clear cut treble)
 
I Currently own a portable headhone amp so hard to drive cans are no problem
 
just for reference i have at the moment Goldring Dr150 and completely lov'em and ultimate ears super fi 5
 
i have been looking through some threads and onlinine reviews and have come up with

1. AKG K450  (Headphones product of the year 2011 WhatHifi) But i have read extremest views on them some people love them and other people loath them. could be personal preferance but surely reviews would not be so different ???
2. Shure SRH 440
3. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro

 
What do you guys think ??? because ime really stumped

      or is there something i have overlooked ?
 
Thanks in advance

 

The HD280 has some of the best isolation in a full sized headphone. 
 

 
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Thanks for the reply. The HD650's are a bit too expensive. I considered getting the HD600's on sale, but decided against it. The dt880's just seem more interesting to me, and people seem to generally prefer them to the the HD600's at least.
 
So you suggest buying a good amp (like the Crack) and a decent dac (any suggestions below $100?) as opposed to a good dac with a decent amp (like the matrix mini-i for example)?
 
 
Do you mean the 880 pro (250 ohm)? Those are only $220, the regular ones are priced the same.
 

The diminishing returns for dacs is much faster than amps. I know a lot of people say "source first", but really unless you're an extremely discerning listener and know specifically what to listen for, a budget source will suffice. 
 
There is not much difference between the pro and premium version aside from clamping force and aesthetics. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Thanks for the reply. The HD650's are a bit too expensive. I considered getting the HD600's on sale, but decided against it. The dt880's just seem more interesting to me, and people seem to generally prefer them to the the HD600's at least.
So you suggest buying a good amp (like the Crack) and a decent dac (any suggestions below $100?) as opposed to a good dac with a decent amp (like the matrix mini-i for example)?
Do you mean the 880 pro (250 ohm)? Those are only $220, the regular ones are priced the same.
 

Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250-ohm, yes
Usually the 32-Ohm cost more, but least amount of bass.
and Premium versions cost more, only because they have a slightly less clamping force and more comfort.
 
 

 

[linuxid10t]

Look at their graphs.  They are within the darn margin of error of each other.
 
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I don't think so. The Z1000s use a completely different driver, and the metal construction reduces housing reverb. In terms of sound quality, their resolution and bass extension is on the level of the W1000X and Pro 900.
Where on earth did you read that they are the same?

 

 

[danielcloud]

sorry guys i didn't see this threat so i opened a new thread. So basically I am in the market for a new pair of ear buds. I want to spend 30$ max. I mainly listen to rock music and sometimes pop/dance. I really need a pair of comfortable and good sound quality headphones. As i said my manly concerns are sound quality,comfort and price. I am not really interested in how they look like and the brand. These are what i've found so far:
 
Skullcandy Titan (23$)
Sennheiser CX200 (15$)
Sennheiser CX300B (23$)
 
I am willing to try increase my price limit if the headphones are really worth it.
 
Thank you

 

[Desertblood]

Thanks Armaegis
 
'preciate that bro. 
 
I guess I'll go for the CAL's and get an extension cord
 
 
 
Quick question though. The audio jack on my laptop broke (longstory). I'm using a cheap 3$ usb to audio plug in for now. But the sound quality is just... bleh. Can I run audio through the USB port using a FiiO e7? I was thinking of buying one and this gives me all the more reason. Oh and btw, I was planning on getting an e9 somewhere along the line.
 
Im using the Ultrasone HFi 580s atm.

 

[12345142]

That's exactly how the E7 is meant to be used. It's a USB DAC.

 

[Desertblood]

^ Thanks bro bro. 
 
You think amazon would be my best bet?
 
Oh, and would it boost my audio quality, from say my regular audio port?

 

[SunRay95]

Thanks Armaegis really apreciate it
are the hd 280's the best sounding of the three ?
better than the
Akg k450
Shure srh 440
 
Thanks

 
 

 

 

[12345142]

Quote:

^ Thanks bro bro. 
 
You think amazon would be my best bet?
 
Oh, and would it boost my audio quality, from say my regular audio port?

Yes, and yes.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Thanks Armaegis really apreciate it
are the hd 280's the best sounding of the three ?
better than the
Akg k450
Shure srh 440
 
Thanks

 
 

I liked the sound of the Shure 440, but the HD280 is hard to beat for isolation.
 

 

[csj0952]

Looking for advice on a set of noise cancelling headphones for office use.  I work in an open office with people talking on the phone next to me so I'm looking for something with good noise isolation to shut them up a bit.
 
Here's some details to help:
 
Music Preferences: Jazz and Rock
Prefer Open Design
Iphone will drive these headphones.
 
I'd like them to be somewhat portable as well so I can easily take them from the office to the coffee shop.  I don't want IEM because I hear they destroy your hearing eventually.
 
I'd like to be under 200 bucks.  My co-worker has the Bose QC-15s and they had great isolation but too expensive for me.
 
Here's what I was thinking:
 
Senn HD25-IIs (I hear great things about these but I'm concerned the isolation won't be that great...also I hear the earpads make your ears hot and they aren't very portable?)
Audio Technica ATH-ANC1  (more portable than the ANC7, less isolation though)
Sony MDR-NC200D (don't know much about these)
 
 
I dunno what else I should look at?  Plz helpppppppp!

 

[Headzone]

Thanks for your answer Armaegis, im going to order the K601 now

 
edit: lied, I bought used HD-600's instead.

 

[STRiDOR]

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Hello and welcome to head-fi. We have a saying for newcomers here: "sorry for your wallet."
 
The HD800 is a beautiful thing, isn't it? I enjoy mine immensely, particularly for the spaciousness of its sound. Are you mad for wanting one? Probably. But at least you're not thinking about buying a $5,000 pair of Stax.
 
How heavily used is the model in question? $200 off for a floor model may or may not be worth it, imo. Also consider whether you will be able to return it potentially. I know open box items sometimes can't be returned.
 
Also what were they using to power the HD800? It's a very picky headphone, and sometimes even well regarded or costly amps wont sound particularly good when paired up with it. Synergy is key. I'm not sure how the Lyr sounds coupled with the HD800, but I did prefer the Lyr to the Valhalla when I listened a while back. It's a good value. The only issue I could foresee is buzzing from the Lyr being audible with the HD800.  
 
You may also want to consider the M Stage, Violectric V100, and Meier Concerto. Those are all solid state and not tube amps. Personally, I feel solid state is generally a better choice in the sub-$1000 range.
 
What source will you be using these with? The Lyr and HD800 wont do you much good if you're feeding them with a poor source. In that case, I'd personally suggest going with something like a DacMagic and the Asgard instead of the Lyr. If you have a nice source though you can ignore that bit of advice.
 
In my humble opinion, the sweet spot for price/performance is in the $1000 to $1500 range. If you're investing in these fine headphones, then it makes sense to upgrade later on down the road to something that will truly do them justice. I recommend the DNA Sonett. It's $1300 new, but imo it will be worth it in the long run. Add a good DAC in and you'll be able to avoid "upgraditis" for a good while methinks.

Hi MuppetFace,
 
Thanks for your advice.  The HD800 is indeed a beautiful thing.  I've spent a good amount of time doing additional research, and given that I don't have a headphone amp at all, the RS220's sound like they might be a very decent compromise..  Especially if what I'm reading holds true, that they sound HD600'ish driven by a decent amp.  That would save me 1-2k probably as I wouldn't need to invest in an amp at the moment.  I see Best Buy has them estimated for Dec 11th in store, I might be tempted to wait and try a pair to see how they sound.  
 
I'm surprised to hear that the Lyr's produce buzzing on the HD800's?  That sucks, it would be something I'd love to hear for myself. 
 
Currently, my source is (was) a top of the line AV receiver ($4500 at the time), which was once very highly regarded. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_3/pioneer-vsx-59txi-receiver-8-2005.html
I'm not sure how well the DAC onboard that would drive something like the HD800's, but I was willing to try it out and see.  If it doesn't do the HD800's justice, then you're right, that would be one more component for me to consider buying..  Making the upgrade quite a bit more expensive that I thought it might be.
 
I'm looking into all of the suggestions you've made.  Thank you!
 
 
In the mean time I plan on giving more headphones a test drive.  I think I can probably haggle the HD800 a little lower if I really wanted too. Do you happen to know of any reputable high end audio stores in LA?  Preferably the west side?   Any place where I could sit and pair headphones and amps would be awesome.  I'm learning quickly, and enjoying it all so far!  
 
Cheers.

 

[STRiDOR]

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I'm also curious as to whether you've heard of Head Direct's HiFiMan headphones? They're pretty well regarded around here. Buying something like the HE-500 and Head Direct's hybrid tube amp would be another good choice, and less expensive. It pretty much holds its own against the HD800, but may lack some of that spaciousness.

Nope, not yet.  I'd love to though! Just need to find someplace that carries them locally.  They're on my list to try now.  

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Looking for advice on a set of noise cancelling headphones for office use.  I work in an open office with people talking on the phone next to me so I'm looking for something with good noise isolation to shut them up a bit.
 
Here's some details to help:
 
Music Preferences: Jazz and Rock
Prefer Open Design
Iphone will drive these headphones.
 
I'd like them to be somewhat portable as well so I can easily take them from the office to the coffee shop.  I don't want IEM because I hear they destroy your hearing eventually.
 
I'd like to be under 200 bucks.  My co-worker has the Bose QC-15s and they had great isolation but too expensive for me.
 
Here's what I was thinking:
 
Senn HD25-IIs (I hear great things about these but I'm concerned the isolation won't be that great...also I hear the earpads make your ears hot and they aren't very portable?)
Audio Technica ATH-ANC1  (more portable than the ANC7, less isolation though)
Sony MDR-NC200D (don't know much about these)
 
 
I dunno what else I should look at?  Plz helpppppppp!

I'm not sure what you mean by "open design" when you're looking for isolating headphones... ?
 
The best isolation I've found in headphones: Senn HD280/380, Beyer DT770, Senn HD25, B&W P5, Beyer DT1350/T50p.
 
IEMs will not destroy your hearing so long as you keep to moderate volume levels.