[t-crisis]

Quote:

Coming from the DT880s myself, I felt they sucked the life out of some recordings, particularly rock.  So, I can't recommend them to you for rock.
 
As far as a DAC goes, you really can't beat the HRT Music Streamer for the price.  You really can't.  At $150, it hangs in there with DACs costing many times more.
 
To get in your price range, things become a little more tricky.  That means you have $350 for both an amp and headphones.  Compromises need to be made.  One such compromise is the Schiit Asgard and Sony MDR-V6 headphones.  Maybe not the best option, but you can get all three components here for $500, and they'll work fine.
 
 

Originally Posted by cstjean 

 
Can someone help me?  I keep getting torn between options.  Currently I'm thinking Grado 325is or Beyer DT880 600ohm (or the DT990?) with a NuForce Icon uDAC-2, or the iBasso D7?  Honestly when it comes to the amp/dac I'm just plain confused and there are too many unanswered questions in that part of the forums...
 
Music genres: 50% rock/metal, 30% full orchestra (soundtrack music, not stage recordings), 20% techno
Portable: No, only at the computer (plugged into a MacBook Pro)
Price range: With an amp/dac around $500, but I'm open. 
Amped: Yes.
Closed/Open: I'm a software developer, will be using at my cube.  The floor isn't very quiet and my cube neighbors usually listen to music (though not always).  I typically listen with my computer volume around 35% but sometimes I'll turn it up a bit.  If the sound leakage at that volume won't distract people then I prefer open because it will be easier to hear people trying to get ahold of me.  I'm open to suggestions though.
Headphone preference: I don't typically wear my headphones the entire workday, but I want it to be an option so if I must I would sacrifice some SQ for comfort.
 
Thank you!
 

 

 

Another compromise could be that you don't buy an amp. So, you could get the 32 ohm version of the Beyers. I don't have any experience with the DT990's options (32, 250, and 600 ohms), so I don't know what the differences are, but I would bet they don't sound the same. 
To be honest I'm not a big amp believer. In my opinion, they hardly improve sound quality as long as you have clean recordings and you're content with the volume. To me it seems as though it's only making the sound go through more and more filters before it reaches your head so you don't get the "true" recording. But don't quote me on that - I could be way off.

 

[hodgjy]

Everyone's experiences are different, but for the headphones I drive (see profile), amping does make a big difference.  There is certainly a difference between amp and no amp, but also between the amps I use.  YMMV.
 
Quote:

To be honest I'm not a big amp believer. In my opinion, they hardly improve sound quality as long as you have clean recordings and you're content with the volume. To me it seems as though it's only making the sound go through more and more filters before it reaches your head so you don't get the "true" recording. But don't quote me on that - I could be way off.

 

 

[Mista N]

Well since last posting in this thread I have yet to get a new pair of phones.
My budget has dropped however
 
Music genres: 30% Dubstep/trance  50% Rock/metal  20% game soundtracks(Metroid Prime, Morrowind, etc.)
Portable: No
Price range: Anywhere up to $200 but around 150 is best
Amped: No preference(never heard amped phones)
Closed/Open: not sure on open or closed but my computer I would be using them with is in a Antec 1200 case with 6 fans and one of them 200mm so I wouldn't want to be able to hear the fans
Headphone preference: They would need to be wearable for many hours at a time without ear ache or fatigue
 
past headphone experience is Sony XB500 but I always found the mids to recessed. Will still probably use them for electronic music.
I want something to cover the other bases that they can't cover.
 
Full size headphones prefered
I don't want the padding sitting on my ears.
Also my head is rather large

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Thanks again! But after reading some reviews, the Shure SRH-940 came to my attention. Do you have any information about it? People said that they are better than the HD598 and had a sound signature very very similar to the HD800. 

I don't think either one is definitively better than the other, but at least from what I've heard, the Shures might be a bit brighter. Since they're closed, the soundstage might be worse, but I don't really know much more than that, sorry. Maybe ask around a dedicated thread.
 


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Hi Folks,
 
I'm looking for a pair of headphones to complement my Atrio M5's with Comply Tips that I've had for a while.  I'm mainly looking for some to travel with so want good isolation, ideally little to no leakage and a sound signature simliar to the Atrio's.  I mainly listen to rock/metal and also watch films on an iPad with music from an iPhone 4s.  
 
I've tried the bose QC15's and thought they sounded ok, and one of my friends has the Beats Studio but disliked the sound of them as they sounded muddy.  So any suggestions would be welcome and I'm looking for some around the £150 or so price point.
 
Thanks

Steve

Just curious, why would you want a headphone that's essentially the same as what you already have? You probably won't get better isolation than with IEMs, and you're asking for the same sound signature... Anyway, the Atrios are bass-heavy, right? In that case maybe check out the Denon D1100s and the Ultrasone HFI580s.
 


Quote:

hi, I'm looking for a good hp that doesnt need amp...but not grado.
budget until 500$.
genre rock, indie, acoustic...
thanks..

First off, are you going to be using these exclusively at home, or on the go as well? That pretty much determines whether you want closed or open cans. Also, past about $300, I think pretty much anything you get will sound better with an amp. However, higher end portables like the Beyerdynamic DT1350 don't require an amp, and I guess the Beyerdynamic 770/880/990 32-ohm models might not need them either. Also the Senn 598s. One last thing, what kind of music will you be listening to/what kind of sound are you looking for? That's another big factor.
 


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[size=medium]Hey,[/size]
[size=medium]I am looking for an open set of “around big ears” headphones . I have a pair of Senn PXC 450’s that fit absolutely great over my big ears. They have an inside cushion diameter of 2 ¾ x 1 ½ oval.  The sound fairly good but require batteries and are my work headphones. I want to have a pair of dedicated at home headphones with excellent tonal reproduction across the frequency range.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I am normally using a Soundblaster X-Fi Extreme Titanium (not the HD) and 320 bit rate MP3s. The portable rig is a Touch 4 with a Fiio E7. This points me to 200 to 300 ohm versions of headphones since I am not using FLAC files or a high end amp & do not intend to any time soon.[/size]
 
[size=medium]As for preferences, Music comes in two versions for me. The music that I listen to while doing other things and music that I stop everything else I am doing so I can really listen. The former group includes Rock, Pop, Punk, Metal… Three cords and a bridge like ZZ Top, Tool, LZ, Stones…  Don’t get me wrong here, I love three cords and a bridge and I listened to a lot of it in the last 50+ years. The latter includes Jazz, Classical, Progressive, and Opera. At work where I use the 450’s or a pair of Klipsch S4i’s the former group is more to my liking. While at home the quiet enjoyment of the textured and detailed music of the latter is enjoyable.  [/size]
[size=medium]For these reasons I was looking at the HD650. They are Senn’s and the ear cup is oval and “appears” to be the same size as the PXC 450. Two things have led me toward a different model. The $$$ price on the HD650 is $480 and the reviews I have read describe it as veiled. Frequency response seems to drop off in the high end. [/size]
 
[size=medium]Looking at the Graphs on Headroom and other sites I “discovered” the Beyerdynamic DT990 and DT880. At first I thought that the DT990 was the one I would like best, but after reviewing some of the charts and comments I am leaning more toward the DT880. [/size]
[size=medium]At Amazon there are two versions of the DT880 [/size][size=medium]DT880 Premium[/size][size=medium] at $309 and the [/size][size=medium]DT880 Pro[/size][size=medium] at $238. I have read a lot about the clamping pressure differences and that there are different model years. Can anyone speak to these two versions and why there is a $70 delta? [/size]
[size=medium]My apologies for making sense.[/size]

First, as suggestion: look into the Sennheiser HD598s. Second, I think the price differential might just be a product of demand, since the MSRPs aren't too different...
 


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50an6xy06r6n
Sorry, I forgot about the over-ear part, yeah, they are on-ear for the most part. However, you can get separate bowl pads that make them circumaural if you're still interested. The FA-003s have a good reputation, but are more neutral cans, which is always good, but may not get you the fun sound you may want out of your music. Just FYI, if that makes a difference to you.

I am looking for more of a fun sound. I want them to have good bass response, but I want new headphones mostly for clarity, not neccessarily accuracy, if that makes sense.

If you're looking for fun, maybe the M50s or ultrasones might suit you better than the neutral FA-003s. Just something to think about.
 


Quote:

Hi there I am new to the headphone scene and wanted to start out with a cheap pair of headphones but ones that i can still expect a lot of difference between the rubbish ipod type of headphones i use at the moment, i've done some research and seen alot on Superlux producing amazing headphones but at cheap prices, what i was wondering was which model do you think is best i.e. the hd661, hd681 hd668b, or any others you know of. Also a quick side question do you think it is worth buying a small portable cmoy amp for my iphone. Thanks

I haven't heard any of them personally, but from what I've heard, the 668Bs are at the top of that lineup. They might scale up a bit with a cmoy, and that could also be an investment later on for better portables later on. 
 


Quote:

Hello all,
 
Long time lurker looking to buy his first set of real cans. I've done a good amount of research, but I thought as might as well post in this thread as long as it exists.
 
I work very long hours in a loud and busy office, so I'm looking for a solid pair of headphones that will be comfortable day in and day out, with little leakage, and good isolation. 
 
It's mostly going to be used with my work thinkpad, which does not have a sound card. I love music, and while I have a lot of lossless and such at home, on my work pc it's going to be much more spotify. I listen to a lot of hip hop, electronic, rock, indie, punk, folk, blues, reggae, jazz and pop, pretty much in that order - a wide spectrum I admit. I also need to be able to watch videos, often footage from hand held cameras, for my job. 
 
I'm looking to spend under $250. It seems like the ath m50 or the fischer fa003 or the HD 25 might fill the bill as a sort of jack of all trades headphone. I don't own an amp however, and if I get one, it'll likely be a cheap portable one. Maybe nice headphones are overkill given the system I'm working with however.
 
Is there a good pair I'm miss? And, remember, I haven't owned a nice pair of headphones in years, so I recognize most anything is going to be a big step up. 

Quote:

All three of those should fit the bill nicely.  The only others I can think of off the top of my head that might also work are the Shure SRH-840 and maybe the V-Moda M80 or LP2.  The styling on the latter two is a tad "loud" for a professional office environment though.
 
The nice thing about all of these is that they don't need much, if anything, in the way of amplification.  Something along the lines of the Fiio E7 or E10 would be more than enough, or really any of the portable USB DAC/amp solutions in the $60-$120 range.  I would recommend getting something with a USB DAC since the soundcard in your laptop probably isn't the greatest, and many of these headphones will magnify any flaws such as hissing and static from the headphone jack.
 

For long sessions in the office, you might want to skip the on-ear models like the HD25-1s of the M80s, as those might get uncomfortable after a while. For maximum long-term comfort, I actually think the FA-003 might be your best bet, while also giving you very good sound for your money. For $250 I think you can get a Brainwavz HM5 (I think it's the same as the FA-003, someone confirm this?) and an E10 DAC/Amp, which would make for a very nice system.
 


Quote:

 
Hi guys.
 
I am selling my current Sennheiser HD448 headphones and looking to upgrade to something a little more high end. I use my headphones daily to listen to music, as my house is quite small and my parents don't like me listening to music very loud through my denon mini hi-fi. My set up is based around my laptop with my music collection in 320kbps MP3 or FLAC. I have a FiiO E10 DAC on the way to replace my fairly crappy creative external sound card I am currently using.
 
Basically I have a budget of up to £200 at the very maximum but under £150 would be ideal, and want to make a large enough jump up from the HD448's so that I am not looking at upgrading any time soon. I was initially tempted by the AKG 701/702's due to their excellent looks and the fact that on amazon.co.uk they are both for sale for £199.99 despite their £400+ rrp. I have read pretty much all their is about the headphones mentioned over the past 2 days and I seem more confused now than when I started. I'm not really a hi-fi audiophile nut, but I do care about the quality of my music. My main listening tastes are modern indie/folk music and a lot of accoustic/guitar singer songwriter stuff, for example Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale, Ben Howard, Florence and the Machine ......to name a few.
 
After reading up on the K701/702's I was put off by the fact that they may just be TOO MUCH headphone for a casual listener like me, and that they will just be too analytical for my listening habits, perhaps more suited to proffesional studio mixing. Since deciding this I've read countless 'Best headphones...' and headphone comparisons online and the AKG K721 MKII's have stood out as being more suited to my tastes, the fact that they are available for £111 delivered is a bonus! But i'm worried these might not quite be a big enough step up from the 448's, although they do retail for much more than this....
 
The Sennheiser HD598's have also caught my eye (again initially due to their unique looks haha). From reading the reviews these seem like they will be a good upgrade but at closer to £170 are these going to be that much better than the K721 MK II's?
 
I'm after any thoughts at all on my situation that can help my confusion as I just seem to be endlessly reading reviews and forums and getting nowhere at all!
 
Thanks for any kind help I may recieve in helping me decide. My 448's are on ebay so I need to decide soon so that i've got something to replace them with once they are gone!
 
Jonny.

For your more casual listening purposes maybe the 589s will fit? Not sure what the K721s are, but if you mean the K271s, I think other will agree that the 598s are an upgrade.
 


Quote:

 
Hi,
 
I am looking for some over ear headphones, that cost no more than £130 (note- English currency)! This included the price of an amp (if I would need one- please recommend!). 
 
I would really like them to be portable (folding/lightweight) and look good! However, I am willing to sacrifice both of these for sound. 
 
I like listening to hip hop, RnB, pop, a little rock and dubstep.
 
My source is an ipod touch 3rd gen. 

 

I am looking for a set of headphones that have amazing sound quality but also bring the music to life and make it incredibly enjoyable to listen to- for example I listened to the srh840's and although they had great sound quality, there was little life in the music in my opinion, it was just for analytical listening (I know that is their intended purpose). I would also like great bass- so you can actually feel the vibration!

 

Any other questions please ask  

 

Thanks in advance

For bass maybe the Ultrasone HFI 580? There was a thread on them somewhere, maybe check there for more info.
 


Quote:

 
Can someone help me?  I keep getting torn between options.  Currently I'm thinking Grado 325is or Beyer DT880 600ohm (or the DT990?) with a NuForce Icon uDAC-2, or the iBasso D7?  Honestly when it comes to the amp/dac I'm just plain confused and there are too many unanswered questions in that part of the forums...
 
Music genres: 50% rock/metal, 30% full orchestra (soundtrack music, not stage recordings), 20% trance
Portable: No, only at the computer (plugged into a MacBook Pro)
Price range: With an amp/dac around $500, but I'm open. 
Amped: Yes.
Closed/Open: I'm a software developer, will be using at my cube.  The floor isn't very quiet and my cube neighbors usually listen to music (though not always).  I typically listen with my computer volume around 35% but sometimes I'll turn it up a bit.  If the sound leakage at that volume won't distract people then I prefer open because it will be easier to hear people trying to get ahold of me.  I'm open to suggestions though.
Headphone preference: I don't typically wear my headphones the entire workday, but I want it to be an option so if I must I would sacrifice some SQ for comfort.
 
Thank you!
 

I don't know if the Grados will do it for your soundtrack music, due to their sound signature. Also check out the Fiio E10 for a DAC/Amp, and the Sennheiser HD598. 
 


Quote:

Hi everyone,
 
Looking for some advice on new headphones.
 
I listen to mostly prog Rock (Yes, Rush, King Crimson) and some pop.
 
The headphones that I have been looking into are:
 
AKG Q701    $360
BeyerDynamic DT990  $399
Grado PS500  $535
Sennheiser HD600  $425
Sennheiser HD650   $550
 
Unfortunately, there isn't a headphone shop where I live that I can test these out.
 
My budget is around $500.  I don't know my terminology too well but what I would like to have is clear separation (distinct instrument separation) and good decay ie. after a cymbal is hit you hear the slow decay of the ringing of the cymbal.
 
Any input would be appreciated.....Thanks!

Where do you live? Those prices are all significantly above what I'm seeing on Amazon...
 


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My IDEAL headphone would be one that has 1 detachable cable, is comfortable has good bass, and can't be heard by everyone in the room but are noot by any means quiet when I wear them, Such a headphone could never exist lol, so all I want is good bass and for nobody in the room to complaining about my headphones being too loud !

Ultrasone Pro models, v-moda M80, Sennheiser HD25-1.
 

 

[wullymc]

I live in Canada........higher priced items for sure!  Check Amazon.ca

 

[veyrongatti]

Quote:

 
The SRH840 is a promising candidate.
 
 

its 199 in aus
 

 

[simon18309]

Hi everyone,  i have a shure SE420 with me. Should I upgrade to SE535? or should i try UE tf10? Is it worth to do that? i usually listen to some J-pop and Rock music. My player is Cowon iaudio9. i am confused.. Thanks!

 

[Moodles]

Quote:

First off, fyi, Grados are very open, so you should probably rule them out for your purposes. For electronic music, the PRO700s are supposed to be very bassy, but if you don't want too much that could be an issue. I don't know a whole lot about the Beyers other than they're pretty bulky and so probably won't be ideal for carrying around. The M50s and the Shures are DJ-style cans though, so they will fold up into a nice compact package, and neither leak at all. If you want something even more portable look into the Sennheiser HD25s or the V-moda M80s. None of those will need an amp.

Thanks for the reply! I actually manage to come across a local used pair of DT-770 PRO 250 for $100 today and i had to get them. Just going to get a nice portable amp and call it a day. I hear mixed reviews on the bass on them but i think if its powered to its full potential they should be fine for what i'm looking for. Hopfully their size doesn't become to big of an issue!
 
Also i guess i should ask while i'm here... I was hoping to get a portable amp for the 770 pro 250 and the e11 seemed to be the only one plausible. Will that be sufficient? Or would i need to go higher to power these?
 
 

 

[Uncle00Jesse]

when i started really getting into this hobby with my SA5000s and grados i was absolutely loving it and didnt think i'd need another headphone. now, after a little over a year, i cant bear to listen for more than 10 mins at a clip because of the intense brightness these cans put out. i cant imagine why it didnt effect me for such a long time, but i now need to go into a different direction. I guess I'm looking for a dark/darker sounding phone than what I have now. I'm using a squeezbox touch into a ef2a for now, also have e7/e9, but will be upgrading to a higher level setup in the near future. I would appreciate some suggestions on a pair phones that would suit me best. I've heard the hd650s are dark, but other than that I dont know what the options are. Thanks

 

[cstjean]

If I bought the "HRT Music Streamer II High Resolution USB D/A Converter" ($150 from Amazon), the Schiit Asgard ($250), and the Sennheiser HD 598 ($250 from Amazon) I'm look at $650.  Would this be a good combination, worth the extra cost?
 
EDIT: Or should I start with the HD 598 and the FiiO E10 ($80 from Amazon) before springing for the HRT and Asgard?
 
Quote:

Coming from the DT880s myself, I felt they sucked the life out of some recordings, particularly rock.  So, I can't recommend them to you for rock.
 
As far as a DAC goes, you really can't beat the HRT Music Streamer for the price.  You really can't.  At $150, it hangs in there with DACs costing many times more.
 
To get in your price range, things become a little more tricky.  That means you have $350 for both an amp and headphones.  Compromises need to be made.  One such compromise is the Schiit Asgard and Sony MDR-V6 headphones.  Maybe not the best option, but you can get all three components here for $500, and they'll work fine.
 


 

 
 

 

[Mr Portable]

fiio e10 will do - HD 598 is moderately easy to drive. same setup here.
 
if you have the HRT streamer that is another low-cost solution, just pair it up with a light amp (fiio comes to mind)

 

[cstjean]

Well if I get the HD 598, the HRT Streamer, and the FiiO E9 that puts me right at $500, unless the Asgard is worth the jump.
 
Quote:

fiio e10 will do - HD 598 is moderately easy to drive. same setup here.
 
if you have the HRT streamer that is another low-cost solution, just pair it up with a light amp (fiio comes to mind)

 

 

[Mr Portable]

you can skip the bigger amps altogether unless you're planning to buy a really difficult-to-drive high end can in the future

 

[cstjean]

Do you have a specific suggestion?  I'm new to this and trying to take everything in.  Though I may just get the HRT Streamer II with the FiiO E9 for future proofing sake.
 
EDIT: Also it looks like the HRT output is RCA but the FiiO E9 and FiiO E6 have the mini for line in, is this correct?  Do I just get adapter cables?
 
Quote:

you can skip the bigger amps altogether unless you're planning to buy a really difficult-to-drive high end can in the future

 

 

[Magick Man]

when i started really getting into this hobby with my SA5000s and grados i was absolutely loving it and didnt think i'd need another headphone. now, after a little over a year, i cant bear to listen for more than 10 mins at a clip because of the intense brightness these cans put out. i cant imagine why it didnt effect me for such a long time, but i now need to go into a different direction. I guess I'm looking for a dark/darker sounding phone than what I have now. I'm using a squeezbox touch into a ef2a for now, also have e7/e9, but will be upgrading to a higher level setup in the near future. I would appreciate some suggestions on a pair phones that would suit me best. I've heard the hd650s are dark, but other than that I dont know what the options are. Thanks

I am LOVING my Denon AH-D7000s, like not being able to take them off kind of love, there's nothing harsh or overly bright about them. For me they range from a softer side of neutral in the highs and upper-mids, to warm and silky in the lower-mids to bass (not massive bass, but you can tell it's there and it can really punch). Plus there's the larger than expected soundstage, even better than many open HPs I've tried. And they're comfortable, these puppies feel great for hours on end. Yeah, I know, they're $800, but you could look into used like I did, or maybe the D5000s, they're supposed to be very similar.

I'm in almost exactly in the same amp boat as you too; an EF2 and e7/e9 combo. People here have been telling me to ditch the EF2, but TBH it sounds better to me than the E7 or E7+E9. Right now I'm thinking about the Schiit Lyr or a TubeMagic A1. Wish I could test them both.