[HeadBeats]

Quote:

 
The better question is, do you? 

 I haven't heard of the DBIs, but between the AKGs and the Superluxes, the AKGs are closed, more portable, and bassy, while the Superluxes are more precise, less bassy, and semi-open. It all comes down to personal preference and usage scenarios.
 

 

I don't have an opinion, unfortunately. I've never owned anything that wasn't in ear haha. Well I guess I do have an opinion, the AKGs look better..but the DBI's are some sort of commercial grade headphones that come up for sale sometime that are supposed to be pretty decent, and they are super tough which is nice for me, as a college student. I will be using these headphones for studying purpose so isolation is nice but 100% is not needed. My expectations are low, which is why I'm not spending all that much right now. Was hoping someone owned the DBI in addition to either the Superlux or AKG
 
PS Thanks for the reply!
 
PSS..I was also looking at a set of CAL!s

 

[linuxid10t]

They are built to be studio phones.  They don't leak sound.
 
Quote:

Leaky noise from the M50's is what I mean, because I don't want my microphone to pick it up when I'm doing radio shows in my studio.

 

 

[BearWant]

Hello all,

Its official I've been bitten by the audio bug. It started when I wanted a decent IEM. Did some research here and found the re0. Then I ran into the hf3 on clearance at Best Buy and could not resist the price. Yeah I know the two are pretty similar, but could not resist the value. So I experienced my audio epiphany and now have decided that I need a pair of full-headphones, and thus, have been scouring these forums. I have some ideas about what I might like, but I want to start open ended and not lead recommendations in any direction.

Firstly, please excuse my lack of audio verbage, as I am still learning. I love the sound of both my re0s and particularly my hf3s. The clarity and mids mmm mmm. However, there are sometimes when I think to myself man this sounds spectacular, but I'm not having fun listening to this. Also, I don't consider myself a bass head by any means, but there are times when I wish the bass on these had a little more impact. The other compliant I could have is that both have a similar stage and sometimes I think I want something that could immmerse me more in the music. So I want to find a headphone that will compliment these IEMs.

What I like
(excuse my ignorance if I classify something as the wrong genre):

I listen to alot of alternative, rock, indie, & piano rock. But I feel alot of the alternative I listen to has become more electronic. I do listen to techno, as well. I wouldn't mind gaming with these cans on my ps3 either.

Alternative/Rock:
Incubus, Modest Mouse, Killers, Phoenix, Audioslave, Angels and Airwaves, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Police, MUSE, Oasis, Queens of the Stoneage, Radiohead, RHCP, Breaking Benjamin...I go as hard as Metallica

Electronic Pop/Rock
Foster the People, Two Door Cinema Club, Naked and Famous, Passion Pitt, M85. I also like techno

Piano Rock
Coldplay, Jack's Mannequin, Something Coporate, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Fray, Keane

Indie
Mumford and Sons (obsessed), Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine, Bon Iver, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Civil War Kids

What I want in a headphone
Considering the above, I want something that has the clarity and mids I love with the hf3s, but can be a little more engaging and provide that extra bass I'm looking for when I'm feeling more electronic. However, this bass cannot come at the expense of my mids especially not vocals. Like I said, my priority is not bass, but there are some instances I have wished the hf3s had more impact even in some of my rock tracks. Furthermore, I want something with a big sound stage, but still won't make me feel detached from the vocals. Since I am just diping my toe in and know how infectious this hobby is already becoming, I may need to think about room for scalling upward.

All of this for the measily grand total of $300. I could possibly be talked into a bit more, but the increase would need to come with major benefits. I am open to any suggestions be it modding be it buying used, or waiting for a sale. I am a patient man if the juice is worth the squeeze.

My setup
Well I don't really have one. I plan to use my onboard motherboard soundcard and my android galaxy nexus for now. I'm not opposed to an amp; however, I might prefer something that will sound good unamped that I can later supplement with an amp. As far as my tracks go they are mixed many of them unfortunately as low as 128 kbps. I plan on working to rectifying this.

Sorry for the long read. I just wanted to provide as much detail as possible.

 

[Riku540]

Quote:

Thanks for informing me that the ps3 needs more than just USB.
For the optical/TOSlink would this type of cable work http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-Audio-TosLink-Cable/dp/B001ZU3G2I and would that go into the S/PDIF or the AUX port?

 
Cable looks good. It will connect to the S/PDIF in on top of the E17.

 

[GPWags]

Music

1. Rock- RHCP, Incubus, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rise Against, Thrice, Kings of Leon, Grateful Dead, Audioslave, 311, Therefore I Am, Brand New, CCR, etc.
2. Pop-rock- Third Eye Blind, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, The Beatles, The Killers, Oasis etc.
3. House- Deadmau5, Flux Pavilion, Swedish House Mafia, Avicii
4. Rap/Hip-hop- Aesop Rock, Nas, Tupac, The Roots, OutKast, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye
5. Also a lot of mellow music a la City and Colour, Slightly Stoopid, DCFC, OAR, Bob Marley etc.
6. Lot's of FLAC and high quality OGG files for the most part.

Sound Signature
Not totally sure if I would like a neutral or colored headphone better to be honest but as you can see the majority of my music is rock oriented.  I have a pair of Senn HD25-1 II for portability that I enjoy but I haven't had a lot to compare them with.  I can say with certainty that I would like a slightly more aggressive sound, a rather wide and accurate soundstage (to contrast the Senn's I own now), bass with decent impact/control, and highs that have a fair bit of sparkle.  With all that said detail and accuracy of detail are key but not at the expense of enjoying my music.
 
What to get
I have a budget of up to 350 USD (a little over if need be) for a pair of headphones and a Amp/Dac but obviously do not wish to spend it all for the sake of spending it.  They will be used at home in a quite area so isolation and portability are a non-issue.  I have been floundering between the Fischer FA-003's and FA-011's though I have a feeling that I might find the 003's to be too sterile.  Would a pair of 011's paired with a Fiio E17 be suitable for my music tastes?  If not, what do you suggest?  Also keep in mind that I will most likely sell off the E17 in favor of the upcoming ODA/ODAC ( desktop version of the O2 amp + DAC) when it is released.  What say you Head-Fi?!

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Leaky noise from the M50's is what I mean, because I don't want my microphone to pick it up when I'm doing radio shows in my studio.

Ok, makes sense, though I'm not sure how much of an issue that would be with open cans, seeing as most mics are pretty directional, and people game with a microphone clipped to open headphones.... 
 


Quote:

I don't have an opinion, unfortunately. I've never owned anything that wasn't in ear haha. Well I guess I do have an opinion, the AKGs look better..but the DBI's are some sort of commercial grade headphones that come up for sale sometime that are supposed to be pretty decent, and they are super tough which is nice for me, as a college student. I will be using these headphones for studying purpose so isolation is nice but 100% is not needed. My expectations are low, which is why I'm not spending all that much right now. Was hoping someone owned the DBI in addition to either the Superlux or AKG
 
PS Thanks for the reply!
 
PSS..I was also looking at a set of CAL!s

Well, what kind of music do you listen to? Also, sound signature preferences? I've heard that the AKGs can clamp pretty hard, so they might not be ideal for studying. The CALs are always a solid choice, and are probably a bit more bass-heavy than the superluxes, but not the AKGs.
 


Quote:

Hello all,

Its official I've been bitten by the audio bug. It started when I wanted a decent IEM. Did some research here and found the re0. Then I ran into the hf3 on clearance at Best Buy and could not resist the price. Yeah I know the two are pretty similar, but could not resist the value. So I experienced my audio epiphany and now have decided that I need a pair of full-headphones, and thus, have been scouring these forums. I have some ideas about what I might like, but I want to start open ended and not lead recommendations in any direction.

Firstly, please excuse my lack of audio verbage, as I am still learning. I love the sound of both my re0s and particularly my hf3s. The clarity and mids mmm mmm. However, there are sometimes when I think to myself man this sounds spectacular, but I'm not having fun listening to this. Also, I don't consider myself a bass head by any means, but there are times when I wish the bass on these had a little more impact. The other compliant I could have is that both have a similar stage and sometimes I think I want something that could immmerse me more in the music. So I want to find a headphone that will compliment these IEMs.

What I like
(excuse my ignorance if I classify something as the wrong genre):

I listen to alot of alternative, rock, indie, & piano rock. But I feel alot of the alternative I listen to has become more electronic. I do listen to techno, as well. I wouldn't mind gaming with these cans on my ps3 either.

Alternative/Rock:
Incubus, Modest Mouse, Killers, Phoenix, Audioslave, Angels and Airwaves, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Police, MUSE, Oasis, Queens of the Stoneage, Radiohead, RHCP, Breaking Benjamin...I go as hard as Metallica

Electronic Pop/Rock
Foster the People, Two Door Cinema Club, Naked and Famous, Passion Pitt, M85. I also like techno

Piano Rock
Coldplay, Jack's Mannequin, Something Coporate, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Fray, Keane

Indie
Mumford and Sons (obsessed), Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine, Bon Iver, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Civil War Kids

What I want in a headphone
Considering the above, I want something that has the clarity and mids I love with the hf3s, but can be a little more engaging and provide that extra bass I'm looking for when I'm feeling more electronic. However, this bass cannot come at the expense of my mids especially not vocals. Like I said, my priority is not bass, but there are some instances I have wished the hf3s had more impact even in some of my rock tracks. Furthermore, I want something with a big sound stage, but still won't make me feel detached from the vocals. Since I am just diping my toe in and know how infectious this hobby is already becoming, I may need to think about room for scalling upward.

All of this for the measily grand total of $300. I could possibly be talked into a bit more, but the increase would need to come with major benefits. I am open to any suggestions be it modding be it buying used, or waiting for a sale. I am a patient man if the juice is worth the squeeze.

My setup
Well I don't really have one. I plan to use my onboard motherboard soundcard and my android galaxy nexus for now. I'm not opposed to an amp; however, I might prefer something that will sound good unamped that I can later supplement with an amp. As far as my tracks go they are mixed many of them unfortunately as low as 128 kbps. I plan on working to rectifying this.

Sorry for the long read. I just wanted to provide as much detail as possible.

Fiist, I must applaud your taste in music. Second, nice writeup, but you missed one thing. Home or portable? From the Galaxy Nexus mention, I assume you might use them on the go, but seeing as you already have your IEMs... For closed headphones that could double as a portable, maybe check out the SRH840s, HM5s (a little more neutral), or the Denon D2000s, M80s, HFI780s (more bass perhaps?). For open, maybe look at the Q701, HD598, or some beyerdynamics, though these might need at least an entry-level amp/dac like the E10.
 


Quote:

Music

1. Rock- RHCP, Incubus, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rise Against, Thrice, Kings of Leon, Grateful Dead, Audioslave, 311, Therefore I Am, Brand New, CCR, etc.
2. Pop-rock- Third Eye Blind, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, The Beatles, The Killers, Oasis etc.
3. House- Deadmau5, Flux Pavilion, Swedish House Mafia, Avicii
4. Rap/Hip-hop- Aesop Rock, Nas, Tupac, The Roots, OutKast, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye
5. Also a lot of mellow music a la City and Colour, Slightly Stoopid, DCFC, OAR, Bob Marley etc.
6. Lot's of FLAC and high quality OGG files for the most part.

Sound Signature
Not totally sure if I would like a neutral or colored headphone better to be honest but as you can see the majority of my music is rock oriented.  I have a pair of Senn HD25-1 II for portability that I enjoy but I haven't had a lot to compare them with.  I can say with certainty that I would like a slightly more aggressive sound, a rather wide and accurate soundstage (to contrast the Senn's I own now), bass with decent impact/control, and highs that have a fair bit of sparkle.  With all that said detail and accuracy of detail are key but not at the expense of enjoying my music.
 
What to get
I have a budget of up to 350 USD (a little over if need be) for a pair of headphones and a Amp/Dac but obviously do not wish to spend it all for the sake of spending it.  They will be used at home in a quite area so isolation and portability are a non-issue.  I have been floundering between the Fischer FA-003's and FA-011's though I have a feeling that I might find the 003's to be too sterile.  Would a pair of 011's paired with a Fiio E17 be suitable for my music tastes?  If not, what do you suggest?  Also keep in mind that I will most likely sell off the E17 in favor of the upcoming ODA/ODAC ( desktop version of the O2 amp + DAC) when it is released.  What say you Head-Fi?!

Well, if you want a change from your HD25s, maybe opens are the way to go. For your budget you could get the Q701 or HD598, which would probably work nicely with your E17. 

 

[ZeNmAc]

Can anyone recommend some comfortable, cool headphones?  Cool as in your ears stay cool and get air, and comfortable as in light and no/little clamping force.
 
I said earlier I wear my m50's all day.  I'd like some that I can wear at home that are easier on the ears.  For gaming, music, watching videos or whatever.  Don't have to be perfect sq, just not horrible.
 
Open back, closed back, earbuds...all are fair game.  Just no IEMs.  I'd like to avoid supra-aural but I'll keep an open mind if you want to convince me

.  I'd like to keep it under $100, ~30-70 would be better.
 
Keep in mind I have M50's and klipsch custom 3's these are just for when I want a break from irritated scalp, irritated hair, and waxy ear canal.
 
I havn't really come across much.  Here's all I came up with.
AD500/700        (a little expensive)
Sennheiser ??? (I havn't found much about newer ones)
CAL!                (maybe too hot?)
Yuin earbuds?
Other earbuds that are easy on the outer ear?
 
Thanks for helping

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

That's the exact reason I want to avoid them... I don't want to need to use batteries or charge them. Are there any other desktop amps similar to the E9? Or could I just buy an Asus Xonar STX sound card (which I hear has good op amps?)
Anyways I bit the bullet and bought DT770 80 ohm from amazon. Hopefully there's enough juice to power it.

My Essence STX does a fine job of powering my DT770 Pro 80-Ohm headphones.
 
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Can anyone recommend some comfortable, cool headphones?  Cool as in your ears stay cool and get air, and comfortable as in light and no/little clamping force.
 
I said earlier I wear my m50's all day.  I'd like some that I can wear at home that are easier on the ears.  For gaming, music, watching videos or whatever.  Don't have to be perfect sq, just not horrible.
 
Open back, closed back, earbuds...all are fair game.  Just no IEMs.  I'd like to avoid supra-aural but I'll keep an open mind if you want to convince me

.  I'd like to keep it under $100, ~30-70 would be better.
 
Keep in mind I have M50's and klipsch custom 3's these are just for when I want a break from irritated scalp, irritated hair, and waxy ear canal.
 
I havn't really come across much.  Here's all I came up with.
AD500/700        (a little expensive)
Sennheiser ??? (I havn't found much about newer ones)
CAL!                (maybe too hot?)
Yuin earbuds?
Other earbuds that are easy on the outer ear?
 
Thanks for helping

Maybe check out the Superux 668B. They're semi-open and supposed to be pretty comfortable, and are about $60. Sound good too.

 

[beclovespenguin]

Thank the sweet lord for this thread. I am a newbie to the audio world and I need some serious advice for some headphones.
 
I'm looking for some over-ear headphones that I can use at home.
For use on my iPhone and Mac. To listen to music and watch TV Shows and Movies on my computer.
Now I don't know any audio lingo but I'm looking for closed headphones with some good bass without any distortion.
As for price under $300.
 
As for music I listen to alot of indie, rock, alternative, pop, hip hop, electronic, drum and bass, dubstep and a little bit of classical and world music.
 
Indie: Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala, Foals, The xx, Beirut, Florence + the Machine, Sufjan Stevens
Rock: The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Beatles, U2
Alternative: Death Cab For Cutie, Muse, Coldplay, Bloc Party, Radiohead
Pop: Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake
Hip Hop: A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, N*E*R*D, Jay-Z, OFWGKTA
Electronic: The Presets, Crystal Castles, Daft Punk, M83, Moby
Dubstep/Drum and Bass: Skream, Pendulum, The Prodigy, SBTRKT
(Just to name a few...)

I'm thinking the Shure SRH840 maybe? Thanks so much!
 
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

Thank the sweet lord for this thread. I am a newbie to the audio world and I need some serious advice for some headphones.
 
I'm looking for some over-ear headphones that I can use at home.
For use on my iPhone and Mac. To listen to music and watch TV Shows and Movies on my computer.
Now I don't know any audio lingo but I'm looking for closed headphones with some good bass without any distortion.
As for price under $300.
 
As for music I listen to alot of indie, rock, alternative, pop, hip hop, electronic, drum and bass, dubstep and a little bit of classical and world music.
 
Indie: Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala, Foals, The xx, Beirut, Florence + the Machine, Sufjan Stevens
Rock: The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Beatles, U2
Alternative: Death Cab For Cutie, Muse, Coldplay, Bloc Party, Radiohead
Pop: Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake
Hip Hop: A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, N*E*R*D, Jay-Z, OFWGKTA
Electronic: The Presets, Crystal Castles, Daft Punk, M83, Moby
Dubstep/Drum and Bass: Skream, Pendulum, The Prodigy, SBTRKT
(Just to name a few...)

I'm thinking the Shure SRH840 maybe? Thanks so much!
 
 

Any particular reason you need closed? At home, an open can might be able to give you better sound quality and soundstaging. 
Anyway, the SRH840 might work, but if you want a bit of bass emphasis also look at the M50s, HFI780s, or D2000s. For maybe more comfort look at the HM5s.
 

 

[Chimchang]

I should really post more... I've been reading thread after thread after thread, which led me to eventually settle on some sennheiser HD25s. I bought them as an upgrade to my m50s, and I really wanted to like them, but I really, really don't. For portability they are fantastic, dual headband makes them very adjustable, and they are  lightweight and rugged as hell. Unfortunately, m50 wins for sound quality, isolation, soundstage, and comfort. And it wins all of those by a mile, especially comfort. I can't wear these longer than an hour, MAX.
So, upgrade time again, budget now at 250-350. Not going to buy an amp, all music is lossless out of either an ipod classic or desktop. They are only for music pretty much, but my m50s still get several hours of use per day and comfort is important.
So far I've only really tried the 'closed, bassy, no soundstage' sound, but I'm fine with either going radically different or just getting an overall upgrade. I want a great soundstage and more mids. I'm fine with neutral bass, as long as it isn't nonexistent. If the SQ difference is significant ly better I'll get open cans, but Id prefer isolation. Also, I try to keep my music as diverse as possible (except country, lol country music needs to END.)

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

I should really post more... I've been reading thread after thread after thread, which led me to eventually settle on some sennheiser HD25s. I bought them as an upgrade to my m50s, and I really wanted to like them, but I really, really don't. For portability they are fantastic, dual headband makes them very adjustable, and they are  lightweight and rugged as hell. Unfortunately, m50 wins for sound quality, isolation, soundstage, and comfort. And it wins all of those by a mile, especially comfort. I can't wear these longer than an hour, MAX.
So, upgrade time again, budget now at 250-350. Not going to buy an amp, all music is lossless out of either an ipod classic or desktop. They are only for music pretty much, but my m50s still get several hours of use per day and comfort is important.
So far I've only really tried the 'closed, bassy, no soundstage' sound, but I'm fine with either going radically different or just getting an overall upgrade. I want a great soundstage and more mids. I'm fine with neutral bass, as long as it isn't nonexistent. If the SQ difference is significant ly better I'll get open cans, but Id prefer isolation. Also, I try to keep my music as diverse as possible (except country, lol country music needs to END.)

At your price range, there aren't a ton of closed cans, other than maybe Denons and Beyerdynamics. Unfortunately, most stuff up there will also like an amp. Maybe the D2000 will work if you stick to closed, maybe try the HD598 for open, since they work ok without an amp.
 

 

[Shogunner]

Quote:

Ok, makes sense, though I'm not sure how much of an issue that would be with open cans, seeing as most mics are pretty directional, and people game with a microphone clipped to open headphones....  

 
Oh I think you're misunderstanding me. I want the M50's because they don't leak sound since they're closed, and I do radio w/ a condenser microphone so yea. They'll be exclusively for music.
 
I was wondering if some Sennheiser 5xx's would be a good 2nd pair to get even if I'm just using them for games and movies. 
 
 

 

[lapamato]

Hey all, Im looking for new pair of headphones. They need to be extremely comfortable. Price range $300-$400. I listen alot of music and watch series & movies. Some gaming too.
 
 
 
 
Current amp: Meier Audio Corda Head-Five
 
Current cans: Beyerdynamics DT-770 pro 80ohm
 
 
 
Dubstep/Drum and Bass: Pendulum, Headhunterz, Mord Fustang, Feed Me etc..
 
Rock: Rise against, In Flames
 
alot of various artist in Hip Hop too.
 
I was looking at Sennheiser HD598, HD600 or AKG 701, are any of these cans good for my taste of music?