[vicarious87]

Hi Guys,
 
Looking for a little assistance here, I'm currently in the market for a new set of headphones and have my eyes on these two cans at the moment;
 
Beyer-dynamic t70
Sennheiser HD650
 
My dilemma is as follows, I currently have a pair of ATH-M50 and ATH-AD700 both running of an Asus Essence STX sound card.
Of the two headphones above i defiantly prefer the M50 mainly due to the fact that I feel from the headphones I've tested (Ive also heard AD900 and Beyer-dynamic DT-250) I find open back headphones offer little to no bass.
 
I also prefer closed back cans due to the fact that i use them for gaming and music, and with gaming the closed back headphones can really help with immersion in certain games (STALKER,Dead Space,Skyrim,BF3). And the other reason is the bass response, i feel that closed back headphones really create the 'sub-woofer' feel you can achieve with speakers, this is also very noticeable when i listen to music.
 
But I'm looking to upgrade my source, I'm getting a Asus Essence Xonar One dedicated headphone amp and DAC.
 
So my real question for guys is can you achieve similar bass to the m50 with open back headphones? And from the two choices which would your recommend would be better for me? I have selected the HD650 because i keep hearing how good the bass response is on them  which contradicts the way i thought open-back headphones sounded or could achieve.
 
Also if anyone could try to compare the bass differences on these headphones compared to a pair of M50's so I can get an idea what to expect.
 
Thanks in advance guys!!

 

[zonedout245]

 
I am looking for some headphones (like many here) and have filled out this list:
 
Music genres: Electronic (IDM, Jungle), Jazz, Alternative. I enjoy solo instrument music as well. I do not care too much about vocals, since most of what I listen to is instrumental (excepting the aforementioned and any vocal samples in the electronic stuff). I prefer listening to lossless audio files.
Portable: I will be using them with my computer, and with portable music players (iPod, Zune). I would like some portability, but I'll be using them more for studying and working, not too much while commuting. I would also like to use them for recording. That said, I am not looking for monitors.
Price range: I hope to spend less than $50. I may consider up to around $80, but preferably not. I am a bit of an audiophile, but I don't know much about the headphone market, or any high-end audio market really, but I know what sounds good to my ears.
Amped: I will not be using an amp with the headphones, although I do have an audio interface which can provide a loud signal.
Closed/Open: I would not like to bother others with my music, but I want any style that will be suitable within my price range. Most likely open, though, since I won't be cycling with them.
Headphone preference: This is where I am lost. I will even accept recommendations for smaller headphone designs. I simply want headphones that will sound good and last (mine usually last very long). I have been looking at the Koss PortaPros and would like to find other models to choose from.
 
Thank you all for any input and your time.
 

 

[drtturnip]

Quote:

 
I am looking for some headphones (like many here) and have filled out this list:
 
Music genres: Electronic (IDM, Jungle), Jazz, Alternative. I enjoy solo instrument music as well. I do not care too much about vocals, since most of what I listen to is instrumental (excepting the aforementioned and any vocal samples in the electronic stuff).
Portable: I will be using them with my computer, and with portable music players (iPod, Zune). I would like some portability, but I'll be using them more for studying and working, not too much while commuting. I would also like to use them for recording. That said, I am not looking for monitors.
Price range: I hope to spend less than $50. I may consider up to around $80, but preferably not. I am a bit of an audiophile, but I don't know much about the headphone market, or any high-end audio market really, but I know what sounds good to my ears.
Amped: I will not be using an amp with the headphones, although I do have an audio interface which can provide a loud signal.
Closed/Open: I would not like to bother others with my music, but I want any style that will be suitable within my price range. Most likely open, though, since I won't be cycling with them.
Headphone preference: This is where I am lost. I will even accept recommendations for smaller headphone designs. I simply want headphones that will sound good and last (mine usually last very long). I have been looking at the Koss PortaPros and would like to find other models to choose from.
 
Thank you all for any input and your time.
 

If you don't care if they are large and in charge then cad mh310 fits the bill.
 

 

[Xinze]

Quote:

 
I am looking for some headphones (like many here) and have filled out this list:
 
Music genres: Electronic (IDM, Jungle), Jazz, Alternative. I enjoy solo instrument music as well. I do not care too much about vocals, since most of what I listen to is instrumental (excepting the aforementioned and any vocal samples in the electronic stuff). I prefer listening to lossless audio files.
Portable: I will be using them with my computer, and with portable music players (iPod, Zune). I would like some portability, but I'll be using them more for studying and working, not too much while commuting. I would also like to use them for recording. That said, I am not looking for monitors.
Price range: I hope to spend less than $50. I may consider up to around $80, but preferably not. I am a bit of an audiophile, but I don't know much about the headphone market, or any high-end audio market really, but I know what sounds good to my ears.
Amped: I will not be using an amp with the headphones, although I do have an audio interface which can provide a loud signal.
Closed/Open: I would not like to bother others with my music, but I want any style that will be suitable within my price range. Most likely open, though, since I won't be cycling with them.
Headphone preference: This is where I am lost. I will even accept recommendations for smaller headphone designs. I simply want headphones that will sound good and last (mine usually last very long). I have been looking at the Koss PortaPros and would like to find other models to choose from.
 
Thank you all for any input and your time.
 

Grado-SR60i Seems like a pretty decent choice for you, it's only $79 on Amazon and I think that's the cheapest decent open headphones you can get. Kind of hard to find under your conditions, because most open back headphones are a lot more expensive, and l personally believe that most sub-$100 headphones aren't capable of displaying a difference between lossless vs. mid quality mp3. Especially not unamped.
 
 

 

[zeroakuma]

I have a Denon AH-D7000 headphone and will be getting the Beyerdynamic Semi-Open T1.
 
Now with that out of the way, what is a truly open headphone that I should get? Any thoughts?
 
 

 

[Tsquaredjr]

Any suggestions?
=================
Im getting new headphones soon. I listen to mostly rap and I use an iPod touch. I want over the ear headphones. Also, I want some good looks but good sound quality. If you are suggesting to me please post the link to the headphones. Thank you. Also, explain why they are good.

 

[Xinze]

Quote:

Any suggestions?
=================
Im getting new headphones soon. I listen to mostly rap and I use an iPod touch. I want over the ear headphones. Also, I want some good looks but good sound quality. If you are suggesting to me please post the link to the headphones. Thank you. Also, explain why they are good.

Whats your budget? And can you also be a little more specific about what kind of headphones you want? Not to sound harsh, but IMO anything that's decent with other music does fine with rap, it's not the most detailed kind of music out there.
 
Also off topic question: You said mostly rap, assuming you have a couple hundred songs like the average iPod user, don't you ever get bored of Black Guys going on about P,M, and W?

 

[spoonstar]

Quote:

The d2000 is a really good choice. Just an overall fun hp to listen to and very comfy. I just don't see people have many negative things to say about them. They are a great entry into headfi and will serve you well for most genres. The dt700 is also very good. Even a little more comfy than the denon and extremely well built. The beyer is a bit more portable in a pinch and the denon is pretty much home use only. I own both and they are close. The denon gets most of my head time though if that tells you anything.
 
Good luck!!


 

Thanks, that does help. I will only be using the headphones I get near a computer so I am not really concerned with portability. I may lurk around J&R or the For Sale section here and see if I can find a pair of D2000 for $200. 
 
Another note, I have kind of large gauged ears (3/4") and I have to take them out if I plan to wear my current headphones for more than 30 minutes, because the earrings jam into the base of my skull due to the pressure of the headphones. Does anyone that has gauged ears have this issue with D2000's?
 

 

[zonedout245]

Thanks for your quick replies drtturnip and Xinze. It looks like I'll have to consider this for more time. I usually have to do a lot of research before deciding on any purchase, with proportion to expected cost. Do you think that for my uses I should go with a larger style? I have used earbuds and in-ear mostly, but am tired of the soft sounds they produce and the lack of low end, especially when there is ambient noise. I'm hoping to do away with that with larger headphones.
 
Those CADs look hardcore, and the Grados are gorgeous. The prices are similar, so I will need to consider some more. Since I will probably be buying online, is there anything to consider when buying headphones that I've never listened to, or can you point me to a good info section on the site? I've purchased a musical instrument online, but I tried the model in a store first, so I'm not sure how to go about this. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Xinze]

Quote:

Thanks for your quick replies drtturnip and Xinze. It looks like I'll have to consider this for more time. I usually have to do a lot of research before deciding on any purchase, with proportion to expected cost. Do you think that for my uses I should go with a larger style? I have used earbuds and in-ear mostly, but am tired of the soft sounds they produce and the lack of low end, especially when there is ambient noise. I'm hoping to do away with that with larger headphones.
 
Those CADs look hardcore, and the Grados are gorgeous. The prices are similar, so I will need to consider some more. Since I will probably be buying online, is there anything to consider when buying headphones that I've never listened to, or can you point me to a good info section on the site? I've purchased a musical instrument online, but I tried the model in a store first, so I'm not sure how to go about this. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I don't know too much about different models, but if you have it narrowed it down to ~3, just order them all and return the two you don't like as much.

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

I just found this wonderful forum a few days ago, and I think I'm ready to get rid of my current ass headphones and step it up a little bit. I'm currently looking to spend ~$200USD or less on a set of headphones. I am willing and very likely to amp it as well, the cost of an amp would be separate to the headphone price.
 
So, here's my set up / preferences: About half of my music is FLAC, while the other half is V0 mp3. I mainly listen to newer metal/hardcore like 36 Crazyfists, After the Burial, Darkest Hour, Every Time I Die, as well as some of the older "nu metal" like myDownfall. I also have a penchant for oldies (Beatles, Turtles, etc) as well as some orchestral pieces. That said, I am usually listening to aggressive music.
 
I have a Xonar DG that I've had for a while, and right now I'm either running it through my z5500's (got 'em for $50 so yay me I guess) or a cheap headset (Gamescom was the brand I think). While I was converting my collection to FLAC and dumping the old V0's I noticed I wasn't getting too much of an increase in quality. 
 
So far, I think I have my choices down to:

1. Denon D2000 (IF I can get them from J&R for 200-210)
2. ATH-A700 / ATH-AD700 (how much bass  / soundstage difference is there?
3. DT770/880/990

 
I should note I also do play games every once in a while, and I prefer playing them with headphones on. An ACCURATE soundstage would be nice, but is not necessary. I would take an impressive soundstage over knowing if footsteps are at 7:00 or 7:30.
 
I know the Grados are generally recommended for rock, but right now I think I would prefer a set of headphones that can do the majority of my preferences WELL and one or more GREAT, as opposed to having a pair of headphones that are focused on one general style. I don't think I'm quite ready for multiple headphones yet.  That said, any recommendations? 
 

As far as all-around headphones go, maybe also look into the Sennheiser HD598/558s.
 


Quote:

Not fully headphone related, but instead of creating a new thread I thought I'd ask here:
 
I've seen all the hype and rave reviews Cowon players are getting around head-fi, and I am wondering; Is the audio quality better than an iPhone or Laptop when playing the exact same MP3/ALAC file? What if I use a LOD for the iPhone?

Probably better than an iPhone (LOD doesn't bypass the internal DAC), and most likely your laptop too. For a laptop though, you can just buy an external DAC/amp like the Fiio E10 for similar quality.
 


Quote:

College student looking for a good setup. I'm pretty set on the ATH M50s, and want to pair them with a DAC/amp that'll serve me well with further HP upgrades (hopefully some higher level Senns when I have more $$$).  I'm debating between the iBasso d-zero and FiiO e10, want to stay ~$100.  Which of these amps would pair better and give me more room to grow? Feel free to suggest other phones as well
 
Thanks

D-Zero is portable, whereas the E10 is merely transportable (no internal battery). They serve fairly different purposes, though both are fairly well-regarded. The E10 might provide more flexibility, as I'm not sure if the D-Zero has a line-out, which would allow you to pair the internal DAC with more powerful amps as you scale up.
 


Quote:

 
I am looking for some headphones (like many here) and have filled out this list:
 
Music genres: Electronic (IDM, Jungle), Jazz, Alternative. I enjoy solo instrument music as well. I do not care too much about vocals, since most of what I listen to is instrumental (excepting the aforementioned and any vocal samples in the electronic stuff). I prefer listening to lossless audio files.
Portable: I will be using them with my computer, and with portable music players (iPod, Zune). I would like some portability, but I'll be using them more for studying and working, not too much while commuting. I would also like to use them for recording. That said, I am not looking for monitors.
Price range: I hope to spend less than $50. I may consider up to around $80, but preferably not. I am a bit of an audiophile, but I don't know much about the headphone market, or any high-end audio market really, but I know what sounds good to my ears.
Amped: I will not be using an amp with the headphones, although I do have an audio interface which can provide a loud signal.
Closed/Open: I would not like to bother others with my music, but I want any style that will be suitable within my price range. Most likely open, though, since I won't be cycling with them.
Headphone preference: This is where I am lost. I will even accept recommendations for smaller headphone designs. I simply want headphones that will sound good and last (mine usually last very long). I have been looking at the Koss PortaPros and would like to find other models to choose from.
 
Thank you all for any input and your time.
 

Add the Superlux 668B, Creative Aurvana Live, and Koss DJ100 to your list as well. Open headphones might be distracting to others in quiet settings, as they do leak audible amounts of sound.
 


Quote:

I have a Denon AH-D7000 headphone and will be getting the Beyerdynamic Semi-Open T1.
 
Now with that out of the way, what is a truly open headphone that I should get? Any thoughts?
 

Q701 or HD600?
 

 

[zonedout245]

Thank you, 50an6xy06r6n. I will definitely consider those models. I'll have to go into a store and test out the basic acoustic differences between open and closed headphones, just to know what I'm dealing with.

 

[drtturnip]

Quote:

 
I am looking for some headphones (like many here) and have filled out this list:
 
I would also like to use them for recording. That said, I am not looking for monitors.
 

Does this mean you will be singing/rapping while wearing them or mixing? If for vocals and recording you need closed headphones. 

 

[zonedout245]

No rapping. I usually record electric guitar straight into a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB interface. I process with various VST plugins, including amp simulators. I actually don't pay too much attention to mixing, although I should. I focus more on sound design. For my purposes, any sound leaking won't be a problem for recording. In fact, I play a hollowbody guitar so I'm used to hearing a bit of the acoustic sound with the signal.
 
Recording won't be the main purpose of the headphones, though. For this, anything will be better than the in-ears I've used.

 

[drtturnip]

Then the Grado's may also be fine.