[bixby]

Quote:

I recently got the HRT Headstreamer DAC/amp and it is a very noticeable difference from the laptop headphone jack. The bass tightens up, instruments are a bit more separated, and flaws in my audio files are revealed. I had the FiiO E7/E9 and it was nice, but the DAC portion was not up to the level of the Headstreamer. I would great;y recommend getting some sort of DAC/amp to compliment your headphones.

Glad to hear someone else feels the HRT is a good first step dac/ amp combo.  I never did get all the hype on the Fiio stuff.  Maybe because it was one of the only low price options for such a long time.  I wonder, has anyone tried the Behringer uc-202 dac with a simple but good cmoy like the JDS labs?
 
This would seem to be a no brainer for folks starting out on computer audio.

 

[bixby]

Quote:

Hi, I'm new to Head-Fi, and high-end audio in general. I guess you could call me a wanna-be audiophile.
Here's my current schtick:
 
I'm planning on buying my first set of expensive headphones (relative to my other purchases). I hope one of you guys can point me in the right direction. I'd like headphones that:
-Have a fairly flat frequency response, so no exaggerated Bass or anything (Sorry to dumb it down, I just want to make sure I explain myself well in case my terminology is all wrong).
 
Other things that I would like, but could do without are headphones that are:
-Portable and comfortable
-Look cool. (I'm afraid I might get shot down for this one).
 
My planned spending on the headphones was the $200 - $400 range.
 
So far, my considerations have been the:
-Denon AHD-2000s
-HiFiMan HE-300s and HE-400s
 
I'm not against a headphone amp, I'll buy one if I have to, but only a portable one.
Any help is appreciated. 

Sorry no one has responded to you, at least I think I didn't see any posts.  The Denons are a very good headphone value.  They do have a bit of a warm slightly exagerated bass and the mids are a bit recessed but overall a nice balanced headphone.  Certainly a lot better sounding to me than many in that price range.  The HiFiman headphones are gonna need an amp.  They sound good but not sure of which amps to drive them.  I would look to see if anyone has them with the JDS c421 amp. 
 
You did not tell us your source but if it portable the Denons could be driven from most ipod like devices but would benefit from an amp.  On the budget side the JDS labs cmoy blows away most of the competition under $100.  Other cans to consider might be the Shure 840s.  That and the little cmoy would fit your budget.
 
Any reason you are not looking at top notch iems instead if it is for truly portable use?

 

[malignant01]

Reposting this from another thread because nobody replied:
 
I bought my Shure SRH440 a year ago for just 70 bucks in amazon. Been working great and I bought the 840 earpads as well. Not sure what happened exactly but starting this morning I noticed that my right driver is not working, I narrowed the problem down to the cable connecting the left and the right drivers. Twisting and fiddling the cable can sometimes result in the right driver working again. But even then it now has an intermittent interference every few seconds which is extremely distracting.
 
Here is an image of the problem area :

 
Do you guys know how to fix this ?
I already sent an email to Shure and its well withing the two year warranty but I really dont want to have to live without my headphone for a week or two (not living on mainland, shipping time can be ridiculous). More so since I dont even have a speaker.
If there is no easy way to fix it myself I can raid my bank account, up to 200 bucks or so.
What headphone would you recommend that fits these requirements :
 
- First priority : Sound isolation
- Second : Comfort (the 440 headband is meh!)
- Third : Build quality (exactly to avoid this kind of situation)
- And of course sound quality but I dont think my ears are very discerning
 
Dont have a headphone amp just yet, I do have a Vox AC30 headphone electric guitar amp
which helps boost the volume on my headphone when needed.
Thinking of the SRH840 or even the 940 if it truly is worth the cost.
However I havent been very impressed with 440's sound isolation.
 
Advice please !

 

[bixby]

Send it back to Shure they are great to work with.  I  had a problem on my Shure 840s and they sent me a brand new pair.
 
As for upgrade options, I would probably grab the 840s.  They have gone down significantly in price since I bought them right after they first came out.  I use them almost daily on my pc.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I'm looking for a new pair of headphones to be driven by my ASUS Xonar Essence One DAC.
The DAC seems to have a lot of power and the lower volume settings are already way too loud with the Sennheiser, so I'm sceptical if easy to drive headphones would be a good idea.
I mostly listen to all kinds of electronic music (but other genres as well) and prefer well defined/sharp transients but don't want to miss out on the bass (AKG k701 are lacking in bass too much for me personally, currently I'm using Sennheiser HD 25 II which aren't as well defined though).
I tend to listen to my music very analytically and seem to prefer detailed, analytical headphones.
 
They should have velour pads and be comfortable enough to be worn for long periods of time. I'm wearing glasses and am a bit of a short person.
 
For reference: currently using Sennheiser HD 25 II (lacking in mids and definition imho), using AKG k420 for portable use. I'm only listening to lossless audio formats.
I plan to try a few headphones soon but won't be able to drive them with me own setup in the shop - also narrowing down the selection would help
 
I'm looking forward to your suggestions.
 
regards,
urbanhusky
 
Edit: budget is <380€, Austrian/German shops preferred.

 
Don't know about the fit with your sound card, but the Beyer DT 880, probably in its 250 Ohm version, would appear to meet your needs.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
Thanks man!

Superlux 631 will be available here in our country before the end of this month its like a big brother of Superlux 661 ..
 
http://www.superlux.com.tw/productInfo.do?pdctid=18341738-90a4-498e-a9ff-c336a5671481&pdkid=9ffc28bb-12a0-473e-b35f-6c03e036bc9e&level=2&lv0=1
 
check the link to get more information about the superlux 631 its gorgeous looking dj headphone!

 
I was looking deeper into the Superlux product line and it appears that they offer two Beyer clones (probably of the DT 770 & 990).  That was news to me.

 

[Slivortal]

Quote:

My understanding is that the DJ100Pro really shine with an amp, so if you aren't using one, then the 661 might be the better option.
 
Also, I had the Samson SR850 which is the same as the Superlux 668 and it does leak sound, though a bit less than I had expected from a semi-open.

 
Quote:

 
Aren't the 661's 150 Ohms?  Will they work unamped with your computer?
 
I know that the the Koss is borderline with many portable unamped devices--don't know about yours though.

I'm using an MBP though - I thought they were supposed to have good soundcards (at least enough to drive the DJ100s)?  And I'd be up for the SR850s if you think they'd be an improvement over the 668B's (though they're pretty much the same?)  All I know is that these headphones will get a lot of usage in the library, so I want something that will leak minimally.
 
Also, is there anything in the Superlux line that looks better than the 661/668s?  I'm open to suggestions.
 
EDIT: Also, what about Sennheiser HD205s or the ATH-M30s?  They can be found for the same price point as well.

 

[BullHorn]

I'm looking for a pair of headphones and still can't decide.
 
1) Circumaural
2) Closed/Semi-closed
3) Can be driven without an amp
4) Fit for reference/tracking/recording
5) Relatively comfortable
6) Under $300.
 
Currently, what I have my eyes on are: 
 
Audio Technica ATH-A900X
Audio Technica ATH-M50
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80ohm version)
 
Halp?

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I'm looking for a pair of headphones and still can't decide.
 
1) Circumaural
2) Closed/Semi-closed
3) Can be driven without an amp
4) Fit for reference/tracking/recording
5) Relatively comfortable
6) Under $300.
 
Currently, what I have my eyes on are: 
 
Audio Technica ATH-A900X
Audio Technica ATH-M50
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80ohm version)
 
Halp?

 
Of the three you have mentioned, the A900X (I have the earlier 900 version) best meets your requirements.  However, the old 900 needed to be amped in order to extend its bass and sound stage.
 
You might also want to look at some Sonys that fall within your budget.

 

[jasta01]

Quote:

 
I was looking deeper into the Superlux product line and it appears that they offer two Beyer clones (probably of the DT 770 & 990).  That was news to me.

reason why i like the Superlux its because of its price and portability! i dont like big bulky headphones because im gonna use it for travelling .. . any alternative choices that you can suggest will be much appreciated!
 
thanks man!

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

I'm looking for a pair of headphones and still can't decide.
 
1) Circumaural
2) Closed/Semi-closed
3) Can be driven without an amp
4) Fit for reference/tracking/recording
5) Relatively comfortable
6) Under $300.
 
Currently, what I have my eyes on are: 
 
Audio Technica ATH-A900X
Audio Technica ATH-M50
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80ohm version)
 
Halp?

 
What about the Shure SRH840?
Also, you could consider the Sony MDR V6 or 7506 and get the Beyer DT250 velour pads for added comfort

 

[bixby]

I would agree with KG Jag the old 900s sounded best with an amp, but in the end they did something in the mids I did not like, a hollowness and a bit of grit at the low treble, I much prefer the AT 2000 in the AT lineup.  I think for my ears the Shure 840s were a better compromise than the 900s but could live with the 2000s as well
 
Have not heard the others you mentioned or the Sonys, so can't offer an opinion there.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

I would agree with KG Jag the old 900s sounded best with an amp, but in the end they did something in the mids I did not like, a hollowness and a bit of grit at the low treble, I much prefer the AT 2000 in the AT lineup.  I think for my ears the Shure 840s were a better compromise than the 900s but could live with the 200s as well
 
Have not heard the others you mentioned or the Sonys, so can't offer an opinion there.

 
For the record, I don't like the A900.  I find them to be soulless.  However, for the needs that were put forth, they are a better fit than the SRH 840 with its mid-bass hump and somewhat enemic highs.
 
As I mentioned earlier, a number of the Sony studio cans are also a good fit.

 

[evanchambers]

[size=small] i have had my 558s for awhile and only used them at home, i bought the dt770 to keep in my laptop bag for when i go to work and use them bc they were closed backs. my original plan was to keep them both but the dt770 are way to big to keep in my bag. i believe the dt770 extremely comfortable which is why i picked them in comparison to the senns, but since the dont fold flat. i have decided to keep one of the two at home. i can just return the dt770 but the 558s i would have to sell.[/size]

[size=small] i mostly listen to punk/pop rock, some hardcoreish, hip hop, and more than often dabble in the orchestral classical music.[/size]

[size=small] main pros of the 558s are sound stage and clarity but lacks the subwoofery bass i think i want.[/size]

[size=small] the dt770 have the bass that i like (a little muddy for rock) but the mids are a little supressed or blanketed by the bass. the classical music is not that bad (tested with holst - the planets)[/size]

[size=small] if you guys had to choose one which would it be, maybe something to keep in mind is i still in a need a of somewhat portable (folding style headphone not for commute) or if there is something that sounds and is as comfortable as the dt770 but the size the 558 or smaller would be great to get that folded flat. if it exsist a full size hd25-1 would be perfect not as much bass as the dt but has the speed for rock[/size]

[size=small] hd558 or dt770 pro 80 ohm, which is the better all arounder[/size]

[size=small]  [/size]

[size=small] all driven by e17 > MBP;iphones 4S[/size]

 

[bixby]

@evanchambers
 
Have you thought about iems for work and full sized for home?  Lots of decent iems that would sound great with your setup at work and then if you could spare the cash, splurge for something like the DT 880s for home.  Just a thought.