[steve2151]

Quote:

Sounds as though you should check out some planars like the HiFiMan HE-500 ($700) or Audeze LCD-2 ($1,000).

 
 
Second the ortho recommendation. The HE-6, HE-500, and LCD-2 have nonexistent grain and can move a lot of air, resulting in very realistic mids and lows. They are also a bit more forgiving than the dynamics in the same price bracket. I went with the HE-6 since it has the best treble and clarity of the three, but some find it fatiguing.
 
They love amps that can provide a lot of watts at low resistance, with the LCD-2 and HE-500 having significantly lower power requirements than the HE-6.

 

[Efjay]

Quote:

Didn't see this thread when I started my own...at any rate:
 
I own the WA2, utilizing the 7236 power tubes. Presently, I have been using Denon d2000s for listening. I primarily listen to metal (everything from death to thrash to black and so on).
 
I've been perusing the forums looking for advice on upgrading my phones. From what I've read, several posters have stated that either the Hifiman HE-500 or Auduze LCD-2 might pair well with the WA2. Other posters have disagreed and a recent email response from Woo Audio stated
 
"[size=11pt]The impedance of these headphones is technically compatible to the WA2. However, they are rated 89dB and 91dB which are low sensitive. They require a higher power amp to power them at their full potential."[/size]
 
I'd like to keep my budget in the $700 to $1000 range. Any advice, particularly those based on personal experience, would be welcome. Thoughts on both the Senn HD700 or a Grado model would be great as well.

 I also sent an email to HifiMan for their input. They stated
 
"[size=11pt]To our knowledge it is compatible with our HE-500."[/size]

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the description, should the headphones get warm, is it better if I take it off and let it rest? I've heard the bass on the DJ100s are more rumbling, is this true? I like having a slight rumble to the bass.

It's the pads that make your head warm.
 
I don't hear any bass "rumbling" in the DJ100.  In my book "rumbling" bass = distorted/bad bass.

 

[SV650]

Hi all, been lurking on this forum for a week trying to narrow down what headphones to buy, but of course the more I read the harder it gets...  and the more I realize I'm going to spend.
 
Here's where I am, would love to hear your opinions, particularly from people who have heard multiple headphones on this list and can compare them.  
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Goals:
-Budget of $500
-Must be closed-back, so as not to disturb others in the same room (sadly this disqualifies the easy recommendation of HE-400 or HD650)
-SQ is top concern
-Don't really care about portability
-Will run these off the desktop for now, but eventually want to set them up to work with my phone, currently a Galaxy S2 which sounds AWFUL, so I realize I may have to upgrade to either a GS3 or iPhone to be able to bypass internal DAC...
 
The Contenders:
 
 

HP	Price	Notes
Shure SRH940	239.95	Flat response, high detail, monitor-like, comes with hard case, can I spend more of my budget to get better SQ?
Denon AH-D600	499.00	Looks awesome, but selling for MSRP now, will these drop back to $400?
Denon AH-D2000	389.99	Discontinued but still available, better to wait until D600 can be had for $400 again?
Denon AH-D5000	559.99	Also discontinued but available, are they really worth more than 2x the cost of the SRH940?
Beyerdynamic T 70	495.33	Strong contender, but are these for bass-heads?  What's the deal with T70 vs T70p?  I don't think I really "get" impedance
AKG K550	299.00	Another strong contender, but are they outclassed by the more expensive <500 options here?
Ultrasone PRO 900	327.95	Probably for bass-heads but very well reviewed
Audio Technica ATH-W1000X	527.66	Not sure I want my one pair of do-it-all HPs to be made of wood and therefore "unique" sounding

 
 
All opinions welcome!

 

[LazBro123]

hey guys,
 
should I switch the pads on my ultrasone hfi 580 to beyer dt250 pads and put a sennheiser hd 600/650 headband padding? Will this make the sound worst or better?

 

[LazBro123]

Quote:

Hi all, been lurking on this forum for a week trying to narrow down what headphones to buy, but of course the more I read the harder it gets...  and the more I realize I'm going to spend.
 
Here's where I am, would love to hear your opinions, particularly from people who have heard multiple headphones on this list and can compare them.  
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Goals:
-Budget of $500
-Must be closed-back, so as not to disturb others in the same room (sadly this disqualifies the easy recommendation of HE-400 or HD650)
-SQ is top concern
-Don't really care about portability
-Will run these off the desktop for now, but eventually want to set them up to work with my phone, currently a Galaxy S2 which sounds AWFUL, so I realize I may have to upgrade to either a GS3 or iPhone to be able to bypass internal DAC...
 
The Contenders:
 
 

HP	Price	Notes
Shure SRH940	239.95	Flat response, high detail, monitor-like, comes with hard case, can I spend more of my budget to get better SQ?
Denon AH-D600	499.00	Looks awesome, but selling for MSRP now, will these drop back to $400?
Denon AH-D2000	389.99	Discontinued but still available, better to wait until D600 can be had for $400 again?
Denon AH-D5000	559.99	Also discontinued but available, are they really worth more than 2x the cost of the SRH940?
Beyerdynamic T 70	495.33	Strong contender, but are these for bass-heads?  What's the deal with T70 vs T70p?  I don't think I really "get" impedance
AKG K550	299.00	Another strong contender, but are they outclassed by the more expensive <500 options here?
Ultrasone PRO 900	327.95	Probably for bass-heads but very well reviewed
Audio Technica ATH-W1000X	527.66	Not sure I want my one pair of do-it-all HPs to be made of wood and therefore "unique" sounding

 
 
All opinions welcome!

Ultrasone PRO 900 has my vote! They greatly benefit from an amp (Fiio E11 gets my vote too).

 

[probull3t]

Looking to upgrade over my DT770 80 ohm headphones. I've been sort of interested in open-back cans just because the soundstage is said to be more revealing for metal and classical music. I don't really have a certain price range in mind, but with that being said, the less the better. Something lower impedance would be nice too, and portability doesn't matter an awful lot since I'll mostly use them at my computer with a Fiio E11 or a tablet/iPhone with many different genres of music among other media.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Looking to upgrade over my DT770 80 ohm headphones. I've been sort of interested in open-back cans just because the sound stage is said to be more revealing for metal and classical music. I don't really have a certain price range in mind, but with that being said, the less the better. Something lower impedance would be nice too, and portability doesn't matter an awful lot since I'll mostly use them at my computer with a Fiio E11 or a tablet/iPhone with many different genres of music among other media.

Denon AH-D2000
 
Have thought about getting a better DAC (external or sound card) then what comes built into your motherboard?

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

Hi all, been lurking on this forum for a week trying to narrow down what headphones to buy, but of course the more I read the harder it gets...  and the more I realize I'm going to spend.
 
Here's where I am, would love to hear your opinions, particularly from people who have heard multiple headphones on this list and can compare them.  
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Goals:
-Budget of $500
-Must be closed-back, so as not to disturb others in the same room (sadly this disqualifies the easy recommendation of HE-400 or HD650)
-SQ is top concern
-Don't really care about portability
-Will run these off the desktop for now, but eventually want to set them up to work with my phone, currently a Galaxy S2 which sounds AWFUL, so I realize I may have to upgrade to either a GS3 or iPhone to be able to bypass internal DAC...
 
The Contenders:
 
 

HP	Price	Notes
Shure SRH940	239.95	Flat response, high detail, monitor-like, comes with hard case, can I spend more of my budget to get better SQ?
Denon AH-D600	499.00	Looks awesome, but selling for MSRP now, will these drop back to $400?
Denon AH-D2000	389.99	Discontinued but still available, better to wait until D600 can be had for $400 again?
Denon AH-D5000	559.99	Also discontinued but available, are they really worth more than 2x the cost of the SRH940?
Beyerdynamic T 70	495.33	Strong contender, but are these for bass-heads?  What's the deal with T70 vs T70p?  I don't think I really "get" impedance
AKG K550	299.00	Another strong contender, but are they outclassed by the more expensive <500 options here?
Ultrasone PRO 900	327.95	Probably for bass-heads but very well reviewed
Audio Technica ATH-W1000X	527.66	Not sure I want my one pair of do-it-all HPs to be made of wood and therefore "unique" sounding

 
 
All opinions welcome!

You haven't given any info about the type of music you will listen to. Having the best sound quality is subjective unless you are defining the best sound as perfectly flat. If you can tell us the genres you primarily listen to and the sound signature you are seeking (how much bass, mids, treble) that could be helpful. Also, does soundstage matter since your are looking at closed phones?
 
Also, a few of these you should be able to find chaper than your listed prices. You may be able to get the D2000 for ~$300 (or less) by calling into J&R. 

 

[steve2151]

Quote:

Looking to upgrade over my DT770 80 ohm headphones. I've been sort of interested in open-back cans just because the soundstage is said to be more revealing for metal and classical music. I don't really have a certain price range in mind, but with that being said, the less the better. Something lower impedance would be nice too, and portability doesn't matter an awful lot since I'll mostly use them at my computer with a Fiio E11 or a tablet/iPhone with many different genres of music among other media.
 
Thanks in advance!

 
The DT770 is one of the better headphones in it's price range. D2000 may or may not be better depending on personal taste. 
 
You should probably invest in a budget desktop amp/dac unit like the Audinst HUD MX1, Audio GD NFB-12, or NFB-15, keeping the E11 for traveling. That'll allow you to maximize the DT770 and then let you run something like the HE-400 if you're still not satisfied.

 

[kineticwave]

Quote:

It's the pads that make your head warm.
 
I don't hear any bass "rumbling" in the DJ100.  In my book "rumbling" bass = distorted/bad bass.

 
What I mean by rumbling it's like the part of the bass where we feel it more than hear it. Sorry, new to audiophile terms...

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

 
What I mean by rumbling it's like the part of the bass where we feel it more than hear it. Sorry, new to audiophile terms...

That would be your sub-bass. That's what I thought you meant by rumbling, but I could also be perceived as loose and flabby bass like KGJag interpreted it to mean.
 
Here's a nice article to help understand some of the crazy terms that are thrown around here.

 

[Empire1]

I'm looking at the Bose QC15s versus the new Denon D600s. 
 
I'm more of a mainstream listener and a basshead so I do put some value and importance on powerful bass. I listen to a wide variety of music, but also a lot of top iTunes songs. I know comparing these two headphones isn't really comparing apples to apples and some may say the Bose's sound quality is laughable, but I would still like your recommendations and opinions on these two please.
 
Edit: I don't plan on purchasing an amp, if that helps in pointing me to the best direction 

 

[SV650]

Quote:

You haven't given any info about the type of music you will listen to. Having the best sound quality is subjective unless you are defining the best sound as perfectly flat. If you can tell us the genres you primarily listen to and the sound signature you are seeking (how much bass, mids, treble) that could be helpful. Also, does soundstage matter since your are looking at closed phones?
 
Also, a few of these you should be able to find chaper than your listed prices. You may be able to get the D2000 for ~$300 (or less) by calling into J&R.

 
Good points!
 
Regarding genre, I guess my goal was to have a do-it-all hp, so I'd like something that could reproduce anything well.  Realistically though, I listen mostly to indie rock, and maybe a little electronic, but nothing like dubstep that would warrant true bass-head equipment, especially not at the cost of accurate reproduction in the mids or highs.  I don't mind a little "character" in the frequency response, but nothing too unbalanced.  I like detail.  The D2000 is definitely high on the list of candidates.
 
I've sort of accepted that soundstage isn't going to be as good with closed-back hps, so I'm not really factoring it in here.  It would be nice, but when I can afford another big hp purchase I'll get an open set for that purpose.  For now, I just want something accurate and detailed with a good seal that I can use in the living room without disturbing others. 
 
Walking into J&R is phase 2 of my plan!  I live in NYC and love that place, but I wanted to do a little more homework first to narrow things down.  The listed prices were the best I saw on Amazon, but I realize that in some cases the listed price was from a third party because Amazon's warehouse didn't have any stock. 

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

I'm looking at the Bose QC15s versus the new Denon D600s. 
 
I'm more of a mainstream listener and a basshead so I do put some value and importance on powerful bass. I listen to a wide variety of music, but also a lot of top iTunes songs. I know comparing these two headphones isn't really comparing apples to apples and some may say the Bose's sound quality is laughable, but I would still like your recommendations and opinions on these two please  

What makes you interested in the Bose QC15? If you want isolation from ambient noises, then these are the best; soundwise these are a poor choice for anything above $150. Also, the Denon D600 is supposedly not all that bass heavy based upon the review here on Head-fi, so it may not suit you. The older Denon line (D2000/D5000) may be better aligned with your tastes.
 
If you are a basshead, it is important to know if you like the thumping bass, or the deep bass that shakes your head, that is not as audible. Check out this thread for some recommendations to satisfy your basshead cravings at your appropriate budget.