[hatecrew1992]

hi guys,
I was thinking of getting myself some headphones that are rather neutral and reaveal lots of details I couldn´t hear so far. I don´t want to spend more than 200€ on them since they probally won´t be my regular headphone. A friend recommended the Etymotic HF-5, but the problem is that I don´t like IEM´s and their can be an issue with returning them if I should find myself hating how they sound. I will power them with my Mav Audio D1.
I mainly want to use them a a sort of reference, like ok, thats what the recording sounds like in it´s purest form, now lets how it sounds with a different headphone, if that helps you in any way

 

[KG Jag]

/\ Am not familiar with the D1--other than seeing it pictured in a way that leads me to believe it is multi purpose amp.
 
Detail oriented/capable cans (both closed and open) listed in order of U.S. street prices from lowest to highes: KRK KNS 8400, AKG Q 701, Shure SRH 940 and Beyer DT 880 (+/-Pro).

 

[hatecrew1992]

Quote:

/\ Am not familiar with the D1--other than seeing it pictured in a way that leads me to believe it is multi purpose amp.
 
Detail oriented/capable cans (both closed and open) listed in order of U.S. street prices from lowest to highes: KRK KNS 8400, AKG Q 701, Shure SRH 940 and Beyer DT 880 (+/-Pro).

The Q 701 is 100 bucks over budget (european street prices). How big an improvment can I expect from the KRK to the Shures? What model of the DT 880s would you recommend ( +/- Pro, impedance)?

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

The Q 701 is 100 bucks over budget (european street prices). How big an improvment can I expect from the KRK to the Shures? What model of the DT 880s would you recommend ( +/- Pro, impedance)?

A great deal.  The 940 is a great can for those who don't want a strong bassy sound. 
 
I like the 880 Pro because it's a much better deal here.  The 250 Ohm plays better and is easier matching with with amps/receivers than lower Ohm editions.  Beyer recommends it for "Home Hi-Fi use".  The 600 Ohm,which Beyer recommends for" high-end use", is even better if you have the power to push it.

 

[hatecrew1992]

Quote:

A great deal.  The 940 is a great can for those who don't want a strong bassy sound. 
 
I like the 880 Pro because it's a much better deal here.  The 250 Ohm plays better and is easier matching with with amps/receivers than lower Ohm editions.  Beyer recommends it for "Home Hi-Fi use".  The 600 Ohm,which Beyer recommends for" high-end use", is even better if you have the power to push it.

 
hmm i will be on the lookout for a sale of either one and will as well try to get my hands on them for a trail ( will be hard thought, both brands are normally not sold in stores)

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

On the other hand, the AD700 is very easy to drive.  I find it quite enjoyable for West African music (Ali Farka Toure, Amadou and Mariam, Boubacar Traore, for example) and jazz.  I listened to the Oscar Peterson trio ("The Trio," Verve) just a few nights ago with the AD700 off my laptop, and it sounded great.  I do not have the pleasure of having used the HD558.

 
 
Well, imagine the HD558's as AD700, but with every single thing about it being better.   Especially bass.

 

[derbigpr]

Quote:

While the number of Ohms tells only part of the story.  Most cans rated at 50 Ohms will benefit from an amp, even if they don't "need" one.
 
They fall well outside of the conservative rule of thumb:
 
[size=12pt]Generally, 16 – 32 ohm headphones with a sensitivity rating of at least 100 dB/mW do not need an amplifier. [/size]

 
 
Yes, but all headphones benefit from an amp compared to using it with a phone or ipod from my experience. Even something as cheap as my Sennheiser HD212's do benefit, and they're drivable by any phone I even plugged them into to very loud levels.  
 
IMHO, I would not bother buying HD558's if I would use them without an amp, just straight out of a music player or phone. They just don't show half of what they can do.

 

[Bpositive]

Quote:

The Monoprice is quite good for a cheap headphone and has bass--to much mid bass hump for my taste.  But is a cheap headphone, so your expections should be in that frame of reference.
 
You need to get to at least the $30 mark before you begin to get out of the "throw away or at least into the back of the van" headphone class with a can like the gateway Superlux HD 681 Dynamic Semi-Open Headphones.  See:
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Superlux-681-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B002GHIPYI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pdT1_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3TMR6IEFCG0JX&coliid=I16HB003BCGZ2V
 
I've already went ahead and ordered the Monoprice headphones. I hope I'm content with them, I don't want to be disappointed again. But from the reviews I've read, they seem so much better than the Koss headphones. Much smaller too!

 

[rhead]

So a friend just broke my SRH 440's I was hoping to pick up a different pair for the same price range (around 100 dollars).
 
I really liked the sound of the 440's. Listen to mostly prog rock/metal and indie stuff.
 
I immediately thought of the Grado sr80i, but Im not sure if I want open back headphones.
 
Im trying to decide between rebuying the 440s, the Sr80i, the ATH M50 and the ADH D1001 or the Denon DN-HP700
 
What do you guys think? Are there other options I should think of?
 
Edit : Source will be a laptop/Cowon C2 with the cMoyBBv2.03

 

[MarcoGV]

Quote:

Weird, it didn't show my previous post on my computer. I think I'll be purchasing some IEMs/earphones instead. The collection is vast, and some have really great SQ. Thanks for the help though!

You are welcome.  That sounds like a good decision, although you may find that you need both an IEM and headphones, eventually. I inserted the wrong link for the SHL-5500.  The correct one is: http://www.head-fi.org/t/574331/the-philips-shl5500-natural-sounding-can/120#post_8508647. (I edited my original post also.)

 

[MarcoGV]

Quote:

 
 
Well, imagine the HD558's as AD700, but with every single thing about it being better.   Especially bass.

This sounds good. However, the HD558 either benefits from (http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide) or needs an amp (your posts).  The AD-700 does not need an amp (http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide, and my opinion).

 

[Supra Man]

I'm quite used to and in love with my HD595's and all their clarity... But I need something more portable and that isn't expensive to the point that would upset me terribly if they were broken somehow. Let's say 100usd.

briefly tried a pair of 428's which was on display at the campus bookstore... they seem all right, reminded me of my first "good" cans, my old 485's... they just sounded almost dirty... not bad but noticible difference in clarity... I'd settle with the clarity difference if it traded off for some more powerful and warm bass...

Suggestions?

 

[pickleweed]

hey guys.  in your opinion, how would the shure 940's handle the following bands?  running a fiio e17.  been looking for a new closed can............
 
pain of salvation
pink floyd
the decemberists
coheed and cambria
dream theater
nine inch nails
eisley
taylor swift
fun. 
guns n' roses
jurassic 5
metallica
 
i keep coming back to the shures in my search.  they look to be exactly what im looking for, except that they may be too bass light.  thats a general idea of what i listen too.  what do you guys think?  are the shures able to handle that well?

 

[phanboy_iv]

OK, gonna try here instead of cluttering the forum with a new thread:
 
So I've been the proud owner of some AD700s for several years now (previously futzed around with some cheaper Sonys and Sennheisers) and I love the comfort and the airy soundstage and detail.
 
Trouble in paradise started when I got some PortaPros for travel. I feel bad admitting it, but there's a good chunk of music that I listen to (vintage metal/hard rock/punk/post punk) that sounds so much more fun with the PortaPros. Very punchy and fun. I listen to jazz and classical as well, plus a lot of gaming and film, and for those purposes obviously I prefer the AD700s.
 
That being said, now I feel like I want some over-the-ears with some more punch and fun than the AD700s.
 

1. Running off of a uDac 2
2. Will never go back to pleather (velour baby)
3. Tight and uncomfortable is out
4. $300 max, don't intend to buy a separate amp, will stick with the uDAC 2.

 
The phones I'm looking at as AD700 replacements are:
 

1. DT 880 Pro 250 ohm
2. Sennheiser HD598 (Previous Senns I've tried seem..recessed and very laid back compared to the AD700s even with reasonable amping, the 598 supposedly is a little more fun in terms of sound signature)
3. Fischer Audio FA-011 (?)

 
Which of those would be a suitable replacement for the AD700s while bringing me some of that PortaPro punch and fun? Any others I should consider? I'd really like to make it to a meet and try some stuff, but that's not an option right now.
 
EDIT: Added the Fischer Audio.

 

[Hente]

Copypasting from my Incipio F38 vs Monoprice 8323 thread:
Hiya, i'm currently using a pair of Phillips SHE 3850s but I'd really like to replace them. While I love them for their sound quality, the itchy feeling I get in my ears while wearing them drives me insane, not to mention the annoyance of having to maintain a good seal in order to get that delicious sound quality. I have tried multiple tips but they've all had similar bad results, so i'm just gonna go ahead and buy a portable headphone. I've been passively looking into these two pairs for the last couple of months but I can't come to a conclusion no matter how many threads I look at. ;_;

I'm pretty bad when it comes to naming genres, but i'll try. Some of the genres that i'm into are nu jazz, acid jazz, smooth jazz, bossa nova, EDM, jpop, chiptune, and electronic stuff in general. When I listen to music with vocals its almost exclusively female vocalists. Here is my last.fm profile in case I am wrong: http://www.last.fm/user/OptimaShift They will be driven by a rockboxed Fuze V2. Priority list: looks (which personally, the Incipios beat the Monoprices by a longshot) = sound quality > sound leakage > comfort > isolation > build quality; i'm not really sure what other criteria fall into judging headphones. Pretty adamant about choosing these two models in specific, so please try not to recommend me any other headphones unless they are within the same price range & are closed. If you guys have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Update on this, going to be going for the F38s, any objections?