[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?

Oh, also open to IEM's. I've only tried the Sennheiser Cx-50's I bought for my fiance in that area, and they didn't quite do it. Decent bass, but somewhat washed out... I can EQ them to tolerable levels tho.

 

[hipster2010]

Quote:

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?

I think the Shures will work well. You should be able to boost the bass a bit with the E17 if you want to, though they aren't as bass light as they are made out to be when amped. I had the 940s and really loved their sound. They have so much detail that isn't usually found in phones near their price. Only thing I didn't like was the headband could get a bit uncomfortable after a while.

 

[Humannequin]

Hey! I'm looking for a good pair of closed over-ear headphones under $500. I listen to mostly hardcore/metal, but a lot of other genres as well and I listen on my 160GB iPod Classic (just AAC files), hopefully I'll be getting a Fiio E7 as an amp soon.
 
I currently have a pair of Sennheiser HD 558 and they're awesome! Just not good for on-the-go use seeing as their open, have a huge cable and bulky jack. So pretty much what I'm looking for is:
 
- Closed
- Over-ear
- Good for metal/hardcore
- Under $500
- Short cable
- Good for on-the-go
 
Thanks!
 
P.S. The new Sennheiser Momentum is looking AWESOME, any idea if they might suit my needs? Also been looking at the Denon AH-D600EM, but I'm favouring the Momentum. Of course, I'm open to any other suggestions.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

 
 
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.

But not everyone listens to most or even more than just a little out of an iPhone, Pod or other portable device.  In fact some headphones as designed to use with them without and amp--and do so very well.
 
The 558's are not one of those cans and do benefit from amping--almost regardless of the source into which they are plugged.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

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

You need to describe your preferred sound signature.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

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.

What you're looking for is the sound of a (used) HD 650 and something powerful enought to drive it.  Maybe an Ultrasone HiFi 780 or Pro 750 (amped) would do the trick.  Maybe the Grado SR 225i.

 

[rhead]

Quote:

You need to describe your preferred sound signature.

 
I said I liked the SRH 440's. Im not sure how exactly to describe my sound signature, but
 
I like just a little bass (I want it to be present, so as to be able to hear bass lines on a rock/metal song, but not the loud thud that overpowers everything else)
 
I like my mids and treble's. Most of my music has a lot of vocals/guitars.
 
I don't mind experimenting with slightly different sound signatures though, to figure out better what I like. So far I've only owned, A Sr60, a couple of pairs of sennheiser px 200, sennheiser hd 515, shure srh440 and portapros.

 

[audioburner]

Hey you know, you sound like you know what you're doing on this website. I am new to audio and all the headphone stuff. I understand specs enough, so that I get what I want. So I am looking into buying headphones this black friday, however I just want all my stuff set up right. I need to know which headphones someone in your level of expertise would reccomend. I have a budget of 100 dollars. I always listen to dubstep that has high contents of bass in it, so my headphones need bass, not the punchy kinda bass from rap, but the blast kinda bass that comes from a wobble. I am willing to spend up to the price of a Fiio E3 amplifier(excluded from budget), so that gives you an idea of the power handling, I listen off of my IPhone 3GS. I want them to have detachable cords because I am going to replace the cords with male to male flat wire cords. Like the kinda wire on Beats by Dre. I would prefer that they are not tacky looking aka bright neon green or yellow. Thats about it. I would be very grateful if you could help me. I also need a case, the kind of case a pair of beats would have. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

 

[phanboy_iv]

Thanks.
 
Also looking at the HiFiMAN HE-400 now.
 

 

[PanicoNFL]

Hi guys,
I currently have only a VSonic GR06 and a Brainwavz B2, now I want to buy a Full-sized headphone up to $200.
What I listen ? Progressive Rock and Classic Rock.
The sound I want: Punchy bass (I'm not basshead), neutral or slightly forwarded mids, sparkly treble. A energetic sound, with WOW factor and average soundstage, something fun, to impress.

When I hear Pink Floyd with my GR06, I feel like the bass is lacking and the treble is a bit "dark", when I EQ it, the mids become very good. And when I use the Brainwavz B2, they have an almost perfect mids and treble, except for the lacking of bass and the 10khz frequency, which I EQ to -3dB.

The DT990 Pro + FiiO E10 does a good job or the mids are too recessed ?

 

[piratetrips]

Hello,
 
I'm new to the audiophile world and I'm looking to purchase my first set of mid-fi headphones. Right now I own a pair of AKG 240 Studios and an O2 amp with ODAC.
 
The most important thing I'm looking for in a headphone is detail. The main thing I will be using these phones for is long listening sessions. I listen to all kinds of music so the headphone I buy should be a good all-rounder. I would say that I listen to music more critically than I do passively (I like to listen to the combination of instruments and sounds in my music). It would be beneficial if I could use these phones for mixing as well so an overall neutral sound signature would be ideal.
 
The headphones I have been considering are the Sennheiser HD 600's and 650's and also the Hifiman He-400. Any recommendations would be extremely helpful.
 
Thanks for your help in advance.
 

 

[CollectoR13]

Quote:

Hi guys,
I currently have only a VSonic GR06 and a Brainwavz B2, now I want to buy a Full-sized headphone up to $200.
What I listen ? Progressive Rock and Classic Rock.
The sound I want: Punchy bass (I'm not basshead), neutral or slightly forwarded mids, sparkly treble. A energetic sound, with WOW factor and average soundstage, something fun, to impress.

When I hear Pink Floyd with my GR06, I feel like the bass is lacking and the treble is a bit "dark", when I EQ it, the mids become very good. And when I use the Brainwavz B2, they have an almost perfect mids and treble, except for the lacking of bass and the 10khz frequency, which I EQ to -3dB.

The DT990 Pro + FiiO E10 does a good job or the mids are too recessed ?

Yeah the DT990's mids are somewhat recessed, but I think they are exactly what you are searching.
The have brilliant deep bass when driven correctly (E 10 would be ok, E 11 is the far better amplifier), and they have the so callled "Beyer-peak" which means that they definitly don't have recessed treble.

And they are a definitly fun, when you hear the guitars, like if the guitar-players stands in front of you.

Truly energetic cans.
I would advice listening to a pair of them before buying, to be on the safe side.
Some people get headache when listening to the DT990's, but maybe because they are poorly driven.

 

[PanamaHat]

Okay so my search for the right open headphone is nearing a draw. I just want to know which bass slams harder, on either the q701 or the sr225i stock. [I really wish B&H had these on display] Thanks

 

[CollectoR13]

Quote:

Hello,
 
I'm new to the audiophile world and I'm looking to purchase my first set of mid-fi headphones. Right now I own a pair of AKG 240 Studios and an O2 amp with ODAC.
 
The most important thing I'm looking for in a headphone is detail. The main thing I will be using these phones for is long listening sessions. I listen to all kinds of music so the headphone I buy should be a good all-rounder. I would say that I listen to music more critically than I do passively (I like to listen to the combination of instruments and sounds in my music). It would be beneficial if I could use these phones for mixing as well so an overall neutral sound signature would be ideal.
 
The headphones I have been considering are the Sennheiser HD 600's and 650's and also the Hifiman He-400. Any recommendations would be extremely helpful.
 
Thanks for your help in advance.
 

Hi!
 
The HD 600 are neutral cans, where the HD 650 are adding a touch of warmth and bass and taking some treble away from the music.
Often, the 650's are described as veiled, which is caused if you don't drive them correctly, but I think your O2 would be good at driving them.
The HE 400 are (enty level)  high end orthodynamics.
As such, they have superior technicalities, in my opinion.
The downside of it is that they need a fairly good amplifier, like a balanced tube amp.
I think you would enjoy the great detail of the HE 400's, but I don't know if they are absolutely neutral and you could have problems at driving them with your O2+ODAC.

 

[CollectoR13]

Quote:

Okay so my search for the right open headphone is nearing a draw. I just want to know which bass slams harder, on either the q701 or the sr225i stock. [I really wish B&H had these on display] Thanks

I would think that the SR225i's bass slams harder.
If that isn't enough, you could try the "hole-punch-mod".
Use the searchbar to find the mod.
It is adding a good amount of slam to any Grado's bass.