[hemipowered007]

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Hi !
First , sorry from my "Great" English
My brother has decided he wants a new sets of headphones . He also wants to buy me a new sets of headphones to my birthday . Lucky me I have made some research and have a few options:
I think to get my brother Reloop RHP10 . My brother doesn't need some fancy sennheiser headphones. The problem is , I don't know nothing about this company. In fact I know them only for a few months. Should I get the reloop model or it's better for me to find other model in the same price level ? ( More than 100$ in Israel ). The relevNt music is 98% pop
Now , about the options are relevant for me:
Since 95% of my playlist includes Metal music ( All kind of metal ) , I need to make sure the headphones I 'll get , will be optimal for Metal . The rest 5% includes Jazz , Blues , instrumental music.
1.Sennhieser HD515 - My brother budget should be enough for this model . As much as I know I'll get the most of them only with an Amp ( I know there is a specific forum for Amps but I'll be glad to get some advise regarding a good mid-rNge cost amp). I also searched about amps and found the Fiio E5 in 22$ . I don't want something too big since I 'm going to use the headphones all the time , including outside) .
Gardo SR80 - Heard great things about the sound but also bad things regarding the comfort . My first series headphones were AKG K416P . They were great but the comfort ... Since , I replaced them with Koss Porta Pro , which are great when you're looking for comfort. The sound is good for the headphones value. As much as I know the Gardo are great for metal .
One last thing please : Bass is very important to me , so it will be great to get some advise regarding headphones with dominant bass.
Thank you !

Honestly grados are awesome for metal as everyone always says, metal is about 80% of what i listen to day to day. If your going the sr 80i route youll have no deep bass if thats what youre looking for, the bass is fast, accurate and punchy but i doubt its what youre looking for. Even modded grado sr80is leave alot to be desired in that area. Now, clarity and soundwise they do awesome with metal and rock. As i only own 2 pairs of headphones currently I can only speak for what i know, but I actually like my shure srh840 better than my grado sr80i. The other thing is what your source will be, amped or unamped? grados do fine out of portables as do the shures but they can both use a good dac/amp. Also ill tell you if you need privacy while listening, dont go grado, my wife can hear Meshuggah blaring from the other side of the house with them. As many find grados uncomfortable i dont at all, theyre lightweight and i really dont notice them on my head, but the shures destroy them in that aspect.

 

[ruski732]

Thx for the info bro. I will check those out, I forgot to mention that I am using a ****ty creative labs mp3 player, will these headphones drain the mp3 player batter pretty fast?

 

[ruski732]

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Hey buddy if u want to use them at the gym i think u are better off with a more portable lighter weight headphone. Although this is a FULL SIZED thread i would recommend the following that will sound as good and mostly BETTER than beats for your 100 bucks or close to it.
Sennheiser hd25 for 129 bucks:
http://www.vminnovations.com/Product_15120/Sennheiser-HD25SP-II-Professional-DJ-Headphones-with-Noise-Reduction.html
Beyerdynamic dt 235 for 40 bucks
http://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-DT-235-Headphone-White/dp/B001BAKTFO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1348510562&sr=1-2&keywords=beyerdynamic+dt235
Jvc ha s500 75 bucks (from japan only via amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B008FWB9TQ/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new
Sennheiser bt360 refurbished for 50 bucks
http://www.vminnovations.com/Product_15429/Sennheiser-PX-360-Around-The-Ear-Collapsible-MP3-iPod-Wired-Headphones-Refurbished-.html
Choices number 2 and 4 will cover ur ears if u dont have big ears (like me
)
I think any of the above should suit your needs but the jvc and the hd25 will prolly have the bass quantity u need.
Otherwise i would really recommend looking at in ear headphones like the jvc fx40 and the cx200 by sennheiser which can both be had for 20 bucks and will have more than ample bass for ur taste i think. Go to the portable/iem forum and look around there i think.
(Ps i have purchased refurbs from vm in the past and they were as good as new. Legit seller)

Thx for the info bro. I will check those out, I forgot to mention that I am using a ****ty creative labs mp3 player, will these headphones drain the mp3 player batter pretty fast?

 

[Doc-holliday]

Thx for the info bro. I will check those out, I forgot to mention that I am using a ****ty creative labs mp3 player, will these headphones drain the mp3 player batter pretty fast?

That depends. I mentioned a BUNCH of em. The JVCs are very sensitive and efficient and I sometimes run them direct from my ipod. Volume is barely over half way to be considered loud. Same with the IEMs i mentioned.

You can go ahead and PM me if you want more help choosing so we get this off the full sized headphone thread.

 

[KG Jag]

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Not seeing these "recessed mids" people talk about. Infact very similar to 880 in that dept.
Just because a 'phone has forward highs does not automatically make the mids "recessed".
You will have NO probs hearing lyrics. I swear by my 990 premiums. Only pick the 880 if u want less bass imo.

If anything the 990 has more forward mids per the graph barring that one small dip. Anyway....

Perhaps that's the point--you don't see them.  You're a graphs guy (apparently).  I'll go with my ears to detect the sound of a can.  To each his own.
 
You certainly will get more bass out the the 990--which begs the question of how that colors the over all sound of the 990?  Still its the 880 that is the former flagship and is still very well regarded audiophile class headphone.

 

[Doc-holliday]

Perhaps that's the point--you don't see them.  You're a graphs guy (apparently).  I'll go with my ears to detect the sound of a can.  To each his own.

You certainly will get more bass out the the 990--which begs the question of how that colors the over all sound of the 990?  Still its the 880 that is the former flagship and is still very well regarded audiophile class headphone.

Well good evening Mr. Jag. No I am not a "graphs guy". I am a 990 owner. I personally get irritated when I hear people talk about "recessed" mids of the 990 because they are not. The graph simply illustrates my point. I have the 990 and 770 and have used the 880 (in fact I am negotiating with someone right now to buy a pair of blue 880 premiums). I am a fan of all of them and like them in their different respects.

I just think that particular person looking for a more "lively" sound as he put it would be happier with the 990. In fact it sounded like he wanted that until "people" told him the mids were "recessed". That's all.

 

[devhen]

Well don't forget, the concept of a section of a headphone's frequency response being "recessed" is in relation to the other frequencies. Therefore the 990 has more recessed mids than the 880 because it has more emphasized bass. "Recessed mids" doesn't mean the mids are missing, it means they are at a lower volume than the lows and/or highs. The 770, 880, and 990 share similar sound signatures but the 770 and 990 have more emphasized bass compared to the 880 which by definition means they also have more recessed mids. I think the problem is people fail to understand what "recessed mids" means. Its relativity. You cannot have emphasized bass and treble without recessed mids.

 

[cel4145]

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Well good evening Mr. Jag. No I am not a "graphs guy". I am a 990 owner. I personally get irritated when I hear people talk about "recessed" mids of the 990 because they are not. The graph simply illustrates my point. I have the 990 and 770 and have used the 880 (in fact I am negotiating with someone right now to buy a pair of blue 880 premiums). I am a fan of all of them and like them in their different respects.
I just think that particular person looking for a more "lively" sound as he put it would be happier with the 990. In fact it sounded like he wanted that until "people" told him the mids were "recessed". That's all.

 
I'm not trying to debate whether or not the 990s have recessed mids, but i don't understand how the graph supports your point. It would indicate that the bass response might over shadow the mids for any music with much content below 200hz. If the 880s and the 990s are adjusted so that the mids and highs put out the same SPL, the bass is going to be stronger on the 990s. And if adjusted so that the overall SPL is the same, then the mids and highs will be a little quieter in comparison. 

 

[NujaBlessed]

Quote:

Well don't forget, the concept of a section of a headphone's frequency response being "recessed" is in relation to the other frequencies. Therefore the 990 has more recessed mids than the 880 because it has more emphasized bass. "Recessed mids" doesn't mean the mids are missing, it means they are at a lower volume than the lows and/or highs. The 770, 880, and 990 share similar sound signatures but the 770 and 990 have more emphasized bass compared to the 880 which by definition means they also have more recessed mids. I think the problem is people fail to understand what "recessed mids" means. Its relativity. You cannot have emphasized bass and treble without recessed mids.

wow, great answer, i agree on that point.

 

[Doc-holliday]

Look I see what you guys are saying but the 990 and even the 770 do not have mids below 0db like lets say the M50. That is a set of cans I would refer to as recessed. I feel like (to the ears on my head) both the 990 and 770 are give much more balance in that regard than they get credit for. In relation to the graphs, maybe you are right Jag but I am trying to show the levels of the mids are not sub 0 on the graph. (I know you can't just read it off the 0 line either but in comparrison to other cans). Maybe that's wrong but that was my point.

Anyway I own em. I listen to them. And no the mids are not "recessed" cel. Not forward but certainly not recessed.

 

[cel4145]

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Anyway I own em. I listen to them. And no the mids are not "recessed" cel. Not forward but certainly not recessed.

 
I didn't want to debate that with you because I'm not convinced that frequency response alone determines whether or not mids are "forward" or "recessed." Aren't we talking about presentation to the listener with those terms? Or maybe some people are and some people aren't? So the emphasis in the frequency response is one factor, but then wouldn't the clarity of the mids, the soundstage, and the instrument separation also be factors? 

 

[skech01]

ok so the set up I am looking for is this. I am looking for very good quality headphones but unfortunately i have not had the chance to really test any out for myself which is why i am searching these forums for good suggestions (if anyone knows of any audiophile meets in the NY/NJ area please let me know). i listen to ALL genres but i would like a great sounding headphone with good sound-stage. Now my problem is that i am not yet ready to pay for a amp or DAC because they cost so much money and i would really like to have good headphones so i can judge what to buy and make an informed decision before spending so much money flat out. So i want something that i can drive with my IPhone for a couple months and then upgrade the sound by buying an amp later. This has lead me to look at the Hifi HE - 400 and the AKG Q701. Apparently both headphones have great sound-stage except that i have heard that the HE - 400 is a lot easier to drive. If anyone can recommend any other headphones in that price range i would appreciate it (less than $450). Now this solves my issue of having amazing sounding headphones that i can listen to at home but since both these options are open back headphones i still need a solution to taking music out on the go. If anyone can maybe recommend an in ear design headphone that is not too expensive that would be amazing. Or to be honest it does not have to be in ear, i just need something cheap and portable to combo well with what i have at home. Also i was looking at maybe buying V-modas to fix this issue, does anyone know if these headphones are even worth looking at if i will be buying something like the HE-400 anyways? Thanks in advance for any comments, or suggestions.

 

[niten]

Quote:

ok so the set up I am looking for is this. I am looking for very good quality headphones but unfortunately i have not had the chance to really test any out for myself which is why i am searching these forums for good suggestions (if anyone knows of any audiophile meets in the NY/NJ area please let me know). i listen to ALL genres but i would like a great sounding headphone with good sound-stage. Now my problem is that i am not yet ready to pay for a amp or DAC because they cost so much money and i would really like to have good headphones so i can judge what to buy and make an informed decision before spending so much money flat out. So i want something that i can drive with my IPhone for a couple months and then upgrade the sound by buying an amp later. This has lead me to look at the Hifi HE - 400 and the AKG Q701. Apparently both headphones have great sound-stage except that i have heard that the HE - 400 is a lot easier to drive. If anyone can recommend any other headphones in that price range i would appreciate it (less than $450). Now this solves my issue of having amazing sounding headphones that i can listen to at home but since both these options are open back headphones i still need a solution to taking music out on the go. If anyone can maybe recommend an in ear design headphone that is not too expensive that would be amazing. Or to be honest it does not have to be in ear, i just need something cheap and portable to combo well with what i have at home. Also i was looking at maybe buying V-modas to fix this issue, does anyone know if these headphones are even worth looking at if i will be buying something like the HE-400 anyways? Thanks in advance for any comments, or suggestions.

 
Personally, I would certainly go HE400>Q701.
The Q701 seems to be a rather hit or miss for most people on both comfort and sound, and I feel you are getting the better performer with the HE400. I can't speak for the Q701, but the HE400 certainly isn't the hardest headphone to drive and they scale-up very well if you do decide to invest a little more in an amp. Though there seems to be a consensus here on head-fi that it is almost a requirement to change out the provided pleather ear pads with HiFiMAN's velour ear pads for the he400 (both for sound and comfort).
 
As far as closed-back headphones go I would recommend taking a look at the MrSpeakers Mad Dog headphones (modded fostex t50rp). It is extremely hard to beat that kind of performance at the price he is offering them at, especially when it comes to closed-back headphones.

 

[ashu711]

Um...hello.
 
I'm new to choosing headphones but I really love listening to music and have decided to upgrade from my Razer Electras. 
 
My budget: Around INR 5000 (approx 100$).
 
Types of music: I listen to almost every genre but very little rap and metal. 
 
Right now, I've got to choose between these 4 headphones: Sennheiser hd 429 (costs 4k), hd 449 (costs 5k), audio technica ath m-35 (costs 3.8k) and the shure SRH240-A. (costs 4k)
 
As you can see- the hd 449's cost 1k (20$ approx) more than the others, are they worth it?
 
These headphones are readily available in my city right now so if someone could pick between these, it would nice. However, feel free to recommend other headphones! 
 
How do the above compare to the electras?

 

[niten]

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He-400 or Mad dogs? 
 
If i get the mad dogs, i'm most likely gonna get the O2 + ODAC
 
If i get the HE-400, i'll probably use the e17. 
 
Whatever adds up to a total of $600 i'll be getting.
 
I listen to Radiohead (all of their stuff, from the early 90's to now), as well as a bit of EDM.

 
I see you didn't get a reply for your two attempts at a recommendation, so here is my take on your situation:
 
You have two solid choices in both the He-400 and the Mad dogs, but if it were me I would make the decision based on whether or not I was looking for a closed-back or open-backed solution.
 
Based on your mentioned music preference I would venture to say that perhaps the he-400 might be what you are looking for between the two, but take that with a grain of salt because I do currently own the HE-400 and e17 setup you are considering. That said, if I were looking for a closed headphone at this time I would most likely go with the Mad Dogs.
 
 
Below is a quote that briefly mentions the differences between the two. Hopefully this will be helpful.
 

The mad dogs offer really nice passive isolation being a closed hp. Short answer on SQ is that the mids are a bit better on the he400 and the bass a bit better on the MD.