[Smoke Signals]

Nah I'd rather not spend 700 dollars, and I certainly won't want to buy another amp just for an HE-500 (and I'm fairly sure my O2 can drive it regardless).
 

 

[zeinharis]

Quote:

Nah I'd rather not spend 700 dollars, and I certainly won't want to buy another amp just for an HE-500 (and I'm fairly sure my O2 can drive it regardless).
 

 
I have them both. The DT880 (mine is the 600 ohm) is a bright (detail retrieval, transparant) can, reccesed mids (abit) and kinda roll off in the bass but pretty good in texture you still know when a drummer hit the floor bass, in the other hand the HE-500 is indeed a detail retrieval, transparant same as the DT880, in addition the HE-500 also have an excellent midrange and great bass both texture and extention

 

[NujaBlessed]

Quote:

Nah I'd rather not spend 700 dollars, and I certainly won't want to buy another amp just for an HE-500 (and I'm fairly sure my O2 can drive it regardless).
 

 
the he-500 is the sweet spot in the line up for me. he-400 and he-300 are cheaper, but sound so rough and unrefined in comparison.

 

[MarkoOktabyr]

Hello all,
 
I've been lurking for the past week or so, reading reviews and comments. I'm a newcomer to the head-fi idea and was hoping to get some recommendations for a good place to start. I'll try to answer questions I've seen other ask:
 
Budget: $200. Less is more, but if there's something up to $250 or so that makes a significant difference, I will consider it.
 
Usage: These headphones would be for use with a computer primarily. I'm an avid gamer, but also enjoy listening to music.  However, there are pretty good odds that I will be wanting to use them with a portable player (esp. iphone 4). If doing so necessitates leaving room in my budget for an amp, that should be accounted for.
 
Music: I typically listen to a variety of genres. Bands such as Tool, A Perfect Circle, 10 Years, R.E.M., Imogen Heap, and a variety of classical pieces. So well-roundedness would seem to be important.
 
Previous Headphones: I have some Sennheiser PC-350s (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-350-Collapsible-Microphone/dp/B0012XFDWO) that I absolutely love. Had them for 4 years, but just had to send them in for repairs since I didn't treat them as well as I should have.
 
Preferences: So as not to disturb my wife while gaming or listening to music, closed headphones are probably better than open.
 
I'm looking forward to what you all might recommend, and don't feel bad about the wallet.

 

[NujaBlessed]

Quote:

 
The EF2A seems to have mixed reviews. Apparently, many people suggest replacing the vaccuum tubes because of bad quality. Would you suggest any other hybrids that could work? I don't mind buying used.
My main reason for considering the HE 400 was because the drivers are completely different from most other headphones. I figured that they would have a pretty different sound to them. Thank you for your input: I really appreciate putting the time to write all that out. My budget isn't accomodating enough to spend $600 on an amp, but I will definitely look back at this post when it does.
 

Sound Card: The one that is default on the Lenovo T420. It's nothing sensational, but does the job fine currently. I know I definitely need an amp for a 250 ohm or 600 ohm DT 880. I am mostly using them for music, but I might watch a few movies or a few concerts with them.
 
Also, where can I find the O2? I tried looking at my default places (amazon, headphone.com, etc.) to no avail. Also, if I say that I don't mind buying used, does that change your recommendations about the O2?

i owned an ef2a recently, a really good amp at 170$. however the stock tubes were not the greatest, but a pair of 6ak5's should be no more than 20$ if you were to buy them. honestly, you don't need an amp for the 250 ohm version. my lenovo laptops and my iphone can drive them to listenable volumes. if you're not that rushed, i suggest you skip the middle step and get a more high end amp when you can afford it. there's no point (to me) to have so many upgrades in between.

 

[AzzaD]

Hi lurked for ages now, this is my second post here, I originally posted this here in this section, but never got around to purchasing headphones, but now I'm keen to get some as soon as possible.
 
 
Music Source: I need headphones that do NOT require an amp, I'll be using my iPhone, PC, HTPC and lastly these will be plugged into my Yamaha Clavinova.
Use: At home & travelling, movies and music.
Music Genre: Rock, indie-rock, pop, classical, jazz, blues, R&B. Allsorts really.
Comfort: Absolutely, the more comfort the better.
Portable: Yes, would be good.
Looks: As long as they sound good, I don't care what they look like. 
Robust: Yes, ideally one with a separate cable, but not an issue if it is not.
 
Price Range: Up to £300 (I'm in the UK, but can buy easily in the US)
 
I originally stated that I did not need noise cancelling. BUT I'm now travelling a lot for work and now my priorities are:
 
Closed back
Circumaural
Really good isolation
Comfort - very much so
Noise cancelling, Yes - unless the general isolation is good enough - and so long as they don't ruin the sound, but hopefully the headphones will still work without the noise cancelling on, or batteries are flat ? Is that possible ?
Nothing that pumps out the bass like a mad thing.
 
I've seen the Ultimate Ears 6000 and 9000 online, which look ok and seem to cover my requirements and the reviews here at head-fi seem generally ok, but wondered if there was anything else that would be more suitable ?
 
Any advice / help gratefully received, as I have spent far too much time here at head-fi and am now thoroughly confused and have no idea what to get !
 
I've got to get some of these real soon, as using the IEM's for hours at a time, is not enjoyable.
 
 
cheers
Aaron

 

[DoubleShot]

Hello
 
I have been in the market for some new headphones for at least a month. I have been researching endlessly to find a headphone that fits my needs and would enhance my experience while listening to music. My choices have been narrowed to either the Shure 840, Sennheiser HD598, AKG K702, Beyerdynamic DT990, DT880, or DT1350. 
 
The music I listen to is Electronica, Classical, Classic Rock (AC/DC, Led Zep), oldies, and my favorites Psychedelic music (especially Pink Floyd). I want a pair with decent-great soundstage, portable, and great comfort. I am going to use these with my iPod Classic 160GB (2009 version). Which of the mentioned headphones would be ideal for me? I am leaning towards the Shure 840s but would that be ideal?

 

[NujaBlessed]

Quote:

Hello
 
I have been in the market for some new headphones for at least a month. I have been researching endlessly to find a headphone that fits my needs and would enhance my experience while listening to music. My choices have been narrowed to either the Shure 840, Sennheiser HD598, AKG K702, Beyerdynamic DT990, DT880, or DT1350. 
 
The music I listen to is Electronica, Classical, Classic Rock (AC/DC, Led Zep), oldies, and my favorites Psychedelic music (especially Pink Floyd). I want a pair with decent-great soundstage, portable, and great comfort. I am going to use these with my iPod Classic 160GB (2009 version). Which of the mentioned headphones would be ideal for me? I am leaning towards the Shure 840s but would that be ideal?

dt1350 - king of portables, best clarity, tightest bass and most balanced spectrum for a mid-fi portable. i don't think anything competes, my opinion though. and since you're looking for a portable only, your two real choices are gonna be the dt1350 and shure 840 which i think is no competition for the dt1350.

 

[dimako83]

I currently have the Sennheiser PX-100 and the PortaPro and I was looking to upgrade my sound quality with the JVC HA-S500 or some other headphones up to 100$ - any recommendation? I am also considering Grado sr80i but no being able to go to a local store and choose between them or some other headphones I am trying to decide base in internet reviews and recommendations

 

[Smoke Signals]

So can someone please give me a recommendation without telling me to just spend more money?  I appreciate hipster 2010’s input, does anyone else have experience with the Paradox fostex and the HD650?

 

[NujaBlessed]

Quote:

So can someone please give me a recommendation without telling me to just spend more money?  I appreciate hipster 2010’s input, does anyone else have experience with the Paradox fostex and the HD650?

i haven't heard the fostex tr50p, much less the specific modded versions, but they are described as being very flat and balanced. that is not the case however for the hd650. dark sounding with a little bit of bass emphasis and a bit of graininess that doesn't go completely away even with good amplification. i don't know your preferences of genre and what previous headphones you liked, but if you are not a fan of treble, then hd650 might be good for you, however i think it is awful for any fast paced grenre like rock, metal, etc...

 

[saxophone]

Quote:

O2 is really good, but it doesn't have a USB input, only a line-in. If you want to use it with a laptop, you would need a separate DAC so that you can send an unamplified digital signal to the amp, otherwise you are using the headphone jack which is already an amplified signal. If you are using it with an ipod, a simple LOD will work great.
 
The O2 can be self-built, or for most, it can be purchased at JDS Labs for those in the US.

Hmm, the O2 seems pretty sweet since it's almost unanimously approved within and outside of head-fi. But, if I really need a DAC for the O2 to shine, then I might skip it altogether and buy a cheaper bundle now and nicer DAC/amp combo later on.
 
Quote:

i owned an ef2a recently, a really good amp at 170$. however the stock tubes were not the greatest, but a pair of 6ak5's should be no more than 20$ if you were to buy them. honestly, you don't need an amp for the 250 ohm version. my lenovo laptops and my iphone can drive them to listenable volumes. if you're not that rushed, i suggest you skip the middle step and get a more high end amp when you can afford it. there's no point (to me) to have so many upgrades in between.

I think I might take your advice poodytang, and buy a reasonable amp for the time being and upgrade to a much nicer amp in a while - stuff like the Asgard looks pretty awesome. I think I can get my hands on a well-cared for E9. I know it has the power to drive the 250, maybe even the 600 ohm 880s, but will I be missing anything going to the E9 instead of the O2/EF2A?

 

[M0rph3us]

Ok so I posted a new thread before I saw this one so I'll post here and close the other one (if I can). Let me know if you need any additional clarification.
 
 
Ok so I got a pair of brand new AH-D400s and in short I hate them. Here are a list of my complaints with them and I would like some suggestions for a different pair. Looking for a pair of open sub-$250 cans.
 
1) Closed construction. I don't like not being able to hear anything around me so looking for some open headphones.
 
2) FAR too bass heavy, I don't know if it's because of being closed or what, but I feel like the bass drowns out all the rest of the music.
 
3) These are made for iPhone/iPod/iPad and I am getting a new phone in 3 weeks that will be android so I will lose the use of the controls on them. I also don't particularly like having the controls as I usually just use the volume controls on my phone. So prefer no controls on them as I feel they get in the way.
 
4) Cushions seem very stiff. I know this is personal preference, but to give you some idea of what I like I had a pair of HD555s that I think were amazing and felt fantastic on my ears.
 
This is my list of stuff. Please help me decide.
 
I am currently leaning towards HD598s, but my only fear is that I will get them super dirty because of the ivory coloring on them. I love the colors, but I'm just scared they will show every bit of dirt on them.
 
I also would like to get a low impedance pair of cans for now as these will be my traveling cans and will be used mainly with a phone. I would prefer to not have to get an amp for them as that is just one more thing I would have to bring with me and I don't feel like carrying a backpack everywhere.
 
Thanks guys!

 

[FrozenFlame]

Is there any full sized headphones that sounds similar to the Koss PortaPro but with more lively and detailed vocals?

 

[thecansmancan]

Quote:

Is there any full sized headphones that sounds similar to the Koss PortaPro but with more lively and detailed vocals?

If its vocals you want look at Shure, that's kinda the signature. I love my 840. Nice balanced, with i touch of mid emphasis.