[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

Hello Everyone,
 
I hope I can get some good advice, although I feel a bit skeptical about a thread with so much traffic and so many replies. But anyway I'll cut to the chase:
 
I am interested in buying a closed back headphone to use at work. I'll be using a portable amp (E10) to drive it, mainly because of the built-in DAC, but also because it sounds better than plugging directly to my MacBook Pro.
 
I don't want to spend a lot, something around 125 dollars tops. I looked up the ATH-M50, since it's one of the most hyped here. But I'd like to know if you have any good recommendations around the price of the ATH-M50.
 
I'll be listening to classical, rock (lots of classic rock, but also some indie and hard rock), folk, a bit of jazz, bossa nova and samba. I'll still listen to some pop, RnB and others genres but not nearly as much as the genres mentioned before.
 
It doesn't need to be super portable and collapsible but I don't want anything bulky. A detachable cable would also be nice, although not essential. Oh, and if I get the ATH-M50 should I get the coiled or the straight? I'll be sitting in front of the computer and I'm thinking the straight is better because I don't want to have a heavy coil hanging from my headphone and weighing it more, but I'm not sure, what are your opinions?
 
So it's something like this:
 
-BUDGET: $ 100.00 ~ 130.00
-MUSIC PREFERENCES: CLASSICAL, ROCK, FOLK, JAZZ, SAMBA, BOSSA NOVA
-DESIGN: CLOSED
-AMPED
-NOT BULKY
 
Oh and one more thing, how do you think the Noontec Zoro compares to the ATH-M50 or ATH-M30? Just want to know if it's worth the money or not.

 
I listen to your genres except Bossa Nova; I bought a CD once upon a time but it turned out to be one that even dedicated fans don't like. It was a bad choice on my part.
 
The M50 didn't appeal to me so I gave away my pair as a gift. Others do like it.
 
The Fostex T50RP sounds much better in my opinion. It has a detachable cord.
 
Although I've only them it for a week, I think I like the (grey-market import) JVC HA-S500 even better. The dual-entry cord isn't heavy at all. But it's not detachable and it's pretty thin.

 

[Alwinp]

Hi.

I'm here to ask advice for a new headphone as my previous one gave up on me a few weeks ago.
I don't know much about it, but I can list a few things that might narrow down the choises that suit my needs.

I mainly listen to Tech house, deep house and I also produce both. So i would like a headphone with at least some decent quality,
But I'm well aware that my budget isen't going to provide me studio quality either.

I'd also like to invest in an amp for better sound quality then the regular onboard devices aswell.
Note, I only want to invest if it sticks within my budget and if it's actually worth it (in terms of better audio quality then my motherboard)
In other words: If the headphone produces enough quality without amp i'd certainly consider that aswell. but if there's a good combo that would save me money i'm up for that aswell.
 
My budget is €150, but i'm willing to go upto 200 if the amp and/or headphone make a noticable difference.
 
Thanks!

 

[Keegster396]

I currently own Sony XB500, Sennheiser HD238, and JVC HA FX101. I am looking to purchase a new headphone that will sound significantly better than what I already have. They will be used unamped straight from my iPod touch 4 gen.

I listen to Coldplay, The Script, Adele, B.o.B, Colbie Caillat, occasionally dubstep, and a range of other music from different genres (except country). I like bass, but it's not as important as an overall clear and balanced sound. Soundstage is still important, but not extremely as they won't be used for gaming, just for music.

I've been looking around on head fi and various other websites, and I've narrowed my choices down to the Audio Technica ATH-M50, Philips Citiscape Uptown, and Sony XB600 or 800. I'm open to other suggestions, but I've ruled out most of the other headphones in the price range. Which headphone is right for me?

 

[landervdb]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I am looking for new headphones, I have about $200-250 to spend, I can possibly stretch it to $300 if it would be justified (noticable improvement). I don't have an amp or dac currently. I strongly prefer "around ear" headphones, and comfort is very important. I listen mostly to post-rock, jazz, ambient, lounge, rock (classic, indie, occasionally stoner), sometimes classical. Occasionaly some intelligent/ambient drum and bass, but almost no "regular" dnb. I suppose the rock would require quite a different style of headphones but I mainly want the post-rock, jazz, ambient, loungy stuff to sound great. Absolutely no metal, techno, trance, rap, hip hop, dubstep or variations on these genres would be played through these cans, ever. I tend to like a neutral sound. Bass should be present, but I'm not a basshead at all. As long it's not completely lacking all should be fine. I do watch quite some movies, so anything that would be good for that is a plus, but the focus is really on the music. I haven't owned any cans over $80 or so previously (some cheaper Senn's and AKG's mostly), so I don't really know what I can expect. They would be used with my iPod and laptop. I am willing to buy an amp and/or dac if it would make a reasonable difference, but it would have to be from the same budget, so that would mean cheaper headphones. At the moment I'm considering the HD598's. Would that be a good choice, or do you know of anything better?
 
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks!

Any suggestions on this? Seems like it got skipped a bit...

 

[fjeena]

Hi.


I'm here to ask advice for a new headphone as my previous one gave up on me a few weeks ago.

I don't know much about it, but I can list a few things that might narrow down the choises that suit my needs.


I mainly listen to Tech house, deep house and I also produce both. So i would like a headphone with at least some decent quality,
But I'm well aware that my budget isen't going to provide me studio quality either.


I'd also like to invest in an amp for better sound quality then the regular onboard devices aswell.
Note, I only want to invest if it sticks within my budget and if it's actually worth it (in terms of better audio quality then my motherboard)
In other words: If the headphone produces enough quality without amp i'd certainly consider that aswell. but if there's a good combo that would save me money i'm up for that aswell.

My budget is €150, but i'm willing to go upto 200 if the amp and/or headphone make a noticable difference.

Thanks!

I would strongly suggest a pair of cans from ultrasone. As they do extremely well with EDM. I have the HFI-780 which is fantastic, it has very clean bass, and the mids are refined. Although its a bassy pair of headphones it doesnt sacrifice any of the details in the mids and highs.
They dont need an amp to run ideally, but do benefit from one. Current price on amazon.co.uk is £150. The FiiO E11, the amp i use, is currently £50.
Otherwise u could look at the HFI-580/HFI-680 which are very similar but have small differences.
As I havnt tried the 580 or 680, all i can say is that with the 780 i doubt youll be disappointed. Like I said, these headphones are all easy to drive, so an amp is not a necessity at all.

hope u find what your looking for.

 

[Domojin]

Let's try this again, my last post didn't get any love.
 
I'm looking for:
Closed, circumaural cans for listening to 90% prog metal, prog rock, classic rock, (Symphony X, Kamelot, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Etc...) and 10% other stuff from Jazz to Classical, some old Rat Pack and Tony Bennett type stuff and more.
 
What's important to me:
Clarity, response time, soundstage, lack of sound bleed, comfort.
 
What I use:
Will be using my PC at work and will also be looking into a DAC/AMP.
 
What I want to spend:
I'd like to keep things under 400-500$ including DAC.
 
 
I'm looking for something to use in the office that won't bother people around me.  My current portable rig is an old pair of Shure SE5's (Older version of SE535) and I love the clarity and seperation they offer.  Was looking to move up to a full size can with a similar tone, but larger soundstage than I would find in the IEMs.
 
What I've been looking at:
ATH-M50
ATH-ES10
Beyerdynamic DT 660 or 770
Shure SRH840 or SRH940
 
I'm more than open to suggestion, especially when it comes to pairing with an DAC/amp in my price range.
 
Thanks all.

 

[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

Let's try this again, my last post didn't get any love.
 
I'm looking for:
Closed, circumaural cans for listening to 90% prog metal, prog rock, classic rock, (Symphony X, Kamelot, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Etc...) and 10% other stuff from Jazz to Classical, some old Rat Pack and Tony Bennett type stuff and more.
 
What's important to me:
Clarity, response time, soundstage, lack of sound bleed, comfort.
 
What I use:
Will be using my PC at work and will also be looking into a DAC/AMP.
 
What I want to spend:
I'd like to keep things under 400-500$ including DAC.
 
 
I'm looking for something to use in the office that won't bother people around me.  My current portable rig is an old pair of Shure SE5's (Older version of SE535) and I love the clarity and seperation they offer.  Was looking to move up to a full size can with a similar tone, but larger soundstage than I would find in the IEMs.
 
What I've been looking at:
ATH-M50
ATH-ES10
Beyerdynamic DT 660 or 770
Shure SRH840 or SRH940
 
I'm more than open to suggestion, especially when it comes to pairing with an DAC/amp in my price range.
 
Thanks all.

 
The DT 770 (~$200) and O2+ODAC combo ($285) is almost exactly $500.
 
I've heard the '770, but not on the O2, and I recommend it. I found the sound pleasing and they were definitely comfortable.
 
I prefer the DT 990 but it's an open design. While nobody at work can hear the sound leakage, I don't play them at anything like high volume.
 
The Fostex T50RP also sounds good. I don't find it particularly comfortable in its stock configuration.

 

[Doc-holliday]

I currently own Sony XB500, Sennheiser HD238, and JVC HA FX101. I am looking to purchase a new headphone that will sound significantly better than what I already have. They will be used unamped straight from my iPod touch 4 gen.
I listen to Coldplay, The Script, Adele, B.o.B, Colbie Caillat, occasionally dubstep, and a range of other music from different genres (except country). I like bass, but it's not as important as an overall clear and balanced sound. Soundstage is still important, but not extremely as they won't be used for gaming, just for music.
I've been looking around on head fi and various other websites, and I've narrowed my choices down to the Audio Technica ATH-M50, Philips Citiscape Uptown, and Sony XB600 or 800. I'm open to other suggestions, but I've ruled out most of the other headphones in the price range. Which headphone is right for me?

I mean i personally enjoy the uptown as a portable headphone and for 65 bucks especially. Definitely more portable than the m50. Also fairly efficient and designed to be unamped (the m50 needs no amp too but has a very long cable)
http://bensoutlet.com/products/citiscape-uptown

You would really enjoy the UE6000. Might be out of your price range but is is really a nice sounding headphone. If you are looking into the xb series as an option, i think these would be the better choice. Look them up.

 

[Domojin]

Quote:

 
The DT 770 (~$200) and O2+ODAC combo ($285) is almost exactly $500.
 
I've heard the '770, but not on the O2, and I recommend it. I found the sound pleasing and they were definitely comfortable.
 
I prefer the DT 990 but it's an open design. While nobody at work can hear the sound leakage, I don't play them at anything like high volume.
 
The Fostex T50RP also sounds good. I don't find it particularly comfortable in its stock configuration.

Thanks for the input!  Is there a difference between the 990 and the 880 other than the open vs. semi-open design?  Everything else seems exactly the same and they both cost the same from the BD website.
 
Anyone know of a place I could demo these or other phones?  I'm in Las Vegas, but I'd be willing to drive down to LA or Pheonix.  The only place I've been able to find here in town that sells most of these headsets is Guitar Center and neither location here is keen on opening a bunch of headphones up so I can listen to them before I buy.

 

[Keegster396]

Thanks for replying Do you have experience with both the Uptown and the M50? I have tried the UE6000, and I just don't like its signature; It was a bit to flat for me.  I also just found out about the JVC HA S500, which look promising.

 

[Dabearz]

Hi,
 
I'm looking to get some headphones to replace my Sennheiser HD650 that recently broke. I've had them for around 8 years so it's pretty much all i've known in terms of audio experience and as such i might be inclined to a change of taste.
 
Not looking for anything portable, going to be using them on my computer for Music/Movies (70% of usage time) & Gaming.
As to music, i normally listen to vocal trance and alternative rock/metal. I'm guessing that would be a too wide range to consider so something good 'all-around' might suit me just fine.
 
The headphones will pair up with a Creative SB X-Fi Titanium HD + FiiO E9.
Willing to spend up to $200. As to ideas, i was checking out the Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO 80Ohm and the Sennheiser HD598, but i might be looking in the wrong place so, thats why i'm asking for advice

Thanks in advance for any recommendations/tips you guys might have.

 

[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

Quote:

The DT 770 (~$200) and O2+ODAC combo ($285) is almost exactly $500.
 
I've heard the '770, but not on the O2, and I recommend it. I found the sound pleasing and they were definitely comfortable.
 
I prefer the DT 990 but it's an open design. While nobody at work can hear the sound leakage, I don't play them at anything like high volume.
 
The Fostex T50RP also sounds good. I don't find it particularly comfortable in its stock configuration.

Thanks for the input!  Is there a difference between the 990 and the 880 other than the open vs. semi-open design?  Everything else seems exactly the same and they both cost the same from the BD website.
 
Anyone know of a place I could demo these or other phones?  I'm in Las Vegas, but I'd be willing to drive down to LA or Pheonix.  The only place I've been able to find here in town that sells most of these headsets is Guitar Center and neither location here is keen on opening a bunch of headphones up so I can listen to them before I buy.

 
I haven't heard the '880. By reputation, it has a flatter frequency response than the '770 or '990.
 
I should have mentioned in case its important that I have the DT 990 Premium (not Pro.) It has a reputation for a V-shaped response which means, depending on the interpretation, that the lows and highs are exaggerated or that the midrange is recessed. I don't notice an exaggerated bass. Occasionally, I think I hear an exaggerated treble. However, even strong, Classical, soprano soloists sound excellent to my ears.
 
Sorry, but there isn't anyplace anywhere near where I live to demo Beyers or even the 500-series and better Sennheisers. I ordered them through Amazon without ever having heard of Beyerdynamic.

 

[xiujk71]

I will try again, no replies on my previous post.
I am going to get my first set of audiophile headphone and have narrowed down to SRH 440 and SR 60i
I have heard the SR80i but it was $20 more, which, my parents will kill me, yeah.

I have heard the SRH 440 but it sounded like detail comes from the same distance. anyone noticed that? Have not heard the SR 60i

The headphone will be for home use. I'm using my Motorola Atrix 2 to drive it, not the best source tho.

My genre is just J-Pop, nothing but J-Pop the instrumentals are sonetimes electronic but im fine with SRH 440's bass. Forgot how SR 80i sounds.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
I haven't heard the '880. By reputation, it has a flatter frequency response than the '770 or '990.
 
I should have mentioned in case its important that I have the DT 990 Premium (not Pro.) It has a reputation for a V-shaped response which means, depending on the interpretation, that the lows and highs are exaggerated or that the midrange is recessed. I don't notice an exaggerated bass. Occasionally, I think I hear an exaggerated treble. However, even strong, Classical, soprano soloists sound excellent to my ears.
 
Sorry, but there isn't anyplace anywhere near where I live to demo Beyers or even the 500-series and better Sennheisers. I ordered them through Amazon without ever having heard of Beyerdynamic.

The 880 is nice imo, but some prefer the DT 990, and It's good to hear the exxagerated treble isn't to bad. But you don't know exagerated bass until you hear a can like the Dt 880 which has perfectly Neatrual bass. That being said, the Dt 990 may have MUCH more bass but quanity does not mean exagerated, exagertaed refers to the quality of the bass. In which the Dt 990 should be pretty top nothc in that terms.
 
Non the less I look forward to buying them and running them with some heavy EQ for some extra bass ^^ 

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I will try again, no replies on my previous post.
I am going to get my first set of audiophile headphone and have narrowed down to SRH 440 and SR 60i
I have heard the SR80i but it was $20 more, which, my parents will kill me, yeah.
I have heard the SRH 440 but it sounded like detail comes from the same distance. anyone noticed that? Have not heard the SR 60i
The headphone will be for home use. I'm using my Motorola Atrix 2 to drive it, not the best source tho.
My genre is just J-Pop, nothing but J-Pop the instrumentals are sonetimes electronic but im fine with SRH 440's bass. Forgot how SR 80i sounds.

Honestly... if you can go with the SR 80i go for it man! As the extra $20 is worth it I hear. Maybe you can sweeten your parents up with some extra house chores! Also another REALLY great Intro Audiophile can is the Koss Porta Pro, it runs for about $60, which is a little cheaper than the SR60i so that may be another option. 
 
I've demo'd The Koss DJ 200 and 100, and they really are very nice for a lot of different music. I own a pair of DT 880 250ohms which are rather GREAT cans... and the Koss Pro Dj series was my favorite in the Sub $100 can range!