[frejo221]

Hi all, first post here and I'm looking for a good pair of headphones for my upcoming digital piano purchase (which will likely be a Kawai CA13 or CN34). 
 
Requirements: 

1. I'd like them closed, as the piano will be in the same area as our TV and they need to keep that "noise" out as good as possible. 
2. They should obviously be as "correct" as possible.
3. Comfortable, so that you can practice for a long time
4. Should not needing an amp (the DP should be able to drive pretty good, I'm seeing people driving the DT770 Pro 250Ohm without problems)
5. Should stay below 200 EUR, hopefully around 150 EUR. 

 
These are the alternatives I've come up with so far: 

1. DT770 Pro 250 Ohm
2. Shure SRH840
3. AKG K550 (we both have big heads in the family, I'm not that scared of closure)
4. AKG K-271 MKII
5. Audio Technica ATH-M50

 
There are a few threads on this but most are old, and a lot recommend open/semi-open cans (HD650 seems to be a popular recommendation, which are both open and outside my price range. HD598 is probably what I would pick if I wanted an open/semi-open design).
 
Which one of these would you pick? Have I missed any obvious one in the list above? Realize that there may not be such a thing as "the correct one", but still looking for some feedback.
 
Thank you all in advance!

 

[alwaysec]

honestly i do want to post a new thread, but....
 
anyway, i went crazy and started my life journey of "head-fi" by purchasing three headphones:
 
HD598
HD650
T1
 
the question is which two to keep?
 
i already received all three.
 
HD598 sounds great (to me) out of box.
As expected, HD650 and T1 dont. (at this moment, i am listening 650) 
 
i already order the Fiio E17, but it is more for my IEMs. 
 
I am considering investing in an amp. at this stage i dont want to go with tubes. it seems A1 is the one of the best options (anyway, it is another story) for T1. 
 
So, actually, the battle falls between 598 and 650. 
 
i do love 598's everything, but i know 650 is (simply put but not fair) better if it is proper amped. 
 
Need your opinions
 
i want to keep two and sell one. which two to keep? or sell two and keep one? (then i already have the answer)

 

[BriGuy31]

I'm sorry, I just started a thread of the exact thing you didn't want......my bad. Should I use for advice here or since the damage is done just leave it alone? Forgive the newbie typing this message.

 

[zeinharis]

Quote:

honestly i do want to post a new thread, but....
 
anyway, i went crazy and started my life journey of "head-fi" by purchasing three headphones:
 
HD598
HD650
T1
 
the question is which two to keep?
 
i already received all three.
 
HD598 sounds great (to me) out of box.
As expected, HD650 and T1 dont. (at this moment, i am listening 650) 
 
i already order the Fiio E17, but it is more for my IEMs. 
 
I am considering investing in an amp. at this stage i dont want to go with tubes. it seems A1 is the one of the best options (anyway, it is another story) for T1. 
 
So, actually, the battle falls between 598 and 650. 
 
i do love 598's everything, but i know 650 is (simply put but not fair) better if it is proper amped. 
 
Need your opinions
 
i want to keep two and sell one. which two to keep? or sell two and keep one? (then i already have the answer)

 
Sell the 598, and buy an excellent desktop amp/dac for your HD650 and T1

 

[Oxyge]

Quote:

I own the M-100 and it's definitely not balanced-sounding. You can check out my review for them in my signature and/or my profile page and/or my review on Amazon USA (my Amazon name is narfybob). The L1 might be a better choice in this regards since the M-100's sound is bewen the LP and the M-80.
The M-100 excels with electronic and DNB music though

Thanks for your review, it was pretty informative.
So what can I get for 200-300$ for Electronic music? I thought M-100 is the best choice + customization is pretty cool...
I would like to have detachable cable idealy.
Any ideas?

 

[BetaWolf]

I actually did start a new thread. Now I feel like an idiot for not reading the PM that was sent to me the day I created this account.
 
I'm looking for a good set of closed-ear circumaural headphones for PC gaming. They must have a good soundstage for positional audio, and have high clarity without overwhelming bass. My budget for a set of headphones, I'm going to say, is "under $400". I've currently selected the Audio Technica ATH-A900x, which I'm told is an excellent brand for gaming due to its wide soundstage.
 
I'd also like recommendations on a sound card, if any regulars of this thread are knowledgeable. I've read up a bit on the Creative Sound Blaster ZxR, and it looks to be an amazingly balanced card for both gaming and multimedia. Other cards I'm looking at include the ASUS Xonar Essence STX and HT Omega Claro Halo. The sound card I'm getting must have positional audio for headphones, and not cause any artifacts in games.
 
Also, I'm going to be using the internal op-amp on the sound card to drive the headphones. I do not currently want to purchase a dedicated headphone amp at this time. I believe all three cards I mentioned have swappable op-amps. If anyone could recommend a good combination of op-amp, sound card, and headphones, it would be appreciated

 

[Arcaneex]

Hey guys, after few weeks of lurking and researching ive come down to this: Budget is 200$
M-audio Q40
Beyer DT770
M50
V-moda M80
Sony MDR-1R
AKG not sure which model
If the price of it is less than 150, ill,be able to get the fiio E7 aswell
I prefer it to be bassy, not leaking sound, mostly outside use so isolating and most be driven easily with a phone/pc ( budget is around 200, most include shipping. Ill be able to buy an amp/dac if the headphones are under 150$)

Really need an advice, I have to order tomorrow

 

[ocnlogan]

So I've been lurking for a while recently, and thought I might as well join up and ask a few questions.

I'm finishing up grad school, and thought that I could use a pair of fullsize over ear headphones. I started doing lots of research, and have come up with a list of some cans that sound like they over really good value. The problem is that sometimes reviews are conflicting, or they aren't compared to each other.

My uses:

These will be used almost exclusively at home (use Brainwavz M1 IEM for carrying around to campus and work). I've been listening to mostly electronica lately (pandora... I don't own much music at all). I'll be listening to music on them when I don't want to disturb my wife (in the other room though), and I game a fair amount, but not competitively at all (starcraft 2, skyrim, portal 2, etc). So I'm not worried about the soundstage being as big as possible, but I don't want them to be flat and terrible.

Preferences/background:

I do know that I like the sound of my brainwavz, and that I DON"T like the sound of the koss porta pro (tried buddies, they sounded muddy and thick to me in the bass). In my home theater system I prefer the smoother highs of silk dome tweeters to klipsh style horns, and I like the sound of my denon hooked up to my polk audio RTI's. I listen to music for fun, not to analyze it (I don't produce, edit, or even play any instruments), but I like to think that I like flat response curves (because I know I don't like the porta pros or home theater systems with muddy bass).

I will be running these on my home computer off of a Fiio E10. Most of these don't appear to need amping, but I've been using the Fiio for almost a year as a DAC to my 2.0 computer setup so I already have this.

I have looked at I think almost the entire spectrum of headphones, but think I've narrowed it down to a few.

Superlux HD668B: I think these are the first cans that I heard referred to as "giant killers". Most of the reviews say they're great, but occasionally you find people who hate how bright they are in the high end. And according to the reviews, these might be more comfortable than the SR850, or maybe they're not. It appears to depend on who you ask. Same thing about the bass. Some people say they have none, some say they are great.

Samson SR850: I understand that these are essentially the same as the 668b (32ohm, non detachable cable, maybe a bit more clamping force. Is that about right?). Any reason why I should look at these above the 668b?

Creative Aurvana Live: These are at the VERY VERY top of my budget. I was originally thinking $50 for the SR850's, then found those were usually closer to $60, so the $75 for the CAL is the most I can spend. These are closed cans, so I understand that they'll likely have a smaller soundstage, and probably more bass, but all of the reviews state that they are pretty good. I hear that these are much more comfortable, and one of the most comfortable cans out there. I know these are rebadged foster OEM's (Denon 1001 IIRC), but not really how they compare to the 668b.

Mostly I'm wanting peoples opinions on how the superlux compares to the CAL. Is the bass overpowering on the CAL? Are the highs on the superlux actually that piercing? Do the superlux cans actually have decent bass? Are either of these headphones responses really very "flat"? Which one would you guys choose if you were me?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me. I've been feeling a bit lost lately .

 

[marcolorenzo]

Hi guys, after reading the OP, I guess this is the thread to post in although please redirect me if I'm wrong (or if you think I should create a new thread).
 
I am a professional classical musician and also an avid PC gamer (mainly shooters). I've been using my urBeats earphones for everything until recently when I thought i should probably start using a pair of headphones for the health of my ears. Now I'm hunting around for a good pair of headphones for gaming/classical music (I know, a strange combination) and I would really appreciate some advice.
 
Basically, I've been doing a lot of reading and research and I've narrowed my search down to the Sennheiser 380 Pro and the HD 598. The shop that I found them at are selling them for 140 Francs and 199 Francs respectively (I live in Switzerland. This equals roughly USD154 and USD218). I am leaning towards the 380 Pro, partly due to the cheaper price but also because of its closed back nature. This would be useful for when I'm doing recordings and also for when I don't want to hear what my girlfriend is watching on the TV when I'm playing on my PC. All the reviews seem to rave about them, but one review did mention that they think it's not the best for classical music, even though it is still a very versatile headset. The HD 598 seem like a safe bet since everyone had good things to say about it and they seem good for just about anything. But they have open backs which I think can get annoying. Basically, I guess I just want to know if the audio quality of the HD 598 is really much better than the 380 Pro or not, especially in terms of classical music. If it is, I'll get the HD 598. If the difference is not that big, I'll settle for the 380 Pro.
 
Also, I don't have a special sound card and is just using the onboard device. Would this end up being the bottleneck so no matter which headphones i get, they'll all sound pretty much the same? Thanks a lot guys!

 

[peter123]

Quote:

Hi guys, after reading the OP, I guess this is the thread to post in although please redirect me if I'm wrong (or if you think I should create a new thread).
 
I am a professional classical musician and also an avid PC gamer (mainly shooters). I've been using my urBeats earphones for everything until recently when I thought i should probably start using a pair of headphones for the health of my ears. Now I'm hunting around for a good pair of headphones for gaming/classical music (I know, a strange combination) and I would really appreciate some advice.
 
Basically, I've been doing a lot of reading and research and I've narrowed my search down to the Sennheiser 380 Pro and the HD 598. The shop that I found them at are selling them for 140 Francs and 199 Francs respectively (I live in Switzerland. This equals roughly USD154 and USD218). I am leaning towards the 380 Pro, partly due to the cheaper price but also because of its closed back nature. This would be useful for when I'm doing recordings and also for when I don't want to hear what my girlfriend is watching on the TV when I'm playing on my PC. All the reviews seem to rave about them, but one review did mention that they think it's not the best for classical music, even though it is still a very versatile headset. The HD 598 seem like a safe bet since everyone had good things to say about it and they seem good for just about anything. But they have open backs which I think can get annoying. Basically, I guess I just want to know if the audio quality of the HD 598 is really much better than the 380 Pro or not, especially in terms of classical music. If it is, I'll get the HD 598. If the difference is not that big, I'll settle for the 380 Pro.
 
Also, I don't have a special sound card and is just using the onboard device. Would this end up being the bottleneck so no matter which headphones i get, they'll all sound pretty much the same? Thanks a lot guys!

 
For your use you might want to check out Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 as well. They're also open back but for your needs and budget you will get more quality with an open can.

 

[submor]

hi everyone
 
I want to buy a over-ear headphone for maximum 400$. I was reading a lot about it in these forums but might still missing some points. So I'd like to share my thoughts and ask for any recommendations. thx a lot.
 
 
open/closed: I decided that I want some closed headphones. I will mostly listen to them at home where it doesn't matter. but occasionally, I also want to be able to use them in a train/plane without upsetting everyone. So as long as they are closed I don't care to much about their isolation.
 
 
types of music: everything (classical music, pop, rock, folk, minimal, drum and base, ...). In general I like rhythmic music though.
I think a strong and good bass is important, but it doesn't have to be predominant.
 
 
experience with other headphones: I have very little experience. I just bought some Bose AE2 for my brother for Christmas, mostly because they were rly comfortable and I hadn't the time to do any research (yeah, I now saw that you guys here don't like Bose very much ^^). While I liked hearing to them in general, they clearly lacked in bass and are therefore no option.
 
 
source: I mostly hear to music using my laptop (Thinkpad) and else my iphone. I have no amp at the moment but would consider buying a portable one if the headphone would need it (recommendations are appreciated). I think I will consider buying an external soundcard for the laptop at some point in future, but not right now.
 
 
others: Comfort is very important to me, since I would like to be able to wear them the whole day without any pain.
My head is rather big.
Exchangeable cords would be a plus, since I tend to roll over these things with my chair. (dunno which ones have these)
 
Headphones I found with prices I could buy them (the prices are in CHF, but thats nearly the same as $ right now). I have tried to summarize them in some short words, from what i've read:
 
ULTRASONE Pro 750:                 360$ (comfortable, to much treble?, to expensive?)
DENON AH-D2000:                     350$ (very comfortable, worth the price?)
SONY MDR-XB1000:                   270$ (very comfortable, heavy, very big, just good for bass?)
AKG K 550:                                209$ (very comfortable, mb a bit thin and clinical)
AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-M50:       170$ (uncomfortable?)
BEYERDYNAMIC DT 770 Pro 80: 165$ (very comfortable, v-shaped, to much bass?)
SENNHEISER HD 558:                159$ (uncomfortable, heavy, not much bass, boring?)
 
Have I missed any?
 
I know it would be best to test them myself but its kind of hard to find a store where I can actually try them on :/
 
Right know I'm leaning towards the AKG K 550 or mb the dt 770.
 
Thanks a lot, for all comments/answers/suggestions!

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Well I'm thinking about picking up some new headphones.  
 

1. Budget:  $0-$1,000
2. Source:  X-fi titanium -> Schiit Lyr
3. Past Headphones:  DT 770 pro, Ultrasone Pro 900, AKG K702.
4. Music Genres:  Everything.. and I do mean everything.  Though my favorite listening experieces come from EDM, jazz, reggae, ska.  I love a good song with bass in it.

 
I was eyeing the LCD-2 since I have read how well it performs in the bass department.  Also was thinking about the HE-400.  I read the He500 and He6 had really large head bands and I have a narrow face so that might not work for me.
 
Any opinions would be appreciated.

Don't know you sound card, but your Lyr is one of a handful of headphone amps that will properly drive the HE-6.
 
Most think that the HifiMan HE-500 & HE-6 are superior all around cans to the LCD-2, which excels in the bass department.  In truth all three are great cans and you have to decide which flavor and price point works best for you.  All three are planar cans and therefore heavy.  They are all noticeably less comfortable than the T-1, which is another can you should consider.  In the end it is a very individual thing and you will have to put each your head for the length of your longest listening session to know for sure.
 
All four (plus the HE-400) are covered well here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-57-headphones-compared-update-hifiman-he-400-added-12-24-12

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Quote:

honestly i do want to post a new thread, but....
 
anyway, i went crazy and started my life journey of "head-fi" by purchasing three headphones:
 
HD598
HD650
T1
 
the question is which two to keep?
 
i already received all three.
 
HD598 sounds great (to me) out of box.
As expected, HD650 and T1 dont. (at this moment, i am listening 650) 
 
i already order the Fiio E17, but it is more for my IEMs. 
 
I am considering investing in an amp. at this stage i dont want to go with tubes. it seems A1 is the one of the best options (anyway, it is another story) for T1. 
 
So, actually, the battle falls between 598 and 650. 
 
i do love 598's everything, but i know 650 is (simply put but not fair) better if it is proper amped. 
 
Need your opinions
 
i want to keep two and sell one. which two to keep? or sell two and keep one? (then i already have the answer)

 
Sell the 598, and buy an excellent desktop amp/dac for your HD650 and T1

Agreed--you need a good and fairly powerful amp (and dac or dac/amp depending on your music/sound sources) to hear what the HD 650 and T1 offer.  The easier to drive 598 is an excellent can, but at least a tier below the other two.

 

[BriGuy31]

Ok, I am a newbie that signed up looking for some help. I know these topics have been covered and I appreciate your help. I have been on the other end of answering the "same old questions" often with saltwater fish and I'm sorry for this. I'm looking to buy my first real set of headphones. Please forgive my lingo (or lack thereof) and my expected learning curve. I have spent at least 40+ hours researching and reading all the reviews about this phone vs.that phone threads and I could use some help. I am not a real audiophile because I have a slight hearing loss from 10+ years of machine shops and commercial lawn mowers. I enjoy quality products and a touch of style doesn't hurt. 
 
Intended audio:
Christian rock/pop, Christian Rap, Macbook Pro(new) for movies, Audio lectures/Bible studies, PC and Xbox Gaming (in order of time spent).
Where/when:
I will use them sometimes when my wife is sleeping next to me. I might use them in the car on the way to work. I will use them once in a great while while traveling (airplane) but only a couple times per year. I will be on the move 90% of the time when I use these so I don't want HUGE cans on my average/smaller sized head. Average time of use will be 1hr per day. 
Source used:
40% iPod touch 4th gen; without amp.....for now, 40% Macbook Pro, 20% TV(I haven't figured out this one yet as far as connecting it to my Xbox).
 
I have figured out I need a closed ear headphone due to use around my sleeping wife and occasional travel. I don't really see the need for noise canceling, just to keep my music from leaking out. I think I would prefer an around the ear headphone.
 
My price range is around $150 but I will spend as much as $200 for a really nice set-up. Here are the cans I've been looking at based off my research(no order of preference):
 
 

[size=1.7em] Sennheiser HD 449[/size]

Sennheiser HD 439
Ultrasone HFI-680
Ultrasone HFI-580
V-MODA Crossfade M-80
Audio-Technica ATH-M50
Phiaton MS 400, I really like this look the best
Fischer Audio FA-004
 
 
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP!!
 
-Brian

 

[Arcaneex]

Sorry for spamming the thread, but what would be better?
V-moda m80 and Fiio E7
Beyer DT770 80 ohm, can't add an amp to this only maybe after a month
MDR-1R
Looking for a bassy/warm signature, outside use, source is a phone.