[PereUbu]

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You will be able to get a better rig for the price, good move.
 
 
From the op I thought you were ready to spend over $800, and would have recommended HE500 over the HD650 and a used/inexpensive dac/amp (e.g. zero, etc).  Seeing that your budget is less, HD650 are a great value.

Ok, thank you again

 

[Churchill81]

Hi All,

Firstly, I've found this site to be a great source of information but I'm still a little stuck. 

Music genres: Mostly Indie, punk, rock but I also listen to generic pop and hiphop.  Additonally, playing drums in a pipeband, I listen to bagpipe music and drumming only tracks too.
Portable: Yes but size isn't really an issue for me.
Price range: The headphones I'm looking at are around the £150 ($250) mark but could go higher.
Amped: If need be then yes.
Closed/Open: Closed.
Headphone preference: I normally prefer to have a fair bit of bass no matter what I listen too.
Used with: Samsung Galaxy S3, iPad 3. 

The two phones I'm interested in are the Audio-Technica ATH-M50S (straight cable) and the AKG K550.  The amp I'd probably purchase would be the FiiO E11 as a DAC isn't important.

If anyone could offer an opinion I'd appreciate it or if anyone has an alternative(s) then that'd be great.

 

Also gonna throw the beyerdynamic cops in here.

 

[titofr]

f

 

[titofr]

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I'd look into the KRK KNS 8400, and Senn portable cans (which I find to be quite comfortable) the Amperior and HD-25-1 II.
 
Based on current US Amazon pricing, the Audio Technica ATHESW9A (comfortabe for me) also comes in to play.  Your mileage may vary in France.
 
Hope to catch you at SxSW.

 
funny you should mention, we're looking into going to SxSW : any good names announced yet ?
thanks for the advice, I was actually hesitating between the KNS 840 and a Seinn (any preference between the 25-1 II and the S HD 380 and the HD 598 ?).  see you

 

[KG Jag]

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Looking for a good closed classical phone for ~$300 for my dad. I was thinking the Sony MDR-1R or the Mad Dogs(I would give him my FiiO E11((not sure if he's fine with carrying the amp around though)) ) Any other recommendations from other people?

Is this to be used unamped from something like an iPod?

iPad.

Have not heard the Sony, but from what I have read they are too bassy and colored to mesh well with classical music.  I have only briefly heard the Mag Dogs, so can offer no helpful opinion about them.

No amp knocks out some excellent options, like the Shure SRH 940.

That lead us to mostly portable cans like the Senn Amperior (or little brother the HD25-1 II) and Audio Technica ATHESW9A Portable Wooden Headphones. 

If you can still find it, the Sony MDR-V900HD is also a good choice and should be quite a bit below budget.

I own the SRH940 and although they benefit from an amp, they sounds just fine straight out of an iPhone 4S. A free EQ app from Golden Ears, Accudio can really really help if unamped. It applies a special EQ based on Golden Ear's measurements to make the SRH940 sound neutral (it's special EQ has a 5/5 rating meaning the sound output is very clean-sounding I believe).

I "only" own the iPhone 4, but straight out of it (no EQ program or amp), my 940 sounds like just a shadow of itself.  An unamped SRH 840, sounds significantly better than an unamped 940 straight out of the iPone 4.

 

[KG Jag]

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I'd look into the KRK KNS 8400, and Senn portable cans (which I find to be quite comfortable) the Amperior and HD-25-1 II.
 
Based on current US Amazon pricing, the Audio Technica ATHESW9A (comfortabe for me) also comes in to play.  Your mileage may vary in France.
 
Hope to catch you at SxSW.

 
funny you should mention, we're looking into going to SxSW : any good names announced yet ?
thanks for the advice, I was actually hesitating between the KNS 840 and a Seinn (any preference between the 25-1 II and the S HD 380 and the HD 598 ?).  see you

You can follow who will be playing at SxSW by checking this (as well as elsewhere on their site):
 
http://schedule.sxsw.com/?conference=music&lsort=name&day=ALL&event_type=showcase
 
I haven't spent any time with HD 380 because I had the much better (at least for my ears & needs) HD 598 before Senn raised the prices in the U.S. through their MAP.  The problem for you is that the 598 is open and leaks quite a bit.
 
For me the HD 380 is too big for portable use.  I very much like the HD 25-1 II for that purpose.

 

[wolfetan44]

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Looking for a good closed classical phone for ~$300 for my dad. I was thinking the Sony MDR-1R or the Mad Dogs(I would give him my FiiO E11((not sure if he's fine with carrying the amp around though)) ) Any other recommendations from other people?

Is this to be used unamped from something like an iPod?

iPad.

Have not heard the Sony, but from what I have read they are too bassy and colored to mesh well with classical music.  I have only briefly heard the Mag Dogs, so can offer no helpful opinion about them.

No amp knocks out some excellent options, like the Shure SRH 940.

That lead us to mostly portable cans like the Senn Amperior (or little brother the HD25-1 II) and Audio Technica ATHESW9A Portable Wooden Headphones. 

If you can still find it, the Sony MDR-V900HD is also a good choice and should be quite a bit below budget.

I own the SRH940 and although they benefit from an amp, they sounds just fine straight out of an iPhone 4S. A free EQ app from Golden Ears, Accudio can really really help if unamped. It applies a special EQ based on Golden Ear's measurements to make the SRH940 sound neutral (it's special EQ has a 5/5 rating meaning the sound output is very clean-sounding I believe).

I "only" own the iPhone 4, but straight out of it (no EQ program or amp), my 940 sounds like just a shadow of itself.  An unamped SRH 840, sounds significantly better than an unamped 940 straight out of the iPone 4.

I think the MDR-1R will be better for him as I don't think he wants to lug around anything or do anything complicated, I think he just wants to plug and listen. Just got to get his Beat's out of the equation!

 Thanks for the input!

 

[Audioenthused]

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And its stil OT--as is your second request.

 
 
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And its stil OT--as is your second request.

 
Okay I wasn't aware I was off topic.  Due to the question being about a Soundcard or because it was a detailed question about a soundcard? Because I am not even sure which second request you are referring to I have been asking a lot of questions.

 

[hexagonsun]

There are used DT880, DT990 and SR225 in the fs forum that can be had for around $200.  If you can stretch your budget a little HD600 are extremely good for the price.  They are all great, read up on which signature you might prefer.  That would leave you $100 for a dac and some sort of amplifier (SR225 would do fine with a 5v usb amp, like the udac, the Beyers & Senns would benefit from more amplification).  Don't go overboard, and you can even save up and buy something later, but anything is better than a stock pc dac.

Ok, I'm sold on the DAC/amp! I can live with spending an extra $100 if it means better sound.

As for the headphones, I'll be sure to look into the ones you recommended. I really like the sounds of the HD600s so maybe I'll wait for them to go on sale or perhaps try to get a used pair on the buy/sell forums.

Much obliged sir.

 

[miceblue]

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I own the SRH940 and although they benefit from an amp, they sounds just fine straight out of an iPhone 4S. A free EQ app from Golden Ears, Accudio can really really help if unamped. It applies a special EQ based on Golden Ear's measurements to make the SRH940 sound neutral (it's special EQ has a 5/5 rating meaning the sound output is very clean-sounding I believe).

I "only" own the iPhone 4, but straight out of it (no EQ program or amp), my 940 sounds like just a shadow of itself.  An unamped SRH 840, sounds significantly better than an unamped 940 straight out of the iPone 4.

To each their own as the saying goes. Shure the SRH940 sounds just OK out of an iPhone, but amping with a transparent amp doesn't drastically change its sound and magically makes it 200% better. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the biggest change in sound comes from the headphone itself, amping only helps better define what the headphone is capable of. The difference between the iPhone 4 and an O2/ODAC setup is pretty minimal, and especially more so for a pair of untrained ears. A tube amp makes a bigger difference in sound, but tube amps don't necessarily produce the purest of sound. I only recently added the O2/ODAC to my setup and based on what I wrote in my review from September of 2011, without a dedicated DAC, without a dedicated amp, going straight from either my MacBook or my 2nd generation iPod Touch, my thoughts of the SRH940 still stand for the most part.
 
As for the SRH840 vs SRH940, I haven't compared the two in-person but based on their specifications, the two are pretty close in impedance and sensitivity. I would think the iPhone is capable of driving both fairly well and is a general note in reviews for the SRH940 is that they don't require an amp to sound good. People who have compared the two say they sound pretty different, so perhaps "significantly better" is due to the preference of sound *just speculating of course*.
 
Also, Shure might have changed some things about the SRH940, though I'm not 100% Shure. My SRH940 has a rounded/dome metal part on the earcup, and I seem to recall some people having a flat/not-dome metal part. Maybe this affects the sound quality?

 

[punks15]

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Hello head-fi. I'm not much of an audiophile--I currently own a Sennheiser HD280 Pro which I use with my desktop PC (already have a dedicated sound card). I'm looking to either upgrade this pair or get something new for outdoor use, preferably something lightweight and not too bulky to make carrying it easy. The HD280s are a bit too big to wear around my neck, and the noise cancelling, while useful on a plane, is a bit too effective for when I'm out but don't necessarily want to shut the world out.
 
I'm looking at the $100-200 price range, but that's flexible. I'm mainly wondering if I should look into an open ear pair for outdoor use or if the sound leakage will be worse than whatever benefit I gain from the extra comfort. I mostly listen to electronic music, if that helps. I also might want to pick up a budget portable DAC because I usually listen to music straight from my phone, so any recommendations with regards to that would be appreciated too.

Spend the money on Fiio E17, it will be a nice upgrade against the onboard soundcard. Btw are you gonna use the DAC on computer/laptop or phone?

 

[3ternal]

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Spend the money on Fiio E17, it will be a nice upgrade against the onboard soundcard. Btw are you gonna use the DAC on computer/laptop or phone?

Thanks. And I'll probably just use it on my phone because I don't often listen to music from my laptop. 

 

[miceblue]

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Spend the money on Fiio E17, it will be a nice upgrade against the onboard soundcard. Btw are you gonna use the DAC on computer/laptop or phone?

Thanks. And I'll probably just use it on my phone because I don't often listen to music from my laptop. 

If your phone supports a line-out connection, it's generally recommended to use that for higher fidelity listening, avoiding double amplification of your audio signal.

 

[Whiskerz]

Hi, looking to buy my first decent audio setup.
 
I am looking to get a pair of Audeze LCD2s, a Schiit Lyr and a Schiit Bifrost.
 
First question is what tubes should I get for the Lyr?
 
Secondly, if I am in Australia do i select 230v for the Schiit items?
 
Thirdly, To connect my PC to the Bifrost should I use an optical cable from my motherboard or a coaxial cable from my soundcard?
 
And any other tips for my setup would be appreciated. (to make it easier or to make it sound better)

 

[shackler]

Hey folks. Looking for a little assistance. After quite some time spent with ear-buds, i have decided to jump back into the realm of the audiophile with some new over-ear headphones. As you are probably aware, there are approx. 10 million models out there to choose from. My main focus is to find the best match between audio quality and price.

Money is very tight at the moment, so I'm looking to probably start at the low end for now. I may use the phones for some gaming and movies, so surround sound has some intrigue, but mostly it'll be for music, which is generally rock and roll although I do have eclectic taste. I like a noticeable and quality bass, but don't need crazy beats and the thumping effect. It would be nice if there was an option to add a mic later. Mostly plugged into the pc (i3 3200 with B75 motherboard, Realtek audio) but some ipod as well. So no amp or sound card involved ATM.
 
Not really concerned with open vs. closed (i guess closed but i'm FAR more interested in the audio quality). I am hoping some people can post with the differences between these models both in terms of features and in terms of audio quality.
 
Did a bunch of research, and narrowed down the lower cost options (approx. $36-$43) to these (I am located in Canada):
 
Sennheiser HD 201
Sennheiser HD 202
MEElectronics HT-21
Panasonic HTX7
Sony XB600 (currently on sale locally for $49)
 
But, I am tempted by the very enthusiastic reviews of the Grado SR60i and SR80i that I have read. So I am also keeping the option open on spending a bit more on one of these (lowest price available right now listed).
 
ST60i - 99
SR80i  - 129
Creative Aurvana - 87
Sennheiser PX 100/11 - 74
 
Which one should I get? Thanks in advance for your help.