[ocnlogan]

Quote:

 
 
Thanks, peter123, they look quite interesting.  I wonder, though, about availability? The best price I could find (by about $30, putting them a bit over $50) was for getting them shipped from China, which makes me a bit dubious.  I'm sure it's probably fine, but I'd suspect returns would be a serious issue if there were any problems.  I'm also concerned about the comments that suggest they may be a problem for those with large heads.  My hat size is US 7-3/4 (metric 62), which means I can wear about half of the XL hats out there, the rest being a bit on the tight side...with returns being dicey, I'm not sure I'd want to risk a fit issue without the ability to try them.
 
 
 
Thanks, KG Jag and ocnlogan.  I did make an effort to read some of this thread, but 24K of unthreaded replies through a forum interface made more than a bit of that rather impractical.  Bring back NNTP!
 
Given the extremely favorable opinion that many on Head-Fi have for the CAL!, it was one that I had thought about a bit. If the soundstage is relatively good, that's probably enough to push me over the edge.  Though, ocnlogan, I also particularly appreciate the mentions of the other models you were considering.
 
Is there a chance that the bass prominence in your setup is due more to the E10 than the headphones themselves? How much should I consider getting an external DAC?  It wasn't really something I'd given serious thought to...would there be enough improvement that it would take my listening experience to another level with a set of cans like the CAL!?  Or would I be better off waiting until the dissertation is finished up and I'm earning actual money again, and then purchase something a step or two up the food chain?
 
I'm mostly using Linux (aside from gaming), and I know that support for extended features on internal cards (like various recommended Xonar models) can be a bit dicey...is the situation any better for USB?  I've got two sets of computer speakers that I use, a Logitech X-540 5.1 setup on my main machine and a set of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX speakers on the box intended as a music server.  I love the sound of the Klipsch relative to the Logitech, but there's some sort of a shielding issue the music server box (I can hear drive activity through the speakers), so it's mostly being used to serve the files which are then played from my desktop.  The 5.1 is really only useful for gaming (well, and a few Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree surround DVD-As), so that's the set staying attached to the main box. If attaching a USB DAC to the music server could provide a clean signal to the phones and the speakers as needed, that would be a clear win.  Oh, but I guess that I'd still have to swap the headphones over to the main box if I wanted a late-night gaming session.  So many factors to consider!
 
There's probably some well-studied cognitive fallacy that makes me willing to consider spending $60 for a set of headphones and $75 for a DAC, when I'd scruple at the idea of spending $135 on 'phones alone right now. 
 
Definitely leaning toward ordering the CAL!

No problem man (and I wasn't suggesting that you should have read through this whole thread to find my posts from a week ago, it was more that I have been in a similar predicament recently).
 
You'll have to get other people to tell you more about the soundstage of the CAL! in comparison to the other headphones that you're considering just because I really don't have a reference point for them. I can tell you that the soundstage is not disappointing to me, and that once or twice I thought my wife was trying to talk to me from the other room, and it turned out to be some faint audio from the music I was listening to. And I've noticed on at least a few tracks I've heard that the instruments came from "different" locations, but that hasn't been on all of the tracks I've listened to.
 
And about the bass prominence... I've been burning the CAL!s in for the last day or two and I could be mistaken, but I swear that the bass has tamed itself a bit. I mostly pointed out the bass "prominence" to state that they're not the ideal "flat" response curve like you'd like. Also, the bass isn't muddy IMO, and the sound experience is more like my dads klipshorns and my polk RTI A4's in the sound experience than it is like most computer 2.0 or 2.1 setups
 
And the Samson SR850 and the superlux hd668b are actually almost identical, and they have similar flaws but in generally "bright" (aka, too much treble) instead of being a bit dark like the CAL! (more bass heavy).
 
I haven't listened to the CAL on an unamped source yet, but I also didn't purchase my Fiio for this, I had it before for a DAC line in to my desktop amp for my 2.0 setup. From what I read these cans are low impedance, and high enough sensitivity that you really don't need an amp. That said, I think you'll have a better chance having a USB DAC/amp work than an internal one if you're into linux. Linux stuff is usually pretty good with anything labeled "universal". That, and the standard for USB audio has been around for a while, so you're probably good.
 
I'd try them without the amp first, because you can always choose to pick one up later if you want. Personally I wouldn't have one for these if I hadn't already had an amp.
 
Hopefully some of this helps you some .

 

[MarcoGV]

Quote:

I'd much prefer a closed back, but I'll look for those CALs. I assume you're talking about these?
 
Thanks.

The CAL! is a closed-back headphone.  Your link is correct.

 

[Churchill81]

Hi All,

Firstly, I've found this site to be a great source of information but I'm still a little stuck. Also apologies for posting a new thread but my post in the recommendation thread kinda got lost in the ether.

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 both using spotify premium.

The phones I'm interested in are the Audio-Technica ATH-M50S (straight cable), beyerdynamic custom one pro, VModa crossfade m-100 and the AKG K550. The amp I'd probably purchase would be the FiiO E11 as a DAC isn't important for me.

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

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Quote:

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 
Hi, Head-Fi,
 
After reading a bunch of reviews about six months ago, I picked up a set of Monoprice 8323's. I've been moderately happy with them, with a couple of caveats.  Though sound reproduction seems pretty good to my non-audiophile ears, the soundstage feels very small...there's no sense of space at all.  More significantly, the headband has started to crack on both sides.  I've probably got about a week's worth of use left in them before the cracking makes them no longer fit firmly on my head (I've slid the worst side inside the top part of the band, but the other side is getting worse).  One feature I do like on this set is the removable cable.
 
I'm a grad student on budget...while a set of cans costing actual money will be in my future at some point, that point is not now.  The Monoprices are cheap enough that I could just pick up another pair, but I'm thinking I'd like to try something different.  Ideally, I'd not be looking above the USD$50 range, but could probably go a little bit higher if it would result in a significant improvement (music is one of the few things keeping my sanity intact, at this point).
 
I work in my home office, so sound isolation is a not a huge deal...I'd be interested in giving a more open set a try.  Most of the budget recommendations I've found are responses to people looking for closed models, so posting the question here.
 
I use headphones mostly so I can turn up the volume and zone into my work without disturbing my wife in the other room, or so I can listen at night. If she's watching TV, either one or both doors can be closed to reduce the sound bleeding in. I often wear them for hours at a time, so comfort is quite important.
 
Musically, I listen to mostly rock (from classic and prog to eclectic modern acts, including some fairly heavy) and classical, with some jazz, metal (mostly avant-garde or experimental), EDM (psytrance), and ambient. I game a bit when I have time, and there am looking more for immersiveness than competitiveness.  Most of my classical listening is pipe organ, so solid and non-muddy bass reproduction would be much appreciated.  Sources are mostly properly ripped FLACs, with about 30% of my collection still in MP3 or OGGs of various quality (and my tolerance level for bad rips has been steadily decreasing over the past few years).  For now, the 'phones will be driven off the onboard sound card on my desktop.
 
As mentioned, I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive set of around-the-ear headphones with a better soundstage than the 8323's. A headband designed to avoid stress fractures would also be desirable.  Any recommendations will be appreciated.
 
Thanks!
 

 

 
Quote:

Sounds like the Takstar HI2050 could be someting for you to consider:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/585356/the-takstar-technical-pro-gemini-greathon-thread

 
Thanks, peter123, they look quite interesting.  I wonder, though, about availability? The best price I could find (by about $30, putting them a bit over $50) was for getting them shipped from China, which makes me a bit dubious.  I'm sure it's probably fine, but I'd suspect returns would be a serious issue if there were any problems.  I'm also concerned about the comments that suggest they may be a problem for those with large heads.  My hat size is US 7-3/4 (metric 62), which means I can wear about half of the XL hats out there, the rest being a bit on the tight side...with returns being dicey, I'm not sure I'd want to risk a fit issue without the ability to try them.
 
Quote:

The CAL! is currently just under $60 at Amazon.  It ifs one of only a small number heaphones that is worth having at a low price point.  It is also very efficient, which means that most anything will drive it.  It has a plug togeher cable that allows easy use from portable and at home devices.  It is much more accurate and balanced than the Monoprice.

 
Quote:

You're in almost the identical situation that I was in just a week ago. I'm a second year grad student who was looking for a pair of headphones to use while at home when I can't use my desktops 2.0 setup while my wife is sleeping in the other room. I also game, but not competitively at all (skyrim, starcraft 2, portal 2, etc).
 
I ended up choosing between the Samson SR850, superlux hd668b, and the CAL! (rebadged Denon HD1001). I posted on this exact thread about a week and a half ago and after I saw that the CAL had dropped in price, I purchased those (having had good experiences with denon stuff in the past).
 
I have had them for a few days now, and while these are the only pair of over the ear headphones that I've ever owned, I can tell you what I think of them. I listen to mostly electronica, but occasionally other genres as well, and I'm driving mine through a Fiio E10 just FYI.
 
The CAL! is pretty comfortable, and even though I'm not "used" to headphones like this they don't bother me at all. I think the longest I've ever had them on consecutively so far is like 2-3 hrs, and while my ears were warmish, they weren't uncomfortable (they're a very light headphone with low clamping force).
 
The sound on them is pretty good. The bass is a bit overemphasized on mine, but its not muddy in any way, it is simply more prominent. They are very clear, and have worked great listening to everything from The Glitch Mob and Grammatik to Joe Satriani. The soundstage is also pretty good in my opinion but once again I don't have anything else to compare it with so I understand it might not mean too much.
 
Anyway, good luck with whatever you do. The upside is that if you're looking for something more comfortable than the 8323 that also has a larger sound stage, you're in luck. Those are the two things that many other headphones seem to have over them.

 
Thanks, KG Jag and ocnlogan.  I did make an effort to read some of this thread, but 24K of unthreaded replies through a forum interface made more than a bit of that rather impractical.  Bring back NNTP!
 
Given the extremely favorable opinion that many on Head-Fi have for the CAL!, it was one that I had thought about a bit. If the soundstage is relatively good, that's probably enough to push me over the edge.  Though, ocnlogan, I also particularly appreciate the mentions of the other models you were considering.
 
Is there a chance that the bass prominence in your setup is due more to the E10 than the headphones themselves? How much should I consider getting an external DAC?  It wasn't really something I'd given serious thought to...would there be enough improvement that it would take my listening experience to another level with a set of cans like the CAL!?  Or would I be better off waiting until the dissertation is finished up and I'm earning actual money again, and then purchase something a step or two up the food chain?
 
I'm mostly using Linux (aside from gaming), and I know that support for extended features on internal cards (like various recommended Xonar models) can be a bit dicey...is the situation any better for USB?  I've got two sets of computer speakers that I use, a Logitech X-540 5.1 setup on my main machine and a set of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX speakers on the box intended as a music server.  I love the sound of the Klipsch relative to the Logitech, but there's some sort of a shielding issue the music server box (I can hear drive activity through the speakers), so it's mostly being used to serve the files which are then played from my desktop.  The 5.1 is really only useful for gaming (well, and a few Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree surround DVD-As), so that's the set staying attached to the main box. If attaching a USB DAC to the music server could provide a clean signal to the phones and the speakers as needed, that would be a clear win.  Oh, but I guess that I'd still have to swap the headphones over to the main box if I wanted a late-night gaming session.  So many factors to consider!
 
There's probably some well-studied cognitive fallacy that makes me willing to consider spending $60 for a set of headphones and $75 for a DAC, when I'd scruple at the idea of spending $135 on 'phones alone right now. 
 
Definitely leaning toward ordering the CAL!

Tyll's review of the CAL!:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/creative-aurvana-live-classic-reincarnate

 

[skipwilly]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have been trying to read around, but as this thread is 1500+ pages. I have tried searching and stuff, but I am looking for more direct advice.
I am looking for new over-ear headphones; I'm really tired of the in-ear crap. Basically I am looking to spend around $100-150 on a new set, provided they are quality and will last for a while. My friend has a pair of Bose AE2s, but after reading on this forum apparently Bose is overpriced and stuff. But I guess I am looking for something similar to those.
I forgot to mention that I won't be running these through anything. I'll just be plugging them directly to my laptop (MacBook Pro), iPod, and phone.
 
What I'm looking for:
-Good music and sound quality (good balance of bass/mid/high...not overpowering bass or highs)
-Noise cancelling would be nice, but I don't really want to pay extra for it.
-Open/Closed doesn't matter too much to me, as long as they are comfortable to wear for around 2 hours at a time. I also want to try to eliminate as much background noise as possible.
             -(e.g. I'll be using them in crowded Starbucks and don't want to hear all the noise over my music)
-Size is really important to me. I dont want them to be too big or bulky. I want more portable ones that I can at least carry around in my bag or something.
             -Along the same lines, I don't want the top piece of the headphones to be too thick or whatnot, as I often have pomade in my hair and dont want to mess it up/get the top piece all dirty.
-Quality. All in all I am looking for decent quality for my price range ($100-150). I don't want them to break or have to replace them for at least a couple of years.
 
 
Like I said I am new and all to this forum, so if I am asking for anything that is unrealistic to expect then I apologize. I am still learning all the terminology too, so maybe define some things if you can when giving a recommendation. I would appreciate some good, sound advice (pun) on what is worth spending my money on for my next set of headphones. Thanks!

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have been trying to read around, but as this thread is 1500+ pages. I have tried searching and stuff, but I am looking for more direct advice.
I am looking for new over-ear headphones; I'm really tired of the in-ear crap. Basically I am looking to spend around $100-150 on a new set, provided they are quality and will last for a while. My friend has a pair of Bose AE2s, but after reading on this forum apparently Bose is overpriced and stuff. But I guess I am looking for something similar to those.
I forgot to mention that I won't be running these through an amp or anything. I'll just be pluggin them directly to my laptop (MacBook Pro), iPod, and phone.
 
What I'm looking for:
-Good music and sound quality (good balance of bass/mid/high...not overpowering bass or highs)
-Noise cancelling would be nice, but I don't really want to pay extra for it.
-Open/Closed doesn't matter too much to me, as long as they are comfortable to wear for around 2 hours at a time. I also want to try to eliminate as much background noise as possible.
             -(e.g. I'll be using them in crowded Starbucks and don't want to hear all the noise over my music)
-Size is really important to me. I dont want them to be too big or bulky. I want more portable ones that I can at least carry around in my bag or something.
             -Along the same lines, I don't want the top piece of the headphones to be too thick or whatnot, as I often have pomade in my hair and dont want to mess it up/get the top piece all dirty.
-Quality. All in all I am looking for decent quality for my price range ($100-150). I don't want them to break or have to replace them for at least a couple of years.
 
 
Like I said I am new and all to this forum, so if I am asking for anything that is unrealistic to expect then I apologize. I am still learning all the terminology too, so maybe define some things if you can when giving a recommendation. I would appreciate some good, sound advice (pun) on what is worth spending my money on for my next set of headphones. Thanks!

You'll have to make your own call on the hair and optimal size issues.  That said, the KRK KNS 8400 are a great option.

 

[Christo4]

Quote:

No--the 940 is much more balanced and neutral.  The 840 has a mid bass hump and somewhat recessed highs, which probably explains why you like it/might like it  better.
 
Most find the 940 to be a great headphone for all those who favor a neutral presentation.  It is very detailed, but not cold.  Those who prefer bumped up bass with not like it.  To my ears it has fantastic mids.  Those who hear a treble tilt may be listening for and missing more bass.
 
On the other hand, some (not me) have found the AKG K/Q 70x line to be sibilant.
 
Bottom line: when you are talking "fatiguing" and "sibilant" in the context of these cans, it's a very individual thing.  The best that can be done is to ID the size and shape of the bell curves on each of these issues for each of these cans.  If you can't listen yourself, you will at least get an idea of how these are heard by the headphone community as a whole.

Hmm yes i have also read that the K701 can be sibilant to some, but i thought that since he was sensitive to sibilance it was ok. I also don't mind having no bass (i really like my SR80i even if it doesn't have that much bass) and prefer better mids. For example the SR80i is pretty sibilant to my ears only on some songs, not all, and mostly on ones where there are female voices. The DT880 were also quite sibilant to my ears, i toned down the highs using an eq (as i do with the grado sometimes). 
But overall all this is very subjective and one man's sibilant is one man's lush sounding and vice-versa. I'm just trying some headphones that don't have sibilance, preferably closed-back with good soundstage. Been trying that for a long time honestly, perhaps too long...

 

[pro1137]

Quote:

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have been trying to read around, but as this thread is 1500+ pages. I have tried searching and stuff, but I am looking for more direct advice.
I am looking for new over-ear headphones; I'm really tired of the in-ear crap. Basically I am looking to spend around $100-150 on a new set, provided they are quality and will last for a while. My friend has a pair of Bose AE2s, but after reading on this forum apparently Bose is overpriced and stuff. But I guess I am looking for something similar to those.
I forgot to mention that I won't be running these through anything. I'll just be plugging them directly to my laptop (MacBook Pro), iPod, and phone.
 
What I'm looking for:
-Good music and sound quality (good balance of bass/mid/high...not overpowering bass or highs)
-Noise cancelling would be nice, but I don't really want to pay extra for it.
-Open/Closed doesn't matter too much to me, as long as they are comfortable to wear for around 2 hours at a time. I also want to try to eliminate as much background noise as possible.
             -(e.g. I'll be using them in crowded Starbucks and don't want to hear all the noise over my music)
-Size is really important to me. I dont want them to be too big or bulky. I want more portable ones that I can at least carry around in my bag or something.
             -Along the same lines, I don't want the top piece of the headphones to be too thick or whatnot, as I often have pomade in my hair and dont want to mess it up/get the top piece all dirty.
-Quality. All in all I am looking for decent quality for my price range ($100-150). I don't want them to break or have to replace them for at least a couple of years.
 
 
Like I said I am new and all to this forum, so if I am asking for anything that is unrealistic to expect then I apologize. I am still learning all the terminology too, so maybe define some things if you can when giving a recommendation. I would appreciate some good, sound advice (pun) on what is worth spending my money on for my next set of headphones. Thanks!

 
Like KG Jag said, the KRK KNS8400 are a good pick.
I would suggest that you also look at:
Takstar Pro 80
Audio Technica ATH-M50 (Somewhat cliche, but bear with me here)
Shure SRH-440 (Is a bit bass-light for some, but very detailed)
 

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Quote:

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have been trying to read around, but as this thread is 1500+ pages. I have tried searching and stuff, but I am looking for more direct advice.
I am looking for new over-ear headphones; I'm really tired of the in-ear crap. Basically I am looking to spend around $100-150 on a new set, provided they are quality and will last for a while. My friend has a pair of Bose AE2s, but after reading on this forum apparently Bose is overpriced and stuff. But I guess I am looking for something similar to those.
I forgot to mention that I won't be running these through anything. I'll just be plugging them directly to my laptop (MacBook Pro), iPod, and phone.
 
What I'm looking for:
-Good music and sound quality (good balance of bass/mid/high...not overpowering bass or highs)
-Noise cancelling would be nice, but I don't really want to pay extra for it.
-Open/Closed doesn't matter too much to me, as long as they are comfortable to wear for around 2 hours at a time. I also want to try to eliminate as much background noise as possible.
             -(e.g. I'll be using them in crowded Starbucks and don't want to hear all the noise over my music)
-Size is really important to me. I dont want them to be too big or bulky. I want more portable ones that I can at least carry around in my bag or something.
             -Along the same lines, I don't want the top piece of the headphones to be too thick or whatnot, as I often have pomade in my hair and dont want to mess it up/get the top piece all dirty.
-Quality. All in all I am looking for decent quality for my price range ($100-150). I don't want them to break or have to replace them for at least a couple of years.
 
 
Like I said I am new and all to this forum, so if I am asking for anything that is unrealistic to expect then I apologize. I am still learning all the terminology too, so maybe define some things if you can when giving a recommendation. I would appreciate some good, sound advice (pun) on what is worth spending my money on for my next set of headphones. Thanks!

 
Like KG Jag said, the KRK KNS8400 are a good pick.
I would suggest that you also look at:
Takstar Pro 80
Audio Technica ATH-M50 (Somewhat cliche, but bear with me here)
Shure SRH-440 (Is a bit bass-light for some, but very detailed)
 

Do you know of a US based seller not operating out of his/her garage that sells the Takstar?  Have heard good things about them, but they seem to be very difficult to find from a legit U.S. web based storefront.

 

[skipwilly]

Quote:

 
Like KG Jag said, the KRK KNS8400 are a good pick.
I would suggest that you also look at:
Takstar Pro 80
Audio Technica ATH-M50 (Somewhat cliche, but bear with me here)
Shure SRH-440 (Is a bit bass-light for some, but very detailed)
 

Thanks Pro1137 and KG Jag for your recommendations. I have been looking at the KRK KNS 8400 and they do seem like really good headphones for their price. However, after reading a lot of the reviews about them I have two main issues with them: 1) They do seem a little bulky they way they go out on the sides, instead of conforming a little more to the shape of the head. (This isn't a really big issue, but I would like some that are a tad slimmer so they don't look too foolish in public haha). 2) My main worry is that some people have complained about the highs being overbearing. This concerns me because as much as I enjoy rap/hip-hop/r&b, I do listen to quite a bit of screamo/rock, which has a lot of highs in it already. Thus, if the headphones are already a little overbearing, then it might tire out my ears after a while and make these genres not as enjoyable to listen to on these headphones.
 
I guess I'm just looking for a nice balanced, warm & rounded toned headphones. Good highs and lows, but also quality mids. As these are just for listening, and not for mixing or anything, I just want it to sound like quality but also pleasant, without being uncomfortable.
What are your guys' thoughts on these issues with these headphones? And are there other headphones that you think would solve these issues, while still retaining the main components I'm looking for?

 

[Christo4]

Quote:

Thanks Pro1137 and KG Jag for your recommendations. I have been looking at the KRK KNS 8400 and they do seem like really good headphones for their price. However, after reading a lot of the reviews about them I have two main issues with them: 1) They do seem a little bulky they way they go out on the sides, instead of conforming a little more to the shape of the head. (This isn't a really big issue, but I would like some that are a tad slimmer so they don't look too foolish in public haha). 2) My main worry is that some people have complained about the highs being overbearing. This concerns me because as much as I enjoy rap/hip-hop/r&b, I do listen to quite a bit of screamo/rock, which has a lot of highs in it already. Thus, if the headphones are already a little overbearing, then it might tire out my ears after a while and make these genres not as enjoyable to listen to on these headphones.
 
I guess I'm just looking for a nice balanced, warm & rounded toned headphones. Good highs and lows, but also quality mids. As these are just for listening, and not for mixing or anything, I just want it to sound good and pleasant, without being uncomfortable even if it may not be as "clear".
What are your guys' thoughts on these issues with these headphones? And are there other headphones that you think would solve these issues, while still retaining the main components I'm looking for?

I really think someone should make a list of headphones like that, i've been looking for something similar(i just need more soundstage) but more expensive to no avail. If you want something that isn't overbearing with nice tamed highs I'd recommend the Senn HD380 Pro, really smooth highs, not sibilant at all (trust me, it's like i have a deadly reaction to sibilance). I got them for about 120$ so they were worth the price. I have compared them to the Grado SR80i, DT880, Sennheiser Momentum, Senn HD 558 and they really have the smoothest highs.
 
It's just that they'r kinda bad at soundstage and i really need that for some immersive gaming (love horror games).

 

[pro1137]

Quote:

Thanks Pro1137 and KG Jag for your recommendations. I have been looking at the KRK KNS 8400 and they do seem like really good headphones for their price. However, after reading a lot of the reviews about them I have two main issues with them: 1) They do seem a little bulky they way they go out on the sides, instead of conforming a little more to the shape of the head. (This isn't a really big issue, but I would like some that are a tad slimmer so they don't look too foolish in public haha). 2) My main worry is that some people have complained about the highs being overbearing. This concerns me because as much as I enjoy rap/hip-hop/r&b, I do listen to quite a bit of screamo/rock, which has a lot of highs in it already. Thus, if the headphones are already a little overbearing, then it might tire out my ears after a while and make these genres not as enjoyable to listen to on these headphones.
 
I guess I'm just looking for a nice balanced, warm & rounded toned headphones. Good highs and lows, but also quality mids. As these are just for listening, and not for mixing or anything, I just want it to sound like quality but also pleasant, without being uncomfortable.
What are your guys' thoughts on these issues with these headphones? And are there other headphones that you think would solve these issues, while still retaining the main components I'm looking for?

 
The way you say you want them to be less bulky tells me that you might be looking for an on-ear pair of headphones..

I understand that this is the over-ear thread, but, some good on-ear headphones you may want to take a look at are:

V-Moda M80
AiAiAi TMA-1 

If being too bright sounding is your main concern about the KRK KNS8400, then, you can easily use some sort of equalizer to tone it down. If you use an iPod Touch/iPhone for music listening, then get the app EQu. It is far superior to anything that the Apple preset EQs can do.
If you have some other music player, it most likely has a built-in equalizer, so you can use that.

 

[pro1137]

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I really think someone should make a list of headphones like that, i've been looking for something similar(i just need more soundstage) but more expensive to no avail. If you want something that isn't overbearing with nice tamed highs I'd recommend the Senn HD380 Pro, really smooth highs, not sibilant at all (trust me, it's like i have a deadly reaction to sibilance). I got them for about 120$ so they were worth the price. I have compared them to the Grado SR80i, DT880, Sennheiser Momentum, Senn HD 558 and they really have the smoothest highs.
 
It's just that they'r kinda bad at soundstage and i really need that for some immersive gaming (love horror games).

Well, for him, his budget is at max $150, and the HD380 Pro are normally $200. You must have gotten them on some sort of sale.

 

[KG Jag]

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Thanks Pro1137 and KG Jag for your recommendations. I have been looking at the KRK KNS 8400 and they do seem like really good headphones for their price. However, after reading a lot of the reviews about them I have two main issues with them: 1) They do seem a little bulky they way they go out on the sides, instead of conforming a little more to the shape of the head. (This isn't a really big issue, but I would like some that are a tad slimmer so they don't look too foolish in public haha). 2) My main worry is that some people have complained about the highs being overbearing. This concerns me because as much as I enjoy rap/hip-hop/r&b, I do listen to quite a bit of screamo/rock, which has a lot of highs in it already. Thus, if the headphones are already a little overbearing, then it might tire out my ears after a while and make these genres not as enjoyable to listen to on these headphones.
 
I guess I'm just looking for a nice balanced, warm & rounded toned headphones. Good highs and lows, but also quality mids. As these are just for listening, and not for mixing or anything, I just want it to sound like quality but also pleasant, without being uncomfortable.
What are your guys' thoughts on these issues with these headphones? And are there other headphones that you think would solve these issues, while still retaining the main components I'm looking for?

 
The way you say you want them to be less bulky tells me that you might be looking for an on-ear pair of headphones..

I understand that this is the over-ear thread, but, some good on-ear headphones you may want to take a look at are:

V-Moda M80
AiAiAi TMA-1 

If being too bright sounding is your main concern about the KRK KNS8400, then, you can easily use some sort of equalizer to tone it down. If you use an iPod Touch/iPhone for music listening, then get the app EQu. It is far superior to anything that the Apple preset EQs can do.
If you have some other music player, it most likely has a built-in equalizer, so you can use that.

I was thinking along the same lines--plus you can only use closed cans while sitting in a coffe bar.
 
To get what you want, you probably need to add about $50 to your budget and get the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II.  The Shure SRH 840 is too big for what you want.

 

[skipwilly]

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The way you say you want them to be less bulky tells me that you might be looking for an on-ear pair of headphones..

I understand that this is the over-ear thread, but, some good on-ear headphones you may want to take a look at are:

V-Moda M80
AiAiAi TMA-1 

If being too bright sounding is your main concern about the KRK KNS8400, then, you can easily use some sort of equalizer to tone it down. If you use an iPod Touch/iPhone for music listening, then get the app EQu. It is far superior to anything that the Apple preset EQs can do.
If you have some other music player, it most likely has a built-in equalizer, so you can use that.

The bulky issue isn't too much of a problem. I just don't want to look like an alien or something while I'm working in Starbucks lol. (Ultimately though, I don't really care if the sound quality is that amazing.)
But in terms of the highs do you find the KRKs to be overbearing? I would just be worried that after listening to one thing for a while, it would start to hurt my ears like most in-ear buds do. I don't mind using an EQ, but I switch things up a lot. So if changing between genres a lot this could get tedious.
Another thing I forgot to mention was sound leakage. How do the KRKs do with sounds leakage? Do they isolate sound while you are listening to music? And also, do they leak when the volume is at a comfortable to loud volume?
(I want to make sure that I can use them in a crowded Starbucks without hearing all of the background noise, and also be able to use them in the library without pissing off the people around me.)