[kman1211]

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Oh great Audiophiliacs.. I am an entry level Audio head (with zero experience in the world of Audio) I've been lurking and researching entry level headphones for sometime now.. and I think I have narrowed it down to two choices. (My budget was to shoot below $100)

Grado SR80i and Sennheiser HD439

I wish I could demo these.. as it would make it easier for me to decide but I don't have access to the SR80s where I am so I would have to order these online.. while I have access to the HD439s at my local BB (yes ugh. I know)

I listen to a lot of different genre's depending on the mood.
But majority would be Rap/Hip Hop, Dubstep/Trance/Electronic, R&B, Rock,/Metal..

I do have a preference for some bass.. but not horribly obnoxious like those B letter headphones that shall not be named or given free publicity.

Do either of these headphones (both priced at around $99USD) have a better preference towards certain genres?

(So far I am leaning towards the 439s though) I plan on pulling the trigger by the end of this week unless convinced otherwise.

There's other headphones you should consider. I would heavily suggest the AKG K240 Studio(one of the only bassy AKGs), which is $61 and I'm quite sure sounds better than both overall and in the most genres, only problem is that they may need some amping. Grabbing an AKG K240 with an FiiO E10 or FiiO E11 amp would give you much better sound than paying $100 for either of those headphones for only a small amount more. In my experience the K240 is one of the best if not the best headphone below $100. Grado's aren't really that bassy of a headphone from what I heard but are supposed to be excellent for rock and metal, but maybe not for the other genres. In terms of clarity, detail, and naturalness, Sennheiser can't really compete with AKG and likely Grado in the price range you are looking at.

 

[disaster8tio]

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Quite a huge price difference, the Q701s are cheaper than the HE-300s here in the US. Basically Beyerdynamics are clean, clear, and smooth sounding, they tend to have a pronounced treble, so if you are sensitive to treble, it may be something to note, luckily the treble is very easy to EQ. Beyers tend to have good bass and the midrange is quite good as well. They don't tend to be that musical to my ears though.

Uhm I listen mostly to metal, more metal or very metal music. The treble in the Beyers could scare me. On the other hand i should go to the local store and see if they have a pair of Beyerdynamic for listening. I rang them when i was hunting down my m-50's and they had 1 pair left, lucky. They do have a studio session in the store. Might have some headphones to try there. 

 

[Magicman74]

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There's other headphones you should consider. I would heavily suggest the AKG K240 Studio(one of the only bassy AKGs), which is $61 and I'm quite sure sounds better than both overall and in the most genres, only problem is that they may need some amping. Grado's aren't really that bassy of a headphone from what I heard but are supposed to be excellent for rock and metal, but maybe not for the other genres. In terms of clarity, detail, and naturalness, Sennheiser can't really compete with AKG and likely Grado in the price range you are looking at.

Hit the breaks,  The Senns are fantastic at Detail, Clarity etc....   I still don't think they match up with his music tastes tho.
Forget the Grado, For the first part of your music taste Rap/RNB, Trance etc...Not gonna happen. Now your Rock and Metal...Hold on Brother the train has left the station...The Grado is MADE for that genre...  The Senns would be a better fit with the first half of your music, but most likely you'll want a tad more bass..  The 439 is a more Mid range can ( out of the 400 Series) Less bass then the 419 but more then the 449.  Plus it seems you budget is around $100??? 
I think you can find a better phone for you music in that range....  Myself personally love the 439, But my music taste is way different then yours...If you could raise your price to say $150 you could get the DT770 off Ebay, That would fit you better I'm thinking!!
 
I would also recommend the CAL, at under $100 it's hard to beat...And should be enough to satisfy you until you are ready for a BIGGER jump, later down the line...
 
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-EF0060-Aurvana-Live-Headphones/dp/B000ZJZ7OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358880811&sr=8-1&keywords=creative+aurvan+live
 
IMO these are the best sounding phone ever made under $150, But Mine is the Denon AHD1000, same drivers...

 

[kman1211]

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Uhm I listen mostly to metal, more metal or very metal music. The treble in the Beyers could scare me. On the other hand i should go to the local store and see if they have a pair of Beyerdynamic for listening. I rang them when i was hunting down my m-50's and they had 1 pair left, lucky. They do have a studio session in the store. Might have some headphones to try there. 

I would simply try them out. Just see if the treble is tolerable or not for you. For me it simply depends on how my mood and how well recorded the song is. I have the DT 990s which is basically the brightest Beyerdynamic out there, they sound great and a bit more musical than many other Beyers but they reveal any little fault the recording may have, which isn't always a good thing.

 

[kman1211]

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Hit the breaks,  The Senns are fantastic at Detail, Clarity etc....   I still don't think they match up with his music tastes tho.
Forget the Grado, For the first part of your music taste Rap/RNB, Trance etc...Not gonna happen. Now your Rock and Metal...Hold on Brother the train has left the station...The Grado is MADE for that genre...  The Senns would be a better fit with the first half of your music, but most likely you'll want a tad more bass..  The 439 is a more Mid range can ( out of the 400 Series) Less bass then the 419 but more then the 449.  Plus it seems you budget is around $100??? 
I think you can find a better phone for you music in that range....  Myself personally love the 439, But my music taste is way different then yours...If you could raise your price to say $150 you could get the DT770 off Ebay, That would fit you better I'm thinking!!
 
I would also recommend the CAL, at under $100 it's hard to beat...And should be enough to satisfy you until you are ready for a BIGGER jump, later down the line...
 
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-EF0060-Aurvana-Live-Headphones/dp/B000ZJZ7OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358880811&sr=8-1&keywords=creative+aurvan+live
 
IMO these are the best sounding phone ever made under $150, But Mine is the Denon AHD1000, same drivers...

I didn't say they are bad in detail in clarity and detail, I was saying that I found AKG a good deal better in those aspects in their headphones below $100. I just said I think the K240 with an amp is a better alternative to what he was looking at. I would also of suggested the Beyer DT 770 instead if he was willing to pay that amount. I think the CAL is another good one to look at also.

 

[disaster8tio]

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I would simply try them out. Just see if the treble is tolerable or not for you. For me it simply depends on how my mood and how well recorded the song is. I have the DT 990s which is basically the brightest Beyerdynamic out there, they sound great and a bit more musical than many other Beyers but they reveal any little fault the recording may have, which isn't always a good thing.

Alright. I will go see what i can listen too before i make the buy. Just remembered i got a work mate with the DT 990 Pro, not the same as yours perhaps. But there were far to much treble in those for me to enjoy my music. Tho they were not played for more then 4-6 hours when i tried them on. Well, listen is the way here then. 

 

[trolwnm]

If those AKGs are anything like their more expensive sibling the AKG K514 MKII, they may be excessively bright and lack a lot of low-end or bass. Which is a shame because they are one of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn and do everything else so well and are very detailed. I haven't heard anything about the Beyers, so I can't comment. I would look into the Beyerdynamic DT 235, AKG K77/K99, AKG K81DJ, Sennheiser PX-100 ii, and a few others in that price range. If you are willing to go up to $61 for a pair of headphones I would go with the AKG K240 Studio, which is probably one of the best deals in the headphone world right now, it's great for music, it's good for movies and games as well.

Beyerdynamic DT 235 and Sennheiser PX 100-II are same price which is better? How would these compare to Beyerdynamic DTX 501p(if anyone has those), also Sennheiser 229?
amazon.com doesnt ship to my country so im out of luck for buying AKG K240 Studio for cheap.

 

[kman1211]

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Beyerdynamic DT 235 and Sennheiser PX 100-II are same price which is better? How would these compare to Beyerdynamic DTX 501p(if anyone has those), also Sennheiser 229?
amazon.com doesnt ship to my country so im out of luck for buying AKG K240 Studio for cheap.

 
Not sure to be honest, it may be more personal preference than anything. A lot of audio has to do with personal preference, so recommendations can be a little hard. The Senn HD 229 is pretty good. I think the DTX 501p is also pretty good.
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Alright. I will go see what i can listen too before i make the buy. Just remembered i got a work mate with the DT 990 Pro, not the same as yours perhaps. But there were far to much treble in those for me to enjoy my music. Tho they were not played for more then 4-6 hours when i tried them on. Well, listen is the way here then. 

 

Yeah. I found the DT 990 Pro didn't really change with more use. I like them but I know what you mean, but listen to them on a good recording and they are very nice. The DT 990 isn't even near the brightest headphone I heard either. The reason I suggested the Q701 is because I found them much easier on the ears than Beyers and more balanced, too bad they are so expensive there. I would look into reviews and comparisons of the Hifiman HE-300.

 

[RochRx7]

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There's other headphones you should consider. I would heavily suggest the AKG K240 Studio(one of the only bassy AKGs), which is $61 and I'm quite sure sounds better than both overall and in the most genres, only problem is that they may need some amping. Grabbing an AKG K240 with an FiiO E10 or FiiO E11 amp would give you much better sound than paying $100 for either of those headphones for only a small amount more. In my experience the K240 is one of the best if not the best headphone below $100. Grado's aren't really that bassy of a headphone from what I heard but are supposed to be excellent for rock and metal, but maybe not for the other genres. In terms of clarity, detail, and naturalness, Sennheiser can't really compete with AKG and likely Grado in the price range you are looking at.

I just came back from BB to see if I could demo the headphones.. unfortunately, they did not have the K240's or HD439s to demo..
What was available.. HD428 seemed realllllly lackluster and boring (So if the 439s are close to that.. I will stay away from them). I am going to check another BB/Guitarcenter on my next trip.. to see if they have any for demo. 

Shame BB doesn't carry FiiO amps (I have a fair amount of giftcard/rewards certificates for BB which will help me purchase my first set of entry-level audio gear) They do have Nady, Behringer & Pyle.. but everyone seems to recommend FiiO's.. so I'll just get those off Amazon.

 

[Sorrodje]

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So no response at all on my earlier post. I'll try again.
 
This time i'm more into the Hifiman HE-300 or is it outdated? Will be driven through a Fiio E10 wich I read doesn't suit so well. Might not be a good choice after all. Or should i not worry? I live in Sweden so that headphone needs to be ordered from Germany. 
 
Other choice is the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Limited Edition. This can be bought in Sweden. And yes it is much cheaper.
 
Suggestions? Not a fan of Sennheiser tho.

 
Maybe you could consider the Fidelio X1 which can be found at a very low price in Europe ( http://www.amazon.it/Philips-X1-00-Fidelio-Auricolari/dp/B008ZW2T7M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358886253&sr=8-1  ) and seems to be a very valuable pair of cans. I only tried a few seconds and cannot give any qualified impressions.  Instead of Q701 , you can consider K701 which far less expensive ( currently around 190€ http://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_k701.htm )

 

[kman1211]

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I just came back from BB to see if I could demo the headphones.. unfortunately, they did not have the K240's or HD439s to demo..
What was available.. HD428 seemed realllllly lackluster and boring (So if the 439s are close to that.. I will stay away from them). I am going to check another BB/Guitarcenter on my next trip.. to see if they have any for demo. 

Shame BB doesn't carry FiiO amps (I have a fair amount of giftcard/rewards certificates for BB which will help me purchase my first set of entry-level audio gear) They do have Nady, Behringer & Pyle.. but everyone seems to recommend FiiO's.. so I'll just get those off Amazon.

 
I see, sucks they didn't have other headphones to test. Well that pretty much sums up a lot of Sennheisers, a bit boring and also with a timbre that isn't quite right, they get a lot better in the expensive models, but many cheaper Senns just don't seem right. The K240s are not boring, maybe a little without an amp because without an amp they are quite laid-back and a little dark, but they always have this groovy character to them that makes them musical and enjoyable, amp them and they sing, the better the amp, the better they get as they scale very well. Grado's are supposed to be very engaging, so you should really look at Grado. Grado's don't really need amps. The SR-60i is bassier and not as harsh up top as the SR-80i, the cheaper SR60i may be the better choice than the SR-80i for you.

 

[Sleinzel]

I'm deciding between a Sennheiser HD 600 or HD 650.
 
First off:
 
I own a Q701, which I really enjoy and I really intend to keep. I just think sometimes it sounds a bit thin, especially for movies and electronical music. IF I watch a movie, I don't need to analyse the OST. That's why i want something more fun to listen to ocassionally.
 
 
The HD 600/650 are exactly what i can afford at the moment.
 
I read a little bit about it and it seems like the Q701 is thin compared to the HD 650 which has more bass and the HD 600 should be in between them.
 
 
Now is my question, how big is the difference between a Q701 to HD600 and Q701 to HD650.
 
I think, the best way is, to buy the HD650, and if I think it has too much bass, I could sell both the Q701 and the HD650 and buy a HD600.
 
If I buy a HD600 now, I have the feeling, that it might sound too similar to the Q701.
 
So, my question:
 
- How much is the difference between the three headphones. Is a HD-600 basically a Q701, or are there some differences?
 
Please help me, I want a new toy ^^
 
Thanks in Advance 

 

[kman1211]

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I'm deciding between a Sennheiser HD 600 or HD 650.
 
First off:
 
I own a Q701, which I really enjoy and I really intend to keep. I just think sometimes it sounds a bit thin, especially for movies and electronical music. IF I watch a movie, I don't need to analyse the OST. That's why i want something more fun to listen to ocassionally.
 
 
The HD 600/650 are exactly what i can afford at the moment.
 
I read a little bit about it and it seems like the Q701 is thin compared to the HD 650 which has more bass and the HD 600 should be in between them.
 
 
Now is my question, how big is the difference between a Q701 to HD600 and Q701 to HD650.
 
I think, the best way is, to buy the HD650, and if I think it has too much bass, I could sell both the Q701 and the HD650 and buy a HD600.
 
If I buy a HD600 now, I have the feeling, that it might sound too similar to the Q701.
 
So, my question:
 
- How much is the difference between the three headphones. Is a HD-600 basically a Q701, or are there some differences?
 
Please help me, I want a new toy ^^
 
Thanks in Advance 

 


The HD 600 doesn't sound like a Q701, both are quite neutral and balanced but how they present audio is a lot different, the AKGs are brighter and airy, while the HD 600 is darker and warmer. If you are looking for a full sound, both the HD 600 and HD 650 will fit your needs, they don't sound thin at all. They are not quite as quick and detailed as the Q701 and how their soundstage done is completely different, there are various other differences as well. I found the HD 650s bass quite substantial but never found it too much and the headphone was bordering on too dark on the one I heard, overall I preferred the neutrality and less dark nature of the HD 600 when I auditioned both. I found the HD 600 and HD 650 less fun than the Q701 in my opinion but many people have different opinions on that. Which of the three do I like the best? I can't answer that as I don't know any of them very well and maybe if I spent more time with all of them I would have an idea of that.

 

[Sleinzel]

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The HD 600 doesn't sound like a Q701, both are quite neutral and balanced but how they present audio is a lot different, the AKGs are brighter and airy, while the HD 600 is darker and warmer. If you are looking for a full sound, both the HD 600 and HD 650 will fit your needs, they don't sound thin at all. They are not quite as quick and detailed as the Q701 and how their soundstage done is completely different, there are various other differences as well. I found the HD 650s bass quite substantial but never found it too much and the headphone was bordering on too dark on the one I heard, overall I preferred the neutrality and less dark nature of the HD 600 when I auditioned both. I found the HD 600 and HD 650 less fun than the Q701 in my opinion but many people have different opinions on that. Which of the three do I like the best? I can't answer that as I don't know any of them very well and maybe if I spent more time with all of them I would have an idea of that.

 
Thank you. Seems like I can't go wrong with the HD-600 nor the HD-650.
 
At the moment I tend towards the HD 650...
 
 
I could wait til the end of march and invest in something bigger like a Grado GS1000i or an Audeze LCD-2, Beyerdynamic T1 or HD800, but I'm kinda not sure, because there's no way to give them a listen in my country... (anyone knows a good store in switzerland?)

 

[eucariote]

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So no response at all on my earlier post. I'll try again.
 
This time i'm more into the Hifiman HE-300 or is it outdated? Will be driven through a Fiio E10 wich I read doesn't suit so well. Might not be a good choice after all. Or should i not worry? I live in Sweden so that headphone needs to be ordered from Germany. 
 
Other choice is the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Limited Edition. This can be bought in Sweden. And yes it is much cheaper.
 
Suggestions? Not a fan of Sennheiser tho.

 
Those are very different headphones.  What kind of sound are you looking for?  Do you need a closed headphone?  Closed headphones almost always sacrifice sound quality, I wouldn't get DT770 LE unless you really need them.
 
A poster a few pages back did not like HE400 with metal because their sound was too soft and they were too much like his Senns, which he didn't like either.  I recommended Grado SR60/80 with flat pads that cut the treble very effectively- they are still lively and brilliant with electric guitar.