[KG Jag]

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Just saying--spending $100 to $250 on a portable amp can put a great many quality cans into play.

 
I am assuming you mean "$100-250 additional" here.  The Leckerton UHA-6S.MKii with the OPA627AP amp runs about $320.  So you're saying that spending in the $420-570 range on a portable amp can offer me a more powerful, better sounding device that can efficiently drive higher-impedance (say in the 250-600ohm range), closed back, circumaural headphones?  Just to be clear, my definition of portable is "</= to wallet-sized and self-powered."  Additionally, having a DAC/Amp combination in the MKii is very convenient as is the ability to charge by USB and line in by coax, optical, usb or 3.5mm.  What is available that can do this at that price point?  I haven't been in the market for a portable amp since last August so I honestly don't know what you have in mind.  
 
 
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Yes--"cans designed to play directly out of portable devices" means low to medium Ohm rated cans with sensitivity of about 100 dB and above.  This is not the IEM section of the forum, so I was not talking about them.  That leaves us with portable cans (generally on ear), full sized cans designed for use on the go and lifestyle cans.  Some are quite good (e.g. Senn Amperior).  Some are good, but overpriced relative to their performance--like the Beyer T5p (the similarly priced T1 blows it away) or T70P (the much cheaper DT 880 wipes the floor with it).  A large number of others are bad to mediocre. 

 
I haven't heard the T5p.  The DT-880 I have only ever heard in the 250ohm model going through a Furutech GT40.  Very balanced.  Nice warm low-mids with controlled sub-bass, articulate mids and glassy highs.  There was nothing wrong with it.  It was very nice but it wasn't exhilarating either.  It could have been the amp or the Squarepusher-esque source material I listened to but it just didn't rock my socks off.  While less accurate and less balanced, a pair of Q701s going through the same setup and source were more fun to listen to, offering a higher sound:head-bob ratio.   I found the T70p sound-stage slightly more spacious than the DT-880 but but with no where near the low-end detail - the DT880 unquestionably crushes the T70p in that regard.  The 880 is also semi-open back (aka, people in the room hear everything thing but the highs) which doesn't work for me.  The Amperior is on-ear - I prefer over ear for comfort and staging - and the reviews I've seen have been are good but not glowing.
 
Thanks again for your suggestions I will consider them.  
 
Best,
 
- B

I'm afraid that we lost each other along the way.
 
In your opening post, you said that you wanted these cans to be very easy to drive, but also mentioned your Leckerton, which can drive at least an HD 650, according to reviews.  Do you mean easy to drive from your Leckerton, or easy to drive without an amp, or something else entirely?
 
You seem to say that you want closed cans.  Is that correct?
 
As I understand it, you are additionally looking for:
 
- Very comfortable.  Truly circumaural (I can fit my dumbos under it)
- Nice depth and soundstage.  Sounds like an open-back - breathy, open, and non-fatiguing -  without everyone around me thinking the same (closed back isolation is a plus in my books).
- Very pleasant, balanced mids. 
- Fast. 
- Extremely clear highs.
- Decent bass detail.
 
and would also like (in comparison to your T70 P):
 
- More low and sub bass without sacrificing punch and articulation.
- A little less on the crystal-shattering highs.
- A tiny bit more low-mid purr and mid-range syrupy sweetness.
 
Yes?
 
Your budget is under $800--correct?

 

[KG Jag]

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I'm going to copy a post I made on another forum.  I'm hoping that I can get more opinions so I can make a more informed decision:
 
Greetings

I'm having a dilemma. I'm trying to choose some new headphones and I keep flipping back and forth between a few different models. I'd appreciate some input. Budget is ~$200 give or take (one of my choices is $250, not really looking to go higher; lower would be fine).

Here's the ones I'm stuck on:

Grado SR225i - These may be what I end up with, I'm going to audition them this afternoon.

Sennheiser HD 558 - Not sure on these, I didn't like my last Sennheisers (though they were cheap ones, HD 202, I think)

HiFiMAN HE-300 - Relatively new to my choice list. I know the HE-400 and HE-500s are highly recommended, and the HE-300s are on the OCN list, but I can't seem to find any actual user reviews.

Any others? I'm looking for open headphones (in case that wasn't already apparent 

 ). I'd like something that has some bass (Rock, Power/Symphonic Metal mostly, occasionally Rap, Classical, Classic Rock). I'm willing to mod the headphones if that's what it takes (if I can make the Grado SR80i or even the SR60i have a significant sound improvement, I'd go there instead).

Trying to do my research, and the HE-300s are the only ones on my list that I can't audition locally (unless someone knows something I don't), but I am open to other suggestions. Local Tempe/Chandler/Ahwatukee area stores or almost anywhere online would be fine.

I currently own DT770s and AKG K240s (the K240s are likely going to be sold soon, though).

Edit: These will be 100% for music (with the occasional tv episode or movie; no games).

Tell us what you liked and didn't like about the SR 225i.  That will help establish a baseline going forward.

 

[liquidzoo]

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Tell us what you liked and didn't like about the SR 225i.  That will help establish a baseline going forward.

I haven't heard them yet.  I've only heard the SR80i and SR60i.  Both were really nice, though I was left wanting for more bass in both cases.  I'm not a bass head (anymore) by any means, that's for sure, but I definitely wanted more than I was hearing.
 
The only complaint I may have against the Grados that I've heard were that they may have been too bright, which would have lead to fatigue.  I generally wear headphones all day long when I'm working (especially when I work at home).  Comfort is a big plus for me (I can do headband, etc mods to the Grados if they're too uncomfortable so I'm not letting that factor color my decision).

 

[KG Jag]

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Tell us what you liked and didn't like about the SR 225i.  That will help establish a baseline going forward.

I haven't heard them yet.  I've only heard the SR80i and SR60i.  Both were really nice, though I was left wanting for more bass in both cases.  I'm not a bass head (anymore) by any means, that's for sure, but I definitely wanted more than I was hearing.
 
The only complaint I may have against the Grados that I've heard were that they may have been too bright, which would have lead to fatigue.  I generally wear headphones all day long when I'm working (especially when I work at home).  Comfort is a big plus for me (I can do headband, etc mods to the Grados if they're too uncomfortable so I'm not letting that factor color my decision).

The 225i provides more bass than its little brothers (but less than the 325is & MS-2).  So I'll wait until you listen to the 225i and get you views.

 

[liquidzoo]

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The 225i provides more bass than its little brothers (but less than the 325is & MS-2).  So I'll wait until you listen to the 225i and get you views.

Will do.
 
I am stopping to demo them, and also to demo the Sennheisers I linked.  Too bad I can't do it side by side, but that's ok.
 
I will post back with my results, unless of course I fall in love with one of them.

 

[DemonFox]

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Hello guys! I am just planning to buy a new pair of headphones and I'm using ATH M50 at the moment.
 
Below are my details:
 
- My budget is = $300 - $400
- I prefer OPEN and Over the Ear cans.
- I am going to use this basically for my PC most of the time.
- I have an Asus Xonar STX.
- I'll be using this for 50% gaming and 50% music.
- I prefer the type of headphones which is an "all around" type of cans as I listen to many genres of music. I am not really an audiophile but I really do notice the difference when I use my ATH M50 and other headphones. The sound that my M50 produces is really good or pleasant to my ears.
 
What I'm interested at the moment is Beyerdynamic DT880 and comparing it with Sennheisser HD598. Hope to hear more suggestion from you guys!
 
Thanks!

 
HE-400's with velour pads will do you just right. Great for gaming movies music you name it. You can get them from Justin at Headamp.com and he'll include the Velour pads at no additional cost ($10 value) 
 
 
Thanks,
 
 

 

[DemonFox]

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Hi, i want to get a pair of headphones for my mother. Her favorite genre is country. I don't want anything too crazy, anywhere between $100-$300 i'm looking to spend. Something that doesn't necessarily need to be amped (i can always get an amp later on for her though). Open or closed, doesn't really matter. I have the hd 558's, but she doesn't really seem to care for them though. Maybe she doesn't like the laid back or "dark" sennheiser sound. Maybe a bright headphone? I'm not sure.

 
Does she wear glasses or have a lot of hair? If she does the a900x wouldn't be a bad fit for her. A bit more lively but still great vocals and probably some of the best instrument separation in a closed can in that class if not the best. 
 
Or the new ws99's also from AT. Super comfortable plus they look amazing and sound great as well. Still very neutral but a notice bass bump that will never be in the way of the rest of the music.
 
Good Luck!!
 
 
Thanks,
 
 

 

[liquidzoo]

Will do.

I am stopping to demo them, and also to demo the Sennheisers I linked.  Too bad I can't do it side by side, but that's ok.

I will post back with my results, unless of course I fall in love with one of them.

While the memory is fresh:

Listened to the Grado line up to and including the 225. I may get roasted for this, and it may just be my ears, but I think I preferred the SR80i out of the whole bunch.

The 225s seemed veiled to me, like it was playing through foam or something like that (even though it's pads are very open). The pads were not comfortable, but they can be changed. I'm not sure if it was the pair I got or my phone, but it didn't sound quite right. Definitely not as bright, but also not as clear.

Listened to the same tracks on each of the 4 pair both with and without the aid of my fiio e6. Flac sounded way better than mp3 in all cases, interestingly, but that may be the band rather than the compression as I do not have the same songs in both format on this phone.

Off to try the Sennheisers next.

 

[mubar]

Thank you VERY much for your answer. I agree with you about amplification. Audio-GD NFB 10.32 seems the definite selection when we consider my budget and "current hungry" headphone options. However, I could not find any reviews that indicates "the HE-5LE is more neutral and technically superior to the HE-500". On the contrary, release date of HE-500 is newer than HE-5LE, so that and a couple of reviews (from innerfidelity and some thread on this site) arouses suspicion of "HE-500 may be superior to the HE-5LE" on me. Can you be more spesific about this "technical superiority" ?

But of course they are my humble thoughts. I've never listened none of headphones that we're talking about.

Nevertheless, if there is someone who can give another options that satisfy my needs, I would be very happy to read them.



 
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Look, the HE-5LE is more neutral and technically superior to the HE-500. It sets you back $600. Then, I would purchase an Audio-GD NFB-10.32 for $600. That gives you a completely balanced rig for 1.2k that will sound outstanding.
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Hey there,

I am a new head-fier that trying to find a proper headphone for me -for 3 months I am doing research- at this point. I need your advices before I go mad. Please help me.

I am listening classical, jazz and acoustic music mostly. Female vocals have a giant emphasize. I've spent lots of time as musician and also I am familiar with sound systems so imho, you should not consider me as a beginner.

In this 3 months that i am researching mostly, i decided that the headphone that i am looking for should have these properties:

+ it should be Open-back, isolation is not an issue, comfort is not an issue, looking is not an issue. Only thing that matters is sound quality.
+ DETAIL DETAIL AND DETAIL.
+ Soundstage should be wide enough that i can easly seperate every single insturment on orchestra.
+ low end and also lower mid area should be well-refined because I don't want it to splash/shade middle/upper mid area.
+ mid and upper mids are crucial. It should be natural.
+ highs should be at front. But of course, I do not prefer them THAT piercing.
+ Headphone should be fast enough to catch faster partitions of music.
+ acoustic guitars are extremely important so "being natural" for this particular headphone is a very important issue.

I can widen these properties if it's requested.

Up to now, I studied almost every headphone in market but not listened them. I have experience on koss portapros (cramer modded, more than 5000 hours on them) , ath m50 (more than 200 hours on them), koss sportapros (not modded less than 50 hours), sennheiser cx400 II (less than 100 hours, and I hated them)

And so far, I half decided on akg k70x/q701 that I will go balanced with audio-gd nfb 10.32.
Btw, I will use my headphones on desktop via pc only. Portability is not an issue.

My budget is 1000-1200 $ everything included.


hd600 is another option but i fear they are not fast and detailed enough for my taste.
dt880 is also an another option but again, i fear they are upper-mid recessed and too sharp on highs.

hifiman he 500 seems also good, especially if we consider my amp preference for akg's. We know that planars need lots of current to shine. But the thing is they are pretty expensive if we consider my 1000-1200 $ budget for everything included.


Please help me, i need experienced head-fiers to answer.
With my best regards,
Baris.


Come on guys I need your help.

 

 

[BriX]

Quote:

 
I'm afraid that we lost each other along the way.
 
In your opening post, you said that you wanted these cans to be very easy to drive, but also mentioned your Leckerton, which can drive at least an HD 650, according to reviews.  Do you mean easy to drive from your Leckerton, or easy to drive without an amp, or something else entirely?

Yes, I would like something easy to drive, preferably from my Leckerton.  I consider anything under 100 Ohms and over 90 dbspl/mw easy to drive.  There may be some wiggle room in there as I have never listened to a can in the 100-299 Ohm range on my amp but it's been my experience that once you get over 80ohms you start to push beyond what you might call the "optimal playing load" of the MKii.  A100 Ohm can will produce sound at a deafening level on the MKii but it loses depth and separation.  The HD-650s at 300ohms will get loud enough to listen to on the MKii but they just aren't juiced up enough to reproduce their full signature.  They sound ok but sorta flat, choked, and a bit dull.  I have heard, like you, that some people use the 650 with the MKii but I would wager that these folks jack up their DAP's preamp to 11 to create the impression of more drive...that or, they just like the sound.   It wasn't for me on that amp, any way.
Quote:

You seem to say that you want closed cans.  Is that correct?
 
As I understand it, you are additionally looking for:
 
- Very comfortable.  Truly circumaural (I can fit my dumbos under it)
- Nice depth and soundstage.  Sounds like an open-back - breathy, open, and non-fatiguing -  without everyone around me thinking the same (closed back isolation is a plus in my books).
- Very pleasant, balanced mids. 
- Fast. 
- Extremely clear highs.
- Decent bass detail.
 
and would also like (in comparison to your T70 P):
 
- More low and sub bass without sacrificing punch and articulation.
- A little less on the crystal-shattering highs.
- A tiny bit more low-mid purr and mid-range syrupy sweetness.
 
Yes?
 

Yes to all of the above.  
 
Quote:

Your budget is under $800--correct?

Yes, but this isn't Brewster's Millions... I don't have to spend the entire $800 if what works can be gotten for less.

 
 
Thanks again,
 
B

 

[deFi]

Hey everyone!
 
I figure I've read this thread for long enough and never posted - so I might as well give it a go and see what comes out of it!
 
The basics:

1. Budget: ~$150-200?
2. Preferred style: Open
3. Music source: Mainly computer, with one of the Xtreme X-Fi soundcards (mainly MP3s of admittedly "mixed quality" we'll say. Some FLAC, etc).

1. Music genre: Rather diverse. Mainly rock (both male/female vocals), trip-hop. Also jazz, classical, a bit of hip-hop & electronica...
2. Sound signature: Full mids are nice. I don't need a big thumpy bass, but I would like something that can reasonably handle the full spectrum.
3. Other: Comfort is really important. I have a pretty big head (7 3/4 or so size hat, I think?), AND I wear glasses. And I plan to wear these for hours at a time.

 
Some random bits:
I apparently have really good hearing (as in, I can hear quiet things quite well). Not sure how this applies here.
 
I'm coming off a pair of SR60s which have lasted me for approximately forever. The cable finally died and I figured it was about time I upgraded. I enjoyed their sound, though after extended use, they would occasionally get a touch fatiguing. They seemed to be pretty forgiving, even for the particularly terrible-quality MP3s still floating around my collection. I'm hoping to get something a bit more "detailed" out of the upgrade, but hopefully maintaining some of the fun and forgivingness (if that were a word).
 
I've always had a bit of an unfair dislike for Sennheisers, though I can't quite place why.
 
I've been not-so-patiently waiting to try'n get my hands on some AD900Xs, but given the US price is still near $300 and I don't even know if they'll fit my giant head, I've been trying to wait til they're available locally or from someone with free returns

 
All that said, I'm definitely willing to entertain just about anything... Especially since I'm sitting here using some terrible gifted headphones in the meantime.
 
Thanks everyone!

 

[Trunks159]

Hey everyone!

I figure I've read this thread for long enough and never posted - so I might as well give it a go and see what comes out of it!

The basics:

• Budget: ~$150-200?
• Preferred style: Open
• Music source: Mainly computer, with one of the Xtreme X-Fi soundcards (mainly MP3s of admittedly "mixed quality" we'll say. Some FLAC, etc).

• Music genre: Rather diverse. Mainly rock (both male/female vocals), trip-hop. Also jazz, classical, a bit of hip-hop & electronica...
• Sound signature: Full mids are nice. I don't need a big thumpy bass, but I would like something that can reasonably handle the full spectrum.
• Other:Comfort is really important. I have a pretty big head (7 3/4 or so size hat, I think?), AND I wear glasses. And I plan to wear these for hours at a time.

Some random bits:
I apparently have really good hearing (as in, I can hear quiet things quite well). Not sure how this applies here.

I'm coming off a pair of SR60s which have lasted me for approximately forever. The cable finally died and I figured it was about time I upgraded. I enjoyed their sound, though after extended use, they would occasionally get a touch fatiguing. They seemed to be pretty forgiving, even for the particularly terrible-quality MP3s still floating around my collection. I'm hoping to get something a bit more "detailed" out of the upgrade, but hopefully maintaining some of the fun and forgivingness (if that were a word).

I've always had a bit of an unfair dislike for Sennheisers, though I can't quite place why.

I've been not-so-patiently waiting to try'n get my hands on some AD900Xs, but given the US price is still near $300 and I don't even know if they'll fit my giant head, I've been trying to wait til they're available locally or from someone with free returns

All that said, I'm definitely willing to entertain just about anything... Especially since I'm sitting here using some terrible gifted headphones in the meantime.

Thanks everyone!

Well Amazon has them for 280 free super saver shipping, and a wonderful return policy. The mdr ma900s must be what your looking for. I haven't heard them but in the somewhat popular thread mdr ma900 vs ath ad900x they are compared. You should definitely check them out.

 

[jdogw]

I don't know why but no one wants to respond to my question. Haha XD

Edit: oops missed a post sorry

 

[jdogw]

What's your Price range? Sound signature (bassy, bright, warm, etc.)?

I don't have a price range as long as its reasonably justified and I'm looking for a bassy pair of cans

 

[Trunks159]

I don't know why but no one wants to respond to my question. Haha XD

Well what is your question?