[liquidzoo]

I have narrowed it down to these choices:

1. Denon AH-D5000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $700.00   Amazon: 4.5 stars Headphone.com: 4.5 stars Head-fi.org: 4.7 stars
2. Mrspeakers Mad Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$299.99   MrSpeakers: 5 stars (with a grain of salt) Head-fi.org: Good thread
3. Beyerdynamic: DT-770-Pro (32 ohms) . .$249.99   Amazon: 4.5 stars Headphone.com: 4.5 stars Head-fi.org: 4.4 stars
4. Shure SRH940 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $289.65    Amazon: 4.5 stars Headphone.com: 4 stars Head-fi.org: 4 stars
5. Sennheiser Momentum . . . . . . . . . . . . $349.95   Amazon: 4 stars Headphone.com: 5 stars Head-fi.org: 4.5 stars
6. AKG K 271 MK II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$134.02   Amazon: 4 stars Headphone.com: 4 stars Head-fi.org
   
   
   : thread?

Can anyone help eliminate these for critical and detailed listening of electronic music for long periods of time, with good mids, good soundstage, and not overwhelming bass?

I believe that the mids are better in the DT770 Pro 250 than they are in any of the other DT770s. You will need an amp for them, though.

 

[nitdkim]

Thanks for your recommendations but CAL price just took a spike on amazon and the I found a great deal on a hd681 evo so I took it.
 
http://www.greenflymusicsupply.com/store/Avlex-Superlux-HD681EVO-Headphones-p4538.html for 44.99 (US)
 
Everything above 50 dollar order gets a free shipping so I just bought adario electric guitar strings to get the total price to 50.98 and there were no taxes, too. Hopefully these will last me a year or two and then I'll move up to the 300~ price range.

 

[Mr Pineappleman]

Bump

Double bump

 

[PanamaHat]

I need a headphone for portable use. Can someone compare the ath-m50 (with removable cable mod) with the mdr-1r. The ath-m50r will run me about $160 with a mic cable, while the mdr-1r runs for $200. I don't need to hear how bulky the m-50 is, I am aware. Which headphone is better in terms of overall comfort, sound quality, and isolation from outside sound?

 

[headfig]

Anybody ever tried the Hi2050 and compare it with HD681EVO? Note I wrote EVO. Primarily, this would be for classical music, unamplified. I'm also thinking about the Semic headphones (there's two models). anyone had tried all of these? It doesn't help to talk about it if you haven't tried them personally. I'm primarily using it on a laptop to watch movies and listen to classical music. Thanks.
 
Also, what is a CAL?  IS there a specific model?  I keep reading CAL.

 

[headfig]

Quote:

I am willing to spend up to $1,000 for:

1. Over the ear, closed back (minimal leakage)
2. Good detail in the mids, not overwhelming bass
3. Comfortable for long listening
4. Detachable cord a plus, cord only on one side a plus
5. Not requiring a headphone amp a plus, but if the total of headphone + amp hits 1k, that could be OK

 
Listening conditions:

1. Will be mostly 320 kbps mp3 / flac
2. I listen to mostly electronic and some contemporary classical. Let's say Infected Mushroom, Amon Tobin, and Max Richter.
3. Will be from a computer mostly (1/8 inch trs, but adapter from 1/4 is fine)

 
I own a pair of AKG K 272s and I love how much detail I can hear in the mids. The bass is a little underwhelming but the fairly flat response and high clarity make me very happy with them. It's time for an upgrade though.
 
Today I tried on a pair of Sennheiser HD 700s and they absolutely blew me away. My original price limit was $500 but after hearing these it's now $1,000, haha. The amount of detail I could hear in my test tracks (320 kbps mp3s from iphone) was phenomenal. I also tried a pair of Sennheiser HD 598s and they were super lush. I think I get what the size of a "sound stage" means after listening to these two. They're both open backed though, so not applicable this time 

 But hopefully this is an indicator that I can appreciate higher quality cans.
 
I tried on some Audio Technica ATH-W1000xs, and while the sound was detailed, it sounded distinctly closed to me, like the sound was smaller compared to others. More like I could tell it was coming from a specific sound source sitting so far from my ears.
 
Finally I tried some AKG K550s. They were nice, good sound stage, very good bass, but the highs were a little too punchy for me. For my genres of music, they were fatiguing to listen to things with crisp, hard hitting high frequencies. I had to turn the volume down to make them more comfortable to hear and when I hit that comfort level it was harder to hear the details that I could hear in other headphones at the same volume. The sound seemed a little V shaped to me, and the mids were fine but the detail seemed more in the highs than the mids.
 
I have been recommended to search the Beyerdynamic headphones but unfortunately have not been able to demo them yet.
 
I do not need to go up to $1,000, I'd be fine with a pair of $200 cans if they sound good.

 
Can somebody please let this newbie know why would anybody want to shell out $200+ for headphones when some of these are available:
 
Hi2050, HD681EVO, MH463, MH489, EFi-82 MT, (update), and CAL.
 
I don't own any of these yet, but I've been reading about them, and don't know if they are hyped or not, but I would like to see this guy (http://www.head-fi.org/u/118389/ljokerl) do a review like so:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-107-portable-headphones-reviewed-astrotec-as-100hd-as-200hd-added-12-02-12
 
I really would like the truth!!
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/428213/hd800-vs-koss-porta-pro/15

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

I need a headphone for portable use. Can someone compare the ath-m50 (with removable cable mod) with the mdr-1r. The ath-m50r will run me about $160 with a mic cable, while the mdr-1r runs for $200. I don't need to hear how bulky the m-50 is, I am aware. Which headphone is better in terms of overall comfort, sound quality, and isolation from outside sound?

I have owned both and the MDR-1R absolutely runs away from the M-50 in both comfort and quality of the sonics. Isolation goes to the M50, but not by much in my book. You will be way more happier with the 1R.

 

[roguegeek]

Quote:

Also, what is a CAL?  IS there a specific model?  I keep reading CAL.

 
Creative Aurvana Live! The reason you keep seeing it mentioned is because it's damn impressive in its price range. Check out this review.

 

[audioandy]

Quote:

1, 2 & 4 are the leaders--but none meet all of your requirements.

can you elaborate on what they are missing?

 

[PanamaHat]

Quote:

I have owned both and the MDR-1R absolutely runs away from the M-50 in both comfort and quality of the sonics. Isolation goes to the M50, but not by much in my book. You will be way more happier with the 1R.

Hey, thanks 

 I already suspected this but I needed a quick confirmation. Hopefully I won't be plagued by the headphone jack rattle problem that everyone talks about. I'm sure Sony has fixed this issue in their new units.

 

[needforbeats]

No suggestions for me? :[

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Anybody ever tried the Hi2050 and compare it with HD681EVO? Note I wrote EVO. Primarily, this would be for classical music, unamplified. I'm also thinking about the Semic headphones (there's two models). anyone had tried all of these? It doesn't help to talk about it if you haven't tried them personally. I'm primarily using it on a laptop to watch movies and listen to classical music. Thanks.
 
Also, what is a CAL?  IS there a specific model?  I keep reading CAL.

CAL! = Creative Aurvana Live!
 
See: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/creative-aurvana-live-classic-reincarnate

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

No suggestions for me? :[

What you want does not mesh with my experience.  I suggest that you start with the buying guides and other articles linked in the opening post of this thread.

 

[Crow T Robot]

Anyone had a chance to compare the Phiaton MS400 and Logitech UE6000? I've finally narrowed down my search to these two, and I'm leaning toward the Phiatons because they can be had cheaper, and look quite a bit better.
 
The UE do have a detachable cable, which is a plus, and I got a chance to listen to them in Best Buy, and was impressed, but are they worth $80 more?

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Quote:

1, 2 & 4 are the leaders--but none meet all of your requirements.

can you elaborate on what they are missing?

Only generally, as I don't listen electronic music except once in a blue moon.
 
D 5000 mids are only OK and may not be fast enough.  Cable is fixed.  Greatly benefit from an amp
 
Mad Dogs--have no idea what specs are on these modified cans, but have only heard them through amps.  Probably one of best matches.
 
SRH 940--needs and amp.  Build quality on ear cup slider subject to breaking.  Otherwise a good match.