[lejaz]

I'm looking to replace my sony v6 with a less fatiguing full size phone that's got a 'neutral/flat' frequency response. I thought the shure 840 would be a good candidate until I read that they're kind of big and bulky to wear for portable use. My other candidate at the moment is the m50. Any others I should be looking at? 
I'd like to stay under $150 but I'm willing to buy second hand if I can find a good deal on something like the sony 7509.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I'm looking to replace my sony v6 with a less fatiguing full size phone that's got a 'neutral/flat' frequency response. I thought the shure 840 would be a good candidate until I read that they're kind of big and bulky to wear for portable use. My other candidate at the moment is the m50. Any others I should be looking at? 
I'd like to stay under $150 but I'm willing to buy second hand if I can find a good deal on something like the sony 7509.

 
Since you like the HD-580 and have a K240DF, try the Koss Pro DJ 100. I don't know if i'd call it neutral, but to my ears it's more balanced than the V6, M50 and SRH-840. The SRH-840 does have more of a mid-bass hump. The M50 has less forward mids than the DJ100. BTW the DJ100 has less treble than the V6 I believe and maybe less mid-bass, but better low bass extension.
 
I can listen to these all day without fatigue despite the slightly forward mids. I use mine with M50 pads to increase the sound clarity and soundstage even further.
 
They're $60 at Best Buy now, but I think they sound better than my old SRH-840, the KRKs and M50. Even over my K240 Studio.
 
I wonder if the HD-280 is any good? Best Buy has those for demo along with the DJ200(same as DJ100 mostly) in the pro audio department.
 
One last thing.. the DJ100 is quite small and not bulky at all. Much more portable than the SRH-840, KRKs and M50. Semi-foldable too.
 
The DJ100 actually has quite a few similarities to the HD-580. Take a few things about the Sextett and the HD-580 and you get close to the DJ100. To me it's like a Sextett LP on steroids. Fixes my complaints I had about my pair.
 
note: DJ100 sounds perfect with the Sansa Clip you have. I have the Clip+, not sure if you have that version, but should be similar. FYI the HD-580 is one of the few headphones I like as much as the DJ100. It takes what I love about the DJ100 and gives it a larger soundstage and a little less forward mids. DJ100 mids aren't as "thick" though, but when well amped, it's close.

 

[lejaz]

Thanks td! I hadn't even considered those. I was pissed last time I was at best buy because I was in a rush and  I couldn't find a salesperson to let me demo the hd280 or 380. Not sure if they had a DJ100 to demo at this particular Best Buy. They weren't even under my radar at the time. I happen to like the k240S a lot more than the v6. If they were portable I'd use those.

 

[lejaz]

Any other opinions on the DJ100 vs. the Shure 840 sound wise? Looking at the frequency response graph the DJ100 has a big dip in the lower treble....not that I'm a firm believer in graphs by any means. Anyone using the Shure 840 as a portable? FWIR those are close to what I'm looking for.

 

[lejaz]

I was leaning towards the DJ100 until I read the lukewarm review on innerfidelity. So, I'll probably get the shure 840's which get almost unanimous praise,  and deal with the awkward looks. Any other suggestions for a  good 'neutral' portable under $150 that has great mids and relatively neutral bass and treble. I was looking at the m50 until I read some very mixed reviews of their midrange. 

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

I was leaning towards the DJ100 until I read the lukewarm review on innerfidelity. So, I'll probably get the shure 840's which get almost unanimous praise,  and deal with the awkward looks. Any other suggestions for a  good 'neutral' portable under $150 that has great mids and relatively neutral bass and treble. I was looking at the m50 until I read some very mixed reviews of their midrange. 

 
Well, he IS reviewing the $150 version. I'd probably be lukewarm about it too..actually not really. My guess is that he found it to have maybe perhaps too much treble for his liking. I don't remember his exact words. My guess is that he may prefer darker (or a warmer) sound signature. He can beat me up if i'm wrong.
 
I don't hear this huge dip in the treble. Honestly, I don't really think the DJ100 sounds ANYTHING like those graphs. I'm willing to bet money that if you bought the SRH-840 and DJ100, the DJ100 would be the pants off the SRH-840

You know, the SRH-840 was my former favorite. You can deal with the awkward looks, but it's the comfort that's the killer. It's worth a try and it's a good headphone, but the comfort was horrible for me. If you have a small head it's too loose. I could move my head slightly and it'd fall off. I actually tried to do weight training with that thing once. Complete fail there!

The Q701 was ok..
 
Here's my suggestion..demo the DJ100 at least if Best Buy is nearby. Then if you have a Guitar Center if your area, see if they'll let you demo the SRH-840. Now i'm not suggesting to skip the SRH-840, but get a good return policy if you find it uncomfortable. For some it fits their head perfectly.
 
Based on memory the SRH-840 is easier to drive than the DJ100.
 
BTW have you seen this review?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqkPqjWfD6w
 
You can skip to 5 minutes for the sound signature part.
 
EDIT: There is also the KRK KNS-6400 ($99) and the 8400 ($130-$150). Both are extremely comfortable. The 8400 has memory foam pads.
The SRH-840 is warm and has more mid-bass, but sounds less clear. I don't find the KRKs any less neutral than the SRH-840. The KRK KNS-8400 has more treble than the Q701 though. Just slightly.
 
The KRK KNS-8400 was almost close to pushing the DJ100 off as my #1 favorite. The only headphone that is so close to doing it is a well amped HD-580. If I had to only choose one headphone between the two, it'd be a hard choice.

 

[lejaz]

Here's the review 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/koss-tony-bennett-special-edition-tbse1-headphone
 
Agree, he''s reviewing a $150 'signature' model, but the Shure 840 is even more expensive....I think it lists for $200... yet they get almost unanimously good reviews. But I remember reading stellar reviews of the m50 when they first came out, and now a lot of people are saying they're just OK. One thing for sure... you can't trust everything you read in reviews.  If Best Buy has a demo and they let me plug them into my Clip +, then I'll be able to judge for myself. I really need to hear them with a selection of my own music. If the KRK's have more treble than the Q701 then they're out for me. I find the 702 to be too bright for my taste. The hd580 does the treble just the way I like it . Anything less is too little, anyway. I can stand a bit more, but not as much as the k70X. Those akg's ruin some of my favorite classic Beatles tunes. I just can't believe the songs were mastered to sound that freaking bright. But, as the saying goes... "different strokes..."

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Here's the review 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/koss-tony-bennett-special-edition-tbse1-headphone
 
Agree, he''s reviewing a $150 'signature' model, but the Shure 840 is even more expensive....I think it lists for $200... yet they get almost unanimously good reviews. But I remember reading stellar reviews of the m50 when they first came out, and now a lot of people are saying they're just OK. One thing for sure... you can't trust everything you read in reviews.  If Best Buy has a demo and they let me plug them into my Clip +, then I'll be able to judge for myself. I really need to hear them with a selection of my own music. If the KRK's have more treble than the Q701 then they're out for me. I find the 702 to be too bright for my taste. The hd580 does the treble just the way I like it . Anything less is too little, anyway. I can stand a bit more, but not as much as the k70X. Those akg's ruin some of my favorite classic Beatles tunes. I just can't believe the songs were mastered to sound that freaking bright. But, as the saying goes... "different strokes..."

 
The SRH-840 doesn't do much wrong for me when it comes to sound. I barely remember it though. I remember feeling that I'd buy one again if it had better comfort. For me, the sound signature of the DJ100 isn't that far off from the SRH-840. The 840 just is slightly warmer. Both have slightly forward upper mids IMO. I paid $130 for mine long ago and don't think they're worth more than $150. If you look at the frequency graph of the SRH-840 and K240 Studio on headroom's website they're almost identical. OK, not quite, but pretty close!
 
I wasn't too impressed with the SRH-940, but it was much, much more comfortable. I always said that if I could find one for under $200 new I'd buy one. Someone nice here loaned me a pair in exchange for a KNS-6400. If the comfort of the 840 doesn't work for you, try that if you can demo them. They're not worth more than $200 IMO, but some will think so.
 
The best buy demo here in the pro audio department (hidden in the back) lets you plug in a Sansa Clip+. Believe it or not all their demo headphones sound like they're at their best, which is rare. Try the HD-280 if you can.
 
Also..the Q701 to my ears has MUCH smoother treble than the K702. The K702/K701s treble was quite bothersome to me too. I don't know what was going on, but it'd annoy me so much that I forced myself to get rid of them. I bought the Q701 just to test and was surprised how much different they sounded. They still have quite a lot of treble, but it's not treble happy.
 
I would say the KNS-8400 might not be a good idea then. Without an amp, it's even more fatiguing. I do think it's not quite as bad as the K702's treble. The 6400 has a tad less treble, but less low bass extension. You might be ok with that one. The DJ100 and SRH-840 will make the KRKs seem bass light though. The DJ100 has slightly above neutral bass to my ears. Very slightly.
 
Based on memory, I think the SRH-840 has similar treble amounts as the HD-580. Not 100% sure on this. I've found the DJ100 to have just a tad more than the HD-580. Of course I've found the 580 to have very slightly more than the HD-600 (as long as the 580 has stock grills).
 
Another thing...if you hate the K701's treble, the K601 has much less treble. Sounds more natural sometimes too and has fuller mids than the Q701. A smaller and more accurate soundstage also. Too bad it's getting hard to find for a good price. Sounds more neutral than the Q701, but Q701 does a few things better.

 

[lejaz]

Thanks for the input tdock! I had to do some modding('friend or foe mod') to the k702 to get the treble to be bearable, but a little eq cut around 9khz will do the same thing. Even with the mod and eq, I think the 240DF has a much more balanced sound with more 'meat' and weight in the midrange. I took the 240S out with me today to listen out of the Clip +. The mids with vocals are very addicting.... could definitely have better clarity, but I think I paid like 90 bucks new for them a few years back, so for the price I have no complaints. If the Shure 840 has as nice mids with a bit better clarity, then they would probably be ideal for portable use.....assuming I can tolerate the comfort....or lack of same. Our Best Buy has the demos in the pro audio dept too, only the last time i visited the demos weren't working and there wasn't a soul around. I was too pressed for time to search around for someone. I really wanted to hear the hd280 since I've been reading about that one on the music producing forums for years.. 

 

[valerianaoff]

I haven't read the above posts...but just some recos:
 
KRK KNS 6400 / 8400
 
FA-003
 
DT880 (stretch)
 
 
I have the Superlux copies of the Sony 7506 / V6 ... the Superlux HD661 (Profesional Monitoring Headphones) for $48....i have a bit of a comfort issue, but some don't. 
A little bright, but worth every penny...
 
Cheerz!

 

[staticfi]

Quote:

I haven't read the above posts...but just some recos:
 
KRK KNS 6400 / 8400
 
FA-003
 
DT880 (stretch)
 
 
I have the Superlux copies of the Sony 7506 / V6 ... the Superlux HD661 (Profesional Monitoring Headphones) for $48....i have a bit of a comfort issue, but some don't. 
A little bright, but worth every penny...
 
Cheerz!

 
I think the upper-mids of the 8400 would be too much for him. 

 

[lejaz]

Quote:

I haven't read the above posts...but just some recos:
 
KRK KNS 6400 / 8400
 
FA-003
 
DT880 (stretch)
 
 
I have the Superlux copies of the Sony 7506 / V6 ... the Superlux HD661 (Profesional Monitoring Headphones) for $48....i have a bit of a comfort issue, but some don't. 
A little bright, but worth every penny...
 
Cheerz!

The last thing I want is a copy of the v6, lol! I probably should have noted that I'm looking for, not just a replacement, but an 'upgrade'. I know lots of folks like them, but I literally can't listen to them any more without some drastic eq. I usually wind up using my ear buds with a bass boost rather than the v6. I'm looking ideally for something that folds to take with me for portable use. An open phone is out since there no significant isolation. I'll be taking them out to a coffee shop, the mall, etc.