[rock cambria]

 
Hello everyone, I’m new to Headfi, have been reading threads on this forum for some time finally decided to make an account. I’ve been into music and sound for some time but have just recently discovered the world of headphones. I promise I won’t be a troll and make repetitive threads. IF I do post something,  I’ll try to keep it interesting, and share my experiences whenever they might be helpful.
 
So now that the introduction is out of the way on to the question. I am looking to upgrade my headphones and based on my values I have come down to the 3 headphones listed in the title, but i was hoping you guys might be able to enlighten be a little and give me some advice, So hear is what I am looking for. First and formost I want a big, wide, 3d soundstage, thus the title. I love live music, I am a preformer myself and when I listen to music I like to imagine I am on stage with the musicians, helps me appreciate it more. I also like to game and watch movies so soundstage is important there too. Imaging and Detail are also important specifically for games and movies. As far as music I will be listening to Rock primarily, as well as some classical and jazz.
 
So which one of the 3 should I buy, based on the qualities I want should I just get 2 headphones, if so what is the best pair, any help would be great.
undefined: undefined »(image missing)%3D%3D[/img]

 

[Acix]

  
You can easy go for the K-702,  just keep in mind you'll need around $200 for some nice solid state hp amp.
 

 

[rock cambria]

Thank you for the response, I appreciate it

 

 

[rock cambria]

do you have any recommendations? and I am willing to spend more than $200 lets just say money is not really an obsicle for me (no kids, no wife, very low rent, and a job that pays me very well) though anything more than a grand is pushing it for me since for some reason that seems to be my limit before i start feeling guilty about spending so much money on any 1 thing.

 

[ssavage]

Personally I love my HD600s for gaming and netflix. People say its a beauty for classical too

 

[kite7]

I listen to a lot of rock, and I disliked the K701 for it. It sounds too thin and distant, with little bass slam. Rock and large sound stage does not belong in the same sentence for me. DT880 600 ohm is better for rock, it has bass that has impact and does not have overly large sound stage that makes everything have no weight.

 

[rock cambria]

I know kind of a contradiction isn't it, since rock puts such a heavy emphasis on the mid rage, more so than bass or anything else it's actually important that the mids be a little forward sounding in my opinion. I spend an enormous amount of time messing with the sound system in my car (which is where my introduction to the world of audiophiles began), messing with the right balance, creating a 3D sound and emphasizing the midrange, I tried to get the perfect combination. I can’t think of a thing I enjoy doing more than being on stage (hate recording with a passion) so when I’m driving home from work in my hour long commute I like to pretend like I’m up there on stage with the musicians, or at least this is a vantage of music that relaxes me, gives that illusion.
 
I guess what I need to do is get two sets of headphones, or find something with the perfect balance like I did with my car, possibly the dt880s as you recommended. Maybe a combination of amp and headphones may give me the result I’m looking for, can anyone recommend a good combo? 
 

 

[Snag1e]

I have a pair of k702s, and I think that the soundstage is quite wide for headphones, so if that's the main thing your looking for you might want to try a pair. They are really detailed phones, and are great for acoustic type music . However, some songs sound great through them, and some just don't imo (especially poorly recorded stuff) ... I don't have much experience with grado. I only have the cheep sr60is. For the small amount it might mean, I find the sr60s to be more involving that the 702s, and grados are widely recommended for rock. I've never heard any Beyers :/ .....

 

[tdockweiler]

You ever listen to a song that has a lot of rain or a thunderstorm in it? Probably not. When you listen to that on the K702 you feel like you are actually caught outside in the rain! Quite the experience when a headphone can re-create that. Feels just like I'm there. There is this one Helios song that also gives me the same effect. Feels like a thunderstorm has just started right OVER my head and it feels like it's happening outside my headphone. BTW the song is called "Sons of Light and Darkness". Helios is addicting on the K702, but it awful on my HD-650

Very muffled and the detail and clarity is lost.
 
I also love the soundstage on the HD-598. It's larger than the DT-880, HD-600 and HD-650 by far, but NOT the AD700 or K702. I think the soundstage size of the AD700 has the K702 beat, but I haven't compared them yet.
 
 

 

[rhythmdevils]

If you want a forward midrange, those are all bad choices IME.  The DT880 and GS1000 have U shaped response emphasizing bass and treble with weak midrange and the K701 emphasizes treble and upper mids much more than anything else. 
 
I think you should consider whether soundstage is really the most important thing to you, because IME it is one of the least important things with a headphone.  But all headphones have sacrifices, so it's about deciding what you're willing to sacrifice.

 

[tdockweiler]

I guess it helps if I fully read the original post. Too tired.
 
If you want to feel like your on stage with the musician, then certainly DON'T get the K702. It seems to portray music a different way and it's still good. Some day it's a front row like experience and I don't agree with that at all. More like 2 rows back.
 
For movies, games and music I'd suggest the HD-598 for you. It's only $175 and will do fine for all genres. It's got some forward mids and even more forward than those of the HD-600, HD-650 and DT-880. Even more than the K702 (maybe not it's upper mids or on paper).
 
HD-598 is quite amazing for gaming for the price. I now prefer the K702 for gaming due to getting better amp synergy for them, but the HD-650 is what I prefer for music, but I don't love it. HD-598 is easier to like and enjoy. It actually makes music fun to listen to. The HD-650..not so much, but sometimes. Maybe if I was 80.

 

[tdockweiler]

I 100% do not agree with this. I've heard this more than once and I don't understand it. I would say that the DT-880 does emphasize treble somewhat, but bass? I sure wish! I think maybe the 600 ohm might. My DT-880 32 or 250 ohm version didn't have weak mids, but close. I always felt it was quite neutral, but not recessed. I still found it too boring to listen to for 8 hours a day. At times I loved it and it took me awhile to figure out I didn't love it enough to keep it.
 
Sorry, but for me, saying the DT-880 emphasizes bass is like saying the K702 does too.
 
Quote:

If you want a forward midrange, those are all bad choices IME.  The DT880 and GS1000 have U shaped response emphasizing bass and treble with weak midrange and the K701 emphasizes treble and upper mids much more than anything else. 
 
I think you should consider whether soundstage is really the most important thing to you, because IME it is one of the least important things with a headphone.  But all headphones have sacrifices, so it's about deciding what you're willing to sacrifice.

 

 

[Snag1e]

Yeah, I feel more "on stage" with my cheep grado sr60s than the 702s, however, the 702s are a better headphone...just different....... It's not quite rain, but there are a few songs with weird random noises like something breaking ect... and the first time I heard some of these on the 702s I was looking around to see what happend, and then I was like..."oh..... wait".... haha

 

[VALIENTE]

I currently enjoy both Grado SR60 and K701. If you want to jam with the singers simply grab SR60 and if you want to pay attention to the details, sit back away from the singers, grab the K701. Both headphones are great, different but nice!

I'm tempted to have another kind of approach of a headphone-maybe I would like to have Denon cos I don't have a bassy one. It's nice to have different signatures of headphones-they are all different, unique, and fun to be with! They are not expensive like owning different brands of speakers!

When you're in the headfi.org, try to listen to different brands of headphones for different sound signatures!

 

[ldtboyl]

Quote:

do you have any recommendations? and I am willing to spend more than $200 lets just say money is not really an obsicle for me (no kids, no wife, very low rent, and a job that pays me very well) though anything more than a grand is pushing it for me since for some reason that seems to be my limit before i start feeling guilty about spending so much money on any 1 thing.

If you can't spend a grand for any 1 thing, do you think maybe you can spend that grand for two things. one headphone for rocking and one for the soundstage.