[Sadaiyappan]

I've got a fast gaming laptop.  I'm going to get a Fiio E7 DAC and a pair of headphones for $300.  What do you recommend?  I listen to pop music, rap, hip hop, electronica.  But I'm mostly going to be gaming and watching movies with these headphones.

 

[mikop]

Denon D2000? Don't have the D2000 but D5000 has good soundstage for a closed headphone and should be good fit for your music preferences and from what I've read, the D2000 is essentially the same with a little less refinement.

 

[Sadaiyappan]

I wanted to get Denon D2000 but when I read one of their amazon reviews, it says they are not the first manufacturer that comes to mind when you talk about the world's best headphones.  What other headphones are good at $300?

 

[mikop]

Well...   Audeze, AT, Sony? Beats? All depends on who you ask.
 
If you are referring to the 1st review in which the reviewer stated "The Denon AH-D2000 is their second best model below the D5000 in this relatively new series of headphones from Denon, which isn't usually the first brand you think of when you mention "best headphones". But I think that is going to change now"
 
He gave it 5 stars...
 
Anyway, seems like prices for the D2000 has gone up.  You can look into one of the Beyerdynamic 770/880/990 phones tho I have no experience with them but they are recommended a lot also.  I just want to say I won't worry too much about what is considered by * as best, with a budget around $300, you are not hitting on some type of cap on building good quality headphones.

 

[Ashantus]

yet has another 300$ thread been opened 2 days ago.

 

[Proglover]

Quote:

I wanted to get Denon D2000 but when I read one of their amazon reviews, it says they are not the first manufacturer that comes to mind when you talk about the world's best headphones.  What other headphones are good at $300?

There's no such thing as the best headphones manufacturer in the world, but Denon is definitely one of the brands that is making competitive models.
D2000 is an excellent choice for your kind of music

 

[Gogi]

D2000, I'd say. Any Senn's, unless you require them to be closed. D2000 are amazing for hip hop imo

 

[n3rdling]

Stax Lambdas.  Easily.

 

[Croozer]

Quote:

I wanted to get Denon D2000 but when I read one of their amazon reviews, it says they are not the first manufacturer that comes to mind when you talk about the world's best headphones. 

 

LOL, you need to question who ever wrote that, Denon makes some great headphones and the D2K is one of them.

 

[smashing]

$300 can get you quite decent headphones. In fact, the trio of AKG K701, Senn HD650 and Beyer DT880 are definitely worth a look. I remember being recommended one of these three when I started my headphone journey, and they are every bit as relevant today. K701 and DT880 are definitely within the $300 range; HD650 is more expensive though, but if you don't mind pre-loved cans, they will definitely be available within your budget. 
 
Check out this review on the old school trio. 

 

[bcg27]

Sennheiser HD600 can be found for under 300 new if you wait for a sale to come around. It is my first higher end headphone and I love it. 

 

[windcar]

SR-202 

 

[smashing]

Quote:

SR-202 

LOL! Are you sure you can get a SR-202 with $300?

 

[Kibble Fat]

I liked what I heard from the HD-598.  A comparison between it and the HD-600 could be interesting

 

[hans030390]

I was going to recommend the D2000s. They were $200-250 a couple months ago, but they've gone up in price. If you can find them under $300, I'd go with those.