[skyfir3]

Hi everyone - I've been reading about heaadphones for the last week and figured I would post a thread to get some more specific help on some questions I have.
 
I need a headphone for comfortable listening at home 8+ hours each day. I listen to metal, rock and electronica mostly. (All EAC FLAC rips) Some well-known bands i like to give you a general idea: Opeth, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Metric, Arcade Fire, Rammstein, Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, Prodigy, Infected Mushroom, Pink Floyd, Explosions in the Sky, Faith No More
 
By comfortable I mean comfortable to wear all day and a non-fatiguing sound. I like to listen medium to loud volume.
 
I have tried Senn HD595, Westone3, HeadFi RE0, DT880 (600ohm), HD650 on Fiio E17+E09k. I can return the DT880 or HD650 or both if I want since they are new. My personal thoughts on these:
HD595: Non-fatiguing sound. Lacks bass (partially caused by low clamp force). Not fast/detailed enough. Perhaps a bit grainy. Extremely comfortable. 
Westone3 (dependant on tips used): Fun sound. Slightly too much bass. Doesn't feel detailed or analytical enough. Good for portable use. Comfortable.
RE0: Can't remember exactly, but did sound more flat than westone3.
 
The next 2 are not fully burned in yet (20-30 hours), which relates to my questions below.
DT880: Great speed/detail/bass. Treble is too bright and harsh/sibilant at the moment. Comfortable.
HD650: Great speed/detail. Treble is low (i guess veiled?). Sounds nice, but is boring/laidback with metal tracks. Would prefer slightly more low bass. Very comfortable.
 
I've ordered a new DAC/AMP - O2 + ODAC. I want to find headphones that complement them and their non-coloured sound, and not spend time finding the perfect pairing.
 
So based on that, what do you think I should do? Will the HD650 an DT880 change with more burn-in and make them better for me? I hear 650 hours of burn-in for the HD650 - haha - but will they change considerably from now, and in the direction I want? Is the HD600 a better fit for me? I read about them getting different drivers around '07 and a lot of people driving them with tube amps. Now, the HD650 is brighter than before, and HD600 even brighter than that. Does that mean the HD600 can become harsh sounding with the O2? Is the HD600 good for metal/rock? It's difficult to trust opinions of headphones when it's not specified what music they haave listened to, what amp they use and what headphones they have listened to (including revisions in the case of hd650/600). When HD600 and HD650 are compared price is often mentioned. The price for me is slightly in favor of the HD650 actually, if that matters.
 
Should I look at other headphones alltogether? Is the HE-400/500 comfortable for long listening sessions, and does anyone here use them for that? I read the grado's are uncomfortable, although the sound could be a match. Any mods that make them good? Other good headphones? Budget can be stretched quite a bit for the right qualities, but I don't want to spend tons for little gain.
 
The most important quality is comfort. I can get other headphones for a bit of fun when I really want to listen to music. Btw - I'm getting westone 4, Grado SR80i and Senn Momentum for a bit of fun/portable use (not sure if I'll keep all yet).
 
TL;DR: What's a good comfortable headphone that works well with metal/rock and has enough oomph/sparkle without beeing fatiguing paired with o2+odac? Prefer if you can relate answers to headphones (revisions) you own/have tried and give some info about the music/amp you used.
 
 
Appreciate any and all help!

 

[Tsujigiri]

Which version of the DT880's did you get? The 600 Ohm version supposedly has the treble smoothed out a little. Also, the HD650's are sensitive to amping, so improving the amp might make them sound less boring to you. The more neutral equivalent to the Westone 3 is the Westone UM3X, BTW. It might suit your needs better than the Westone 4.

 

[skyfir3]

Quote:

Which version of the DT880's did you get? The 600 Ohm version supposedly has the treble smoothed out a little. Also, the HD650's are sensitive to amping, so improving the amp might make them sound less boring to you. The more neutral equivalent to the Westone 3 is the Westone UM3X, BTW. It might suit your needs better than the Westone 4.

 
The 600 ohm version, but it's still very bright and has been since 0 hours for some tracks. Some vocals and especially cymbals are too sharp/harsh at the moment. I really like the premise of having a neutral amp that works with several headphones, which is why I hope to make the O2 work with a headphone (and not the other way around).
 
About the westone UM3X vs Westone 4 that's a bit off-topic from the thread, but also interesting. I liked the westone 3, but the bass driver died in the right ear and they wouldn't sell me a replacement, so I needed to replace the whole thing. I don't have the same requirements for comfort and quality/non-fatigue as I do for a desktop setup though. I'm hoping that the westone 4 is like the westone 3, but a bit more detailed and neutral, while still beeing fun (which is guess is a bit more V-shaped than neutral for the music I listen to). 

 

[Tsujigiri]

I think you may have to choose between having a less fatiguing but possibly boring sound and having your treble but suffering fatigue. Or just keep a few headphones for different purposes. Grados will also be fatiguing, and I do find the comfort to be horrendous. That's too bad about the driver dying in the 3's. If you are looking for a little more fun than neutral, than then 4's might be a better option than the UM3X's after all...

 

[skeptic]

Your westone 4's will actually pair beautifully with the odac -> o2, but you are just going to want to make sure one of gain switch settings on your o2 is set to 1x.  (Note, even if it doesn't come that way, this is easily accomplished by snipping two resistors.  Either R17 and 21 (switch out) or R19 and 23 (switch in) - see: http://www.head-fi.org/t/568705/review-nwavguys-o2-diy-amplifier/1230 )
 
As far as full sized go - I own dt880's (250 ohm), hd650's, and hd800's.  Of the three, the 650's are what I would typically default to for most of the types of music you're describing, particularly given your expectation of 8 hours a day.  HD600's would also be worth a listen.  Bright trebles and metal is just a bad mix to my ears at the end of the day, and I agree with your assessment of the dt880's to that effect.  That said, I prefer some electronica with my dt880's because I find they have a bit more deep bass impact than my 650's.  I also like them a lot for gaming and home theater and run my 250 ohm version off my o2 (at 2.5x gain) fairly frequently with good results.