[Burningsheep]

Hi everyone!
 
Part 1: Headphones?!
 
I've been lurking around for a year now, and I must admit that head-fi has been extremely useful with my purchases over the past year. So a bit of background, I first thought that headphones were for cheap people, and speakers were where it's at because my uncle swore by some set of huge concert quality speakers and amps, so I bought some Logitech 5.1 speaker set for 400$ and thought that would make me happy... it did for a year.
 
Then I decided to try headphones and start cheap, so I got the MDR-V6 after reading a million* reviews all over the web... It was a pleasant surprise, and got me thinking that wow, I can get good sound from "cheap" headphones that is similar to 400$ computer speakers!!! Little did I know...
 
Part 2: Why would I ever buy more than one pair?!
 
During my research on the MDR-V6, I noticed that half the people mentioned them as great cheap cans, and the other half said they were good for the price but quite boring. I had also read a lot about the creative aurvana lives, so I decided to get some in order to better understand what people were talking about when they said that some headphones sounded "better"  or different than others, to some people

.
 
I found the Aurvanas to be much more bass heavy, and I did not like them as much as the MDR-V6. I think the main reason wasn't that they had bass that was too loud, but more that it drowned out everything else. Ok, maybe that's the same thing, but moving on....
 
Trying out these two very different and highly recommended inexpensive headphones showed me that sound was not universal and the headphones were definitely affecting my hearing experience... so I thought let's listen to the Skull Candy Rock Nation Aviators that my girlfriend just purchased 

 and they were surprisingly good for rock music! Not so much for the rest...
 
Part 3: I want Moooooarrrrr!
 
So after trying these different headphones, I decided that I'd try something better. So I saved some of those elusive $ bills and got myself an upgrade: Sonar STX sound card (180$) and HE-400s (300$ black friday). Now I haven't actually received the HE-400s yet, but I imagine they'll be insane compared to anything else I've ever purchased... so I'm looking forward to that. As for the soundcard, it's hard to explain but I'll try anyways.
 
First off, the headphones are louder than before.
They also have much less distortion at higher volume than laptop integrated audio...
And now music is much more lively! Going back it all sounds flat!
And the bass is so much more present or punchy at lower frequencies!
And MDR-V6 aren't supposed to gain much from an amp based on what I read...
 
Part 4: But wait, there is Moooooarrrrr!!!
 
So overall, I am quite excited about the sound card, and I can't wait for the new headphones... I've started on the journey and I'm afraid my wallet will hate me from now on... but that's ok! Part 4 is soon to come when I receive the HE-400s and get back from Florida so I can try them amped (I'm a snow bird from Canada). I can't explain how excited I am.
 
Thanks to everyone who posted information on this website, it's been quite useful! Also, it's nice to be out of the shadows so hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed these recollections from a newb... I thought someone might find it nice to read about how they once started discovering hi-fi audio...
 
Cheers and best regards!!
 
--BS

 
 
* Million is an exaggeration...

 

[Koolpep]

Welcome to headfi. Good to have you. We will wait for your review of the he400

 

[Stochastic]

I've recently embarked on a Head-Fi "journey" myself.  About two years ago I decided to invest in a decent pair of headphones.  Based on the recommendations of numerous Head-Fiers I got a pair of ATH-M50s (I guess these are like the Beats headphones for entry-level audiophiles). I've loved the sound I get from my Audio Technicas, but I haven't heard any high-end headphones so perhaps I'm easy to please.  Recently I decided to upgrade my PC audio setup by investing in a pair of Adam Audio F5 speakers and an Emotiva XDA-2 DAC.  Listening to these speakers made me realize that the ATH-M50s have somewhat recessed mids.  I now know what people mean by a V-shaped sonic signature. And although the headphone amplifier of my Emotiva XDA-2 makes the M50s sound even better, I'm craving a pair of headphones that offers a slightly flatter sound profile.  Currently I'm considering the NAD Viso HP50s, but I have a lot more research to do!