[TRANCEJUNKIE]

Hello

This is my first post and I am seeking some advice from the experts out there!

I want to purchase a set of over the ear cans up to £250 purely for listening to trance music at home, which need to be played loud. I don't care if they are closed or open as SQ is more important to me, and I will amp them if necessary. I have been used to Koss Porta Pros with a fiio amp and love the tight and warm impactive bass slam they provide for this type of music, so I would prefer not to lose this, but I do not want wooly bass. In essence, I would want a big improvement over the PPros, with a similar soundstage if that makes sense.

I did purchase a set of AKG 550s recently and enjoyed their separation, but they were very bright without the type of bass and warmth of the PPros, so I have returned them, and I don't want to make the same mistake again!

I understand that Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic and Ultrasone go well with EDM, but am unsure of which models? Also, advice on any suppliers that offers auditions would also assist me.

Please help! You assistance is most appreciated, thank you.

 

[linglingjr]

HD650s have a quite a bit of bass but still are pretty neutral, They obviously need an amp.  There are a million threads that ask the same question:
https://www.google.com/search?q=headphones+for+electronic+music&oq=headphones+for+electronic&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l2j69i60j0l2.8048j0j7&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

 

[SunshineReggae]

Some time ago I was also in the market for some headphones to accomodate for listening to electronic music. I ended up choosing the dt770 over the 990 or 880 because I really wanted to make the decision to have something different than my HD600; I was really looking to find some closed cans that truly have a different presentation and are oriented specifically towards having some deep bass but are otherwise also just great cans. I didn't think the 990 or 880 were different enough for that purpose so I went with the dt770. I am very happy I made that choice.
 
I love the DT770 with house music. I listen with them for hours a day. Until recently I had been using the HD600 to do this, but I always felt something was missing. After having used the dt770 for over a month, I am now sure that I feel that the closed back allows for a kind of bass that is superb for beat driven music. It's not about "more" bass; the quality is just more fitting for this kind of music. It hits deeper, makes you feel more. It's way more enjoyable.
 
I also used to have the HD650, but it's much closer to the HD600 than to the DT770 (obviously). I mean, the HD650 have stronger bass than the 600, but it's ultimately still not adequate compared to that closed back bass of the DT770. The DT770 really gives me that deep rumbling bass when the music asks for it, giving me the ability to sit and listen to mixes for hours on end. The Sennheisers have a sound signature that's certainly gorgeous; they sound very pretty and can make instruments and vocals sound great. But since I acquired the DT770's I don't use the Sennheisers for listening to typical sets anymore. It's just not as enjoyable; the bass just doesn't roll as nicely. With the Beyers, you can really enjoy that groove of the rhythm section with the bass and the cymbals and stuff having such great presence. I can just sit in that and enjoy those beats for hours on end. That is exactly what I wanted from the beginnig but I couldn't find it with the HD600; they were holding back too much with way too many recordings. However, I must say that I do enjoy the Sennheisers with more atmospheric stuff and when recording quality is superb, such as on Joris Voorn's Balance 14, or Jimpster's Amour album, the Sennheisers win out. But this is not very practical for me, because reality is listening to recordings that usually vary anywhere from decent to good (especially with downloaded sets), with only every now and then some recordings that truly make the HD600 sing in comparison to the DT770. Under average and typical circumstances, there can be no contest; the 770 is simply way more enjoyable.
 
If you do opt for the Beyers, make sure you have a good amp. Get one with a suitably low output impedance so they don't get boomy. Fiio e7 for the 80/30 ohm or Fiio e9 for the 250 ohm would be perfect; plenty of power, very low distortion numbers, no channel imbalance issues, no bloated bass and just great fidelity and enjoyable listening. 

 

[Me x3]

Hi,

DT770 seem to be a solid pick.
80 Ohm versions are the ones with more powerful bass.

Best Luck!

 

[TRANCEJUNKIE]

Thanks everyone for your advice and the time you have taken, it has really helped me. The 80 ohm DT770s and a fiio e11 were on my shortlist. Would there be any benefits of the Custom One Pro? The only others I considered were the Ultrasone 580/780 or ATH M50. Please can you advise before I take the plunge? Thanks again, it is really appreciated.

 

[SunshineReggae]

I've heard about both the m50's and those Ultrasones that generally, people consider them a great deal less comfortable than the dt770. I also know from many people who have compared the dt770 and the m50 that the beyers just sound better; the m50s are considered to have a very small/narrow sound stage, while the dt770 does fine (very comparable to the hd600). I don't know of any reports where people consider the m50 to sound better than the dt770, although I am sure they exist. I might be a bit biased (since I really like the dt770), so you would probably do best just to google a little bit. Should be easy to dig up lots of opinions, since all of these are more or less popular headphones. Personally I can at least confirm that the dt770 is seriously comfortable. As headphones tend to be kind of a hassle as it is, I would never recommend headphones that aren't comfortable, which is why I chose the dt770 even over the Hifiman he400. In my view there can be no way of enjoying music when you dread the thought of putting on headphones. But, ofcourse, it just depends on what kind of listener you are.
 
Can't comment on the C1pro.

 

[LunarBear]

I'm also looking for a good pair of headphones to listen to electronic music (Daft Punk, Justice, Madeon, Pretty Lights, Overwerk, Adventure Club, Feed Me), which I'll probably couple with a Schiit Lyr amp. What would you recommend me?
 
I own an AKG K701 (which is really not good for electronic music) and a Sony MDR-XB1000, which is really fun and bassy but far from the best sound quality wise. I'd prefer open cans, too.
 
I was considering the Beyerdynamic T90 but I'm not sure they're so great for electro. Would the HiFiMan HE-400 or HE-500 be great for this genre of music? Any recommendations? Budget is not a problem, I'm just looking for the best price to quality ratio, ie I'm okay with 500$ cans if they're about twice as good as 250$ cans (this is obviously greatly subjective, I know). I won't go higher than 600-700$ though.
 
If OP thinks this is too unrelated to his question, I'll create my own thread.
 
Thanks

 

[linglingjr]

  I'm also looking for a good pair of headphones to listen to electronic music (Daft Punk, Justice, Madeon, Pretty Lights, Overwerk, Adventure Club, Feed Me), which I'll probably couple with a Schiit Lyr amp. What would you recommend me?
 
I own an AKG K701 (which is really not good for electronic music) and a Sony MDR-XB1000, which is really fun and bassy but far from the best sound quality wise. I'd prefer open cans, too.
 
I was considering the Beyerdynamic T90 but I'm not sure they're so great for electro. Would the HiFiMan HE-400 or HE-500 be great for this genre of music? Any recommendations? Budget is not a problem, I'm just looking for the best price to quality ratio, ie I'm okay with 500$ cans if they're about twice as good as 250$ cans (this is obviously greatly subjective, I know). I won't go higher than 600-700$ though.
 
If OP thinks this is too unrelated to his question, I'll create my own thread.
 
Thanks

LCD 2s!!!!! They're a little bit out of your price range (used) but that's what I plan on getting over the next few years.   They should be amazing for electronic music.  Schiit Lyr won't be very good with the LCDs though.  For the same price you can get a Lake People G109S (that's also what I plan on upgrading to)  

 

[LunarBear]

Yes, the LCD-2 seems to be the perfect headphone for me, but it's really out of my price range at the moment. Here in Europe I couldn't find them (new) at less than 995 EUR, which would be 1,340 USD!
 
I looked a bit more into good electro headphones and the HiFiMan HE-400 seems to be a really great choice for 360 EUR (= 485 USD - I know it's cheaper in the US, ~400 USD...) for an "in between" headphones pair. When I'll have enough money I'll probably upgrade to the LCD-2.
 
Thanks for the amp recommendation though, I'll look into it!

 

[TRANCEJUNKIE]

I am hoping to get this thread back to my original topic!

I am still pondering on the Ultrasone 580/780 or M50s but I think my head is convinced with the DT770s. Has anyone compared these with the Beyer C1PRO?. I will be using Fiio E11 also if this seems preferable. Any help appreciated again.

 

[ashton18]

I would take a look at the Beyerdynamic DT770s (with an external amp) The bass sounds really clean and crisp, and they're quite comfortable! The ATH M50s have a really strong bass (the kind that makes your ears vibrate) and they're not as comfy as the Beyerdynamics.. They're just different. 

 

[linglingjr]

  I would take a look at the Beyerdynamic DT770s (with an external amp) The bass sounds really clean and crisp, and they're quite comfortable! The ATH M50s have a really strong bass (the kind that makes your ears vibrate) and they're not as comfy as the Beyerdynamics.. They're just different. 

DT770s have way better bass extension than M50s too, I wouldn't recommend the M50s.  If you are willing to buy a nice amp the HD650s are miles ahead of both of those.

 

[ashton18]

I agree on that! But have in mind that those are also about $250 more..

 

[TRANCEJUNKIE]

I am sold on the Beyerdynamic brand but am at a loss for which one. I have narrowed it down to:

DT770 80 ohm
DT770 32 ohm
DT880 32 ohm
Custom One Pro

I am tempted with the COP as it has adjustable bass, but I am not still not convinced.

I would like also like to use a Fiio E11 or E12, to improve SQ. Can anyone advise me on which headphone/amp combination would suit trance and electronic music best? Also, the headphones will need to be driven loud from a Sandisk Sansa Clip. I would appreciate your opinions on these headphones, particularly from anyone who has heard them. PLEASE help! I just need to know I have bought the right setup.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Me x3]

Hi,

32 Ohm versions of DT headphones are probably not the best deal, specially if you will also buy an amp. Go with a higher impedance version.

DT880 are quite light when we talk about bass and won't fit the genre very well (imo) (This are neutral headphones with forward mids)

If you want powerful bass, DT770 80 is the way to go, but custom one pros also seem to be a good pick.

E11 will drive 80 and 250Ohm Beyers just fine. E12 is better. For the money you should also consider getting a fiio E07k or E17 (DAC + Amp) instead.

Best Luck!