[Mooneater]

Hi Guys,
 
I have been searching along this forum for a couple of days now, but I'm still quite unsure which headphone to order.
I will use it at my work (so a closed headphone is preferred), and listen to a variety of music, including metal, hiphop and hardstyle.
Currently I am using a Philips shp8500, which is very comfortable, but I would like to have a bit more bass.
 
As additional reference, I used to have a Philips shp2000 (can't get that one here anymore), which had a very nice bass, and at home I use a
Sennheiser hd 202, which is OK.
 
As a reference maybe for my audioprofile: beginning this week I purchased a Pioneer SE-MJ751 (I fell for the looks to be honest), but it clamped too much, and I wasn't too happy with the sound either - the bass was allright, but the mids and highs sounded a bit distorted (as if playing in a tin can).
 
My budget is around 100$(or euro), and for that I have already identified some candidates: (I will also include my hesitations about the specific headphone)
 
- Grado SR60 (not closed, and supposedly has a lot of leaking, suggesting that this is not a suitable headphone for my other office workers...)
- Sony MDR XB500(or 700) - this is good candidate, as it is quite bassheavy, but some reviews suggest that the mids and highs are distorted as a result of this?
- Brainwavz HM3 - quite allright, but might not suit me in the bass department
- Ultrasone HFI-580- A tad bit more expensive, but apparently has a lot of bass - clamps a lot though, so could be a potential misfit
 
So in conclusion, I've yet to get more acquainted with the audio description mumbo jumbo, and find it difficult to relate to my own listening experiences with headphones.
I hope you guys could give a bit of advice!
 
(Actually, my hunt for new headphones started after listening to beats by dre, and then noticing a lot of people claiming that there are much better headphones, for much less money ^^)

 

[AaronR]

Koss DJ 100 are $100, they're closed, have good bass.
 
This guy rates them pretty high http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-107-portable-headphones-reviewed-astrotec-as-100hd-as-200hd-added-12-02-12
 
 
If you can stretch your budget a little there are the M-Audio Q40s and the ATH-M50s.

 

[Mooneater]

Quote:

Koss DJ 100 are $100, they're closed, have good bass.
 
This guy rates them pretty high http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-107-portable-headphones-reviewed-astrotec-as-100hd-as-200hd-added-12-02-12
 
 
If you can stretch your budget a little there are the M-Audio Q40s and the ATH-M50s.

Hmm, the Koss dJ100 does need an amp though (which I don't have), so I'm afraid that one is off the table.
 
As for the M-Audio Q40 and ATH-M50 - both have very good reviews (also in the shootout you refer to), but they indeed are almost 50% extra in price (around 150 euro's). I might be able to stretch that far, but they would have to be considerably better as well then...
Also, how do these compare to the Ultrasone 580?
 
Some new additions to the possible list (price around 100 euros in The Netherlands):
Denon AH-D1100
Sony MDR-ZX700
Grado SR60
Sony MDR-XB500
 
~150 euro's candidates:
Ultrasone HFI-580  (does this one really clamp that much?)
M-Audio Q40
ATH-M50
 
 
I just discovered that the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro 250 is only 144e here - could this be a good one?

.

 

[AaronR]

Koss ProDJ 100 - 38 ohms - closed type .should be fine with laptop and iphone. Amazon sells them.
 
Denon AH1100 ($200) - 32 ohms - closed type .some people say these sound better amped. but, 32ohms is within driving range of laptop and iphone. maybe there is a sonic difference.
 
Sony MDR-ZX700 - 24 ohms - closed type. States it can be used with a Walkman and other MP3 players
 
Grado SR60 - 32 ohms - open air.
 
Ultrasone HFI-580 - 32 ohms - closed type.
 
M-Audio Q40 - 64? ohms - closed type. might need a little amplification.
 
ATH-M50 - 38 ohms - closed type.
 
Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro - 250 ohms - closed type. needs amp.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Ultrasone HFI 580 for sure. The clamp is not crazy. And you can relieve too much clamp with a little bending over some books over-night anyways on any headphone.
 
Very best,

 

[Mooneater]

Allright, I've boiled it down to the Ultrasone HFI 580, and I found that I can get a discount, making it exactly the same price, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Limited Edition (32 Ohm).
 
Which of the two would you advice?

 

[AaronR]

This is where you search HFI 580 VS DT 700 PRO or your best bet really is to ask MalVeauX which of these two. He might ask you what exactly you're looking for sound wise.

 

[Mooneater]

Quote:

This is where you search HFI 580 VS DT 700 PRO or your best bet really is to ask MalVeauX which of these two. He might ask you what exactly you're looking for sound wise.

You are very right.
I did search for that already, but the DT 770 Limited Edition seems to be quite rarely owned on this forum, and reviews are scarce (could only find one). Also, because these two are not from the same pricerange normally, they are not regularly compared. From the different reviews I have distilled however that the 580s probably have more bass, whilst the DT 770 LE have a fuller sound (although this mainly seems to apply to the non-LE versions).
Advantage of the DT 770 PRO LE compared to the regular PRO is that these are 32 Ohms, so no need for amplification (in contrast to the 250 Ohms of the normal pros).
 
I ordered the DT 770 LE anyway, because it was such a good deal. In case the sound isn't my liking I can send them back. Shipment will be in 10 days, so I'll post about my experience by then (in case someone else faces the same decision).
 
Thanks a lot for your help AaronR!

 

[AaronR]

Supossedly the HFi's are brighter than the DT's, so I read. The bass will be pretty close, close enough.

 

[Mooneater]

Unfortunately the deal with the Beyerdynamics bounced (they ran out of stock), so I followed the advice of AaronR & MalVeauX and got myself the Ultrasone HFI-580.
 
The clamp is slowly getting less over the days, and is not as strong as I was afraid of (also, I just realized that my previous experience with bad clamp was with on-ear headphones crushing my ears - a very different situation).
 
The 580s really produce a very, very nice sound! I'm not that stupified by the bass yet though, it sounds good, but lacks a bit punch I have the feeling (I already searched the forums, and I guess I'm missing "consumer bass", whilst these headphones produces a lot of "audiophile bass"). Not much to worry about, I'm still very happy about them.
 
I am considering though to get a pair of XB500 to get that bassy feel (on the side), or, as some people suggest on the forums, attach a Fiio amp to it. Will a Fiio E6 do or is that too weak?
 
Thanks anyway guys, you really helped me out a lot!