[B-Wong]

So I've been eyeing the HFI-680's for a while now, but the price recently jacked up from 148$ to 200$!
I haven't been able to try out too many headphones but I've been just searching around this forum for a while (the beats stories were hilarious... till my friend got one. I haven't listened to too many headphones but when I listened to the beats... why does beethoven have so much bass? So unclear... eugh) even among what genre of music I listen to, etc. but I haven't been able to find a thread about a balanced enough headphone for me. The HFI-680 has been said to have punchy bass and able to perform in other areas well, too but now that the price is up... I'm not sure if I want to go that deep into my wallet. I've heard good things about the HFI-580 but I don't like the fact that it's as bass-centric as it seems. Also the HFI-780 is supposedly a more "rounded" 580 but still don't like the fact that people say its bass is more than the HFI-680 (if the 680 is already punchy, I'd fear to hear even more bass...).
 
Now I'm no basshead, but I do enjoy being able to get a little "oomph" out of my music when playing it. I was hoping I could get some help from you more experienced audio experts! Currently using the Sennheiser HD 203 but my god after a while I've grown to hate it. The bass falls flat and highs are pretty painfully shrill sometimes. Can't change the clamping force either so it hurts my temples after wearing them for a while, also makes my ears extremely uncomfortable. The mids are kind of dull, too.
 
I listen to almost anything.. anything that sounds good to my ears I'll listen to. Here's some links, hopefully it'll help you help me:
 
Kpop!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7_lSP8Vc3o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDil0F5Y4DI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEzcOFxpQaI
 
Metal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbTSLVx7dgE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FNyS98DaPI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_tOtK-fWWs
 
Techno! (not as much as the others, so the amount of bass doesn't have to be considered TOO heavily but I do enjoy a good foot tapping)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F21aifX0lZY&ob=av2e (one of the more techno-ey songs that is considered dubstep.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPc6CHjFYZA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC5LoNBA4SA
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Forgot to mention: I'm looking to play the headphones unamp'd.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Yea, Ultrasone is not for you probably.

Are you abhored to on-ear and open-air? The Grado SR60i with Lcush Pads may just be perfect for this stuff.
 
Alternatively:
 
Shure SRH840 (neutral) (or even SRH440 to get a wee bit more mid-bass)
Fischer Audio FA-003 (neutral)
Beyer DT770 PRO (on the bassy side)
 
AKG K240 MKII (open, neutral)
Grado SR60i with Lcush Pads (open, more neutral, lots of attack)
Goldring DR150 (open, neutral, very bright)
 
Very best,

 

[derycksan]

Fischer FA-011's sound like they might suit you well.  The mids are stronger than Ultrasones and they still have plenty of punch.  Also, the highs are much smoother, I don't know about the Senns you had, but Ultrasones can be pretty bright for alot of people.  The only concerns are their open design and amping.  What will you be using to power the headphones?  A portable device probably won't be enough alone but if you're listening from a computer or a receiver, you should be fine.

 

[B-Wong]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Yea, Ultrasone is not for you probably.

Are you abhored to on-ear and open-air? The Grado SR60i with Lcush Pads may just be perfect for this stuff.
 
Alternatively:
 
Shure SRH840 (neutral) (or even SRH440 to get a wee bit more mid-bass)
Fischer Audio FA-003 (neutral)
Beyer DT770 PRO (on the bassy side)
 
AKG K240 MKII (open, neutral)
Grado SR60i with Lcush Pads (open, more neutral, lots of attack)
Goldring DR150 (open, neutral, very bright)
 
Very best,

I'd rather have over-ear if possible. Also closed headphones would be nice (as I'm still in high school, I'm planning to use these while in college and walking around campus having my music played to the world may be quite obnoxious).
I've been curious about the difference between the SRH840/440. Is the general consensus that both are around the same sound signature but the 440 has a little more mid-bass?
 
I hear almost nothing bad about the DT770 PRO but I'm really not sure where to find them (looking on amazon they're ~170..)
 
I'll have to research a little more before I decide between the FA-003/FA-011 (mentioned by derycksan) and whether I'd rather get those over the DT770.
 
Thank you guys for the suggestions!
 
 

Fischer FA-011's sound like they might suit you well.  The mids are stronger than Ultrasones and they still have plenty of punch.  Also, the highs are much smoother, I don't know about the Senns you had, but Ultrasones can be pretty bright for alot of people.  The only concerns are their open design and amping.  What will you be using to power the headphones?  A portable device probably won't be enough alone but if you're listening from a computer or a receiver, you should be fine.

I'd like to be able to use them on a portable device and at home. But it's fine if it can just be run through a computer then I'm fine sticking with IEMs on my iPod (probably look for some good ones. Right now sticking with the JVC Marshmallow that I got for ~10 dollars, had a previous set that last me a while and that's all I'm looking for in an IEM for now. Sound quality can come later).