[ozyx]

Hello,
 
I am looking for some nice headphones to buy for a budget under £180 / €230 (I will be buying from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de)
 
The headphones will be driven by either a mobile device (Android / iPad) or from my computer (and maybe occasionally from my A/V Receiver), so they need to sound good without an amp.
 
I will listen to these only at home, so isolation and portability are not required.
 
Comfort is important, but I do not listen to music for more than 1-2 hours straight.
 
I listen to many different kinds of music, but mostly Alternative, Electronic / Club Dance, Rock...
 
I would like relatively accurate but pleasant and not "clinical" sound. Bass should be there but shouldn't be artificially boosted too much.
 
I started by looking at highly rated HP such as the Sony MDR-7506 and Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, then I started looking at the ATH-M40x since many reviews said that they are more accurate and not worst than the ATH-M50x. Then I saw the AKG K550 for  £99, which seems like a bargain. Finally I started looking at the Philips Fidelio X1 which can barely fit my budget, but that got me thinking that maybe there are many other great HP at the higher end of my budget.
 
If any of you can give me an advice based on my needs it would be greatly appreciated since I am a noob when it comes to headphones! I would hate it to spend too much money on some great headphones only to find out that I made the wrong decision (e.g. that they are great but only if driven by a great amp)
 
Thanks!

 

[zunehdrocks]

If you don't need any isolation AT ALL, an open can would probably be better.
Some other easy to drive open cans in this price range:
Yamaha hph 200
soundmagic hp200
Hifiman he300

 

[ozyx]

Thanks. if I listen to open headphones in one room, would somebody in an adjacent room be able to listen to my music (I am living in a house with brick walls). That is the only possible issue I can think of, otherwise I don't need isolation at all.

 

[sinnottj]

  Thanks. if I listen to open headphones in one room, would somebody in an adjacent room be able to listen to my music (I am living in a house with brick walls). That is the only possible issue I can think of, otherwise I don't need isolation at all.

 
You'd have to be listening very loud for someone to hear you through a brick wall!
 
The will almost certainly be able to hear you from within the same room though.

 

[ozyx]

Thanks! In that case open back is not a problem, if I can indeed get better sound.
 
From the 3 headphones suggested so far the Yamaha hph 200 fit my budget. How do they compare with the other headphones I mentioned earlier, particularly the X1?
 
Any other suggestions for headphones in that price range that sound great without an amp?
 
Should I continue to consider the ATH-M50x / ATH-M40x, or the X1 and similar headphones are in a much higher league?

 

[sinnottj]

  Thanks! In that case open back is not a problem, if I can indeed get better sound.
 
From the 3 headphones suggested so far the Yamaha hph 200 fit my budget. How do they compare with the other headphones I mentioned earlier, particularly the X1?
 
Any other suggestions for headphones in that price range that sound great without an amp?
 
Should I continue to consider the ATH-M50x / ATH-M40x, or the X1 and similar headphones are in a much higher league?

 
I've not personally heard either of those two, but from everything I've read, my understanding is that they are quite different headphones: the HPH 200 has a detailed, agrressive sound tilted towards the mids/highs, whereas the X1 has a dark, bass-orientated sound, with a relatively withdrawn high-end.  There's also the fit to consider, the HPH 200 are lightweight on-ear, whereas the X1 are full-size over-ear and (I guess) heavier.
 
The HPH 200 were never very popular, but all the reviews I've read have said they are excellent (and people speak highly of them on this forum).

 

[zunehdrocks]

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/HiFiMANHE300Rev2.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsFidelioX1.pdf
The measurements for the he300 and fidelio x1 are very similar.
 
The 30 hz square waves seem to show:
He300 has looser bass
He300 has slightly less edgy treble
 
Frequency response:
Mids relative to treble is a bit higher on he300

 

[TripBitShooter]

how about a sennheiser HD 598?

P.S. You might want to also get a good source or a DAC and amp. The higher up you go, the less good you are going to experience as there is only so much quality ur phone can produce. For me, my Xperia Z1 does not cut it, even for $100< cans.

 

[ozyx]

Thanks for the answers.
 

You might want to also get a good source or a DAC and amp. The higher up you go, the less good you are going to experience as there is only so much quality ur phone can produce.

 
It will be mostly an iPad Air, my desktop computer (motherboard audio) and a Samsung Galaxy s4 mini. And another thing I should probably mention is that most of my music comes from Spotify

It is the paid subscription at "max quality" but it is obviously not ideal (I noticed some tracks are worst than other)
 
I don't wont to change the way I am listening to music and a DAC/amp would eat into my budget, but I understand what you are saying. So basically I want to get the best possible sound given these constraints without wasting money on some great headphones that wouldn't be able to show any of their greatness due to the source / equipment I am using. That said, even on the X1 reviews at Amazon I saw several people say how they use them with iPhones etc.

 

[sinnottj]

  Thanks for the answers.
 

You might want to also get a good source or a DAC and amp. The higher up you go, the less good you are going to experience as there is only so much quality ur phone can produce.

 
It will be mostly an iPad Air, my desktop computer (motherboard audio) and a Samsung Galaxy s4 mini. And another thing I should probably mention is that most of my music comes from Spotify

It is the paid subscription at "max quality" but it is obviously not ideal (I noticed some tracks are worst than other)
 
I don't wont to change the way I am listening to music and a DAC/amp would eat into my budget, but I understand what you are saying. So basically I want to get the best possible sound given these constraints without wasting money on some great headphones that wouldn't be able to show any of their greatness due to the source / equipment I am using. That said, even on the X1 reviews at Amazon I saw several people say how they use them with iPhones etc.

 
This is the right approach!  Put the money into the buying best headphone you can afford that fits your requirements.
 
An X1 will run fine without an additional amp. To be honest, most headphones don't 'need' additional amplification: an iPad will drive something like a Sennheiser HD600 perfectly well (mine does!). You might not get the absolute best out of it, but it'll still sound way better than a lesser headphone ...

 

[ozyx]

Thanks. Are there any good headphones that are so easy to drive that wouldn't really benefit from an amp? It is not just the cost of the amp that bothers me. I just don't feel like carrying and charging yet another thing!

 

[TripBitShooter]

I was not just talking about an additional amp. a DAC + amp is going to markedly improve the sound.

 

[ozyx]

I was not just talking about an additional amp. a DAC + amp is going to markedly improve the sound.

Thanks. Are you talking about any DAC/amp (including those < $100)?
 
What about using them with my AV Receiver (onkyo tx-nr717)? Would a relatively cheap DAC + amp be a noticeable improvement over the AV Receiver?

 

[TripBitShooter]

the AV receiver is definitely better unless you are getting an overpowered amp and DAC.

a good portable amp and DAC (not compatible with phones) would be the FiiO E07k or if you do not need a portable one, a FiiO E10k.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

The Senn HD 558/598 are bargains at current prices I like those a lot. The X1 is better than both IMO and is costlier but they all sound good unamped. If you can get the AKG for 99 then that'd probably be the better choice considering they're more versatile and have deeper bass although not as emphasized as the X1 in the mid to upper bass. Also consider the Sony MDR-1R those have come down in price as well and the comfort, looks, sound combination is phenomenal when taken as a total package.