[goodguy8705]

I've spent hours and hours researching which headphones I should purchase and I made a choice, but am disappointed on my purchase so I decided to come here and get a recommendation from people with more experience.

I recently purchased Audio-Technica's ATH-AD700 but I've found they are entirely too large on my head. Also, they sound good but seem to be lacking real low end. I do not have an amp for them, but I plan on getting a cheap one eventually, maybe a FiiO E5 or a Behringer MicroAmp HA400.

I plan on using this for both gaming and music (indie rock, rock, etc.... stuff ranging from Death Cab for Cutie & The Dodos to Say Anything and Brand New) so basically, what I'm looking for is this:

Better fit on my average to small head so no A700's.
Better low end than the AD700's.
Better soundstage than the Alessandro MS-1's so probably not grado.
Good to great comfort.
Headphones + amplifier for less than $150 if possible.

Any recommendations would be great, including recommendations for an affordable amp that won't sound terrible. Currently, I'm using on board sound but plan to upgrade to either something from Auzentech or Asus.

Thanks in advance for any help and if I didn't provide enough information, I would be glad to provide some more.

 

[nonsupremous]

I think any full size headphone is going to be pretty large, or at least appear large. The audio Technica M50 provides more clamp and they are full size with really good low end. They don't thump per se, but the bass is adequate. Also, you had purchased an open back headphone which is typically better for detail than for bass. If you aren't in need of an over the ear headphone, the Denon 1001 or the Audio Techinca ES7 are both really good. I personally don't own the Denon, but I do own the ES7. It's a very agressive headphone. Much stronger than average bass with really nicely detailed mid range. High's are a bit crisp but not piercing.

 

[tim3320070]

Used Sennheiser HD600 or HD580- but they will be in the high $100's unless you find a good deal. I got some HD580's for $140 here. They will sound much better than any new headphone in that price range. They need some power though.

 

[goodguy8705]

I went with open air because of the added comfort of reduced pressure, which I'm aware is what makes the low end more pronounced.

I'm not trying to get crazy bass, just a nice balance. The problem with the AD700's is that the ear pieces don't swivel so while the bottom of the ear cup touches my head, the top sits off a bit. Also, the wings don't keep the headphones stable at all, even just a little movement shakes them off.

I'm not against sealed headphones assuming they are pretty comfortable for extended periods of time, maybe four or so hours. I don't need them to be portable, I'd just like them to stay on my head.

 

[nonsupremous]

I think if you like open back headphones, lots of people would agree that the HD595 is a great choice. I loved mine but never for bass. I considered the bass fairly anemic, unless I was listening to a band like Dave Matthews. Everything else about them however, I loved!!

 

[wnmnkh]

You may want to check recent Sennheiser HD4x8 series. Seems HD438 and 448 are decent for its price.

 

[keezzzz]

The Only Slolution : GRADO

 

[Deep Funk]

JVC might have some nice offerings.

 

[goodguy8705]

Quote:

Originally Posted by keezzzz /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Only Slolution : GRADO

I already looked into Grado and Alessandro and they don't have the soundstage for positional audio which is necessary for gaming. If they did, I'd have ordered them already.

 

[Neuronaut]

The exact same thing happened to me less than a month ago. I bought the ATH-AD700's and they were WAY too big for my head. I immediately sent them back. I ended up buying a new pair of HD555's from Buy.com for $97. First of all, the fit is exactly what i was looking for, very comfortable and completely adjustable. Initially I was a little dissappointed in the sound, but after 3 days of burn-in... they are really starting to come alive (I've had them for less than a week.) I'm currently using them with onboard audio and am convinced that once i pair them with a decent soundcard that has an amp and also let them burn in for 100 or so more hours, I'm sure i'll be more than pleased with the sound. They have grown on me quite quickly. Not to mention they look soooooo much better than the ad700's.

Edit:
I forgot to mention the positional audio aspect. I bought these mainly for gaming. They have a noticeably smaller soundstage than the ad700's, but thats why the ad700's are considered to be the best in the price range when it comes to gaming. Too bad the ad700's were designed so poorly. With that being said, these still work REALLY well for gaming and I haven't even added an x-fi sound card yet. Spies are having a MUCH harder time backstabbing me in TF2 now that i bought these bad boys.

 

[rhfactor1]

If you're open to a little less expensive alternative you might consider a pair of Philips HP-910's, Overstock.com has them on sale for $38.99 with $2.95 standard shipping in U.S. They are an open design, do not have mine fully burned-in yet, I ordered mine about a week ago. But initial impressions are that they are fairly bass punchy (just tried them with some Nickelback and Saliva and they sound good with both groups). I have also tried them with other a little more sedate rock music and they sound equally as good. They have a fairly wide and deep soundstage a little bigger both ways than my Denon D1001's. If you do order some and like them you might order another pair since Philips is no longer manufacturing these HP's. These should also fit your head much better with a semi-automatic elestic system for the haedband with nice cushioned velour around the ear cups. Happy Listening.

 

[SgtPepper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodguy8705 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I already looked into Grado and Alessandro and they don't have the soundstage for positional audio which is necessary for gaming. If they did, I'd have ordered them already.

Ah, well that changes things quite a bit. For the money, you won't a find a better gaming headphone than you already have. Rather than compromising music or gaming quality, maybe you should keep the ad700's for gaming and and pick up something like an MS1 strictly for music. These two phones are probably the two of the most highly recommended in the ~$100 range, and between the two you would have enormous genre bandwidth. My only worry is that you will end up with a headphone which is a jack of all trades but a master of none. Like I said, you won't find anything better for gaming, so just worry about the music.

 

[goodguy8705]

They don't fit me. If they fit me properly, I'd have no problem keeping them.

Right now I think I may go with the HD555's but I'm unsure if they outperform the HD4XX cans and a small amp.

What do you guys think about the sennheisers, and any recommendations for a decent $20-30 amp.

I should also make it known that I'm a poor college student so having multiple sets just isn't an option for me. My budget is very small.

 

[Sophonax]

I recently picked up a pair of Denon AH-D1001s...I think these might be a good fit for the requirements you listed. They have plenty of bass, are quite comfortable, and fit shouldn't be an issue. The only place they might be lacking is in the soundstage -- I find them to have a pretty narrow soundstage. Of course, that impression could just be because I listened to them immediately after listening to my K702s

 

[FlyingInABlueDream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodguy8705 /img/forum/go_quote.gif They don't fit me. If they fit me properly, I'd have no problem keeping them. Right now I think I may go with the HD555's but I'm unsure if they outperform the HD4XX cans and a small amp. What do you guys think about the sennheisers, and any recommendations for a decent $20-30 amp. I should also make it known that I'm a poor college student so having multiple sets just isn't an option for me. My budget is very small.

$30 for an amp might be a tad hard to find. Maybe get a used A/V receiver. I had a Sony receiver for a cheap-o 5.1 setup that had a decent headphone amp.

Unless I am wrong, the HD-555 and HD-595 use most of the same drivers, but the body is different. Both are good entry level cans, and sound good without an amp (though they sound better with one).