[Scrivs]

Hello,

first of all I want to apologize for making another one of those "I'm looking for a headphone but dont know which one to get, can any1 help me plz?" threads.
I know that there are already thousands of those threads on this forum, and I did read quite alot of them, but I still dont know which headphone would fill my needs (mostly because you get a 100 different recommendations at a time )

So, what I'm looking for:
I listen to bass-heavy music only, like Dubstep and Drum 'N Bass, so the most important factor is that they have to be able to produce clear and enough bass for my prefered music genres without, ofcourse, overpowering the other frequenties.
I also would like them to be closed headphones (I believe thats what their called), so they will block out most of the outside noise.
And they have to be quite comfortable ofcourse.

What I'm going to use them for:
I won't be using them for portable use on my iPod or anything because I already have a pair of IEMs for that, but only for on my computer.
Mostly for general listening, but I also just started producing my own tracks so I will also be using them for mixing and producing.

I prefer a pair of headphones that doesn't require an extra amplifier, just because my budget doesnt allow that at this point and I dont rly have any space for an amp on my desk.
The headphone will be plugged into my iNano patch volume controller which is linked to my M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard in my pc.
If I would want to I could also run the headphone from my FiiO E5 Headphone amp first but I dont think that that would make much difference since its not a particularly powerfull amp, so a headphone that doesnt require an amp and still produces nice sound would be perfect.

My budget:
My budget would be around 150 euros (I live in Europe), a little more wouldnt hurt.
So 150 pounds would be ok aswell and a price in dollars can, ofcourse, be a bit higher due to the valuta.
I would just want to max out this budget and have the best I can get for it, I dont prefer getting, for instance, a 60 euro headphone that leaves me guessing if I rly couldnt have gotten anything better.

The headphones that are on my mind atm:

- M-Audio Studiophile Q40 (awesome looking, heard they are quite bass-heavy and M-Audio just served me well in the past and still does)
- Beyer Dynamic DT770 Pro (heard they produce quite alot of bass and BD seems to me like a very good audio brand that wouldnt disappoint)
- Audio Technica ad700 (nice looking, but I heard they arent rly bass-heavy?)
- Ultrasone HFi 780 (These are a bit over my budget, but I'm willing to pay for it if they would be realy worth it)
- Equation RP22x (heard they were quite good but also read that the M-Audio Q40 was better)

**Atm I'm leaning towards the M-Audio Q40s**

I have to say, I have no idea if these headphones will serve my needs because I have never heard any of these play yet, its just based on what I have read on this forum and others.
If any1 of you knows of a headphone that isnt on this list but would serve me well, please say so.

All in all, what I want to know is, what headphone would be perfect for my needs and will also be (sort of) within my budget, wether it is one from my list or not.

Once again my apologies for making another 'recommendation' thread and sorry for my broken english, I hope you all understood what I'm asking here and that any1 of you is able to help me out in making my descision.

Thanks.

 

[grawk]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/bef...ewbies-419349/

 

[Scrivs]

I've read that thread already, but imo that thread is more about finding out what you are exactly looking for in a headphone first before you go off buying one.
I already know what I'm looking for, I just want to know what headphone would be the best for that.

I know that these 'recommendation' threads are quite annoying, thats why I prosponed creating one as long as I could by searching for threads from people with similar needs as I have, but I just couldnt find one that helped me out.

I hope any1 of you is still willing to help me out with this.
Thanks in advance.

 

[swbf2cheater]

The buying guide isn't at all updated for 2009-2010.

Look into the Sennheiser HD 485. It's relatively cheap and a great starting point. It's my personal favorite full size set. For around $225.00US ( 150gbp ) you can do extremely well and you have many options. Remember that when it comes to certain headphones, audio quality is not what you are paying for. Example

The sennheiser HD595 is expensive, but in my opinion only because of its soundstage, not its audio quality. It is actually on par with the HD 485 that i recommended, but the 485 has a much smaller soundstage and is 3x less in price.

You can also look into the Shure 840. It is very bass heavy. Even the Audio Technica M50. However, if you really want to spend a great deal of money and get the best possible for your budget, I highly recommend the Ultrasone 750 pro. As it is THE BEST BASS headphone, likely ever. The downside is the Slogic surround sound, at first it will seem like WOW THIS SUCKS. Give it a few days and you will come to realize all headphones should sound this way. It is also high heavy and piercing, but a simple mod fixes that.

( highly recommend the pro 750 if you want bass and comfort )

 

[Sophonax]

Unfortunately I've only heard one of the headphones on the list, so I can't compare any of them...but the Ultrasone HFi 780 is likely a very good candidate for you:

--The bass on the 780s is strong and punchy, but I never felt that it was overpowering the music...perhaps the mids were recessed just a touch, but nothing major.

--They are relatively efficient and perform quite well without additional amplification (i.e. straight out of a computer or portable player).

--They are closed headphones and isolate very well.

--They are pretty comfortable. They do tend to clamp on the head a little tight, but this is the price to pay for outstanding isolation.

--They'll max out your budget, which is just what you asked for

 

[grawk]

closed
good punchy bass
accurate midrange
inexpensive

pick 2

 

[loopfreak]

You are looking for gmp 8.35d ! If you are going for studio work need 'phones that will show you whats going on in the mix and these babys are just the thing for it.
Most of the headphones you listed are fun for listening but not for studio work .
Shure srh 840 is good option too.

 

[NapalmK]

Well if you want bass the AD700 is off the list. The Shure 840 should be on the list as I've read it does well with electronic music.

The Dt770's will require an amp (the 250 and 600 ohm models). I tried out the 80 ohm version a guitar center and wasn't too to my liking. I will say it was running out of my netbook so I might have needed an amp to bring it to life but I can't say.

The 780's I tried had insane bass just running out of a netbook. They were also very quick and punchy. It is definitely the bassiest phone I've heard so far. Some people hate these phones and some people love them. Honestly, I really liked them when I auditioned them. The highs can be harsh and some say the bass is too much but I didn't have these issues. If you get the chance you should audition them.

Compared to the 780's the 750's are more refined, had more detail, better highs, and it seemed a lit less bass but it was better controlled, at least to my ears. To me, there wasn't a radical difference but enough to pick up on after a good listen. I haven't heard any of the others so I can't comment.

I understand the budget is limited so I'd recommend the 780's. They max out you budget, are easy to drive, sound good, and as a plus are portable.

 

[Scrivs]

Thank you all for responding, I appreciate it.

So the Ultrasone HFI 780 gets recommended a few times, the thing is, its a bit over my budget... their around 180 euros here and they go for around 250 dollars.
I might think of stretching my budget a bit and getting them anyway, but if I had to choose between the M-Audio Q40s and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50, what would you recommend me then?

Is the difference between those 2 and the Ultrasone rly that big? Because of its not, then I'd rather stay with one of those to spare me some money. Or would you say, on the other hand, that it would be stupid not to pay 50 euros extra for the Ultrasones because they are rly that good?

Or could any of you perhaps recommend me another headphone besides the Q40 and the M50?
The Ulstrasone rly is the max for me at this point, so anything cheaper that will still fulfill my needs would be great.

Thanks.

 

[adam12nyc]

Take a look at the Sony MDR V6. I have the 780s and the V6s and I can say the Sonys are better bang for the buck at $69 at B&H vs the 250 I paid for my Ultrasones. YMMV of course...