[ypana3]

Hi everyone, I'm a new user to Head Fi, but I have been lurking for quite a while, so without further ado...
I need a pair of headphones between $100-250; I've considered the Shure SRH840s, AKG Q701s, Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros, DT770s and ATH M50s.
I mostly listen to metal, but I have a bit of everything; jazz, rock, EDM, hip hop, etc. and I need good soundstage, which is why I wanted the AKGs. I don't mind if they're closed or open - as long as they go around my ear and not on them. The M50s seem a bit overrated and I don't really expect them to live up to their hype. The DT770s look hideous, but I don't know - if they're so amazing that the quality of sound outweighs the look, then I may consider it. The amount of bass doesn't really matter to me, my EQ can take care of that. Also please tell me if said headphone needs to be driven from an amp - I don't mind if I have to buy one.

But yeah metal+soundstage (Soundstage is very important to me, I cannot stress this enough) and between $100-250. Also no Grados as the design of them is just....well, not for me.
 
Thanks.

 

[rtaylor76]

Take a look at the Head Gear reviews, but I would say if soundstage is important to you, I hear the Senn. HD-558 or HD-598 have a great sound stage and are in your price range. You might could even go for a HD-600 pair if you could afford it or find a great pair used. Grado's are detailed, but not the greatest at staging and comfort.
 
DT770's are nice, comfortable, but get a bit boomy in the low mid's and are a bit recessed in the mids, but have a good amount of detail and staging. Closed too, but you said that was not important. The HD-280's or 7506's are a better option than SRH 840's. The HD-280's don't get much love here, but they are a great phone for the money, but not one I would put above the 770 or 598 or the others.
 
I can't really speak for the other brands you listed (ATH M50, Beyer, or AKG's). In my experience most AKG's beg for a good amp and are power hungry.

 

[ypana3]

Oh yeah I forgot to mention.... A removable cable is pretty much essential for me. I don't like not having the convenience of being able to remove the cable if it breaks.

 

[Redshift Rider]

You have pretty much described my needs some time ago.
I'm metalhead and soundstage whore and also very happy akg Q701 owner  

 

[ypana3]

Damn.... now I'm torn between the HD598s and the Q701s. How do these two stack up against each other then? I am very... musically diverse, I guess. I listen to almost anything from death metal to rock to jazz to hip hop. How is the break in with the Q701s? I heard that you need to listen to like 400+ hours to get the best quality... Also, is the Fiio E11 sufficient? If not, then could you recommend an affordable amp (under $100)

 

[Redshift Rider]

Quote:

Damn.... now I'm torn between the HD598s and the Q701s. How do these two stack up against each other then?

These are the only two headphones that i own and that i have listened. My source and amp for them is asus sound card xonar ST (with LME49990 opamps). So my audio experience is limited compared to most members here, keep that in mind. 
To my ears Q701 is a big overall upgrade. It has larger soundstage and makes it very easy to lose myself in music. (HD598's soundstage is deeper but has less width). Imaging, i would say they are about equal. Upon first listening to Q701 i immediately noticed deeper bass and how well controlled it is and also realised HD598 struggles with fast, busy music. Q701 is more neutral and extracts more details. HD598 is more "romantic" and has mids which "jump out" on some songs in a awesome way Both are very comfortable.
Sry for my english.   

 

[FlobHobNob]

Take a look at the grado sr225i they are godly for rock/metal. Also you won't need an amp to power then because they are only 32 ohms

 

[XxDobermanxX]

Quote:

Hi everyone, I'm a new user to Head Fi, but I have been lurking for quite a while, so without further ado...
I need a pair of headphones between $100-250; I've considered the Shure SRH840s, AKG Q701s, Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros, DT770s and ATH M50s.
I mostly listen to metal, but I have a bit of everything; jazz, rock, EDM, hip hop, etc. and I need good soundstage, which is why I wanted the AKGs. I don't mind if they're closed or open - as long as they go around my ear and not on them. The M50s seem a bit overrated and I don't really expect them to live up to their hype. The DT770s look hideous, but I don't know - if they're so amazing that the quality of sound outweighs the look, then I may consider it. The amount of bass doesn't really matter to me, my EQ can take care of that. Also please tell me if said headphone needs to be driven from an amp - I don't mind if I have to buy one.

But yeah metal+soundstage (Soundstage is very important to me, I cannot stress this enough) and between $100-250. Also no Grados as the design of them is just....well, not for me.
 
Thanks.

"now you see the light, stand up for your right" - bob marley 

 

[Averruncus]

+1 for Q701. Should be great for metal, although might be boring for other genres. It's leagues ahead of HD598 (which imo is pretty unimpressive, other then it's color scheme). The DT770 is not a bad choice either, but the bass control isn't as good (although there's a lot more). Don't know about amping though, wonder if fiio e10 will be enough.

 

[jasonb]

Agreed. I'm obsessed with prog rock and prog metal and I find the Q701 to be perfect for this. They are tight, fast, and clear, and of course have a big wide soundstage.
 
Only problem is that they do like a good bit of power, I do find the roughly $130-$140 E17 to be enough for me though.
Quote:

You have pretty much described my needs some time ago.
I'm metalhead and soundstage whore and also very happy akg Q701 owner  

 

[ypana3]

The Grados aren't the right kind of headphone for me - I need something that goes around my ears fully and has a removable cable, but that's not as important as the circumaural design. Its not really anything against the M50s, but I know that for like 50 dollars more I can get headphones that can blow them out of the water.
 
Oh schweet, I should be able to afford the E17s. Okay, I think the Q701s have me sold.

 

[jasonb]

Q701 is great IMO. There has been a lot of debate on whether the E17/E11/E10 is enough for these. Most that have tried any of them say yes, but some say they need more. I will admit that I don't listen all that loudly, around 75-80db or so is where is listen, I'm still not even pushing this amp to half of it's potential though. I'm using medium gain with the volume around 25-30 out of 60, so for me the E17 is more than enough in terms of volume and it sounds great to me. 
 
If you were to purchase the E17 to find out that it isn't enough for you, then you can always add the E9 or E09k later for only about $100 more.
Quote:

The Grados aren't the right kind of headphone for me - I need something that goes around my ears fully and has a removable cable, but that's not as important as the circumaural design. Its not really anything against the M50s, but I know that for like 50 dollars more I can get headphones that can blow them out of the water.
 
Oh schweet, I should be able to afford the E17s. Okay, I think the Q701s have me sold.

 

[rtaylor76]

Quote:

Q701 is great IMO. There has been a lot of debate on whether the E17/E11/E10 is enough for these. Most that have tried any of them say yes, but some say they need more. I will admit that I don't listen all that loudly, around 75-80db or so is where is listen, I'm still not even pushing this amp to half of it's potential though. I'm using medium gain with the volume around 25-30 out of 60, so for me the E17 is more than enough in terms of volume and it sounds great to me. 
 
If you were to purchase the E17 to find out that it isn't enough for you, then you can always add the E9 or E09k later for only about $100 more.

Almost all AKG's are lean and power hungry and usually benefit greatly from a high gain headphone amp.
 
People also complain about the AKG fit, but I don't hear as much as that with HD-598. You could always order both and return the ones you did not like.

 

[jasonb]

I have no complaints about the fit. They have a light clamp and the cups are big and deep so nothing will touch your ears unless you have jumbo sized ears. Some complain about the bumps on the bottom of the headband but this discomfort will go away after the leather loosens up and forms to the shape of your head. The bumps bothered me for about a week, and now they are comfy enough to wear for hours and hours.
Quote:

Almost all AKG's are lean and power hungry and usually benefit greatly from a high gain headphone amp.
 
People also complain about the AKG fit, but I don't hear as much as that with HD-598. You could always order both and return the ones you did not like.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Hi everyone, I'm a new user to Head Fi, but I have been lurking for quite a while, so without further ado...
I need a pair of headphones between $100-250; I've considered the Shure SRH840s, AKG Q701s, Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros, DT770s and ATH M50s.
I mostly listen to metal, but I have a bit of everything; jazz, rock, EDM, hip hop, etc. and I need good soundstage, which is why I wanted the AKGs. I don't mind if they're closed or open - as long as they go around my ear and not on them. The M50s seem a bit overrated and I don't really expect them to live up to their hype. The DT770s look hideous, but I don't know - if they're so amazing that the quality of sound outweighs the look, then I may consider it. The amount of bass doesn't really matter to me, my EQ can take care of that. Also please tell me if said headphone needs to be driven from an amp - I don't mind if I have to buy one.

But yeah metal+soundstage (Soundstage is very important to me, I cannot stress this enough) and between $100-250. Also no Grados as the design of them is just....well, not for me.
 
Thanks.

 
Heya,
 
I would put you on:
 
Beyer DT880
Sennheiser HD598
Sony MA900
Hifiman HE-300
Ultrasone HFI 2400
 
Very best,