[DreiZ]

Hey, im new to this forum and have been reading alot of reviews on popular headphones. Im trying to find a decent pair for regular music listening and maybe some gaming; particular interested in the following models:
 
UPDATED*****
- Sony MDR XB500/XB700/XB1000
- AKG K550
- DENON AH-D2000
 
As i said i have no experience in good audio headphones, except i used to own few gaming headsets from logitech. Most people i know (and see) use Beats (probably a brand i shouldnt mention on this forum), and ive been looking for something better and less mainstream.
Im trying to see what are some differences between the headphones i listed above ^^^ and which might be "better".
 
That being said i am looking for a set of Headphones to use for my iphone and computer (mostly portable music listening on my iphone). I looked at the Sony line up and they look great. The price isnt bad either, but ive been reading mixed reviews about them, especially which model to pick out of XB series.
 
AKG K550 looks beautiful, and im really impressed by looked. As i said before i know nothing about amps/dac systems and im not looking to get into that. Im wondering if these headphones would be good for what im looking for.
 
Got a reply on D2000s and also read great reviews about them, but again they are in that (2) category where an amp/dac is recommended and SQ drops if listening straight from mp3.
 
Type of music i listen to is mostly Rock, Alternative, Light Rock, Heavy Industrial. I do phase into hip hop, dubstep and techno/house time to time. I guess this means that an all-around pair would be good for me that is also great straight of the box without any amps.
 
Let me know what you guys think, my price range is probably around $100-300, which is indeed abit expensive (for portable listening) but i thought it would be a good investment for a great pair of headphones (that are not Beats).
 
 
Thanks
DreiZ

 

[RayleighSilvers]

What genres of music do you listen to?
 
Oh and welcome to head-fi sorry bout your wallet

 

[NA Blur]

I highly suggest a pair AH-D2000.
 
The AKG K701,Q701 ( little more bass ) have lower sensitivities and higher impedance.  This equates to them being harder to drive.  They are fantastic headphones, but the AH-D2000 is a lot easier to drive.  The AH-D2000 is also sealed so they do not leak sound and for a sealed headphone remain one of my top picks of all time.
 
Top of your budget, but well worth it.
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/denon-ah-d2000.php

 

[DreiZ]

Quote:

What genres of music do you listen to?
 
Oh and welcome to head-fi sorry bout your wallet

I listen to rock, alternative, light stuff, some heavy industrial. I tend to phase into dubstep, some hip hop, and techno time to time.
And what do you mean sorry about my wallet ?
 

 

[Papander]

K701/702 are both really neutral/analytic headphones. Not sure if you would like them, especially since you haven't heard neutral headphones before. Also both of those headphones need an amp/dac to accompany them, which means ~200-500 dollar investment on top of the headphones price.
 
You also need to know few things like
 
- open/closed or doesn't matter at all.
- portable use only, strictly inside or both.
- do you prefer over-ear or on-ear.
 
Comfort? looks? sound? isolation? what matters most to you.

 

[DreiZ]

Did not know AKGs need a dac. Ok what do you mean by open/closed? And portable mostly, I tried some over-ear and on-ear and over-ear seem more comfortable. As for comfort, sound, and looks; i really like AKG style but ofcourse sound quality/isolation aka performance should be a priority over looks.
 
Quote:

K701/702 are both really neutral/analytic headphones. Not sure if you would like them, especially since you haven't heard neutral headphones before. Also both of those headphones need an amp/dac to accompany them, which means ~200-500 dollar investment on top of the headphones price.
 
You also need to know few things like
 
- open/closed or doesn't matter at all.
- portable use only, strictly inside or both.
- do you prefer over-ear or on-ear.
 
Comfort? looks? sound? isolation? what matters most to you.

 

 

[Papander]

All open headphones leak sound to environment. This usually means better sound stage but it can be annoying to others around you. Closed headphones try not to leak any sound.
 
So if you only use headphones inside the house and you are not bothering people around you go for open design. If you want to listen to your headphones in public places like train, buss or you don't want to annoy your wife at home when she is trying to watch her favorite soap opera, but all she can hear is your music get the closed design.
 
Also check this out. www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

 

[DreiZ]

Also as for the Sennheiser HD650/600. Do they require an amp? It also says that they come with a 6.3 adapter, does that mean they are already 3.5 and i can just plug them into my mp3 and listen without any extra adapters to buy?
 
I was also looking at the HD598 model which looked very appealing. They are categorized as (2), unlike the 650/600 that do require an amp.
 
As for closed/open. I dont think that matters much to me. I guess i was looking at something other than over-ear Beats but with better sound quality. HD598 seemed to fit the description, but i wanted to know other options.

 

[Papander]

Both of those Sennheiser models (600/650) need amp/dac. You can see in the link I posted that there is a number 3 next to the model, this means that amp is required, using them without an amp will leave much to be desired.
 
If your primary source is mp3 player or phone, try to find headphones with number 1 and in some cases 2. All headphones are either 3.5 or 6.3 and most of the time they come with the others adapter (it should be listed in the product description).

 

[DreiZ]

UPDATED*****
- Sony MDR XB500/XB700/XB1000
- AKG K550
- DENON AH-D2000
 
*** see original post.

 

[DreiZ]

bump updated*
really curious by the AKG K550s. They look gorgeous.

 

[vandaq]

I would deffo stay away from xb500. Yes, the bass is kinda interesting at first because its so massive. But then you start to realize that there isnt much more going for it. And to be honest, the bass is pretty incoherent with music also. From what I have read around the forums, the d2000 would be a great choice. Supposedly its not reliant on an amp either. But I won`t say much more because I have no experience with it whatsoever. I will however bet my left nut that it sounds miles better than the xb500

 

[DreiZ]

thats what im reading as well for the XB series. Any feedback on AKG K550? I know its relatively new but it looks so much better than d2000. Im just wondering if i need an amp for it. On their website it says its good for portable use and at home so im assuming no.
 
Quote:

I would deffo stay away from xb500. Yes, the bass is kinda interesting at first because its so massive. But then you start to realize that there isnt much more going for it. And to be honest, the bass is pretty incoherent with music also. From what I have read around the forums, the d2000 would be a great choice. Supposedly its not reliant on an amp either. But I won`t say much more because I have no experience with it whatsoever. I will however bet my left nut that it sounds miles better than the xb500