Headphones for J-Pop and Vocaloid?

[DKMaester]

Hello,

I'm looking for recommendations for full size headphones mostly for listening to J-Pop and Vocaloid music. If they're good for gaming too, that'd be great. The source I use is my laptop's integrated sound card and I have a pair of Bose QC-II, but I can't hear much of a difference between them and a pair of $20 Bluetooth headphones. My budget is around $250. Not sure if an amp- headphone combo can fit that budget, but I'm new to this. Any suggestions?

Thx

 

[msing539]

You might want to look at the Fidelio X2HR (or cheaper 9500/9600) plus a vmoda or mod mic (if needed). The SHP9500 is $60 new right now, which is a steal. The X2HR is $150 but occasionally goes on sale.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

AKG K701

 

[dougms3]

Headphones by Jpop producer, Kunio Tago

Probably designed and tuned for Jpop?

https://tagostudio.com/headphones/en/t3-03.php

 

[plmon]

Hello,

I'm looking for recommendations for full size headphones mostly for listening to J-Pop and Vocaloid music. If they're good for gaming too, that'd be great. The source I use is my laptop's integrated sound card and I have a pair of Bose QC-II, but I can't hear much of a difference between them and a pair of $20 Bluetooth headphones. My budget is around $250. Not sure if an amp- headphone combo can fit that budget, but I'm new to this. Any suggestions?

Thx

I second the X2HR and AKG 700 series being good recommendations (I'd go for the AKG K702 though since it has a removable cable).

Sound-wise, I recommend them because both have a decent amount of upper mids without sounding overly sibilant, which is good for JPOP/Vocaloid stuff since they usually use vocals/instruments that work well with that extra clarity and "bite". For gaming, they both have larger soundstage that helps with immersion and has decent enough positional accuracy for shooters.

The X2HR is a bit cheaper when it's on sale and it's easier to power, so you might not need an amp for it. It's bassier than the AKG, which might fit better if you listen to more electronic type of JPOP. In general, I find the X2HR's tonality to be more balanced for a wider variety of genres.

The AKG K702 is more likely to need an amp because it uses a bit more power. If your laptop isn't able to power it, you can probably go with something like the Fiio K3 or E10K DAC/AMP combos. Or if you're okay with a slightly larger form factor, a JDS Labs Atom+ or equivalent competitor.

The AKG K702 is less bassy than the X2HR, but the bass notes are tighter and better separated. In addition, female vocals in particular are placed more forward with the AKGs. They sound closer and more detailed than with the X2HR. If you buy the AKG K702, I'd recommend purchasing from Thomann's online store. They're a reputable retailer based in Europe, but because AKGs are priced much more cheaply there, it comes out cheaper than something like Amazon even after international shipping fees.

 

[DKMaester]

Thanks for the suggestions. After watching some reviews, I decided to go with the AKG K702. I will wait to see if my laptop has enough power to run it. Probably gonna need an amp. The Thomann tip saved me a lot of money btw. Thx all.