Headphones for metal music - ultimate solution
Jan 30, 2020 at 12:04 PM Post #9,601 of 12,269
I recently bought a new gaming pc and I want a nice pair of small-ish (~about 10-inch deep) passive bookshelf speakers. I'm planning to use an old denon avr to power them.

Any recommendations? I don't want to spend a ton, but I also don't want to make a mistake and have to sell a pair at a loss, since shipping speakers is way more expensive than headphones.

I'm considering:
KEF Q150 ($300, kinda big)
PSB Alpha P5 ($250, not as good as the Kefs)
PSB Alpha P3 ($160, smaller than the P5)
Wharfedale Diamond 220 (currently on sale for $200)

Any other suggestions? I like the Klipsch RP series, but I have my RP-160m on my desk right now and they're not as good for desktop use - and too big - so I'm trying to avoid them or the step-down Rp-150m.
 
Jan 30, 2020 at 12:59 PM Post #9,602 of 12,269
How does the Denon sound? Warm? Bright? Neutral?
Theres the ELAC series,that people like. Its kinda warm sounding,so if the Denon is also warm,it might be too much of a good thing.
Also if theres room,try getting the speakers off of the desk and onto stands. Clears space and sounds so much better.
 
Jan 30, 2020 at 1:40 PM Post #9,603 of 12,269
I recently bought a new gaming pc and I want a nice pair of small-ish (~about 10-inch deep) passive bookshelf speakers. I'm planning to use an old denon avr to power them.

Any recommendations? I don't want to spend a ton, but I also don't want to make a mistake and have to sell a pair at a loss, since shipping speakers is way more expensive than headphones.

I'm considering:
KEF Q150 ($300, kinda big)
PSB Alpha P5 ($250, not as good as the Kefs)
PSB Alpha P3 ($160, smaller than the P5)
Wharfedale Diamond 220 (currently on sale for $200)

Any other suggestions? I like the Klipsch RP series, but I have my RP-160m on my desk right now and they're not as good for desktop use - and too big - so I'm trying to avoid them or the step-down Rp-150m.
Can’t go wrong with KEF methinks.
 
Jan 30, 2020 at 1:45 PM Post #9,604 of 12,269
Do the current KEF bookshelf have those horn loaded tweeters? If so I would assume that they'd be treble cannons.
 
Jan 30, 2020 at 1:55 PM Post #9,605 of 12,269
Not heard the KEF, but their review recently on ASR made me glad I got the JBL LSR305P MKII. Do they have to be passive speakers in your setup? Even without a sub the JBLs sound awesome.
 
Jan 30, 2020 at 10:32 PM Post #9,606 of 12,269
How does the Denon sound? Warm? Bright? Neutral?
Theres the ELAC series,that people like. Its kinda warm sounding,so if the Denon is also warm,it might be too much of a good thing.
Also if theres room,try getting the speakers off of the desk and onto stands. Clears space and sounds so much better.

I'm learning that listening to speakers up close can be a very different experience from listening to them from a distance. The speakers currently sound much brighter than normal, but this can be due to a few things. I may need to disconnect the avr and hook it up to the speakers on my stands to get a better sense of what it actually sounds like. The only thing I know for certain is that these speakers are not meant for near-field listening.

The Elacs, from what I've read, are good speakers when setup normally (at a reasonable height, away from walls, and several feet away), but not so great in a near-field setup.
 
Jan 31, 2020 at 4:05 AM Post #9,609 of 12,269
Feb 1, 2020 at 12:49 AM Post #9,610 of 12,269
It would be really cool if we had a sticky post that provides a list of recommended headphones at different price points, sound signatures and headphone types (open, closed, iem, portable, etc.).

I'm not sure who would be responsible for such a list, but I think it would make finding a good pair easier for those of us who are new, or have dropped off and returned.
 
Feb 3, 2020 at 9:15 AM Post #9,611 of 12,269
Wharfedale Diamond 220 (currently on sale for $200)

I'm a Wharfedale fan, started with Evo 20, which I still have in workout room, and I have the Opus 3 in the DOOMcave. A while ago I listened to a bunch of stuff when researching for my bedroom speakers. My top choice would have been Mission QX-5 based solely on great reviews, and winning a shootout against other top speakers, but I could get any shipped to US at the time. I liked Tannoy Revolution XT 6F, JBL Studio 580, Q Acoustics Concept 40, but got a great deal on Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend Mk. II. All are floorstanders, because I figure, if you have the footprint space for a stand, then why not just get a floorstander? In my smaller office in last place I used Rega R3. But most of those brands have corresponding bookshelf versions in the series.

In other news, after selling both my original HE6 (I got an HE6se for deep discount on Black Friday) and Shangri-La Jr. within 24 hours of each other a couple weeks ago, I pulled the trigger on ordering a ZMF Verite. Looking forward to it!

Also, after redesigning my site and enhancing my database search, I have a contest where four winners will be announced Feb 15 for a new pair of Drop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee, Spotify Premium, Bandcamp gift card, or grab bag from Dr. Fester's Bucket O' Nasties.
 
Feb 3, 2020 at 12:23 PM Post #9,612 of 12,269
I'm a Wharfedale fan, started with Evo 20, which I still have in workout room, and I have the Opus 3 in the DOOMcave. A while ago I listened to a bunch of stuff when researching for my bedroom speakers. My top choice would have been Mission QX-5 based solely on great reviews, and winning a shootout against other top speakers, but I could get any shipped to US at the time. I liked Tannoy Revolution XT 6F, JBL Studio 580, Q Acoustics Concept 40, but got a great deal on Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend Mk. II. All are floorstanders, because I figure, if you have the footprint space for a stand, then why not just get a floorstander? In my smaller office in last place I used Rega R3. But most of those brands have corresponding bookshelf versions in the series.

In other news, after selling both my original HE6 (I got an HE6se for deep discount on Black Friday) and Shangri-La Jr. within 24 hours of each other a couple weeks ago, I pulled the trigger on ordering a ZMF Verite. Looking forward to it!

Also, after redesigning my site and enhancing my database search, I have a contest where four winners will be announced Feb 15 for a new pair of Drop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee, Spotify Premium, Bandcamp gift card, or grab bag from Dr. Fester's Bucket O' Nasties.
Nice! Going to check out your redesigned site today.
Did you order Verite open or closed? I personally prefer the closed for metal,by a wide margin.
 
Feb 3, 2020 at 12:36 PM Post #9,613 of 12,269
I got the open, for home listening. Perhaps in the future I'll upgrade my work rig to the closed Verite.
 
Feb 3, 2020 at 5:01 PM Post #9,614 of 12,269
641 pages is a LOT to read through. For hard rock and metal, what are we really liking for a sub 500 dollar closed back? Bonus points for semi portable options, but not crucial.
I've owned the Audioquest Nightowl, and found it too dark and distant. I sold it, so my only two (portable) cans at the moment, that still remain on the rack, are the 99 Classics with original pads, and the Msr7b. Always wanted to try the E-mu Teak, but every rare instance one pops up, I don't have the coin.
 
Feb 3, 2020 at 6:24 PM Post #9,615 of 12,269
641 pages is a LOT to read through. For hard rock and metal, what are we really liking for a sub 500 dollar closed back? Bonus points for semi portable options, but not crucial.
I've owned the Audioquest Nightowl, and found it too dark and distant. I sold it, so my only two (portable) cans at the moment, that still remain on the rack, are the 99 Classics with original pads, and the Msr7b. Always wanted to try the E-mu Teak, but every rare instance one pops up, I don't have the coin.

I know it's probably not going to help you, but if you are willing to go with a pair of IEM instead of closed headphones, my recommendation would be to try the Periodic Audio Be. I got rid of all my closed headphones after getting the Be. (Including the Meze 99 Classics)
 

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