[Eternalmetal]

The title says it all.  I currently own a pair of AKG K702s being powered by a Schiit LyrB+Bifrost combo.  For music I love these headphones.  I listen to a lot of death/black metal, and the analytical and revealing sound really enhances my enjoyment.  But I also like to watch movies/tv shows/anime/etc, and I have to admit that the AKGs just arent cutting it.  I want something a bit more colorful and warm but also with good staging.  Im pretty much open to any suggestions.  My price range is generous considering that I want something at least on par with the AKGs, but I really cant afford top end models like the Audeze LCD-2 or the Sennheiser HD 800 so please be reasonable.
 
Thanks in advance for any advice you may have to assist me.

 

[KG Jag]

There's a big price gap between the K 702 and $1,000 to $1,300 cans.  What's your budget?

 

[Eternalmetal]

I dont think I can justify spending much more than lets say $700, but preferably something between $400-600.  If there is something close to this price range that is noteworthy, id be willing to put in a couple extra bucks, otherwise id prefer not to spend so much.

 

[KG Jag]

Part of your problem may be your amp.  I don't hear the Lyr as producing a particularly large sound stage.
 
My favorite movie cans that fall within your budget are the Q701.  They are probably not different enough from what to have to provide an option satisfactory to you.
 
The K 702 65^th Annies are another option.

 

[Eternalmetal]

  Part of your problem may be your amp.  I don't hear the Lyr as producing a particularly large sound stage.
 
My favorite movie cans that fall within your budget are the Q701.  They are probably not different enough from what to have to provide an option satisfactory to you.
 
The K 702 65^th Annies are another option.

The main problem I have with the K702s is that the bass is too soft with sound effects, and the analytical highs seem a bit sharp with spoken word content. I am satisfied with the staging I hear, but overall the sound is a bit too harsh.  I experimented with tube rolling and found that the tubes (damn I forget what they are called atm) I have in it now sound warmer and broader than the stock tubes, but not quite enough for what I have in mind.  What amp do you use instead?  I as well as many others have been quite satisfied with the Lyr and K702 combo from what ive seen in the past, so it is interesting to see that you do not like it.
 
You are right in assuming that I am not really looking for something so subtly different.  From what I can tell, the Q702 is basically the same headphone with small modifications to give it slightly more bass and less highs.  If I am to get a new set of cans, I prefer to try something new.

 

[Brooko]

HD600.
 
It'll tick all your boxes - except the sound stage will be smaller than the K702.  IMO it images better than the K702 though (I've owned K701, K702 and Q701 and all of those at the same time I had my HD600).  It'll give you detail + a little more warmth and bottom end (more mid-bass thump).  The AKGs can be quite L/C/R focussed on soundstage (IMO) - ie quite eliptical.  The HD600 while having a smaller soundstage is still quite open but the soundstage is more accurate / more enveloping.
 
The HD600 is the perfect complimentary can to the AKGs (or HD650 if you want more bass).
 
Either that or sell the AKGs and just get a set of T1s while the price is good

  

 

[KG Jag]

 

  Part of your problem may be your amp.  I don't hear the Lyr as producing a particularly large sound stage.
 
My favorite movie cans that fall within your budget are the Q701.  They are probably not different enough from what to have to provide an option satisfactory to you.
 
The K 702 65^th Annies are another option.

The main problem I have with the K702s is that the bass is too soft with sound effects, and the analytical highs seem a bit sharp with spoken word content. I am satisfied with the staging I hear, but overall the sound is a bit too harsh.  I experimented with tube rolling and found that the tubes (damn I forget what they are called atm) I have in it now sound warmer and broader than the stock tubes, but not quite enough for what I have in mind.  What amp do you use instead?  I as well as many others have been quite satisfied with the Lyr and K702 combo from what ive seen in the past, so it is interesting to see that you do not like it.
 
You are right in assuming that I am not really looking for something so subtly different.  From what I can tell, the Q702 is basically the same headphone with small modifications to give it slightly more bass and less highs.  If I am to get a new set of cans, I prefer to try something new.

The Q701 tames to a degree the sharp and metalic treble of the K 702 (not Annies), adds some bass and gives up a little sound stage size.  It also comes with a long cable that I find perfect for home theater use.  It happens to be a near perfect sonic balance for me--within the restrictions of your budget.  I can understand that those who love action movies might want more bass in their explosions and the like.
 
It's not so much that I don't like the Lyr as it is I believe it to be the wrong tool for the job.  When I use my cans while watching home theater of various stripes--and I do this only occaisionally--I use the original Burson HA-160 or a Questyle CMA800R.
 
Someone else suggested the HD 600, but I think the HD 650, with its extra bass emphasis, is closer to your taste.

 

[Za Warudo]

Fidelio X1 has a large soundstage and plenty of bass for movies, you might want to wait for the soon to be released X2 though. The Lyr might be a bad match for it though since it's not hard to drive at all.

 

[Eternalmetal]

  HD600.
 
It'll tick all your boxes - except the sound stage will be smaller than the K702.  IMO it images better than the K702 though (I've owned K701, K702 and Q701 and all of those at the same time I had my HD600).  It'll give you detail + a little more warmth and bottom end (more mid-bass thump).  The AKGs can be quite L/C/R focussed on soundstage (IMO) - ie quite eliptical.  The HD600 while having a smaller soundstage is still quite open but the soundstage is more accurate / more enveloping.
 
The HD600 is the perfect complimentary can to the AKGs (or HD650 if you want more bass).
 
Either that or sell the AKGs and just get a set of T1s while the price is good

  

After doing some reading, if I were to go with the Sennheisers it would probably be the HD650s.  By no means am I a basshead (hence my love of the 702s), but it seems that my major gripe with other media is the lack of impact with sound effects - which sometimes are rather harsh.  

  It's not so much that I don't like the Lyr as it is I believe it to be the wrong tool for the job.  When I use my cans while watching home theater of various stripes--and I do this only occaisionally--I use the original Burson HA-160 or a Questyle CMA800R.
 

 
Wrong why?  Do you think I would benefit just as much by a new amp as I would from a new set of headphones?   Ive been contemplating getting an extra solid state to mess around with, so im actually interested in what you have to say.

Fidelio X1 has a large soundstage and plenty of bass for movies, you might want to wait for the soon to be released X2 though. The Lyr might be a bad match for it though since it's not hard to drive at all.

 
After doing some reading about the X1 since seeing your recommendation, I am very interested.  It looks like it has very good sound stage, is priced very competitively, and has a sound signature that seems to be designed for entertainment.  Choosing between this and the HD650 is going to be a tossup now.  Both seem to fit the requirements I am looking for quite perfectly, though I would imagine that the low impedance of the X1 makes for an unfitting match with my Lyr.  

 

[KG Jag]

Pick your cans and then research this forum and elsewhere to determine what amp works best with them.  More particularly what amp works best with them for delivering TV and movies--home theater.  One of the best combinations may be the Lyr with certain tubes--or maybe not.  The strengths of the Lyr are the amount of power it delivers for the money and the ability to tube roll.
 
In my case, I have a variety of cans. In selecting an amp, I generally look for amps that that are very good deivering music, often in the form of SACD, Blu-Ray Audio and DVD audio, to them.

 

[Eternalmetal]

  Pick your cans and then research this forum and elsewhere to determine what amp works best with them.  More particularly what amp works best with them for delivering TV and movies--home theater.  One of the best combinations may be the Lyr with certain tubes--or maybe not.  The strengths of the Lyr are the amount of power it delivers for the money and the ability to tube roll.

 
Well after doing a bit more reading, im leaning toward the HD650s.  While the lower price and similar performance of the X1 is appealing, it wont pair with my current amp.  I guess this isnt necessarily a deal breaker, but the rampant popularity of the HD650 as an enjoyable and warm headphone, the scalability in performance based on amp/DAC combo (plus I hear it sounds great with the Lyr), and the lightweight construction is even more appealing than the prospect of the X1.  The fact that some people still enjoy the HD650s even though they also have much more expensive headphones seems to be a testament to their fun/enjoyable sound.  Since the X1s are so inexpensive I could always consider buying them sometime in the future as well if the price is right.
 
Im still wondering why you said that the Lyr isnt good for home theater use.  Is it because of the distortion that tubes can introduce?
 
Reading reviews and trying to determine whether headphones are good for movies/TV is really tough since the sonic signatures are analyzed in the context of music.  It also makes me want to forget about mid-priced headphones and make the jump to something like the LCD-2, which from what ive read would probably work well with movies and the like.  Though I think ill try and curb my temptation by spending any spare money on amps instead. 

 

[KG Jag]

The key for home theater use (starting from a baseline of good quality amps) is the size and quality of the sound stage it is able to generate for/with your cans.  I don't hear the Lyr producing that relative to other amps, especially those at or around its price range.  Tube distortion has nothing to do with it.  Perhaps there are tubes that you could roll into it to improve things.  There is an entire thread here devoted to tube rolling with the Lyr. 
 
Another issue is that the HD 650, which I very much like for music, has only a middle-ish or upper middle-ish sized sound stage.  "SOUNDSTAGE: The HD650 exhibits an open sound. Yet its soundstage is not particularly wide. When comparing the soundstaging abilities of the HD600 and HD650, I find that the HD650's soundstage is, perhaps just a notch wider. In my opinion, the soundstage here is best suited for smaller ensembles, in my opinion."
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13#user_HD650

 

[Eternalmetal]

  The key for home theater use (starting from a baseline of good quality amps) is the size and quality of the sound stage it is able to generate for/with your cans.  I don't hear the Lyr producing that relative to other amps, especially those at or around its price range.  Tube distortion has nothing to do with it.  Perhaps there are tubes that you could roll into it to improve things.  There is an entire thread here devoted to tube rolling with the Lyr. 
 

I see, thanks for clarifying your point for me.  I really didnt buy the Lyr with the soundstage particularly in mind, so I guess this makes sense.  I have already bought a few sets of tubes and found ones I like best for music, I think I have the 61NPs in there now.  Ill look into finding tubes with an emphasis on their soundstage then, thanks for the good idea.
Quote:

 
Another issue is that the HD 650, which I very much like for music, has only a middle-ish or upper middle-ish sized sound stage.  "SOUNDSTAGE: The HD650 exhibits an open sound. Yet its soundstage is not particularly wide. When comparing the soundstaging abilities of the HD600 and HD650, I find that the HD650's soundstage is, perhaps just a notch wider. In my opinion, the soundstage here is best suited for smaller ensembles, in my opinion."
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13#user_HD650
 

Hmm, and I have seen others say that the soundstage is actually pretty good (not the best out there, but still decent).  Ive also read many people comment on it being their go to headphone for movies and such because of it's warm and dark sound.  Though same with the X1, which is supposed to have quite a large soundstage.  Maybe ill end up going with the X1 after all.  I'd have to get an amp to go with it though, since I cant imagine a worse amp to pair it with than the high power Lyr. 

 

[Show]

I used the HD650 through an M-stage. Retail of both units would be under $700. Street price and second hand would be much less. The reason why I don't use the Lyr for movies is that I dislike the hum when it comes to movies.

 

[Lorspeaker]

For movies....
 
closed cans...Denon D600.. since u have the dac/amp to muster this can. 
Price for this has come down a fair bit, u get a good rumble out of this. 
 
 
For more costly options.. shure 1540 for closed...or shure 1840 for open ...
surprised by the huge soundstage just testing them off my E18
with that bass emphasis coming thru.
 
more exotic...Denon D7000 ...u will get a good rumble.
(or a D2000 if u dun wanna spend alot.)