[jonsnow007]

Hey guys,

Would you be able to recommend me a pair of headphones and amp for music and movies. I have a budget of around $1000 although I'm willing to spend a little more if needed. I don't have the abillity to test out headphone before I buy so what you guys recommend will contribute alot in my final decision. I did have a pair of Sennheiser HD280's which have given me much enjoyment over the years but unfortunately they are broken now, beyond repair and besides I think it's time for a nice upgrade.

Music wise I listen to mostly symphonic/prog/death/black metal.

 

[wnmnkh]

Hmmm, it seems HD650 with a nice amp is the right choice for you.

An entry-level Headroom Desktop amp with HD650 would fit your budget and need (not to mention it has one of best crossfeed for movie as well.)

 

[paaj]

Sennheiser HD650 + Graham Slee Solo amp (if possible with PSU1 power supply) is a great combination

Do you have a decent source already? don't forget that.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

death/black metal.

Plus Grados for those genres?

 

[oqvist]

Ultrasone Pro 900. HD 650 was really not that good for movies. No soundstage to speak off very few out of head moments and very hard to pin point where sound came from. Good with voices almost on par with the Pro 900 there so that is not a problem

. Better if you are watching for example tv series with a lot of compressed audio since you really have to work hard to get them to show sibilance.

As for amp I would say Heed Canamp because it´s so cheap and have yet to hear an amp that have nearly as much depth. However as for synergy it´s neither perfect for the Pro 900/HD 650 unless you really want mucho bass. I ran a lot of cotton wool on my Pro 900 (reduces bass) when I had that one so it can be fixed though

 

[oqvist]

Slee Solo is good but the soundstage is a bit narrow for my taste

 

[yoginasser]

Grado GS-1000 all the way for movies.And there are some sweet deals on them from fellow headfiers atm

 

[oqvist]

But I think people want something comfortable when watching movies. Movies are often around 2 hours. For music you can relieve the pain pretty much when you want

 

[Miths]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ultrasone Pro 900. HD 650 was really not that good for movies. No soundstage to speak off very few out of head moments and very hard to pin point where sound came from. Good with voices almost on par with the Pro 900 there so that is not a problem . Better if you are watching for example tv series with a lot of compressed audio since you really have to work hard to get them to show sibilance. As for amp I would say Heed Canamp because it´s so cheap and have yet to hear an amp that have nearly as much depth. However as for synergy it´s neither perfect for the Pro 900/HD 650 unless you really want mucho bass. I ran a lot of cotton wool on my Pro 900 (reduces bass) when I had that one so it can be fixed though

Despite the smaller soundstage I actually prefer my HD650 to my K601 for movies, mainly because of the much weightier bass impact (the K601 goes deep enough but lacks punch) which goes very well with the action and sci-fi movies I typically watch.
I haven't tried a pair of Ultrasones (though I was actually considering one of their models instead of the HD650 when I bought them recently), but I don't quite agree with your criticism of the HD650. A relatively small soundstage, sure - but it's most definitely there, both width and depth, and I have no trouble at all pin pointing sound locations in neither movies nor games.
That said I'm not arguing that the Ultrasones might not be the better choice for movies - just that the HD650 aren't in my opinion even even remotely bad for the job.

 

[ajjekko]

Why would you pick the HD650 for metal? It wouldn't perform as great as Grados, but then he mentioned movies. I suggest some Ultrasones.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonsnow007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Would you be able to recommend me a pair of headphones and amp for music and movies.

Welcome to Head-Fi.

What sound card or other equipment will you be plugging these headphones into?

Do you prefer open or closed headphones? Closed will keep more sound in and block more external sounds like the HD280. Open headphones won't block external sounds, and sound from the headphones will leak out for others to hear.

 

[jonsnow007]

Hi there, thanks for your suggestions so far. As far as listening to metal goes I probably should point out that the majority of it is of the more symphonic variety, with orchestras, progressive sounding, often with female vocals, busy sounding etc... The type which would probably benefit from a wider soundstage but with nice bass and midrange for the drums and guitars and other instruments as well.

As far as soundcards go I'll be buying some type of USB device for my laptop, I'll take suggestions for that as well but it's not really the right topic.

Open or closed headphones isn't really an issue for me as I'll be listening primarily in my bedroom which is dead quiet with the windows closed

 

[giveup]

HD 650 for sure. The base is very good for movie watching, but ,of course , depend largely on your amp. So if you don't mind second hand stuff, I would suggest you spend the rest of your budget getting a decent amp for it.

 

[oqvist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miths /img/forum/go_quote.gif Despite the smaller soundstage I actually prefer my HD650 to my K601 for movies, mainly because of the much weightier bass impact (the K601 goes deep enough but lacks punch) which goes very well with the action and sci-fi movies I typically watch. I haven't tried a pair of Ultrasones (though I was actually considering one of their models instead of the HD650 when I bought them recently), but I don't quite agree with your criticism of the HD650. A relatively small soundstage, sure - but it's most definitely there, both width and depth, and I have no trouble at all pin pointing sound locations in neither movies nor games. That said I'm not arguing that the Ultrasones might not be the better choice for movies - just that the HD650 aren't in my opinion even even remotely bad for the job.

Well I ain´t really arguing that it´s bad just less good

. In term of soundstage it ended up last against the K701, Pro 900, DX 1000. Everything is relative as always. As for bass well if you like the 650 for action movies try the Pro 900. I have never owned a headphone that goes so deep and have so detailed bass. As for volume the HD 650 pretty much the equal perhaps even a bit more mid bass. Though of course there is no comparison to a sub to either of these if you manage to get the accoustics right of course.

But as you say bass is not where it falls short it´s soundstage and transparency. primarily. It certainly beats the K701, DX 1000 for voices.

Only headphones that have sub like bass that I have owned is the DX 1000. But that fails for movies for other reasons for me.

 

[Bonthouse]

Okay, this will sound weird, but why not buy two? D2000 for movies (God I love it SO much for movies, games etc) and a Grado SR325i for music?