[Maxxeh]

At midnight on monday I go on a filming trip to amsterdam..
But I just realised, my headphones are broken!

So.. Hopefully someone can help me!
I need tips ASAP so I can get next day delivery!

Budget: say around £70-80, but the cheaper the better, £50 quality would be ok I think.

I'm going to be wearing them on the coach, and around my neck, used with mostly portable devices (ipod,psp,ds etc..)
I don't want tiny little in-ear or over-ear phones,
I want big cool looking closed cans

I used to own a pair of Koss Pro3AA's which I liked the look of, and loved the sound of (to give you a clue of the SQ I'm happy with (the bass was nice!)
I used these for a trip like this before and they were perfect.
Unfortunately however, they met the same end as everyone elses, the phone arm snapped off.


So.. I've been looking at the Koss 4AA, and the 4AAT, hoping for the same (or better) sound, with better build quality!

I hear the 4AAT has better sound, but I prefer the retro look of the 4AAT, and apparently they are much more durable.
They are both 250 Ohm's though, and I'm not sure my portables would be up to the task!
Senn's hd 280 silver look good too, but apparently lack bass

To contrast the big beefy cans I'm hoping to get, I also have a pair of goldring GX200's on their way to me. I also like the sound of these with the comply tips.
Again my old pair met a nasty accident. this time with my dog. She seems to like foamy things..



hopefully that's enough information! Thankyou in advance for any help I might recieve! any clues will be greatly appreciated!


Oh!! I was also looking at some camoflague ATH-Pro5MS (just because they look fashionable!) but I'm not sure of the SQ.



OK I'll shut up, Thanks again!

 

[mark2410]

erm then id say go find out what ur actually able to buy in a shop, no point people recommending stuff if you cant wait to order it online

 

[Nestor]

FWIR, any of the following might work...
ATH-ES7 - decent sounding, good-looking, but vice-like head grip
ATH-A500 - good sealed, but FWIR much better blue-tacked
D1001 - probably the best sounding, and very comfortable, but little isolation
MDR-V6 - personally, I hate them, but they have a sort of cult following as good studio monitors
HD280Pro - light on bass, otherwise average, but have unbeatable isolation

Also, there is no way that an iPod can drive Koss 4AA's. Those are old-school cans designed to be amped.

 

[Maxxeh]

Well if I gather reccommendations from people, I can order them from an online store that does next day delivery.

There are also many places nearby I can check out, but I'd rather have an idea of what to look for, instead of going in blind and choosing whatever the salesman wants me to buy!




Edit: just saw your post Nestor, thankyou for the tips!

Do you think the ATH-Pro5MS would compete with the other ATH's you suggested?
The D1001's look/sound like they would be good, but seem a little small in pictures, also I think they are too pricey!
the MDR-V6's just look..nasty!

The HD280's are still in the running, but lose points for light bass!

Thanks for pointing out the Koss amping problem, I'll rule them out!

 

[1Time]

I suggest getting headphones that are widely considered good out of the box, without burn-in.

 

[Maxxeh]

yeah that's a good point, I'll have a look around and see what comes under that category.
Although I don't want to sacrifice overall/longterm sound quality just for this trip!

Does anyone know about the ATH-Pro5MS? They are the only phones I haven't heard much about.
Although on audiocubes It seems to have mostly 5* reveiws.
Not sure if this is because people are comparing them to their default ipod phones, or if they really are good!

 

[BigTony]

I have heard that in Amsterdam they do have shops! And guys with crazy dutch accents; pretty sure you'll find headphones.

 

[Maxxeh]

hmm that's true, they'd probably have a better selection than I'd have here.. but I don't think I could stand the journey there without music!

Besides, the point is, I don't know what to buy!
So even if I went to a shop, It'd be useless without knowing what's worth the money.
Salesmen will just try to sell me the most expensive regardless of quality!

 

[Maxxeh]

OK.. Well I went to my local hifi dealer, and was surprised to find that he didn't have alot of selection, but apparently, the best in that price range are the

ATH-M40fs at £69

So, he convinced me to buy them. (It wasn't hard as I was stuck for choice)

When I got home, I tried them out...
Using an ipod, the sound is dull and lacks punch.
They seem to be very neutral, So nothing really stands out in the music.
It needs an adaptor due to the 6.3mm plug, so it doesnt fit in the pocket well.
The sound seems to leak out alot.
I'm pretty disappointed to be honest, and this is the best he had to offer.

He also had some denon 1001s there but he said they weren't as good as the M40's

I preferred the sound and power of my old Koss 3AA's, it's a shame they are badly built .


This is why I wanted some help from you guys online, because now I'm stuck with a pair of phones I'm not too sure about.

Do I keep them anyway?
Do I burn them in, and see how they fair?
Do I take them back tomorrow? or perhaps after my trip?

 

[as.we.proceed]

get the d1001 and do a side by side comparison

 

[Nocturnal310]

ya.. Denon D1001 is one awesome headphone around that price range..great controlled bass + very comfortable....one issue is the poor sound isolation.

 

[as.we.proceed]

how are those HD205's?? i think youre the only person here that has those.are they just like k81dj?

 

[Darek]

x 2 on the D1001s

imo they should have the fun and punch you need

according to people around me they didn't leak much when i was wearing them,
but when i took it off it was a different story of cos

 

[fjrabon]

I'll also throw my hat in the rec'ing D1001's in the mix.

I think these are kind of becoming a FOTM for the "need closed cand from $75-$200" post. But I sure do adore mine.

 

[cyberidd]

Welcome to head-fi, sorry about your wallet!

I recommend returning the M40's if they are nothing but a disappointment to you and testing the D1001s while at the store. You can even get the guy at the store to wear them with music playing to see how much they leak out, and get him to sing and dance while you wear them to give you an idea of how much outside noise they let in (it also has the bonus effect of being highly amusing!). If you find that these aren't up to the standard you're looking for, then try something else, but I think that they'll probably be perfect.