[greatstrife]

Hey there, I've been lurking for awhile so while im kinda familiar i would say i'm by no means educated in the subject so bare with me.

So recently My M40x's broke and i enjoyed those headphones.They were great, I really enjoyed the sound.
However they lasted just 13 months due to the hinge just breaking so while i liked them i felt i wanted to get something that would really last me and headphones being so subjective and all if i found something i enjoyed id like it survive.

So in my price range being like the say sub $200 dollar range or like say 130 quid mark to me. I did some research and picked up some Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros. They seemed to tick all the boxes. They feel indestructible, They sounded great... but then i noticed the sibilance and i dont have bad tinnitus but some sounds trigger it and yknow... yeah. I've heard people say burn them in and it goes sometimes and ive tried putting paper in front of the drivers but its still present.

Think i've decided to send them back cause its probably my one deal breaker. But now im stuck cause in my price range and i need closed back headphones options seem kinda limited. And theres alot of contradictions of what people think would be a good choice. The ones i've considered are

M50x Due to me liking the m40x and the fact that the hinge would articulate better so would be more likely to not break, however theres alot of negativity around them.

HD 569 or HD 598 c These apparently sound better than the m50x from what i've seen but they're basically just completely plastic so i'd be concerned about them breaking on me.

Beyer Custom One Seems like They're designed the same as the DT 770's but they're supposed to be less sibilant which sounds perfect but I've also heard they sound worse which is worrying

I've also looked at the V-Moda M100 but they're a little expensive and i've seen people saying they die randomly and they're kinda muddy sounding so unsure.

I'd be running the headphones directly from my motherboard so i dont think impedance would be a huge issue and Yeah I'm in the sticks so actually going and testing things first hand is kinda out the question unfortunately so id appreciate any advice.

Thanks for any help.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Why not just EQ out the 6000hz to 10,000hz range? Tallest point is at 8500hz. Just open the suite for the DSP on your motherboard, look for the EQ tab, and trim that range.

 

[greatstrife]

Hey thanks for replying. I have tried that problem is that i find it reduces clarity quite a bit when i do that plus if i do ever use the headphones with anything else i might not have access to an EQ to remove it. Kinda what i mean when i say im looking for something that wont break and will last I'm looking for something that will work for whatever i have lined up for it.

 

[SpeakerBox]

I am a big fan of the Sony MDR-7506 at around $100. They are very well regarded.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hey thanks for replying. I have tried that problem is that i find it reduces clarity quite a bit when i do that...

That's probably because you're also leaving the boosted low end alone which lords it all over the rest of the range that now had that ear piercing treble trimmed off.

Try Equalizer APO and input this profile:
50hz : -2dB
75hz : +2B
150hz : -2dB
6000hz : -1dB
7000hz : -2dB
8500hz : -4dB
9000hz : -1dB

...plus if i do ever use the headphones with anything else i might not have access to an EQ to remove it. Kinda what i mean when i say im looking for something that wont break and will last I'm looking for something that will work for whatever i have lined up for it.

Equalizer APO is fully software and works on Windows.

If you use an Android music server you can use Neutron Music Player for locally stored files as it has a good parametric EQ that allows for changing the Q factor and curve type. If you want a global EQ app to work on streaming services, there's Neutralizer with a semi-automatic tuning interface (ie it has a test tone playing when you play with the gain and depending on what you do at each band it guesses how to shift the Q-factor if it looks like you're trimming or boosting a wide range).

 

[serman005]

SoundMAGIC HP151

 

[greatstrife]

Hey thanks again, I tried Your EQ settings on Peace Protege It definitely removes alot of the the sibilance for sure and sounds better than when i did it. However it comes off kinda... Boxy? Not sure if thats the right word for it... Still kinda debating on whether trying to bandaid these headphones in the best move but i dunno. Hell i genuinely still have aload of tissue paper in front of the drivers to try and fix this for myself haha.

Thank you for your recommendation Serman and Speakerbox I'll check them out!

 

[greatstrife]

I am a big fan of the Sony MDR-7506 at around $100. They are very well regarded.

They seem to have good sound from what i've read but it comes down to the build quality to me seems like they're abit lacking and plasticy

SoundMAGIC HP151

Do you find the sound magic to be quite sibilant? i've read people saying similar things to what i felt with the dt 770s id hate to return these and get those and end up with the same problem

 

[PurpleAngel]

They seem to have good sound from what i've read but it comes down to the build quality to me seems like they're abit lacking and plasticy
Do you find the sound magic to be quite sibilant? i've read people saying similar things to what i felt with the dt 770s id hate to return these and get those and end up with the same problem

I own the Sony MDR-V6, it's like the older brother of the MDR-7506 and they are around 90% the same type of sound, the MDR-7506 being slightly brighter.
I would say the 7506 makes a good monitor headphone, but I would say the HP151 has more "life" in it's sound, over the V6/7506.
To me the HP151 is like an improved DT770. (I own both).

 

[greatstrife]

I own the Sony MDR-V6, it's like the older brother of the MDR-7506 and they are around 90% the same type of sound, the MDR-7506 being slightly brighter.
I would say the 7506 makes a good monitor headphone, but I would say the HP151 has more "life" in it's sound, over the V6/7506.
To me the HP151 is like an improved DT770. (I own both).

Appreciate your response, so from that you'd say i should probably avoid the soundmagic due to my ears not really being able to deal with overly bright cans ? Seems like it would be the same for the V6 with the treble being boosted in a similar rangeish. Ah i wish i could just test some out first hand

 

[SpeakerBox]

I own the Sony MDR-V6, it's like the older brother of the MDR-7506 and they are around 90% the same type of sound, the MDR-7506 being slightly brighter.
I would say the 7506 makes a good monitor headphone, but I would say the HP151 has more "life" in it's sound, over the V6/7506.
To me the HP151 is like an improved DT770. (I own both).

Actually I have the V6 too and like them better than my HD-600s. Go figure!

 

[buke9]

Actually I have the V6 too and like them better than my HD-600s. Go figure!

That is why the OP is at wits end we all like what we like . One person says the 600’s are the greatest and another can’t stand them and so on and so on.

 

[bwuhoo]

Another thing to consider, is looking into the used headphones market. You can find a lot of great deals that fit in your budget category. To name a few great cans:

HD600 (neutral and mid forward sounding. Vocals are great!)
HD650 (warm and relaxing sounding. Non-fatiguing headphones with decent soundstage and good mids)
HiFiman 4XX (airy, decent soundstage, good in most areas. Great all rounder headphone in your budget)
SHP9500 (these can be found pretty cheap and are a great starting place for most. Neutral sounding and comfy)

You can find these cans for sub 200. The Sennheisers will have to be found used to reach the sub 200 category though.

Will you be using an amp/dac? If not, the sennheisers may not be the best since they require some power to truly shine. The other's are perfectly fine without em!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Actually I have the V6 too and like them better than my HD-600s. Go figure!

What DAC/amp or sources do you use to drive your headphones?

 

[SpeakerBox]

What DAC/amp or sources do you use to drive your headphones?

I use a collection of restored/modded vintage HW. Pioneer SX-1250, Fisher 400 (tubes), Harman Kardon 330A.

The HK and Pioneer sound especially good with the V6 and 7506, awesome really. The HD-600 are OK on the fisher (tubes help). For sources I have a VPI Scout table and a Sony NS999ES CD feeding a musical fidelity V90 DAC. Also have a restored/modded Kenwood KT-7550 tuner that has incredible sound.