[ponderwuppy]

There is not much info on starter rigs or good precise guides on getting started in HiFi, with good reason; much of this is subjective. All the music I like my sister hates, and I hate all her music, so if she wanted to get into this hobby, you can see how a universal starting rig would be hard to conceive. ANYWAYS

I would like to start my first serious set up, and I have a budget of $300. Basically, I would like open backs or semi open backs, or would even take closed. Let me get more specific on my music choices on a regular basis.

Most listened: Bossa Nova, Jazz, Big Band Jazz, 50s pop hits, choral music, gregorian chant (weird?)
Next: Classical music, folk acoustic music, accordion music (I am an accordionist), Motion Picture music.
Last: occasional rock in the Beatles, Led Zepp, even modern like Imagine Dragons.
Music I never listen too: rap, hip hop, metal, EDM.
For sound signature, I think i want neutral; I like to hear every instrument to insane degrees while keeping smooth and together rather than separate. Bass should be impactful but not emphasized.

Headphones Ive used and liked: Vsonic Gr07, good detail in the treble and goood stage for IEM and nicely warm. Feels like a wool blanket; keeps warm but has tons of texture

Headphones I do not like:
Shure SE215, too much bass, far less detail, sounds not full.. idk, Im not am experienced audiophile, but I dont like them!

This would be an at home set up, so amp and dac are welcome for sure.

I would say most importantly, I want headphones that I can buy and keep for decades if possible. I really think the DT 880 Beyerdynamics would be good. Sennheiser HD600 also in the running, other than that, idk.

Thanks all

 

[cossix]

There is not much info on starter rigs or good precise guides on getting started in HiFi, with good reason; much of this is subjective. All the music I like my sister hates, and I hate all her music, so if she wanted to get into this hobby, you can see how a universal starting rig would be hard to conceive. ANYWAYS

I would like to start my first serious set up, and I have a budget of $300. Basically, I would like open backs or semi open backs, or would even take closed. Let me get more specific on my music choices on a regular basis.

Most listened: Bossa Nova, Jazz, Big Band Jazz, 50s pop hits, choral music, gregorian chant (weird?)
Next: Classical music, folk acoustic music, accordion music (I am an accordionist), Motion Picture music.
Last: occasional rock in the Beatles, Led Zepp, even modern like Imagine Dragons.
Music I never listen too: rap, hip hop, metal, EDM.
For sound signature, I think i want neutral; I like to hear every instrument to insane degrees while keeping smooth and together rather than separate. Bass should be impactful but not emphasized.

Headphones Ive used and liked: Vsonic Gr07, good detail in the treble and goood stage for IEM and nicely warm. Feels like a wool blanket; keeps warm but has tons of texture

Headphones I do not like:
Shure SE215, too much bass, far less detail, sounds not full.. idk, Im not am experienced audiophile, but I dont like them!

This would be an at home set up, so amp and dac are welcome for sure.

I would say most importantly, I want headphones that I can buy and keep for decades if possible. I really think the DT 880 Beyerdynamics would be good. Sennheiser HD600 also in the running, other than that, idk.

Thanks all

If you went with the 600, you'd want an amp and DAC, but i believe the 600 runs for $275-ish which doesn't leave much room for gear. The 600 and 650 need decent gear to have sound worth the price tag. I think the best value gear for somebody with a 300 dollar budget is the Schiit Fulla 2. I'd grab that and spend 200 on headphones, maybe a used 600 or a used 400S by Hifiman

 

[halibut11]

I know that Massdrop is shipping the HE-4XX's early, maybe even this Monday, so the second batch may be available more immediately after they ship the initial batch. If you can monitor that they may be a great choice at 169$ I think. And I second the Fulla 2.

 

[PaganDL]

Hi ponderwuppy,

Great name by the way,

Anyway, nothing wrong with your music choices, listen to pretty much the same...

One thing before we get into what you might be looking for, three things matter for personal audio :
Music & how it sounds is subjective & personal (you pretty much highlighted that yourself)
Source Quality matters (This means CD Quality minimum or higher)
Demo everything personally with source material you know well (If you can, usually not a problem, just ask)

The following list is in no particular order.

Headphones :
Meze 99 Classics (Recommend changing stock pad to ZMF cowhide as fit with stock pads is not good for long listening if you have odd shape or large ears)
Audio Techica MSR7 is a good all rounder & good price point to start
Shure SH940 (Instant Saving Promo at present, might get better price on top at a pro audio shop)
Sony WH1000MK2 (Maybe pushing since it's over your budget but worth considering with good noise cancelling & bluetooth)

OR

In Ears :
Meze 12 Classics
Audio Technica E70 (May stretch your budget but look for in pro audio shop as generally significantly lower than regular msrp, avg difference usually $50 to $100)

All the above I own so I have no problem recommending.

By the way, with in ears, good fit & isolation is important for the tips so either Comply or Spinfit are good though some don't like Spinfit as to get a good seal the silicone has to go deep in the ear.

Even though with the headphones or in ears (excluding 12 Classics), you're already potentially overbudget, other useful gear which is good amp wise, Lexicon Alpha (cheapest Computer USB Interface still around) & Presonus HP4

Hope this helps.

 

[PaganDL]

Hi ponderpuppy,

Forgot to mention, Meze 99 Classics have a Black Friday sale, you'll find the link in the Meze 99 Classics discussion.

Hope this helps.

 

[ponderwuppy]

Gosh, I missed the Meze 99!

I'll be short. I bought the DT 880s and Fulla 2, and I loved it. But then I realized that open-backs are not what I need right now given that I like at home with siblings and need sound isolation.
I purchased the DT 770... wow, what a mistake! The sound was AWFUL compared to the 880s - nowhere near as clear in the midrange, almost recessed. And too much bass.

Looking at the MSR7s

Thanks

 

[Dulalala]

Also try taking a look at the SRH840. However, the cable it comes with is terribly annoying and the headphones will fall off easily... not the best for portable use but if you're stationary it should be fine. Doesn't require an amp either to help save you a few bucks. I personally don't recommend those who are new to the hobby to spend a lot of money on amplifiers. I think it's much more fun to try different headphones first and get into amplifiers when your a bit deeper in the hobby but that's just my perspective.

 

[ponderwuppy]

I just bought the HD 580s from HeadFi'er. I know they're open backed, but after trying the DT 770s I realized I much prefer open back so they feel less 'pressurized' in my ears. I'll report how they are. I'll look at the SH 840 as well