Help me choose my first pair of "mid-range" headphones

[cobb]

Howdy!
First time poster, long time reader, and am looking to upgrade my current setup. I have been doing my own research for a few weeks now but I fear I have become lost in the weeds of rtings graphs and reddit reviews.

1. Currently: I listen through a pair of DT990 Pros, plugged straight into my laptop (or through a Scarlett 2i2 when I am playing the guitar). It's comfortable for long periods over my glasses, and it works. Looking to change things up a little because I got a little back pay, and have always wanted to dip my toes into higher end headphones.
2. What I'm looking for: I'm looking for something that is "fun" to listen to, for lack of a better word. Specifically, something with a large sound stage and good mids. Bass is less important to me, I mostly listen to metal and hardcore, and if the bass is too prominent, especially on tracks with worse production, it gets muddy quick. I am planning on using them for music consumption only, not production. Comfort is also important to me, I wear glasses, and would like something with ear pads that don't give me a headache. I also have a pretty small head, so something with a fair bit of adjustment would be nice as well. I know the 990s aren't the most analytical cans, but I'm not even that good at guitar and I'm not mixing any top 100 hits, they'll do just fine.
3. Budget: I would like to stay within ~$1500 for the headphones and a dac/amp. I am comfortable with flexing up if need be.
4. Current Options: Sennheiser HD 660S2, I can source these from a local shop but have concerns about the soundstage of them. Beyerdynamic DT 1990 pro mkii, I am familiar with the footprint of the Beyerdynamics and I find the 990s to be very comfortable through long wear even though I wear glasses. Audio Technica ATH R70X, these are easier on the wallet and all reviews say their sound stage is nuts.
5. Amp/DAC: No idea what to look for here. Space is not an issue so I am cool with either a combo or a stack solution.

Thanks in advance! And excuse me if I stuffed up any of the terminology, still learning here.

 

[msing539]

Howdy!
First time poster, long time reader, and am looking to upgrade my current setup. I have been doing my own research for a few weeks now but I fear I have become lost in the weeds of rtings graphs and reddit reviews.

Welcome! What I'll say about Reddit is that it pushes towards a consensus by rewarding the popular opinion and penalizing things outside the norm. Many of the users that recommend things haven't owned those things, or haven't explored much beyond them. That's why you end up with the opinion there that a $10 dongle is on par with 90% of portable dacs. Or the HD6xx is the greatest headphone ever made.

What I'm looking for: I'm looking for something that is "fun" to listen to, for lack of a better word. Specifically, something with a large sound stage and good mids. Bass is less important to me, I mostly listen to metal and hardcore, and if the bass is too prominent, especially on tracks with worse production, it gets muddy quick. I am planning on using them for music consumption only, not production. Comfort is also important to me, I wear glasses, and would like something with ear pads that don't give me a headache. I also have a pretty small head, so something with a fair bit of adjustment would be nice as well. I know the 990s aren't the most analytical cans, but I'm not even that good at guitar and I'm not mixing any top 100 hits, they'll do just fine.

Fun can mean different things. Some equate it to warmth, bass impact, dynamics, etc. No longer in production but the Hifiman HE500 might be a great fit. Because you need something smaller, I would steer away from the egg shaped Hifimans. AKG is another option... great comfort with glasses plus the headphones are very light. I haven't owned or heard enough of them to recommend a specific model.

Current Options: Sennheiser HD 660S2, I can source these from a local shop but have concerns about the soundstage of them. Beyerdynamic DT 1990 pro mkii, I am familiar with the footprint of the Beyerdynamics and I find the 990s to be very comfortable through long wear even though I wear glasses. Audio Technica ATH R70X, these are easier on the wallet and all reviews say their sound stage is nuts.

Of these, the Sennheiser has great mids (as most of them do). The 1990 has a lot of treble energy, sometimes sibilant. The R70X is neutral, good soundstage indeed, I certainly wouldn't describe any part of it as fun personally.

Amp/DAC: No idea what to look for here. Space is not an issue so I am cool with either a combo or a stack solution.

Once you figure out the headphone, you can figure out the amp/dac. If you plan to grow your collection within a few years, get something that won't completely limit you or force you to buy one type of headphone cable.

 

[dunring]

I've had a chance to try over 450 headphones for the business. From what you have and describe, the Hifiman Edition XS and JDS Atom 2 amp/DAC combo will be a really nice upgrade. The Sennheiser HD650 is another you can't go wrong. The difference is the Edition XS is much larger, and comfortable on big heads. The HD650 has a tighter clamp and for small to medium hat wearers it's ideal. Can't go wrong with either, the Edition XS I use as a daily driver with a Custom Cans support headband for comfort (don't get the stretchy one, the Edition XS is too heavy, only the smaller firm one works on that model).

 

[earmonger]

"Fun" around here tends to mean boom and sizzle -- hefty bass and bright treble. Seems like that's not exactly what you're looking for.

I am a big booster of the ATH-R70X for comfort (fellow glasses wearer) and clarity.
It does need an amp -- like the JDS Labs Atom recommended above or something similar.

But is not a knock-your-head-off headphone, and as you can see from the graph, it's got less boom and sizzle than your Beyer DT990. So it would be different from what you're used to, and might feel...tame...on a first listen.
https://graph.hangout.audio/headpho...Pro_(250Ω),R70x&bass=4&tilt=-1&treble=0&ear=0

Your best bet is to find a place with a friendly return policy -- maybe thomann.de or Amazon? -- and try headphones from a few different companies. Give each model enough time to establish itself in your ears. On a quick first listen, a louder and peakier headphone is likely to impress, but that may not be the sound you actually want to live with.

 

[AnamCeoil]

Howdy!
First time poster, long time reader, and am looking to upgrade my current setup. I have been doing my own research for a few weeks now but I fear I have become lost in the weeds of rtings graphs and reddit reviews.

1. Currently: I listen through a pair of DT990 Pros, plugged straight into my laptop (or through a Scarlett 2i2 when I am playing the guitar). It's comfortable for long periods over my glasses, and it works. Looking to change things up a little because I got a little back pay, and have always wanted to dip my toes into higher end headphones.
2. What I'm looking for: I'm looking for something that is "fun" to listen to, for lack of a better word. Specifically, something with a large sound stage and good mids. Bass is less important to me, I mostly listen to metal and hardcore, and if the bass is too prominent, especially on tracks with worse production, it gets muddy quick. I am planning on using them for music consumption only, not production. Comfort is also important to me, I wear glasses, and would like something with ear pads that don't give me a headache. I also have a pretty small head, so something with a fair bit of adjustment would be nice as well. I know the 990s aren't the most analytical cans, but I'm not even that good at guitar and I'm not mixing any top 100 hits, they'll do just fine.
3. Budget: I would like to stay within ~$1500 for the headphones and a dac/amp. I am comfortable with flexing up if need be.
4. Current Options: Sennheiser HD 660S2, I can source these from a local shop but have concerns about the soundstage of them. Beyerdynamic DT 1990 pro mkii, I am familiar with the footprint of the Beyerdynamics and I find the 990s to be very comfortable through long wear even though I wear glasses. Audio Technica ATH R70X, these are easier on the wallet and all reviews say their sound stage is nuts.
5. Amp/DAC: No idea what to look for here. Space is not an issue so I am cool with either a combo or a stack solution.

Thanks in advance! And excuse me if I stuffed up any of the terminology, still learning here.

FWIW I have found the JM Audio XTC Beryllium Warm but detailed to be a great listen- exciting, dynamic, engaging and realistic. And he will return them for free apparently, though I haven't don't that. They are also extremely easy to drive. Some great recommendations here already but thought I'd add something a bit out of left field FWIW. Good luck with your exploration and journey!

 

[cobb]

Thanks for the replies!

I decided to check out the Arya Stealth. The headband seems to me to look more comfortable than the XS for my head, but I ordered from Thomann and they have a great return policy so if they don't workout I'll look into the XS. Regarding the R70x, I still wanted to try them out, but looks like Thomann has stopped carrying them, bummer. They are only stocking the newer XA version now.

 

[bagwell359]

I've had a chance to try over 450 headphones for the business. From what you have and describe, the Hifiman Edition XS and JDS Atom 2 amp/DAC combo will be a really nice upgrade. The Sennheiser HD650 is another you can't go wrong. The difference is the Edition XS is much larger, and comfortable on big heads. The HD650 has a tighter clamp and for small to medium hat wearers it's ideal. Can't go wrong with either, the Edition XS I use as a daily driver with a Custom Cans support headband for comfort (don't get the stretchy one, the Edition XS is too heavy, only the smaller firm one works on that model).

The 650 and all HD-6** cans do not have much of a soundstage, which is what the OG wants. The XS is pretty good, the Arya Stealth is better and fits inside the budget.

 

[sofastreamer]

I've had a chance to try over 450 headphones for the business. From what you have and describe, the Hifiman Edition XS and JDS Atom 2 amp/DAC combo will be a really nice upgrade. The Sennheiser HD650 is another you can't go wrong. The difference is the Edition XS is much larger, and comfortable on big heads. The HD650 has a tighter clamp and for small to medium hat wearers it's ideal. Can't go wrong with either, the Edition XS I use as a daily driver with a Custom Cans support headband for comfort (don't get the stretchy one, the Edition XS is too heavy, only the smaller firm one works on that model).

i had a chance to compare 2k headphones. still i cannot recall a single comparison correctly out of memory

btt: dac/amp - Shanling EH2
hp: either Sennheiser HD800s or AKG K812 or Audeze LCD3 used if you can stand the weight or dan clark lineup. since you are coming from beyer you might like hifiman treble tho