[Dalesteyn]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post in Head-Fi. I have been visiting this site for last 6-7 months and I have seen plenty of people getting help from you guys. So I thought lets give it a try.
Actually I have decided to buy a quality headphone. I have been searching the web to find the best possible can. But I still have my share of doubts. I am no audiophile and not an expert, but I sure do love my music. I mainly listen to Alternate Rock, Rock, psychedelic rock, Progressive Rock, Ambient Rock, Chill pop,folk, soul (Marvin Gaye), Blues and Jazz, Classical (Mozart, Erik Satie, Claude Debussy),  Basically I listen to all kind of music except Hip Hop, R&B, Rap and any kind of Metal songs. So I dont clearly want Beats kinda Bass. I want a headphone which I can wear for long hours, the sound stage should be pretty good. Also with the right amount of low,mid,high ratio. I know I just described the perfect headphones, but cant help it.
 
My budget is around 300$. I have seen couple of headphones and liked them.
They are
1. Sony MDR 1A
2. Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO ( I know the DT880 PRO has more neutral sound, but I dont mind them being little colorful)
3. Sennheiser HD 598
 
Can you guys tell me what would be the best choice for me as per my music interests? Any other name would be helpful too. I am just a newbie, so if I made any mistake , please go easy on me.
 
P.S. I want to know about the difference between PRO and PREMIUM of DT 990 Series, I have seen couple of threads mentioning that they dont have any difference in terms of sound quality. Its just the look and the build quality. Is it true?

Please help me out guys. Any help would be much appreciated. 
 
Thank you.

 

[EagleWings]

The HD598 and the DT990 are open back headphones and so those 2 will have the best soundstage. But these 2 wont offer isolation.
 
HD598 - it is an all rounder headphone with a warm sound that should suit most of your music preferences adequately unless you are a bass lover
 
DT990 - Has heavy bass and good treble and recessed mids. May not suit the folk, jazz, blues and classical music types. If you are bass lover and like a wide soundstage, this is the one for you
 
MDR-1A - Another all-rounder with closed back. Should be able to deliver with all types of music you mentioned but it is a closed back. Being a closed back, it does offer isolation
 
For difference between Dt990 Pro and premium, check out this post:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/597760/dt-990-pro-vs-premium#post_8179594
 
Also look into Philips Fidelio L2 and X2.
 
If you could be more specific about your needs like, indoor or outdoor use, the device you'd be using your headphone with and other practical factors you could think of, we would be in a better place to guide you in the right direction

 

[Dalesteyn]

Hi,
Thanks for the quick feedback.
I am going to be using the headphone in my house only. So open back headphones aren't gonna be a problem. I do prefer open stage headphones as they provide wider soundstage.
How is the soundstage of sony mdr 1a compared to sennheiser hd 598 and dt 990 pro 250 ohm.
Also I am willing to spend some bucks for a dedicated headphone amp.
I just want to get the best possible sound from my files. (99.99% of which are flac or alac ).

 

[Music Alchemist]

My favorite in that price range (aside from used STAX systems, if you get lucky) is by far the Yamaha HPH-MT220.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/658673/yamaha-hph-mt220-thread-merged
http://www.head-fi.org/products/yamaha-hph-mt220bl

 

[Lorspeaker]

try this...
 
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-HPH-MT220-monitor-over-ear-headphones/dp/B00B44N0DA/ref=pd_cp_23_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=06RCQA39KZVT9VPK6CEA&dpID=51NhSOFEaOL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL70_SR70%2C70_
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/658673/yamaha-hph-mt220-thread-merged/2310#post_11982395
 
 
and a dac/amp like this..
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1532/NFB15.32EN.htm
 
 
 
========alchemist beats me by a sec  

 

[Youth]

Do you want open or closed?

 

[Dalesteyn]

  Do you want open or closed?

Preferably Open, as they provide wider soundstage and are superior to closed back headphones IMHO (As I will be using the cans in my room only, so the outside noise or noise leakage wont be an issue for me.)
I was keen to know about the soundstage quality of SONY MDR 1A, I know being a closed back it wont come close to dt 990 pro or hd 598. but I like the sound signature of SONY MDR 1A.
But that being said, I am open to any suggestions. 
 
P.S. Sorry for a long answer.

 

[Youth]

I'd look into Philips Fidelio X2 then.

 

[Dalesteyn]

Yeah heard about that one too..so is the fidelio x2 better than the beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 250 ohm (with proper dac and amp used).
I know I might end up spending more that way, but I really don't want to compromise the sound.
I hope you are getting my point.

 

[shultzee]

If you are going to spend 300.00 you may want to consider buying something used but like new.  That will enable you to jump into the $500 to $600 range of headphones.   The classifieds here are a good source.  The jump to the next level can sometimes be substantial.    

 

[Youth]

Yeah heard about that one too..so is the fidelio x2 better than the beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 250 ohm (with proper dac and amp used).
I know I might end up spending more that way, but I really don't want to compromise the sound.
I hope you are getting my point.

 
It's hard for me to say if you find the X2 better than the DT990. It comes down to preference really. But if you want the DT990 you better like treble that's for sure. If you're not gonna use DAC/amp I would go for X2 since it's very efficient where as the DT990 needs amping. What's your overall budget for everything? Sounds like you're willing to spend a little more. 

 

[Dalesteyn]

300$ for headphones and 150$ odd for the amps.
Sooner or later I am gonna be buying dac and amps.
I haven't had the chance to listen to dt 990 pro, but from what I have heard it is the fun version of dt 880 pro.
You have said that the dt 999 pro is big on treble, is that at the cost of bass n mids?
Does it have sibilant sound like ath msr7?
Sorry for asking too many questions.

 

[Youth]

300$ for headphones and 150$ odd for the amps.
Sooner or later I am gonna be buying dac and amps.
I haven't had the chance to listen to dt 990 pro, but from what I have heard it is the fun version of dt 880 pro.
You have said that the dt 999 pro is big on treble, is that at the cost of bass n mids?
Does it have sibilant sound like ath msr7?
Sorry for asking too many questions.

 
No problem. Well if you're gonna buy DAC and amp later I'd suggest you save up and get the NFB-15: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1532/NFB15.32EN.htm
To me the DT990 is sibilant. It has boosted treble and bass so the mids are also recessed. What sound signature are you looking for exactly? For me the best headphone arround $300 is HD650 provided you have decent gear. So, with DAC/amp I'd look into HD650/HD600 and without Philips Fidelio X2/HE-400S. This is just my opinion of course so others may disagree  

 

[EagleWings]

No problem. Well if you're gonna buy DAC and amp later I'd suggest you save up and get the NFB-15: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1532/NFB15.32EN.htm
To me the DT990 is sibilant. It has boosted treble and bass so the mids are also recessed. What sound signature are you looking for exactly? For me the best headphone arround $300 is HD650 provided you have decent gear. So, with DAC/amp I'd look into HD650/HD600 and without Philips Fidelio X2/HE-400S. This is just my opinion of course so others may disagree  

+1

 

[Dalesteyn]

   
No problem. Well if you're gonna buy DAC and amp later I'd suggest you save up and get the NFB-15: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1532/NFB15.32EN.htm
To me the DT990 is sibilant. It has boosted treble and bass so the mids are also recessed. What sound signature are you looking for exactly? For me the best headphone arround $300 is HD650 provided you have decent gear. So, with DAC/amp I'd look into HD650/HD600 and without Philips Fidelio X2/HE-400S. This is just my opinion of course so others may disagree  

I am looking for what can be termed as FUN headphones. Although, I am not after too much colored headphone like beats or v moda crossfades. I would love to have a balanced headphone while having a little bit of color added to them. I guess thats how SONY MDR 1A sounds like, although I am not sure. But as it is a closed one, I am concerned about its soundstage issues. 
 
I will be looking for the headphones that you have mentioned. Thanks a million for guiding me.