[Drakokirby]

Hai again Head-Fi members. I'm looking for Headphones once again that will suit my music needs. I currently own a Sennheiser HD202 but I don't think the posters of Head-Fi consider them legit closed headphones. I actually made 2 theads about my first serious headphones but every time I created those threads, I came up with more questions and recommendations for headphones than answers on the sole perfect headphones for me so I have put of making a new thread until I read through myriads of people also asking the same questions and thinking about the small things that end up playing a huge role like comfort on the neck, soundstage, how well they are for gaming, average prices on the For Sale forum, etc. So here goes nothing...
 
List of what I am looking for in a headphone (In order from the most important to least important)
1.) Price range-I cannot pass $110 on these phones. Most Sansa Fuzes and Clip+ sell for 40-55 on Ebay and I have a budget around $170. I will update the budget when I come across extra cash for the phones+MP3
2.) Performance on the outside-These headphones will most times than not, be used outside so they must be closed and cannot leak too much sound
3.) Comfort on the neck-I only carry my headphones on my neck; My back pack is already full with my binders and notebooks for school
4.) Sound Quality-I'm kinda of looking for a sound signature in between punchy and calm. Not sure if that exists (would that be balanced?) but if it doesn't, I guess punchy would be better since my R&B songs outnumber my Rock and metal songs
5.) Comfort on the ears. I'm not too sure if my ears are larger than the average ear. Gonna see if I can get a photo. Note:If the phone's earpads are uncomfortable but there is a mod to enhance it's comfort, add the price it would cost to usually buy those earpads 
6.) Doesn't need an amp to preform amazing-I will probably never have the money to buy a solid amp for my headphones so they can't rely on amps to make the a great buy at the $110 and lower range. Unless there is a quality amp under $50 cheap, probably not gonna buy one.
7.) A great soundstage- I'm a real penny pincher so i'm going to be using these headphones for everything like playing CoD: Black Ops, watching movies, listening to music and etc. on the computer and most of the following benefit from a great soundstage
8.) Pairs well with Sansa Fuze/Sansa Clip+
9.) Durablity and looks- Won't need to endure crazy pain but i'm such a klutz, the ability to withstand pain would be great. For looks, a sleek black will win it easily. 
10.) Detail- I like listening to video game music from Final Fantasy, Pokemon, etc. so they usually play orchestra music. It would be nice to hear every instrument but is the least of my worries
 
For that I have considered already from numerous threads:
ATH-M50(Leader)
ATH-A700(Have heard it's like ATH-M50 but less bass, better soundstage.)
Q40
MDR7506
DT770
DT1001
 
I am open to suggestions for headphones not listed though.
 
So yeah, please reply with your two cents on this thread if you can. All posts will be greatly appreciated ^_^

 

[logwed]

Well, I can tell you to throw out the AD700 from your suggestions. It's wide open, has zero clamp (falls down at the slightest movement), and really doesn't sound as good as the hype suggests. Also, it looks goofy. 
 

 

[Drakokirby]

Wait, I thought A700 were the closed versions on AD700?
 
Edit: I do agree on the goofiness of the AD700. Silver and a blue-ish colour with these two cords above the headband is pretty darn goofy

 

[JacobTerrado]

I can only comment on the M50's because those are the only ones i have : o
Quote:

List of what I am looking for in a headphone (In order from the most important to least important)
1.) Price range-I cannot pass $110 on these phones. Most Sansa Fuzes and Clip+ sell for 40-55 on Ebay and I have a budget around $170. I will update the budget when I come across extra cash for the phones+MP3
2.) Performance on the outside-These headphones will most times than not, be used outside so they must be closed and cannot leak too much sound
3.) Comfort on the neck-I only carry my headphones on my neck; My back pack is already full with my binders and notebooks for school
4.) Sound Quality-I'm kinda of looking for a sound signature in between punchy and calm. Not sure if that exists (would that be balanced?) but if it doesn't, I guess punchy would be better since my R&B songs outnumber my Rock and metal songs
5.) Comfort on the ears. I'm not too sure if my ears are larger than the average ear. Gonna see if I can get a photo. Note:If the phone's earpads are uncomfortable but there is a mod to enhance it's comfort, add the price it would cost to usually buy those earpads 
6.) Doesn't need an amp to preform amazing-I will probably never have the money to buy a solid amp for my headphones so they can't rely on amps to make the a great buy at the $110 and lower range. Unless there is a quality amp under $50 cheap, probably not gonna buy one.
7.) A great soundstage- I'm a real penny pincher so i'm going to be using these headphones for everything like playing CoD: Black Ops, watching movies, listening to music and etc. on the computer and most of the following benefit from a great soundstage
8.) Pairs well with Sansa Fuze/Sansa Clip+
9.) Durablity and looks- Won't need to endure crazy pain but i'm such a klutz, the ability to withstand pain would be great. For looks, a sleek black will win it easily. 
10.) Detail- I like listening to video game music from Final Fantasy, Pokemon, etc. so they usually play orchestra music. It would be nice to hear every instrument but is the least of my worries

1. They fit your price range if you get them at the correct place. I.E. Ebay (beware of fakes), etc.
2. These are closed. They block out sound from the outside, and usually don't leak. Playing them really loudly, might allow for leakage
3. To me, the M50's only fit around the neck when it's extended all the way. Also, what i do is i flip the drivers so that the back panel is facing my neck. IMO, it's much more comfortable that way since the cushions kind of touch the neck if you don't flip them
4. At first, the M50's would sound "punchy" and "boomy". However, as "burn - in" occurs, the sound becomes less boomy. The impact isn't as strong as the Dr. Dre Beats, but the M50's have a longer bass extension. IMO again, i think the bass is just right
5. The M50's for me are sometimes comfortable sometimes not. Sometimes, i don't feel them, sometimes i do. When i do feel them, my ears usually feel hot (As with most or all closed headphones). Also, the area around my ear sometimes gets itchy. Maybe it's just me
6. I run these straight from my ipod. They don't need an amp, but i usually have to put the volume around 1/2 or 3/4 of the max
7. These do not have great soundstaging.
8. Not sure about that, I used mine on an ipod/ computer
9. Looks like the appearance would suit you. These are very durable. I've dropped mine a couple times and it still holds
10. I'm not sure about the last part. All i know is that if you're coming from cheap earbuds, then you would most likely hear a difference. 

Hope that helps o.o ,

 

[Drakokirby]

Bump

 

[EYEdROP]

Exactly how much bass are you looking for? Headphones by nature dont have much bass unless the manufacturer tweaks the frequency response or adds resonance, which will make it colored and unbalanced. So its a tradeoff. If your looking for subwoofer-like bass but still decently detailed and clear, look no further than the DT770. If you need something balanced and more accurate, Id pick the Sony MDR 7506. The DT770 or M50 will sound  exiting and involving with music, and really rocks out.
 
 The 7506 will be most honest sounding and accurate, balanced, flat, detailed, transparent.  But not so involving or exiting, and can be boring. It all depends on your taste.

 

[Drakokirby]

I want to be in the middle of Sony 7506 bass and XB700 bass. I also heard from a few people who posted their views on DT770 that it is muddy or tinny w/out an amp. Is that true?

 

[Drakokirby]

Another bump

 

[Noyan]

I was in your same situation man. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with the M50's. My first headphones as a high schooler and I was very pleased. Sure the bass wasn't as booming as I like, but these aren't Dre's (plus they have better clarity than the Dre beats). If not the M50's, I'd say Sonys are your next best bet for over the ear. Check out the mdr-v6 or mdr-7506- these are cheap and reliable phones that have withstood the test of time. To be honest though, the best bang for your buck in a good pair of cans will probably come from an IEM. My first were a 20 dollar pair of skull candy ones (and although they are a lot less clear than the m50s the bass is sweet), and I STILL use them 4 years later. Anyway hope this helps! and don't let that upgrade bug bite ya ; )

 

[ArmAndHammer]

That is true...with the 770 Pro 80's at least. However, you can get a decent portable amp for not a lot of money that would help. While it might not have the same impact as a desktop amp or a highend portable, it could be perfectly suitable for your purposes. The 770/80 do have quite a bit of good bass though if that is what you are looking for. The highs are decent, mids not so much. Sound stage is really good to. They are super comfortable and will fit around your neck. They are kinda big and industrial looking however.
 
Quote:

I want to be in the middle of Sony 7506 bass and XB700 bass. I also heard from a few people who posted their views on DT770 that it is muddy or tinny w/out an amp. Is that true?

 

[Drakokirby]

Is the DT770 bad enough without an amp where the M50 will blow it out of the water because i'll probably won't have enough money to buy an amp on my budget unless I can snag the Fuze at a very cheap price

 

[shorty920]

FYI even a $25 E5 amp will help. Using an E5 amp with my Samsung Captivate, the DT 770s still sound very good at a comfortable listening volume.

 

[Jibbie]

M50s will probably be the best.  You could look at Creative Aurvana Live (Denon 1001s), but the M50s are some of the best entry level cans.  Solid bass, good balanced sound spectrum, portable, great isolation, good looks.  They clamp pretty hard, so idk how they will feel around your neck, but they are sturdy as hell and fold up so I don't think transportation will be an issue.  No amp required

 

[Drakokirby]

So DT 770...what price is the DT 770 a "steal" and what is its usual street price? Would buying the DT 770 with a cheap amp like the E5 be a better future choice than the M50 by itself because I have heard from numerous people M50s don't benefit much with amps while some swear it really helps its recessed mids? Any swift answer would be greatly appreciated because I found like 3 ATH-M50s coiled cable at decent prices right now

 

[sumathias]

I own the DT770s and have heard the M50s on multiple occasions. I hope you are talking about the DT770 pros as that is what I shall use as a reference point (though they are all sonically similar)
 
A steal would probably be $150, if you know where to look. There's almost no way you can find one at $110, unless its really well used. I did see one on ebay really cheap a while ago though, and buy ordering replacement earpads you could get a acceptable pair of cans for lower than $110.
 
However, the DT770s have recessed mids, far more recessed than the m50s (i didn't think they were recessed at all)
 
And I think that from a neutral party's point of view, the M50 can be compared with an amped DT770. They have very different sound signature and neither beats the other in every department.