Home headphones for post-Rock & shoegaze from Vinyl

[8MilesHigh]

Hello,

I am looking for a good pair of headphones to keep the peace with my neighbors.

My music setup is a Telefunken TA750 amp with Nubert Nubox310 speakers and a turntable.
This provides me with a sound I am very content with.
Now I feel the need to invest in good headphones to fully dive into music when the neighbors would bang on the walls otherwise.

I mostly listen to post-Rock, shoegaze, alternative, indie-Rock and the late Beatles.
Never had a pair of headphones beside the ones that come with a iPhone, so I do not know if I prefer a open, semi-closed or closed headphone and the pandemic makes it impossible to travel to a decent store.

I could invest up to 120EUR (150$) and know that this leaves the used market as the only option but I am very okay with that.
Must of the stuff I buy is used anyways.

What is important to me:

• hear details and layers
• mids and treble are more important to my than a thumping bass
• can be worn for longer periods of time without getting fatigued or stressed by the sound
• no hissing sssSSSSssss-Sounds in the voice or guitars

Okok, I see I do not have the vocabulary to describe my desired musical experience.
English is not my native language; so this is an additional malus.
To put it short I want champagne on a beer budget

I have browsing the web for days and luckily I found this forum. Maybe you can help me a little bit in my search.
So far I have come up with following candidates but I really don't know if they suit my needs.

• AKG 550
• AKG 701/702
• AKG K612Pro
• Sennheiser HD558
• Beyerdynamic DT 880 250 Ohm
• Audio Technica ATH M50 X

can you help, please ?

 

[ADUHF]

If you intend to use these mostly for music, and aren't super picky about deep bass and bass drops, then my inclination is to steer you in the direction of a good open-back headphone, rather than one which is closed. Because that will probably give you a somewhat more open and natural sound, that's a bit closer to a pair of good loudspeakers. I assume that's the kind of thing you're lookin for.

An open headphone will "leak" some sound though. Whether it's enough to bother your neighbors probably depends on how good the insulation is in your walls. If you want to reduce the chances of bothering your neighbors to essentially zero though, then a closed headphone might be worth considering. And would also generally have deeper bass.

The AKG K550, and AudioTechnica M50x are both closed headphones, intended mainly for studio use. The Beyer DT-880 is semi-open, so it will leak a little sound. But probably not as much as more open headphones like the AKG K612, 701 and 702, and the Senn HD558.

If or when you have the $$, then you might want to consider getting one of each type, closed and open. Because they can both be useful for different situations. Most people prefer closed headphones or in-ear headphones (IEMs) for portable use. And open headphones more for home use. I use closed headphones in my home though, so I can listen as loud and as late as I want without bothering others in my building. And use the stereo speakers in my car (rather than headphones) for most of my portable applications.

Between the two closed headphones (AKG K550 and AT M50x), the AKG is more comfortable, because it has large plush pleather earpads, and not much clamping force. The pads on the M50x are smaller, not as soft, and probably won't fit completely around your ears. And the M50x has a stronger clamp as well. So it will probably fatigue your ears more quickly.

Sound-wise, the two headphones are somewhat similar. Both are fairly neutral, and fairly well-extended in the bass and treble. They both probably have a bit of unevenness in some spots though, which will effect their timbral accuracy. And may give them a bit of harshness or brightness with some content.

I previously owned the AKG K553 Pro, which is essentially the same headphone as the K550. And used it as my primary headphone for 5 years, until it wore out. And currently own the AT M50x. And I prefer to use some equalization with both. A simple 3-band bass/midrange/treble set of tone controls, and left/right stereo balance control should be sufficient to correct most of the perceived tonal imbalances with these two headphones. (Though they can produce passable sound without that.)

I think I also tried the Senn HD 558 or a similar Sennheiser model at some point. And it wasn't my cup of tea. Because it didn't fit very well or comfortably on my head. And did not have enough bass for my taste. (I like to listen to alot of R&B and hip-hop and music with bass-drops, and also brighter stuff like chalga, Turk-pop, and Kpop. So I need a headphone with a little more warmth and bass extension for that kind of thing.)

The semi-open Beyer DT-880 should also be pretty comfortable. Because it uses the same construction as my closed DT-770's. And has very large soft velour pads. It may clamp your head a little tightly at first. But the clamp can be reduced by stretching out the metal headband. The DT-880 is a little on the brighter and hissier side, and somewhat lacking in warmth. So it's not my preferred sound signature. But it could probably be improved with tone controls. And might sound ok with your genres.

I haven't tried any of the open-back AKGs on your list. But will also mention that the AKG K550 is best for people with very large heads, as opposed to smaller heads. Because its earpads hang pretty low, and don't really have enough range of adjustment for smaller heads. Adding some more padding to the headband can help though. The AKG K550 also has a bit of a retro design, that's a bit like wearing a circa 1940's Flash Gordon space helmet.

The AKG K371 is a smaller closed-back headphone that uses the same titanium drivers as the K550/553 btw. I'm not a big fan of its hinge and extender design. Alot of folks here seem to like it though, for portable use, watching movies, etc...

I also enjoy some alternative, shoegaze, glam and classic rock btw, including Beatles, Bowie, Queen, and some "freakbeat" artists of the 1960's. A couple threads in the music forum you might possibly enjoy...

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/exp...ethereal-wave-etc-appreciation-thread.807227/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/official-classic-rock-thread.901225/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/music-from-the-60s-70s.909970/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/favorite-songs-from-80s-and-90s.910895/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fav...oft-rock-city-pop-muzak-music-artists.898109/

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/disco-and-nu-disco.724632/

The disco thread includes a few memorable disco-inspired tracks of the 1970's by rock artists like Bowie, Rolling Stones, Queen, and Wings. As well as some other good oldies from the disco era. And also "nu disco" by current artists, including Jessie Ware and Dua Lipa (among others).

 

[ADUHF]

What will you be using for your headphone amp, by the way? The headphone output on the speaker amp?

That could make some difference because of the impedances involved. And might make a higher impedance headphone more desirable than a low impedance headphone. The AKG K371 and K550, and AT M50x are all pretty low impedance headphones, for example, around 35 ohms. Which means they will work a little better with lower impedance portable devices.

 

[tomb]

Likewise, I would worry about the Telefunken amp. The S/N ratio specs are frankly, not very good - 62 or 63 dB, from the specs I found: Telefunken Collection - TA 750 (rwth-aachen.de) . If your only source is the turntable, I suppose that's OK (turntable is not going to exceed ~60dB S/N ratio anyway), but you might get a lot better results plugging your iPhone into the Aux or Tape input with an adapter cable.

Plus, as a 1979 vintage stereo integrated amp, that headphone output is probably just a resistor dropping the voltage from the power amp section, not a separate, dedicated circuit. It will not be very detailed and probably very bassy and wooly with many headphones due to the impedance mis-matching as mentioned above.

Probably the best alternative would be something like a Sennheiser HD650 (used) or a new MassDrop Sennheiser HD6XX ($225 new). For that matter, you might get the best listening with an HD599 ($200 new) and your iPhone. The Sennheiser HD599 is probably efficient enough that an iPhone can do a reasonable job with it. Yeah, all of those suggestions are more than your $150 target, but you need to spend that much to do better than a pair of Koss KSC75, which cost all of $15 - or less.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Drop HD58x

 

[8MilesHigh]

In Europe there is not Drop HD58x.

What do you think abut the Beyerdynamic DT880 black special edition.
Is it suited for my described profile ?

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/telefunken_hifi_stereo_amplifier_ta7.html

Your amplifier is right at the edge of when they started to use op amps for the headphone section. Meaning around 1979-1981 when your amp was made there was the beginning of changing and simply including a separate amp for headphones. Before that with older amps, integrated receivers used to actually do better with headphones. I’m not an engineer and could not tell by the specifics what luck you would have with your amp and the headphones I’ll talk about.

I’ve had the k701s since they were introduced around 2006, in fact I still have two pair. I actually use one pair with a low cost receiver for movies all the time. The k701 is really a great headphone but can sound too thin (not having enough bass) if underpowered. Though with my receiver they sound great. A bigger amplifier will add damping factor which will bring out slightly more low end. They are basically super detailed and super fast, but difficult to drive. They also have an off and unexpected treble peak in their response which is a point of conflict among owners, some love it some don’t.

I’ve written reviews for both the ATH M-50 and AKG k701. Though I probably went easy on the M50 years ago, today I view the k701 as being a “real” headphone and dislike the M50 a bunch.

The M50 was popular when it came out as it was $65 and filled a need for many just getting into headphones. It has since been passed up and is not recommended that much anymore due to its issues.

I like the HD650 or HD600 recommendation. While I don’t own the Sennheiser HD650, I’ve heard them a couple times and view them here as a safe bet.

Sorry no other ideas and I have no experience with the other headphones you have asked about.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/akg-k701-studio-headphones.11862/reviews#item-review-15007



https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/au...or-headphones.13120/reviews#item-review-14918

Though maybe it’s just my curiosity but it’s going to be pretty much a night and day thing if you hook up the k701s to your vinyl rig. Meaning you’ll know in about an hour if it’s for you, or too thin sounding. Surprisingly the k701 has helped me as a listener learn to like more neutral signatures, but they are not everyones cup of tea.

Cheers!

 

[8MilesHigh]

thank you @Redcarmoose
Just to clarify: you say that my amp is properly "old enough" to have enough power through the headphone jack? Right?

Sorry, I am a total novice to the technical side of music gear.

Can I find out how suitable my amp is without buying headphones first ?
I don't understand data sheets from the manufacture, though..
What should I look out for ?

I hope you can understand my english.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Hello,

I am looking for a good pair of headphones to keep the peace with my neighbors.

My music setup is a Telefunken TA750 amp with Nubert Nubox310 speakers and a turntable.
This provides me with a sound I am very content with.
Now I feel the need to invest in good headphones to fully dive into music when the neighbors would bang on the walls otherwise.

I mostly listen to post-Rock, shoegaze, alternative, indie-Rock and the late Beatles.
Never had a pair of headphones beside the ones that come with a iPhone, so I do not know if I prefer a open, semi-closed or closed headphone and the pandemic makes it impossible to travel to a decent store.

I could invest up to 120EUR (150$) and know that this leaves the used market as the only option but I am very okay with that.
Must of the stuff I buy is used anyways.

What is important to me:

• hear details and layers
• mids and treble are more important to my than a thumping bass
• can be worn for longer periods of time without getting fatigued or stressed by the sound
• no hissing sssSSSSssss-Sounds in the voice or guitars

Okok, I see I do not have the vocabulary to describe my desired musical experience.
English is not my native language; so this is an additional malus.
To put it short I want champagne on a beer budget

I have browsing the web for days and luckily I found this forum. Maybe you can help me a little bit in my search.
So far I have come up with following candidates but I really don't know if they suit my needs.

• AKG 550
• AKG 701/702
• AKG K612Pro
• Sennheiser HD558
• Beyerdynamic DT 880 250 Ohm
• Audio Technica ATH M50 X

can you help, please ?

I’m not an engineer. I can’t answer your question other than you will probably find it easer to get the HD600 and HD650 and even M50 to sound correct with that receiver. The amp you have may be perfect for the k701 but I’m not sure....A) it does have enough power, and B) you will love to k701 tone.

 

[Redcarmoose]

You would be even better off if you heard and loved the k701 sound to get speaker taps. I’ve never done this but many here go and get adapters to run hard to drive headphones off the speaker terminals of their amp. It’s dangerous as you can fry the headphones but in the olden days here like 2006-2011, it was something regularly done.

 

[8MilesHigh]

That sounds like some serious business.
For now I will try to get my hands on DT880 and K701/702 with a good return policy and see how things will work out.

What are the signs my amp does not have enough power to drive a 250 Ohm headphone through the headphone jack ?

 

[Redcarmoose]

Your best choice maybe even if you still question liking the k701 is to somehow try and use them for a short time off a super powerful amp. At that point you would know if you like the AKG k701 sound and want to pursue it.

Underpowered the k701 will not have clear bass. Going to louder levels the low end will break up besides not having clear bass there will be slight distortion. Amp power fixes all that if you generally like the k701 tone.

 

[8MilesHigh]

Ok, sadly I don't know anybody with a decent amp and the pandemic makes it impossible to go to a music-store.

 

[Redcarmoose]

That sounds like some serious business.
For now I will try to get my hands on DT880 and K701/702 with a good return policy and see how things will work out.

What are the signs my amp does not have enough power to drive a 250 Ohm headphone through the headphone jack ?

Again maybe someone can answer that in this thread for you. My goals have always been to simply go around town and try the k701 headphones with everything I could find. I ended getting an Uber-powerful tube amp for them. Also a friends Denon AV receiver was spectacular. Crazy too as it can be hit or miss where some amps just run them fine. I purchased them in 2006 with a low power tube amp that would have been perfect for the HD650 and HD600, but was a nightmare with the k701s.

Cheers!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Ok, sadly I don't know anybody with a decent amp and the pandemic makes it impossible to go to a music-store.

Well if you can get the k701 with a good return policy then it may be a choice? Read my 10 year retrospective review. It’s hard to say if you would like them or not? They may be perfect though? They may just work straight out of the headphone port of your amp?