[hojomojo96]

What do I want? I want headphones. Yes, that'll do. I want full size headphones. I want headphones that are a great value at the price I get them. And I would like to have phones that I can build a fairly nice system around when I want to, not have to buy new phones, a new amp, and source just to get a better system going.
 
Do I have a favorite genre/sound signature? Yes. I listen generally to a lot of dubstep and electronic music. However, since I also listen to many other genres, and have decent headphones for all of them, I simply want the best sound quality for the price. Something which matches up to headphones at a high price level and is competitive. The one things that is required however, is that they can't be bass anemic (not a question of feel vs hear, as long as its there and noticeable).
 
Now, heres the catch: my price range atm is $430, for both amp and phones. If the phones can be driven with a cheaper amp, then theres more money for the phones, and vice versa. I might be willing to stretch a bit further for a significant improvement in sound quality
The top contender at the moment is the Mad Dogs with an Audinst AMP-HP. $430 on the dot. However, I've heard varying reviews of the Mad Dogs, from being only average at the price, to on the level of the LCD-2's.
Some other contenders are the Hifiman he-300 and he-400, but I've heard they don't provide much room for improvement with high end sources etc.
A couple more in consideration are the HD650, the dt880, and the Ultrasone Pro 900's.
 
Thanks for grinding through the long read, and for any and all advice given,
 
Hojomojo96
 
PS:a quick question. Are there any nice wood cupped headphones in this price range?

 

[obobskivich]

Denon AH-D5000 if you can still snag one would be wood cupped and decently give you what you want. Alternately I like the PRO2900 or HD 600 for what you've described. Fiio E9 or similar if you want an amp. Or, if you're using a PC, a nice soundcard.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Mad Dog T50RP would be it.
Denon D5000 would be your next pick.
 
Both are efficient, pair with any DAC/AMP really. I like them with the Fiio E10 for additional +3 db bass without distortion.
 
Very best,

 

[hojomojo96]

So the Mad Dogs are "scalable" (if I start with a cheap amp, they'll sound nice, but if I get a nice high end amp and source, they'll improve in an extremely noticeable way? Hmmm looks like my original thoughts were right.
 
Any other opinions?
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

, they'll improve in an extremely noticeable way? 
 
Any other opinions?
 

 
Heya,
 
Nothing will improve in an extremely noticeable way. Not to be negative, but don't get your hopes up like it's a truly night & day thing. It's not. We're taking small differences. A headphone that is truly under powered and clipping that sudden receives all the power it needs will be very noticeable, but otherwise, I wouldn't say hardly anything will be so extreme. The T50RP will scale. It will sound a little better with more current and a good synergistic match with a DAC & AMP that simply produce a great harmonic tone with it. It's a dark headphone, so matching it something even darker wouldn't be my choice. Matching it with something bright would be a good potential match, and matching it with something that has virtually no change would probably be ideal. But don't expect it to scale like a paper airplane to a stealth bomber, more like a paper airplane to a colored paper airplane with some designs drawn on kind of scaling.
 
Very best,

 

[hojomojo96]

Quote:

 
Heya,
 
Nothing will improve in an extremely noticeable way. Not to be negative, but don't get your hopes up like it's a truly night & day thing. It's not. We're taking small differences. A headphone that is truly under powered and clipping that sudden receives all the power it needs will be very noticeable, but otherwise, I wouldn't say hardly anything will be so extreme. The T50RP will scale. It will sound a little better with more current and a good synergistic match with a DAC & AMP that simply produce a great harmonic tone with it. It's a dark headphone, so matching it something even darker wouldn't be my choice. Matching it with something bright would be a good potential match, and matching it with something that has virtually no change would probably be ideal. But don't expect it to scale like a paper airplane to a stealth bomber, more like a paper airplane to a colored paper airplane with some designs drawn on kind of scaling.
 
Very best,

 


Thanks! I wasn't expecting a night and day change, I meant extremely noticeable in comparison to some other phones. They SHOULD be subtle changes, but I understand that. But its those subtle changes that one is looking for when he upgrades his source/amp. So by noticeable, I meant would the headphones be benefited by higher end equipment upgrading from lower end equipment. Because there are headphones that once you hit a certain point, the upgrades will no longer be heard, other than placebo.

 

[MattTCG]

Like MalV says that MD is a good pick for you.
 
gL!!