[coinmaster]

I just bought a computer that would make NASA jealous and now I need a pair of headphones to go with it. Considering what I spent on the computer I only have a budget of about $300 for headphones.
 
The music I listen to is usually a collage of techno, house, dance, rock, and classical with lots of vocals.
I have a pair of shure 535 iems and I don't enjoy the sound stage and instrument separation they have.
I'm looking for a pair of headphones with a good sound stage and 3d imaging, I don't want it to sound too far away but I don't want it to sound like its right in my face either.
I was looking at the akg q701 but I really have no experience in high quality cans so I thought I'd come here to ask.

 

[ev13wt]

Welcome. You are in the right place. So, does NASA have a nice soundcard or stuck with onboard sound? Important mostly for certain recommendations.

One needs an amp for certain headphones. Mostly the onboard amp just can't deliver for those.

Then.. Do you want a headphone or possibly a headset. For your budget the most amazing headset I've tested and still own is the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 600 Ohm version. It's a really good headset that will hold its own in the headphones under 400 category.

Next question: open or closed? Loud background noises? Fellow gamers? Open headphones have a "bigger" soundstage, but its still a headphone, not a speaker setup.

Many will recommend a good headphone plus a cheap mic. It is also an option to seriously consider. That will probably get your more headphone for the money. But I personally think you need to set your budget a bit higher for really noticeable differences to the MMX 300. Its seriously entry level audiophile.

 

[techboy]

HD 598 or DT 990 250ohm + FiiO E17

 

[coinmaster]

My amp will be a choice between an omega claro halo sound card or a magni+modi set up.
Now that I think of it I think I want something that sounds like my shure 535s but with more soundstage, imaging, and a little more fun sounding. I really do like the clarity of my shures and they give me good sound and loudness for the genres I listen to.
I think If my shures were a little more distance sounding I would like this a lot better,

 

[coinmaster]

After some googling I noticed a shure 940s get a lot a praise and from the descriptions it seems like they are similar to the 535s in sound. One review even said there is a subtle difference between the 940s and the hd-800s. Are these headphones good for the orchestral/rock/techno genre?

 

[extrabigmehdi]

I find the srh940 good for everything.
You'd find some people complaining that they have a mid bass hump.
I've modded them , so they sound more bassy.
I  bought the hd800 after the srh940, partly because of the polemic (the claim of srh940 / hd800 similarity).
 
I 'd say there are some obvious difference with the hd800.
The hd800 is much more cleaner, and have a wider soundtage.
The srh940 has greater "attack" or "aggression'" which works well with metal.
The srh940 has great sub bass (first time I  experience vertigo, while listening to infrasounds ! ).
The hd800 provide sub-bass with parsimony.
Hd800 mid-bass is incredibly tight, it can "bang" on your head.
 
The srh940 has built quality problems (cracks), look if you can benefit from the warranty.
You'd see people looking for a similar sounding headphone , but more robust.
Some people say it sounds similar to the more expensive beyer t70 .

 

[digicosmos]

Are you using the onboard sound card?  Probably you need to get a standalone sound card first

 

[coinmaster]

I'm actually losing my mind a little bit because I'm considering buying the hd800s....after I just spent over 6 grand on a computer. I need to know before I end up doing something stupid. Are the hd800s worth the price over the shure 940s?

 

[laon]

Only if you have very good source, dac and amp for it.

 

[CognitiveBiased]

The HD800s are considered by many to be the best dynamic headphones there is. It is definitely top-of-the-line-ish hi-fi gear, so you'd need to gear up accordingly. A great DAC + Amp setup along with the cans would easily blow up your headphone-dedicated budget to tenfold what it was...

 

[Ezio]

If its for gaming or movie purposes, try the Razer Tiamat 7.1.
 
Also check out the Sony MDR-1R, Sennheisser Momentums, and the V-Moda M-100

 

[meyner]

uhhh ya if you spent a ton of money on ur computer you should hold back on buying hd800 unless you have the reserves to spend money for a good dac and amp on top of the headphones. The amp and dac combined can easily cost just as much or more than the HD800. But if you look through the sales forum u can prolly find some good deals for all 3 pieces of equipment. And i only hope you do not fall in the never ending obcession with cables like some people here.
 
Apart from whether or not you believe in cables to me, they are not worth it if you have a good pair of headphone, amp, and a dac as far as improvement goes.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

Are the hd800s worth the price over the shure 940s?

I run the hd800 from a xonar stx,  and you'd see lot of people claiming that it doesn't do justice to them.
Nevertheless I hear all what makes the hd800 "special" (wide soundstage, clean sound etc ...).
The hd800 might impress you at begin, but it's on longer listening sessions that you'd realize that you  find it's hard to focus on music.
It's hard to explain, but I guess a combination of factor such like the frequency balance & wide stereo separation may confuse the listener.
So you'd find lot of people spending time & money , finding the right source, so that the hd800 sound both impressive & easy to listen (or just "natural").
Currently I'm using an eq, and setting the eq right, was not a so trivial task either.
 
Is the hd800 worth the price over srh940 ? I'd toss a coin. How much are you ready to spend for some improvements here & there, and perhaps not a perfect out of the box experience (until you find the "right' source). Try other high end headphones, if you can.

 

[meyner]

btw what are you even looking for in headphones? HD800 is the ultimate headphone for music reproduction with accuracy and neutrality outside of stax but do you know if you prefer such headphones? Have you tried colored/more musical headphones? I remember auditing the HD800 and i found it very impressive but very boring at the same time. I had a much stronger preference to the more musical and colored HE-500 and LCD 2.2. If you are unfamiliar with what i am talking about i do not think its a good idea to suddenly buy HD800 not knowing your personal preferences well. Such things are very important in my opinion when it comes to the high end flagship headphone purchases
 
I've listened to the shure 940 as well and i think they good phones but i find the shure 840's to be much better value but to each his own.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

I've listened to the shure 940 as well and i think they good phones but i find the shure 840's to be much better value but to each his own.

I wish I could hear the srh840, but not everyone agree with this statement.