I have a $300 budget for a new pair of headphones, can I get some help deciding on a pair?
Sep 16, 2014 at 3:42 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 56

Talai

Head-Fier
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Posts
92
Likes
265
Hello Head-Fi,

I recently purchased the Sennheiser HD 598's but after some use I found that the open back design of the headphones was simply leaking too much sound for my liking (and for the others around me), so I returned them.

Now I have a budget of $300, and I need the best pair of *closed back* over-ear headphones that are ever so slightly heavy on the bass. I guess if you drew a line and said that one end was 'neutral' and the other was 'basshead', I'd be just about in the middle. The budget is only for headphones, I'm already planning on purchasing the Schiit Magni/Vali and Modi.

I typically listen to electronic/EDM and top 40 (don't hate me) music, some artist examples being Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Zedd, Avicii, OVERWERK, etc.

So far I'm most interested in the Mr. Speakers Mad Dogs.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions, and thanks in advance!
 
Sep 17, 2014 at 1:32 PM Post #2 of 56
With a $300 price range you can probably go directly to the Head fi summer 2014 buying guide and narrow it down to a good 3 to 5 choices.    
 
Sep 17, 2014 at 11:11 PM Post #3 of 56
Soundmagic HP150 are more of a neutral phone with a slight bit of bass and treble emphasis:



You should find them to have better deep subbass output than the HD598, although perhaps (hard to say since I have not compared them directly) upper midbass.
 
Sep 17, 2014 at 11:48 PM Post #4 of 56
I recently bought a pair of used Yamaha HPH-MT220 headphones. To my ears, the bass impact is good and microdetails are present. Soundstage isn't the greatest, but imaging is very nice. If you can, audition them and they might be a candidate for you. 
Oh yeah, they have non-detachable coiled cable. Otherwise they are very comfortable. Good luck with your search!
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 3:12 AM Post #5 of 56
Soundmagic HP150 are more of a neutral phone with a slight bit of bass and treble emphasis:



You should find them to have better deep subbass output than the HD598, although perhaps (hard to say since I have not compared them directly) upper midbass.

I love soundmagic's way of stretching and scaling fr-graphs. On graph like this every headphone looks almost linear. Even solos:)
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 3:47 AM Post #6 of 56
You may wanna look into the Denon DH-2000, has a sound signature your looking for, also has a lush sound. Though they seal a lot better than a Open-back, they do not seal as good as the majority of closed back headphones.

Tyl has a review that includes my recommendation.

I'd assume you might be a little "Ehh" about the lack of a proper seal on the DH-2000s. I hear it's good enough that you know there is sound around you but is muffled enough to become ambient. But If your willing to sacrifice some clarity and detail, as Tyl recommended for same reason in the above review, there is the AKG K550.
 
As said in the review the AKG K550, is similar to the DH-2000. but is like a trade off of clarity for isolation.

I personally would strongly recommend looking at the DH-2000s and try them out. If isolation is not to your liking, you could return them, or sell them here on Head-Fi for a Bit less then buying price, or if you want to offer a bargain, sell them for just enough to get the AKG K550s.

I looked at ~7 other headphones, this is what I believe to be the best for you.
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 8:31 AM Post #8 of 56
The Phillips Fidelio is out of the question, He's asking for Closed backs.

Additionally, he is not looking for "Big Bass" as he said "...over-ear headphones that are ever so slightly heavy on the bass."
 
I have not heard the WS-99s so i cannot say if they really are "Big Bass" headphones, but I think he's more into warm-neutral, or if he's like me he'd be after the ultra lows. (aka a very good bass extension.)
 
Though as I have said, I have not heard the WS-99s, So do they have very solid bass, as their product-line name suggests, or are they really a "Big Bass" / Bass-Head headphone?
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 11:07 AM Post #9 of 56
Near that price, the NAD VISO HP 50 are a good choice to consider in the closed headphones field (290 bucks). They're more on the neutral side, but highs and lows sound great in almost every genre (rock, electronic, classical...). They sound more "open" than most of closed cans and they have pretty good isolation (also, the sound leaking is near zero). I'm pleased with them paired with my Fiio X3. For more info you can check Innerfidelity's review :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI6Ezl5YpwA. Regards.
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 11:24 AM Post #10 of 56
I love soundmagic's way of stretching and scaling fr-graphs. On graph like this every headphone looks almost linear. Even solos:)


What are you talking about? It is fairly linear. Except for the dip in the 1K to 2K region, it's +/-3db response from 40hz up to over 10Khz. Except for that little dip, it's measures as well as the DT880s, which are also considered a neutral class of headphone.
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 12:08 PM Post #12 of 56
AKG K545 fits your sound sig description pretty well. basically neutral with a oh-so-slightly emphasized bass. :) great sound stage for closed. closed, portable, sexy, good price at $250, great sound quality. just another option to consider :wink:
 
ya, you should look at the headphone buying guide. 
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 1:24 PM Post #13 of 56
Durability, looks, musicality, and legendary all rounder: Audio Technica M50X.
Tight deep bass, warm full-bodied mid, nice crisp highs, depth and lively presentation. Can't go wrong.

Other than that, Denon D2000 which I have for sale. Similar qualities but more sound stage, clarity and smoother highs.

Cheers.
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 1:33 PM Post #14 of 56
I'd highly recommend throwing in another 80 bucks and grabbing a pair of Sennheiser HD650 from Amazon. In fact, I bet you can get them cheaper if you take a good look around the web. I've owned a pair quite some time ago and I used to absolutely love them. It won't be a choice you're gonna regret either.
 
If possible, make sure you give them a good listen prior to a purchase, but I bet they're gonna sweep you off your feet.
 
Sep 18, 2014 at 1:36 PM Post #15 of 56
  I'd highly recommend throwing in another 80 bucks and grabbing a pair of Sennheiser HD650 from Amazon. In fact, I bet you can get them cheaper if you take a good look around the web. I've owned a pair quite some time ago and I used to absolutely love them. It won't be a choice you're gonna regret either.
 
If possible, make sure you give them a good listen prior to a purchase, but I bet they're gonna sweep you off your feet.

those are open. OP wants closed headphones.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top