[varzyl]

Hello,
 
I would like to hear your opinions and suggestions on what could fit my needs the best:
 
I have been enjoying my M-Audio Q40 over the last few years, but I think that it's time for an upgrade! What I would like to improve is comfort, soundstage, imaging, but keeping a warm sound signature. Open headphone but still with good bass (and possibily a bit of sub-bass).
 
Budget: €350
Genre: Rock, Prog rock, Funky, EDM, Metal, (all these summed up would weight about 80% of my music), Soul, Blues\Jazz, Classical (remaining 20%).
Movies, TV series, Gaming as well
new DAC\Amp taken into consideration (looking for Vali 2\OTL, and Modi 2\Hifimediy Sabre 9018). So far I'm using the DAC+headphone amp section of my HT receiver (Harman Kardon AVR-135)
I think I'm gonna keep my Q40 for EDM, since I don't think I'm gonna fulfill my need of sub-bass with an open headphone (Audeze and Hifiman are way out of budget here in EU sadly)
 
 
Anyways, today I had the chance to try some of the headphones I was considering (thanks to some forum digging): Sennheiser HD650, Beyer DT 990 and 880 (both 250 Ohm) and a Grado SR225 (well, that one was out of my interest to begin with, but since I didn't have any experience with the Grado sound signature I took the gently offered chance to try it)
 
My considerations:
 
Grado SR225: uncomfortable, and too mid\high centric for my taste
Beyer 880: Decent soundstage, good comfort, but too analytical. I didn't enjoy it very much.
 
Beyer 990: Well, here things got interesting. I must say that I liked it for 70% of the tracks I listened, but on those containing lots of acoustic guitar, the highs were killing my ears. The SS amp it was connected to probably made the problem worse. Maybe a 600ohm version+a OTL warm tube amp would fit my needs (if it could lessen the harsh highs I would be satisfied I think).
 
Sennheiser HD 650: Perfect mids and highs (for my taste), good bass (but I would like a little more.. I know, I'm not very "audiophile" and quite bass-head, my bad", average soundstage (maybe 990 were a tad more airy\wider).
 
Unfortunately the Fidelio X2, which were my strongest candidate basing my opinion on reviews and forums, aren't sold in that store (the only store which allows Headphone testing nearby).
 
 
I think I will try to wait until all the fuss about Philips QC is settled down and buying an X2 doesn't turn out to be a lottery ticked anymore, and using the 30days Amazon return policy to evaluate what I like best, but the problem is that I don't have any good HP amp at disposal, so any comparison would be lacking the "proper amp" pairing factor.
 
Anyways, is there any other headphone I could have missed, with open and wide soundstage, comfortable, and with a warm bass+neutral mids and highs sound signature (like my Q40), under the 350€ price range? Any kind of HD650 with a little more bass?
 
Thank you all!
 
PS: keep in mind that even if I decide to buy the HD650, I would like to keep my amp budget under €250, and that i live in EU (so no Bottlehead Crack available, or Garage. Maybe I can get a Little Dot Mk3)

 

[fjrabon]

If you didn't like the DT990's highs, an OTL won't really "fix" them.  A basic rule of thumb is never buy a headphone whose signature you don't like and then have to be chasing the perfect amp to "fix" them.  Buy a headphone that you like the way it sounds out of almost any amp (assuming it's not under current or under voltage), and then use your amp to take it to the next level, not "fix" problems.  
 
Yes, I think you are right that the X2 is your best bet, based on what you said you're after.  

 

[winrarlee]

If nothing is found among the popular cans, take a look at Sony MDRMA900? although I don't think it has more bass than HD650. 

 

[razorpakk]

  If nothing is found among the popular cans, take a look at Sony MDRMA900? although I don't think it has more bass than HD650. 

That's even harder to find in Europe. 
I would just buy the X2.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

I'm surprised you didn't like the 225, given that your main genres are where those headphones shine. Was it the original 225, the i, or the e? FWIW, I think the 225e has terrific bass for rock, but it did take some time on my head for the strengths of the cans to become apparent.

 

[Music Alchemist]

If you like the HD 650 and just want more bass, then you might as well get the HD 650 and boost the bass with a parametric equalizer. Simple.

 

[varzyl]

  I'm surprised you didn't like the 225, given that your main genres are where those headphones shine. Was it the original 225, the i, or the e? FWIW, I think the 225e has terrific bass for rock, but it did take some time on my head for the strengths of the cans to become apparent.

Truth to be told, the comparison\testing was done using 2 "reference" CD provided by the shop owner: 1 of them was labelled as Pop\Rock (but 90% of the songs in it had a very intimate\simple sound: male or female singer+acoustic guitar, or piano. Not proper distorted electric guitar and such. The only track worth mentioning, and that I knew, was Pink Floyd's Money, which of course sounded pretty good on the Grado).
Therefore I believe that Grado can be considered as one trick ponies (good at rock\metal, really bad at other stuff imho), whereas HD650 was ranging from good (but lacking some bass, in my distorted basshead perception) to absolutely amazing (in particular on those acoustic guitar\piano+voice tracks).
 
Next step in my evaluating process will be printing some reference CD with tracks I know and that fits my tastes better, and A\Bing. I might even get a Fidelio X2 and gently ask the shop owner if he would let me compare those to the Senns
 

  If you like the HD 650 and just want more bass, then you might as well get the HD 650 and boost the bass with a parametric equalizer. Simple.

Do you mean hardware eq or software (foobar plugin)? Could be worth a try btw, thanks for the suggestion

 

[Music Alchemist]

Do you mean hardware eq or software (foobar plugin)? Could be worth a try btw, thanks for the suggestion

 
Either way would work. For software, I recommend Equalizer APO + PEACE GUI.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

  Truth to be told, the comparison\testing was done using 2 "reference" CD provided by the shop owner: 1 of them was labelled as Pop\Rock (but 90% of the songs in it had a very intimate\simple sound: male or female singer+acoustic guitar, or piano. Not proper distorted electric guitar and such. The only track worth mentioning, and that I knew, was Pink Floyd's Money, which of course sounded pretty good on the Grado).
Therefore I believe that Grado can be considered as one trick ponies (good at rock\metal, really bad at other stuff imho), whereas HD650 was ranging from good (but lacking some bass, in my distorted basshead perception) to absolutely amazing (in particular on those acoustic guitar\piano+voice tracks).
 
Next step in my evaluating process will be printing some reference CD with tracks I know and that fits my tastes better, and A\Bing. I might even get a Fidelio X2 and gently ask the shop owner if he would let me compare those to the Senns
 

 
It's always best to audition with your own gear (if possible) and with music you're familiar with. I realize your options are limited, so I understand you can't necessarily do that.