[oxymoron08]

Hi,

Im looking to buy my first proper headphone set and my very first amp in a couple of months.

I went into my local home audio shop and tried some Grado 225's and some K701's both were amped. The Grado's sounded good but werew really uncomfortable on my massive ears. The K701's wer very comfy and sounded great.

Anyway, I have also read that the K601's, Hd600, Hd650 & BT880 are very good.

I think I will get a Little Dot Mark III if i get one of those headphones.

Now I have just seen the Stax SRS2050 II system for £450 - with this I could buy it and be done with it. I wouldn't have to worry about import taxes, customs or anything.

Im basically looking for something "good" for rock/indie/pop, Movies as well as PC gaming.

My source has already been bought and installed - the Asus Xonar D2 sound card

Please help me, Im totally confused by all this talk of colour, warmth, muddy, etc etc. I have a massive headache now

 

[smeggy]

All the talk in the universe won't help much. Your ears are the only thing that will tell you what you'll ultimately like best. It's blind luck or trial and error.

What may sound good on a quick listed might prove unsatisfactory over time, it's just how it is sadly. You'll get as many opinions and recommendations of phones as people responding. Only your ears will tell you in the end. Of the ones listed I'd get the Stax, but that's just me and my opinion.

 

[Tiemen]

I had the same as you.
Smeggy is right. You have to try them yourself
Buy them used. Compare them, and sell the ones you don't like.
It's what they say here: sorry about your wallet....
See it as an interesting journey

 

[oxymoron08]

hhmmm might try the BT880 as they are supposed to have abit of bass, good detail and look really comfy. Now to source an amp

Mind you those stax systems do look sweet.

 

[HFat]

Some thoughts:

1)if money is not an issue stop going around in circles, flip a coin, and get yourself any of these (they're all worthwhile)

2)words are only useful to those who know what they're talking about

3)if money's an issue, there are cheaper alternatives

4)don't bust you head or your wallet for a dedicated amp just yet if you've got a decent amp built in your source

5)£450 is quite a price to pay for convenience

 

[oxymoron08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some thoughts: 1)if money is not an issue stop going around in circles, flip a coin, and get yourself any of these (they're all worthwhile) 2)words are only useful to those who know what they're talking about 3)if money's an issue, there are cheaper alternatives 4)don't bust you head or your wallet for a dedicated amp just yet if you've got a decent amp built in your source 5)£450 is quite a price to pay for convenience

ok all valid points, am I right in saying the BT 880 has good bass without being OTT, the k701 is very clinical with not so much bass, the Hd 650 has abit of everything, very similar to the BT 880 then?

Basically I play more games than music is the BT 880 the better option as it has more bass?

 

[Tiemen]

Some questions.
Do you mean DT880 (the BeyerDynamic)?
What is OTT?

From what I have read: the DT880 is more similair to the K701, than the HD650.
The HD650 has a completely different sound sig (deep bass, warm sound vs. lighter bass, analytical sound).

For gaming, you could consider the DT990 as well, they have more bass than the DT880.

 

[silverrain]

The DT880 has bass similar to K701 -- not very much.
If you like bass, and overall nice sound, the DT990 is a nicer choice.
I've had them all, and the DT990 was a clear winner for me.
I'm talking about the 2005-later models, not earlier versions.
Many varieties of 880 and 990 out there.

 

[oxymoron08]

OTT mean Over The Top.

I think the DT990 pro would be a good choice for me seems to have some bass & good quality sound.

The DT9900 pro is between £80-£99. Its 250 ohms, so this seems like a really good first quality headphone.

Will I need an amp?

 

[wrecked_porsche]

If you're sensitive to sibilance, just be careful of the DT990. I hated them for that reason. Very prominent and obvious to me when I tried them. I like DT880, I felt them to be very delicate sounding and quite airy and adequate bass. Nice, fluffy and sparkly, I'd say they were like candy floss. I hated the K701, sounded plasticky and lifeless to me. Both the DT990 and DT880 were 2005 version. The DT880 2003 version was more neutral than the DT880 2005 version. I compared them side by side.


Sorry for making your life difficult once again just as you were about to make your decision.

 

[tfarney]

Got a decent receiver or integrated amp in the house? Got a credit card with a good limit? Find vendors with liberal return policies, order HD600, DT880, DT990 and K701. Listen to them all and send back the losers. Then start looking for an amp based on the needs of the headphones you keep.

Tim

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrecked_porsche /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you're sensitive to sibilance, just be careful of the DT990. I hated them for that reason. Very prominent and obvious to me when I tried them. I like DT880, I felt them to be very delicate sounding and quite airy and adequate bass. Nice, fluffy and sparkly, I'd say they were like candy floss. I hated the K701, sounded plasticky and lifeless to me. Both the DT990 and DT880 were 2005 version. The DT880 2003 version was more neutral than the DT880 2005 version. I compared them side by side. Sorry for making your life difficult once again just as you were about to make your decision.

But isn't the DT880 sibilant as well?
See for example: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/dt8...ilance-282419/

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif Got a decent receiver or integrated amp in the house? Got a credit card with a good limit? Find vendors with liberal return policies, order HD600, DT880, DT990 and K701. Listen to them all and send back the losers. Then start looking for an amp based on the needs of the headphones you keep. Tim

hmmm, how about ethics?

 

[HFat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiemen /img/forum/go_quote.gif But isn't the DT880 sibilant as well?

Lacking a sibilance-meter, I can only give you my opinion: no.

What pleases one, annoys another. A lot depends on listening volume as well.

 

[HFat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxymoron08 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Will I need an amp?

Need? As far as questions go, this one is close to meaningless.

The quick answer is that you won't if your soundcard is designed to drive good headphones. If it doesn't even have a headphone jack, you've got your answer right there (although some line outs can drive some headphones).

The long answer is that someone who owns your soundcard or knows what it can do may be able to tell you if you tell how loud you want to listen. You need to make sure whoever makes this call has got a clue as well as good judgement. Opinions are a dime a dozen but reliable information is much harder to come by.