[talisman42]

I've been trying so many headphones.. I've liked most of them, but one that had tons of potential were the Senn PX200ii. I'm strictly a fan of the sound... they go low and have awesome mids. I've been looking around for an open can equivalent full size can and not sure where to go from here. Don't get me know wrong, I thouroughly enjoy the D2000 and K550 on occasion, but I'm always amazed at what the PX200ii is capable when getting a good fit. Do they have a 'big' brother model that is circumaural?

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Nothing wrong with that. Audio is all preference. There are essentially two audiophiles. Those who are into the gear ladder and listen to the components of the circuit, and those who are casual music lovers who simply listen to music and have a preferred signature that just feels right to them. I went backwards myself, from high-ends, back into mid-fi range headphones. Mostly because my preferred signature involves a lot of sub-bass, more than neutral/flat. And because I massively prefer closed headphones and put a lot of favor on isolation over sound stage.
 
The reality is hi-fi is not always the right-fi for your music.
 
If it sounds good, listen to it.
 
Very best,

 

[soundstige]

Generally, 'audiophiles' either: want music to sound exactly the way it was recorded and intended by the artist/engineer; or, want music to sound like a frequency curve that they find more appealing, usually for reasons like "liveliness" or "musicality" or "energy", or possibly even to bring a poor recording closer towards a flat frequency curve.
 
Neither is right or wrong, and the preference can change from song to song, even with the same album/artist. Higher-end gear will generally put you closer towards the first type of listeners, but there are many, many exceptions to that.

 

[RushNerd]

Have you tried your D2K's out of a high current amp before? Whole new headphones.

 

[sfoclt]

Listen to what you enjoy.  Life's too short to do otherwise.
 
I have ~$30K into my main speaker rig which, after 25 years of tweaking, is awesome with all kinds of music and movies, but I spend just as much time listening to and enjoying music and movies through a set of $30 headphones.  I've spent a lifetime collecting and enjoying music, and that music can stir me through a variety of levels of gear.
 
I have also felt (in jest) that it ought to be a disclosure point for people giving opinions on head-fi to reveal how much money they have in their gear, and how much on their music/movies.  If they've spent more on their gear than the music* to run through it, I'd discard their opinions as virtually worthless.
 
 
*  Note that stealing a huge music collection online doesn't count as it reveals a lack of judgment that prohibits my trusting their opinion on anything in the first place.
 

 

[RushNerd]

Quote:

Listen to what you enjoy.  Life's too short to do otherwise.
 
I have ~$30K into my main speaker rig which, after 25 years of tweaking, is awesome with all kinds of music and movies, but I spend just as much time listening to and enjoying music and movies through a set of $30 headphones.  I've spent a lifetime collecting and enjoying music, and that music can stir me through a variety of levels of gear.
 
I have also felt (in jest) that it ought to be a disclosure point for people giving opinions on head-fi to reveal how much money they have in their gear, and how much on their music/movies.  If they've spent more on their gear than the music* to run through it, I'd discard their opinions as virtually worthless.
 
 
*  Note that stealing a huge music collection online doesn't count as it reveals a lack of judgment that prohibits my trusting their opinion on anything in the first place.
 

I probably spent more on this setup alone than on music my whole life. So much for me!

 

[sfoclt]

Haha.  I have single, first-pressing LP's that cost more than $1000 alone.  I'm a sucker for material, the rarer the better.  To each their own.  Despite appearances in the previous post, I'm not dogmatic.  Again, life's too short to stress.....
 

 

[machoboy]

Some of my cheaper headphones sound better than my more expensive headphones with certain mixes or particular instruments, but it seems like the more expensive they get the more testing has taken place and the fewer "weird spots" there are in the sound signature, able to stay consistent across a wider range of genres. They do not sound inherently superior in every area though, as that's completely subjective and even involves some random luck (some headphones just seem to nail a certain sound signature niche regardless of price range).

 

[Achmedisdead]

 

 
Quote:

Is it wrong to favor the SQ and signature of a low end HP than the high end ones?

 
I'd say absolutely not wrong. If you find a low end model that suits your preferences, then hey, you're a winner! You have more money available to spend on other things, be it music, or whatever other hobby you may have.

 

[GREQ]

I prefer the sound signature of PortaPros to the HD800... just wish they had the same soundstage and imaging 

 
To each their own. 

 

[bigheadhifi]

don't confused Sound quality with sound signature though... I think it is fine that you like the signature sound of a cheaper headphones, but it doesn't mean you can't find a similar sound character or close to it in better quality though. jm2c
 
 
cheers,

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

don't confused Sound quality with sound signature though... I think it is fine that you like the signature sound of a cheaper headphones, but it doesn't mean you can't find a similar sound character or close to it in better quality though. jm2c
 
 
cheers,

I totally agree, but when two 'sounds' are so similar, why spend the extra money? For some of us (especially me!

) that's the problem. 
 
I would love to have an army of headphones at my disposal, but instead I have to make critical listening choices before each purchase. I think that's why I love vintage headphones so much, and when I find one that sounds astonishingly brilliant or different (in a good way) for very little money, that's a magic moment, and it may sound odd, but I often end up preferring these quirky old cans and their sound signatures because they give me so much more enjoyment per $/£/[size=12.800000190734863px] [/size]€ than I would from spending all my life savings on a dream set-up.
In this hobby there aren't many rights or wrongs.

 

[RushNerd]

 it ought to be a disclosure point for people giving opinions on head-fi to reveal how much money they have in their gear, and how much on their music/movies.  If they've spent more on their gear than the music* to run through it, I'd discard their opinions as virtually worthless.

 

Quote:

I have single, first-pressing LP's that cost more than $1000 alone. 

 

[talisman42]

Hey all - thanks for all the responses! My taste will probably continue to evolve  - as well as discovering new music and experimenting with new gear. It does get pricey though!!!

 

[obobskivich]

There's nothing wrong with finding what you like and knowing it - most expensive doesn't always mean most best.