[zachwhite0]

Hey guys,

Right now I have some AT a900 and I am looking for something thats going to be significantly better with music. I mainly listen to rock.

Would you say the AKG K701 would be a nice step up or would I need to invest in a $500 - $800 headphone

Thanks,

Zach White

 

[Firevortex]

well that depends if you got a decent amp to drive the k701. its been said that k701 is more of a analytical headphone which is better with classical.

 

[zachwhite0]

I will be getting an amp for this next headphone. Nothing amazing though. Probably just a Gilmore lite. Maybe I should just go ahead and get the AT W5000

I know I already like the AT sound but I would like to try something else. The comments on the HD650 being dark scares me away almost completely.

 

[PaulRivers]

I just got the a900's, and I like them better than most of my other headphones. ...of course, I just got them, so it's probably partly new toy euphoria.

But one interesting thing to do with them is equalize them - turn on the equalizer and bump up the mids, like this -

http://paulrivers.dnsalias.com/a900_EQ_Settings.PNG

Although I also have an amp, right now the a900's are my favorite headphones by a large margin.

 

[KyPeN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachwhite0 I will be getting an amp for this next headphone. Nothing amazing though. Probably just a Gilmore lite. Maybe I should just go ahead and get the AT W5000 I know I already like the AT sound but I would like to try something else. The comments on the HD650 being dark scares me away almost completely.

Take the 'dark' comments with a grain of salt. While I agree with a lot of what is said and I know that the Senn line is not for me having owned the 580 and tried the 600, 'dark' is a harsh word. Take dark to mean the opposite of bright. It has a rather flat, neutral, laid-back sound, but 'dark' simply means 'not bright.' It does not mean 'bad.'

 

[acs236]

I find the A900 to be decent for what it is -- a $200 closed headphone. I think the AKG 701 is a pretty huge step up.

As to the darkness of the 650. It's really going to depend on your own ears. I find them way too dark. And BTW, I think when most people use the term dark, they mean darker than a hypothetical netural. In other words, the same things someone means when they say bright -- brighter than neutral. Dark doesn't just mean "not bright" -- though it certainly includes that.

 

[TiTaN]

If you're looking for a good rock can to pair with a Gilmore Lite pick up anything in the Grado line from SR-225 and up. I actually have a pair of Headphile Woodied and Recabled SR225s for sale right now here that I've compared to my RS-1s and found them pretty good considering the price difference.

Nothing beats Grados for rock/metal and I've tried all of the below:

RS1
SR225
K701
HD650
HD595
DT770
A900
KSC75
UM2
PX100

Plain and simple, the RS1 and SR225s came out on top, the rest fell below no matter what

 

[will75]

I have the Senn 595 (not exactly the 650 but similiar overall sig) and Grado HF-1. It is the rare rock song indeed in which I would prefer the Senn. Grado's just make the music so much more enjoyable and lively imo.