[Youth]

Hi guys!
 
I love music, all sorts of genres but especially EDM. I'm currently using DT770 Pro 250 Ohm along with a Xonar DGX card on my computer, and I only recently found out that you can get a better listening experience while using AMP and DAC. Don't ask me why I haven't discovered this before haha. Anyways I'm looking to upgrade all my gear and I wanna do a big step rather than many small steps - not that it has to be perfect right away.
 
I'm currently listening to music on youtube as they have many EDM channels I really like and  besides that I use Spotify. I know the quality isn't the best so when I get new gear I'm gonna upgrade to Premium in order to reach the 320 kbps that I have read is good. I don't plan on using FLAC just yet, maybe later. Before making this thread I've spending countless hours doing alot of research in this area and read tons of reviews to many different products in order to get a little bit hang of it before aksing for help. Before I go into detail I want to ask if it's worth to invest alot of money into gear that I'm gonna play on 320 kbps or less?
 
(Sorry for my poor writing, but I simply dont know enough about all the terms to use them - hope it's okay!)
 
Anyways as I said I really love EDM and I like bass, but I need to point out that while I like bass I'm not a complete basshead (If I have understood the term correctly). I dont want the bass to ruin the song so that vocals can't be hard simply put. I'm currently using closed cans but every pair of headphones I've been led toward is open so I dont really know how much of a difference it is, however I have read people say it is better overall than closed. I also can't go out and try any because of depression and heavy anxiety, so my buy is gonna be based on reviews and your help! Regarding priority I guess I can list it like this: 1. Sound quality 2. Bass 3. Comfort 4. Rest.
 
So as I said I have done alot of research and I'm currently heading towards T90 or the T1 along with the A20 AMP. I've alot of good things about the T90 aswell as T1 however some people complaint about lacking bass, brightness and treble (dont really know what the last 2 terms). So I went for a search to find AMP and DAC that could fix this problem - note that they may be fine for me, but just in case since I cant test them before buying. I stumpled upon this review which pretty much sold me the A20 AMP: headfonia.com/beyers-a20-amp-small-size-big-sound/
 
This same guy posted later in comments that the telsa combo with the a20 didn't really need a DAC, but could use Fiio E10 as an example. I later found the Fiio E10k since the other one isnt being sold anymore. Also found Fiio E7k and some others but I honestly have no clue. Do I need a DAC at all?
 
Since I like EDM I've read people talking good about LCD-2, HE-400, HE-500 but people say they are too heavy to use for a long period of time which is my 3. Comfort = skipped.
I then found the HE-560 but I dont know.
 
Maybe I need someting entirely different than what I've posted so far? I dont really know - help!

 

[milk]

Hmm. I would say a Hifiman HE6 and a Schiit Lyr and modi (around $1500 though can vary if you buy used) might do the trick. Practically audio nirvana and will have some pretty solid bass.

Also, you may like the JVC dx1000. They aren't all that popular but have fantastic bass. They're very colored and have a fun sound which you may like for your music. With that you could pick up an Asgard/Bifrost stack or something of the sort.

Cheaper options would be The he400 or the Ultrasone pro 900. Both pretty v shaped, have great details and fantastic bass. The he400 is a slight tilt more of a hifi feel imo and the 900s more of a basshead and extreme v shape sig. Both great. I actually got them both recently at the same time and have been comparing. Just gotta finish deciding which of the 2 to sell haha.

Lastly. The SZ2000s. These things are a bass heads dream. They need a little EQing for max performance but it's worth it. I would pick up one of the new digizoids, a fiio e07k, or the most recommended fiio e12 with it.

If you really aren't a bass head but just want some bass and beautiful vocals, the HD650 with a bottle head crack or a little dot mkiii would be quite stellar. Not super common for edm but I enjoyed edm on these!

Hope this helps!

 

[billybob_jcv]

I always find it interesting when we get a post from someone that seems to want a headphone that is colored in one way or another (extra bass or whatever), yet has a budget that takes them up into the better strata of headphones - a place where the headphone mfrs are normally trying very hard to NOT produce colored headphones.

Here's my recommendation - but I have NOT heard these, so please do your own research:

- Headphones Fostex TH-600 or Mr. Speakers Alpha Dogs
- DAC/Amp: Schiit Modi (or Bifrost) + Valhalla 2, or something from Audio-GD, or some other nice $300-$600 desktop DAC/Amp (there are many to choose from).

 

[KG Jag]

Do you want excellent but neutral bass or a headphone with quality but emphasized bass above neutral?  If the second, how much above neutral?
 
In any case, you should probably spend some time here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13
 
There are some new cans that aren't covered like the HE 560, but it's still an excellent starting point.

 

[Roy Munson]

I listen to a whole lot of dance music - mainly a big techno & house head. I have the Fostex TH600 and I think they're superb for electronic music. They're definitely worth taking a look at if you're going to be spending that kind of money. The sub-bass reproduction on the TH600 I think is better than all of the other headphones you've listed. It also has a nice thump with great highs, mids and amazing imaging.
 
If I were spending that much on a pair of headphones I would also be pairing it with a quality dac and amp.
 
Headphones in that price range will sound great at 320mp3 but it would be worth getting into some lossless files as you go forward. And if you're super into EDM I'd suggest getting a subscription to DI.fm rather than spotify. I find Digitally Imported far superior to spotify when it comes to anything electronic. I find all of the stations to be expertly crafted and they also stream in 320mp3.
 
There's quite a bit of information about the TH600 in this thread - http://www.head-fi.org/t/631594/fostex-th600-dynamic-headphones
 
I also own the HE400. They're great for electronic music too although I don't enjoy them as much as the TH600 but they're considerably less expensive. I've also heard the T1, HE500, HE560, and LCD2. The HE500 is not what you want for EDM. I don't think the HE560 is going to give you what you're looking for either. The T1 could work and so could the LCD2 but I'd imagine you'd want to invest in a dac and serious amp before diving into any of these headphones- especially the LCD2.  Take a look at the Mad Dog Pro too. I love my Mad Dogs for techno and the Mad Dog Pros are supposed to be even better for EDM.

 

[Youth]

Thanks for the help so far guys.
 
@milk: I did some research on the Ultrasone pro 900 and many people like it for EDM, but through reviews I found that people prefered TH600 more.
 
@billybob: I can't get the Alpha Dogs in my country But the TH600 look pretty neat, thanks for the rec!
 
@KG Jag: I'm really new to all this so I dont know what neutral bass is. I like bass, both in quantity and quality - but I dont want it to ruin the other parts.
 
@Roy Munson: Yeah the TH600 looks pretty good and I plan on getting amp and dac, but first I need to find the headphones DI.fm looks like a radio station, isn't there something like Spotify but with EDM where you can browse music you prefer instead of just listening to whatever is on the radio?
Yeah, people say the HE-560 isn't like the HE-400/500 so I think I'll skip that one, unless other people recommend it.
 
Heres the list so far:
 
T5P
TH600
HE-560
Philips Fidelio X2
 
I 'd also like to know what people think about the T5P for EDM. I've heard some people say its better than DT770/DT990 overall and with more bass. This is the one I was looking for with Beyer since t90/t1 lacks bass from what I've read.
 
Philips Fidelio X2 is the cheapest on the list but I'd still like to hear peoples opnion of it.
 
Also, if anybody has other headphones they think are suited for my purpose please list them!
 
Thanks.

 

[Roy Munson]

 
@Roy Munson: Yeah the TH600 looks pretty good and I plan on getting amp and dac, but first I need to find the headphones DI.fm looks like a radio station, isn't there something like Spotify but with EDM where you can browse music you prefer instead of just listening to whatever is on the radio?
Yeah, people say the HE-560 isn't like the HE-400/500 so I think I'll skip that one, unless other people recommend it.
 

 
Di.fm is a collection of stations for a range of difference electronic genres. It's really an amazing service if you're into electronic music. No - you can't select individual tracks but when listening to any sort of dance music I would much rather hear DJ sets than individual tracks. And on the DI.fm stations that don't have a heavy rotation of DJ sets the stations are programmed by people who are very knowledgeable about their respective genres so you get some really quality tunes. 

 

[KG Jag]

I'd be very careful buying from advice, if you don't speak the same language as those offering that advice.  Knowing what neutral bass (or a neutral sound signature) means is a fundamental building block for effective communication on this subject.  I suggest that you spend some time here, so that we are all on the same page:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms
 
See especially the difference between "neutral" and "coloration".

 

[Youth]

   
Di.fm is a collection of stations for a range of difference electronic genres. It's really an amazing service if you're into electronic music. No - you can't select individual tracks but when listening to any sort of dance music I would much rather hear DJ sets than individual tracks. And on the DI.fm stations that don't have a heavy rotation of DJ sets the stations are programmed by people who are very knowledgeable about their respective genres so you get some really quality tunes. 

 
Allright I guess I'll give it a shot.
 
 

  I'd be very careful buying from advice, if you don't speak the same language as those offering that advice.  Knowing what neutral bass (or a neutral sound signature) means is a fundamental building block for effective communication on this subject.  I suggest that you spend some time here, so that we are all on the same page:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms
 
See especially the difference between "neutral" and "coloration".

 
Thanks, I'll look into that.

 

[conquerator2]

  Thanks for the help so far guys.
 
@milk: I did some research on the Ultrasone pro 900 and many people like it for EDM, but through reviews I found that people prefered TH600 more.
 
@billybob: I can't get the Alpha Dogs in my country But the TH600 look pretty neat, thanks for the rec!
 
@KG Jag: I'm really new to all this so I dont know what neutral bass is. I like bass, both in quantity and quality - but I dont want it to ruin the other parts.
 
@Roy Munson: Yeah the TH600 looks pretty good and I plan on getting amp and dac, but first I need to find the headphones DI.fm looks like a radio station, isn't there something like Spotify but with EDM where you can browse music you prefer instead of just listening to whatever is on the radio?
Yeah, people say the HE-560 isn't like the HE-400/500 so I think I'll skip that one, unless other people recommend it.
 
Heres the list so far:
 
T5P
TH600
HE-560
Philips Fidelio X2
 
I 'd also like to know what people think about the T5P for EDM. I've heard some people say its better than DT770/DT990 overall and with more bass. This is the one I was looking for with Beyer since t90/t1 lacks bass from what I've read.
 
Philips Fidelio X2 is the cheapest on the list but I'd still like to hear peoples opnion of it.
 
Also, if anybody has other headphones they think are suited for my purpose please list them!
 
Thanks.

I think those'd be an excellent starting point. On the cheaper side and don't require much in the form of amping.
You can always move up from there, once you figure out what you want from your headphones 

As for sound, the X2 are excellent headphones. Mostly neutral with a slightly warm and pleasant signature, with plenty of bass [but not overblown]. A big +1 for them [I am a former X1 owner and I really liked it too]

 

[Youth]

  I think those'd be an excellent starting point. On the cheaper side and don't require much in the form of amping.
You can always move up from there, once you figure out what you want from your headphones 

As for sound, the X2 are excellent headphones. Mostly neutral with a slightly warm and pleasant signature, with plenty of bass [but not overblown]. A big +1 for them [I am a former X1 owner and I really liked it too]

 
Yeah but I really just wanna jump right into the high-end stuff tbh. So either TH600 or t5p/dt990. I really like the fact that I can buy the a20 amp and basicly just switch between beyer headphones. This way I dont need another amp for a long time. t5p might have too little bass, but I've been told that it can be EQ since the quality of the bass is really really good. I also really like the comfort and look on the beyer headphones.
 
I'm also not sure how great the TH600 are with other genres besides EDM. I mostly listen to EDM, but I'd also like to listen to other stuff.

 

[Roy Munson]

TH600 is great with everything.