[theurbanhippie]

Hey everyone. It's that time of year again, and I've got the headphone bug. I'm resuming my quest to find the most precise sub-$200 headphone. I've been back and forth between amazon and head-fi, and I've found a couple that I'm interested in, but I wanted to open it up to suggestions.

So, I've got:
Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-250
Philips SHP9500
Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro

I'm not overly attached to any one brand. My primary concern is clarity, responsiveness, and soundstage, while avoiding tinny brightness and with a punchy, responsive bass.

Obviously, i'm not expecting planar magnetic performance. That, it seems, is still out of my price range.

I love my Onkyos for casual listening, but they're still just not quite perfect for those deep listening moments.

What are your thoughts? All input is welcome!

 

[cel4145]

I have not heard the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro, but my sense from reviews is that you can do better.

I would recommend the AKG K7XX. I ended up getting rid of my HE-400 after getting the K7XX because they were (a) easier to drive, (b) more natural sound, and (c) more comfortable. Overall, I thought they competed well with the HE-400 in SQ except HE-400 had a slight advantage in resolution and definitely had a bit better bass extension.

The K7XX lean more towards warmth, but not overly warm, so you might prefer them over the DT990 sound.

I have no experience with the Philips SHP9500. But I know they have a cult following with a lot of hype. I'd really be surprised if they compete with the K7XX in overall SQ which are a special edition created for Massdrop that are based on a more expensive AKG model.

Read more about them here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/743280/the-akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-thread. Then watch Massdrop for them to be available again.

 

[theurbanhippie]

I have not heard the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro, but my sense from reviews is that you can do better.

I would recommend the AKG K7XX. I ended up getting rid of my HE-400 after getting the K7XX because they were (a) easier to drive, (b) more natural sound, and (c) more comfortable. Overall, I thought they competed well with the HE-400 in SQ except HE-400 had a slight advantage in resolution and definitely had a bit better bass extension.

The K7XX lean more towards warmth, but not overly warm, so you might prefer them over the DT990 sound.

I have no experience with the Philips SHP9500. But I know they have a cult following with a lot of hype. I'd really be surprised if they compete with the K7XX in overall SQ which are a special edition created for Massdrop that are based on a more expensive AKG model.

Read more about them here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/743280/the-akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-thread. Then watch Massdrop for them to be available again.

I've just heard about massdrop, actually. I was reading about the hifiman he 350 just tonight. The unfortunate part is that all the current drops end a few days before I get paid :/

I'll definitely keep one eye on it, though! Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

The unfortunate part is that all the current drops end a few days before I get paid :/

 

Is there any other payment method apart from a credit card? Because it doesn't matter when you actually get paid, paying via credit card means that when you have to pay it depends on your credit card's timetable. So if your cut off is on the 28th, and your deadline each month is on the 16th, then let's say for example you get paid on the 30th. If the drop ends on the 27th and you get charged that same day, you have to pay for it on the upcoming 16th. If the drop ends on the 29th, or your credit card's system lags posting for online transactions,* you don't need to pay it until the second 16th after that. Worst case scenario you get one payday before paying for it.

 

 

 

 

*ex. my Mastercard has a separate eCommerce credit card with a different number, basically just a piece of plastic with all the info on it, no mag strip - security is tighter, if my normal card is cloned and used they'll automatically flag it since I have the eCommerce card, etc