[haejuk]

hey guys.

my friend recently purchased a pair of bose triports for use with his computer. i gave them a try and must say that they sound quite a bit better than my senn hd 457's. i've been reading around on these forums for a few days and am not toally sure that the bose triports are for me.

basically i need something to replace my sennheiser hd 457 headphones (which i will probably give to my brother once replaced). i only use these headphones with my computer: listening to mp3s, watching dvds, playing games, etc... i'm looking to spend less than the bose triports and get something similar/comparable/better.

does anyone have any suggestions? i kind of need to at least narrow down my choices. thanks

 

[Ticky]

Greetings fellow DCer....

Here's some suggestions:

Audio-Technica ATH-A700

Beyerdynamics DT831

Sennheiser 580


Of those pairs, i've only heard the 580s. But they are all in the Bose Triport's ~$160 price range. I don't know if your computer soundcard will have enough juice on the amp section to drive the phones. But the 580s ain't that hard to drive to a decently loud level.

 

[haejuk]

wow, heh. no one else is ever from dc area on the internet it seems.

well, i have been looking at those headphone (i would be getting more for my money with those than the tri-ports, right?). but i want a few more choices. i am a college student, so its always nice to cut some money off of things. are there any comparable phones in the $80-$120 price range? also, being a total newbie, i need some suggestions on good places to buy headphones at. preferably internet sites, but if anyone knows some good shops in dc or northern virginia that would be helpful too.

 

[GanChan]

In the $80-120 price range, you might consider the Sennheiser HD-280 Pro or the Sony V-6. Do searches for these phones on this website, and see if you agree.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

IIRC correctly the TriPorts cost about $160 or so. That opens the field to a rather large number of cans available. Help US narrow it down with a couple of answers:

1. Is there a preference for a type of music you like? Rap, rock, jazz, etc..
2. Are you looking for something with lost of bass, a smooth sound, something that is more in your face, etc?
3. Will you use a separate amp to power the cans?

This will help us a lot since the answers will help us narrow things down from 100+ cans to about 30.

 

[blessingx]

Open or closed?

If either, even $60 HD497's and SR60's should easily beat the Triports, in most situations. Moving up to $100 opens a lot of options.

 

[haejuk]

1. Is there a preference for a type of music you like? Rap, rock, jazz, etc..
2. Are you looking for something with lost of bass, a smooth sound, something that is more in your face, etc?
3. Will you use a separate amp to power the cans?

1: i usually listen to pop, rock, and rap. although i do sometimes listen to some classical.

2: i think i may be wanting something more towards the in-your-face side. i do enjoy bass, but i don't want anything that's gonna give me a headache. i will be using these for gaming (including doom 3 whenever it comes out) and i want something that will really give me a good gaming experience.

3: i will have no seperate amp to power these phones. untill going to this forum i did not even know people used anything like that for headphones

i hope this is somewhat helpful. although i'm really not completely sure of the answer to #2 ^^;

 

[ServinginEcuador]

OK, that helps. Knowing that I would go with any of the following, in no particular order other than when they came to me:

Senn HD497
Grado SR60
Grado SR80
Audio Technica A500

There might be some others around, but these are all pretty good.

 

[haejuk]

i think i've narrowed it down to the Audio Technica A500 or A700. i'm just not sure whether i will notice a huge difference between the A700 and the A500 using them on my computer, so not sure if the extra $50 for the A700 would be worth it for me. what do you guys think?

btw, thanks for all the suggestions so far. you guys have been a huge help!

 

[HeadphonesNewGuy]

In your case I definitely recommend the Sennheiser HD280's. You cannot go wrong man.

Isaiah

The Dude Abides.

 

[D-EJ915]

The A700s supposedly have a nasty cheap-feel in their sound (thanks to bangraman)...just to be on the safe side, I'd get the A500s just to be sure, and if you don't like them, you only spent 100 bucks, not 150.

 

[haejuk]

ok! i have finally finished deciding~! the hd280's did look pretty good. but i read a review that said that the at500's were a lot more comfortable, and i just then realized that comfort would be a major factor. so i will be going with the at500's!

thanks a ton for all the help! i'll let you know how they work out for me ^^

 

[Ticky]

Do tell us how they sound!!

PS - I don't know of any good audio shops in the heart of DC. I know there is a Meyer Emco up in Georgetown (2241 Wisconsin Ave.). They sell a nice range of hi fi equipments. Very polite and professional staff.

something to keep in mind when the audio bug bites you - and it will if you stay on this site long enough.

 

[haejuk]

hey guys.

wearing my new ath-a500's from audiocubes right now. and i must say that i couldn't be more pleased with my purchase ^^

they're alot bigger than i expected, but they're also a lot more comfortable than my old senn 457's. needless to say they sound quite a bit better also.

thanks for all the help so much!

 

[HackofDestruct]

Would you have happened to Frequent [H]ard Forums ever, haejuk?

I just recognise the name thats all.