[Neural Cloud]

Hello everyone, Merry Christmas!

I am excited to take the first step down this rabbit hole. THIS song is the tipping point, because I don't feel like my $100 speaker is doing it justice. I am new to this so please forgive me if my descriptions are confusing or using wrong words.

My budget is under $400. I plan to use it for many variety of songs. I listen to anything from Pop, Rock, Classical, Ambient to ASMR. I will mainly use it in my own office, maybe on bed but not planning to travel with it. My ears are sensitive to high pitch sounds so preferably not too harsh treble.
Currently no amp (should I get one?), just my PC/phone as source.

My criteria:
- Exciting and fun sound profile, but powerful
- Comfortable enough for long sessions
- Relatively easy to find (since Im in SEA I cant just order Amazon)

Headphones I have tried in the past:
- Shure SE215: sounded kinda flat and boring, I couldn't use it for too long before getting a headache.
- Sony MDR-G45: I honestly thought these sounded amazing and fun. Despite the ear discomfort from the clip-on, I used mine until it broke down eventually. I was blown away to later learn how cheap it was.
- Galaxy Buds 1: my most recent one, came with my S10 pre-order and I loved its versatility. Sounded great, although a bit lackluster in power for certain songs.

The options im considering:
- WH-1000XM3/4: apparently one of the best options for the price range, and fit a lot of my criteria according to many reviews and articles. All the extra features are nice too.
- Sennheiser HD600: seems many people consider it the best option for the price range on here. Finding a new one is relatively difficult in my area though.

I would love to see more recommendation from you guys, please help me out! Thank you for reading so far!

 

[rivonlol]

do you have a DAC and amplifier?

 

[msing539]

I don't know if you can find them but a used E-mu Teak.

This is technically superior to the Sony and has more low end than the HD600. Where the HD600 wins is midrange and tonality, but I don't consider them fun.

 

[rivonlol]

I would recommend getting a Sundara or a pair of Beyerdynamics and pairing it with an external DAC/amp like the Fiio K5 or E10K or something of the likes.

The HD600 is very laid back and not really exciting at all.

 

[tomb]

The HD6XX at Drop.com is still the best buy in audio for a really quality headphone. It's basically identical to the HD650. You will tire of some of the others mentioned, IMHO. Whereas, the HD6XX (HD650) will grow in quality performance with every performance increase in source and/or amplification.

 

[Monsterzero]

Sennheiser HD600: seems many people consider it the best option for the price range on here. Finding a new one is relatively difficult in my area though.

It's kinda boring sounding and sound their best out of a tube amp. The same can be said about the HD650/6xx
If you want something exciting sounding without too much treble and is easy to drive look into a Meze 99 Classic.

 

[HWB3]

I'm listening to the HD6XX's right now. I've got them going through a Schiit Vali 2++ and a Modi Multibit 2. You should consider the Schiit Magni+ and Modi 3+ amp/dac combo to power them and you're off to a good start in this hobby.