[B-Dawk20]

Hey head-fi, finally convinced one of my friend's to get a decent pair of headphones after a little session . So he told me to look for one and he would get it. Here are some requirements.


He will be using them for home and portable use with his phone or ipod but he does not care whether they are open or closed. They just need to not be big enough to be a hassle when lugged around. He is not willing to get any type of portable amp so that is out of the question. He is willing to get a cheap soundcard like the xonar dg though so that is in consideration. Musical choices are hip hop/rap, rock, EDM(drum and bass, dubstep, electronica), and some pop. He really likes bass a lot but does not want it to be muddy and overly boomy. Tightness and extension along with nice heft is what he is going for.

Price limit is stricly sub 200

So far the only headphone I can think of at the moment is the ultrasone hifi580. Help me out headfi


Oh and I know this is the full size section but iems are out of the question just incase you were curious.

 

[winkyeye]

Vmoda M-80?

 

[starNdust]

hmmm for me i would go with shure940 but dont know if its portable enough , u  can find used like new around 200$  

 

[B-Dawk20]

Didnt realize the m80 was so cheap...defintely add that on.

 

[B-Dawk20]

hmmm for me i would go with shure940 but dont know if its portable enough , u  can find used like new around 200$  

he is really anal about used products(as am i) so that is kind of out of the question.

 

[DVDRey]

Not SRH940 if he want bass,lol.
 
HFi 580 imo, big punchy bass, good mids and good treble. Correct soudstage for a closed headphone, very good isolation and comfortable for some hours,lol.

 

[starNdust]

if no used ones , ill take  the audio-Technica ATH-ESW9 anytime 

 

[B-Dawk20]

He also listens to a bit of jazz. Only really stuff from anime though.

 

[B-Dawk20]

Is the XB700 any good for rock and stuff? I know it is pretty nice for hip hop.
 
 
edit: Also how does the HFI 780 compare to the 580? How do they both compare to the Ath-M50? I'm not considering the latter, just want for reference purposes.

 

[shadow419]

Not much low bass extension like some other models, but the HD 25-1's sound great with rock and edm.  The bass is very punchy and not muddy at all imo for what you're paying.  Rap is pretty good with it as well, but not as much as rock and edm.  They are efficient headphones so they sound great even unamped and are very portable.  Should give them some consideration as well.

 

[B-Dawk20]

I heard they were like a much better M50. Have you had the opportunity to compare the two? My friend really liked the M50 but he was also very pleased to hear their were headphones within his price range with better bass.

 

[SanjiWatsuki]

The XB700 is a pretty shoehorned headphone -- it's not the best for being an all-arounder.
 
I'd have to suggest the Sennheiser HD25-II as well. It's a very solid choice with a fun signature that should fit someone getting their first good headphone.
the V-Moda V80 is the same as the M80 except in terms of looks, but is $180 rather than $200. That's also a very, very good choice. I'd go with the V-Modas if more bass than the M50 is desired. 
 
Quote:

Is the XB700 any good for rock and stuff? I know it is pretty nice for hip hop.
 
 
edit: Also how does the HFI 780 compare to the 580? How do they both compare to the Ath-M50? I'm not considering the latter, just want for reference purposes.

 

 

[PurpleAngel]

CALs (Creative Aurvana Live), closed, only 32-Ohms, nice sound.
Currently the price on them are are as low as they can get on Amazon and Creative Labs.

 

[B-Dawk20]

Quote:

The XB700 is a pretty shoehorned headphone -- it's not the best for being an all-arounder.
 
I'd have to suggest the Sennheiser HD25-II as well. It's a very solid choice with a fun signature that should fit someone getting their first good headphone.
the V-Moda V80 is the same as the M80 except in terms of looks, but is $180 rather than $200. That's also a very, very good choice. I'd go with the V-Modas if more bass than the M50 is desired. 
 


 

Thanks so much.
 
 
I think I'll give him a list of these and get back to you guys if anything else pops up
 
Ultrasone HFI 580
Ultrasone HFI 780
Sennheiser HD25-1ii
V-Moda V80
 

 

[JK1]

The HD25-1 suggestion is interesting. It is very compact, so it is great for portable use. The XB700 is HUGE! I wouldn't want to walk around wearing that. It is not a good choice as someone's only headphone, as it is quite imbalanced. Perhaps he should go to a Guitar Center and listen to a number of headphones, and feel how they fit him. I suggest he try the Sennheiser HD380 pro($145 on Amazon). I believe Guitar Center will match the prices on Amazon.