Looking for open headphones (~350$)
Jul 21, 2011 at 6:25 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19

suzz0

New Head-Fier
Joined
Jul 5, 2011
Posts
8
Likes
0
Hello, I've been reading these forums for some time now, but since I'm considering buying a new pair of headphones soon I decided to dedicate my first post to this! I'm hoping to get some adequate advice from more experienced head fi-ers this way. :)

So basically I'm looking for a nice open headphone, with plenty of air, detail, and a large soundstage, and preferably not too much sibilance. My budget is around 350$. I mostly listen to rock/metal and electronic music. I currently have a Fiio e7 dac/amp, but should the headphone require more power then I'll just get the e9 as well.

Note that although my music taste includes electronic music, heavy bass is certainly not a prerequisite.

Your help is greatly appreciated!
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 6:37 PM Post #2 of 19


Quote:
Hello, I've been reading these forums for some time now, but since I'm considering buying a new pair of headphones soon I decided to dedicate my first post to this! I'm hoping to get some adequate advice from more experienced head fi-ers this way.
smily_headphones1.gif


So basically I'm looking for a nice open headphone, with plenty of air, detail, and a large soundstage, and preferably not too much sibilance. My budget is around 350$. I mostly listen to electronic music (dance/trance/dnb) and rock/metal. I currently have a Fiio e7 dac/amp, but should the headphone require more power then I'll just get the e9 as well.

Note that although my music taste includes quite a lot of electronic music, heavy bass is certainly not a prerequisite.

Your help is greatly appreciated!

 
Open for Electronic.....
 
Not going to work well
 
Why so much on open cans? Closed would suit your style better.
 
And you should get a E9 to match your E7, so think of your budget as $200
 
What I can tell you, which are great for anything are MDR-7509HD
 
Great: Build, comfort, clarity, separation
Good: Bass, Mids, Highs all balanced. Slightly warm that helps electronic music.
Bad: None. But you might be afraid of the plastic body. DON'T! it's stiff and strong
 
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 9:16 PM Post #3 of 19
For rock/metal, with some bass..Grado with bowl pads? 
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 9:57 PM Post #4 of 19


Quote:
For rock/metal, with some bass..Grado with bowl pads? 



Grado's are scared of electronic like a little girl and a pedophi-
 
moving on....
 
Yeah, Grado don't "do" electronic music well, BUT not meaning it can't do good either. Grado as high as you can afford with G-cush pads will give you a awesome set up OP! Like I said, the more money you can pour into a Grado with the right pads, the more you get out. And the G-cush pads are worth it.
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 10:02 PM Post #5 of 19


Quote:
 
Open for Electronic.....
 
Not going to work well
 
Why so much on open cans? Closed would suit your style better.

 


Hogwash
biggrin.gif
I love the ethereal feeling the SA5000 gives with electronic for example. They might be too bright though.
 
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 11:01 PM Post #6 of 19
Grado SR325i, Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 Ohm with E9), HD600, HD650, Audio-Technica ATH-AD1000, SA5000 with E9.
 
Jul 22, 2011 at 6:58 AM Post #7 of 19
Allessandro MS-2i
 
 
Jul 22, 2011 at 8:01 PM Post #8 of 19

 
Quote:
the more money you can pour into a Grado with the right pads, the more you get out. And the G-cush pads are worth it.



True, there are different choices on pads...im sure you'll get better results when using them. 
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 1:58 AM Post #9 of 19
Thanks for the replies!

Grado SR325i, Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 Ohm with E9), HD600, HD650, Audio-Technica ATH-AD1000, SA5000 with E9.


I considered the DT880s as well, but will they do good on my electronic music too? Perhaps I should add that I mostly listen to ambient electronic music, which is why I prefer a clear spacious sound over heavy bass.

I'm still open for alternatives ofcourse.
 
Aug 1, 2011 at 5:55 PM Post #11 of 19
I've been reading about various headphones for a while now and I'm considering buying the dt880 for my home setup. Does someone know similar headphones that could also work out well? Else I will probably go for the dt880s.
 
Aug 2, 2011 at 5:21 PM Post #12 of 19
Are there any DT880 owners that listen to rock/electronic music as well that can tell me about their experiences perhaps? 350$ is quite a lot of money for me, so I want to make sure I pick the right choice as I won't be able to audition them beforehand :frowning2:
 
Aug 3, 2011 at 4:41 AM Post #13 of 19
Yes! The DT-880 sounds good with rock and electronic. I had a pair for a frw years and really enjoyed them. They were sold to finance the HD-800, but I really liked them.

There are other good suggestions here, too. The Sennheiser HD-580/600/650 would serve you well. Buy used, though, and save some money.

The Sony MDR-7509HD is a great set. I've had them for a couple of years and mostly use them for travel, but they're underrated and worthy of attention. Same with the MDR-SA5000. They're polarizing among members here, but I really love them for rock and electronic. A very transparent headphone with lots of good qualities - I love them. IMHO, they deserve more attention here.
 
Aug 3, 2011 at 1:59 PM Post #14 of 19
Thanks for your reply!
I'm glad to hear the DT880's sound good with both styles. I also noticed the MDR-SA5000 but I think they're either too expensive or just hard to get in my area compared to the DT880's.
I'm kinda with mixed feelings about the Senneisers but apparently many people like them so maybe I should reconsider them as well.
 
Aug 3, 2011 at 2:43 PM Post #15 of 19
Denon AH-D2000? 
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top