Looking for over ears for dubstep/electronic music
Aug 16, 2012 at 4:18 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19

Jawwwsh

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Sorry to have to make another one of these threads but I've reached the point where I no longer feel I'll find my perfect headphones alone. I've done a lot of lurking but it just seems like there are so many options for each of which I manage to find someone who's been dissatisfied with them... Looking for a pair that really doesn't have much of a downside or weaker property.
 
I've owned a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pro's for some time now, and have been somewhat disappointed... the sound has always felt rather distant and not very immersive, with pretty weak bass too. Not very pretty either. Although I have been able to appreciate the clarity of sound and the noise cancellation. But they really don't meet all of my needs, so I've haven't been listening to as much music as I'd like.
 
Factors I'm looking for then:
- Needs GREAT bass for my dubstep/electronic music, without neglecting the other ranges
 
- Over ear with great isolation - I wear them often at loud swim meets trying to jack myself up before a race, love being able to shut out my environment.
 
- Will hopefully be my main headphones too, so will be used for general PC gaming and youtube browsing. Skype calls too, an inline or detachable mic would be a great plus but not essential. Don't play FPSs though so great sound placement for that isn't necessary.
 
- Relatively comfortable for extended wear, durable and portable.
 
- Not hideous to look at.
 
My price range right now is around $75 to $150, but can be raised if given enough persuasion. 
 
An area I'm clueless on is the benefits of a headphone amp... are they a necessity to really enjoy my music? I'd have no idea what to look for. Again though if they'd be worth it I would invest once better educated on the matter.
 
I think that's about everything, can't wait to see what you guys come up with. Thanks for doing what you do!
 
Aug 16, 2012 at 4:29 PM Post #2 of 19
check out the ultrasone hfi-580's these cans are da bomb for bass. dubstep will never sound the same again. also a good amp if u consider to invest in is the fiio e7. its a good portable amp for your needs. these headphone arent the best noise isolation but will block out a good amount of ambient noise.
 
Aug 16, 2012 at 9:32 PM Post #3 of 19
Thanks for the quick reply. The 580s do look awesome and will probably be my choice if nothing else is suggested. Although I think I'd go with the DJ1 which are apparently the same cans but with a different look.
 
Shame about the noise isolation though. Swim meets tend to get very loud and I love shutting it all out.
 
Any more info on an amp? I can't find anything that summarizes their use. Do they just increase the volume and quality of an ipod? By how much?
 
Aug 17, 2012 at 1:16 AM Post #5 of 19
The Denon D-2000 are the Schiit for bass.
L3000.gif
  Right now i have mine powered by a Schiit Asgard amp.
 
 
And welcome to the forums. I would like to take this time now to apologize for your wallet. 
biggrin.gif

 
Aug 17, 2012 at 1:33 AM Post #6 of 19
Quote:
The Denon D-2000 are the Schiit for bass.
L3000.gif
  Right now i have mine powered by a Schiit Asgard amp.
 
 
And welcome to the forums. I would like to take this time now to apologize for your wallet. 
biggrin.gif

 
If they were less than $150 and comply to more than three of the criteria, they'd be fantastic, but...
 
There's the AKG K181DJ. You probably won't find much (or any) information about them, but I actually like mine more than the Ultrasone HFI580. They have a little less midbass, but flip the large club switch on them, and they get ridiculously bassy. They're durable, foldable, not that bad-looking, have decent isolation, don't really need an amp, and are only $90. Oh, and they have a pretty good midrange for a bassy headphone. The only problem might be comfort. They might get a little uncomfortable after three or so hours.
 
Aug 17, 2012 at 1:54 AM Post #8 of 19
Yeah the Denon D's are great but have pretty much no isolation, if open cans are 0 from 0-10 then the D-X000's are 1.
 
The 580's are good what about the Maudio Q40's? then 580's are probably better but its another option oh and the audio tecnica mkII's? forget the full name
 
Aug 19, 2012 at 9:15 PM Post #11 of 19
Thank you everyone so much for your opinions! I'm a really picky buyer and personalized information like this that suits my own scenario is so greatly appreciated.
 
Right now I'm looking at the HFI 580s most intently right now. However, the Q40s are still in the running. I just think the 580s look nicer. My turnoff with the AKG K181DJ was the poor comfort and cheesy sounding "club switch".
 
I'm still relatively clueless on amps however. From what I've read so far, if I want that extra volume and bass, then its a worthwhile purchase. But I can't shell out more than $50 for one. So is it still worth it if I only buy a cheaper one? I'm looking for portability, and compatibility with my iPod Nano (5th Gen). Will using an amp drain more or less of my iPods already small battery?
 
Also, I've steered back to the 580s over the DJ1s... that smooth silver look is awesome.

 
Aug 19, 2012 at 9:24 PM Post #12 of 19
The club switch is purely mechanical actually. Large club creates a bass port, which is kinda cool. I'd probably take the HFI580 in your situation though. I was going to recommend them, but figured they'd be too big for you.
 
Aug 20, 2012 at 7:39 PM Post #13 of 19
Nah the size isn't too much of a bother, I just don't like pairs that are boring to look at with weird shapes. But I appreciate your offering of another option, that was what I was looking for!
 
Definitely planning on ordering today once I get some enlightenment on the headphone amp basics:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jawwwsh /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I'm still relatively clueless on amps however. From what I've read so far, if I want that extra volume and bass, then its a worthwhile purchase. But I can't shell out more than $50 for one. So is it still worth it if I only buy a cheaper one? I'm looking for portability, and compatibility with my iPod Nano (5th Gen). Will using an amp drain more or less of my iPods already small battery?
 

 
And which would you recommend?
 

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