[magicaldingus]

Currently planning my second foray in to nice cans. I recently bought Momentum On-Ears, which I very much enjoy. I do love their sound, however they can get a bit uncomfortable with long listening sessions. I have therefore decided to make the MoE my portable/commute headphones. This means that I need some new home use cans. I'm willing to spend ~500$ (amp/DAC included) for some VERY COMFORTABLE, open headphones. My top candidates right now are DT990s, HE-400's, HD 598s, or used HD 600s (to curtail the large price tag). I should also say that I've already pretty much got my heart set on the Vali/Modi combo.

I'm in Toronto, so there's not a whole lot of opportunity for me to try different equipment before I buy them. Unfortunately, our city's signature audio retailer has a disappointingly small selection. This means that I'll probably most likely make my decision blind (or in this case, deaf).

 

[sinnottj]

HD 600 are a truly excellent choice - very comfortable once you get the clamping force right and they sound amazing.
 
DT 990 are possibly even more comfortable, but I don't think they sound as good.  The DT 880 are better and a worthy alternative to the HD 600.
 
I've never heard the HE-400, but I believe they are quite heavy and therefore possibly not so comfortable.

 

[magicaldingus]

Do you have any experience with the Vali/Modi pairing with HD 600? or the DT 880? I would also consider going with an 02 if it sounded better. I just want to stay in the 200$ amp/DAC price range.

 

[sinnottj]

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't! (I use a Matrix M-stage)  Neither the HD 600 or the DT 880 (250 ohm) is very hard to drive though, so those amp should be fine.

 

[magicaldingus]

Thanks for your help! I think I'll probably save up for a new pair of 600s then, unless I hear a convincing argument for buying the 598s sooner.

 

[RadiatedAnt]

Hah! we're in the same boat, check out my thread. I'm convinced on the HE-400s and a FIIO E18, my setup is going to be paired with an android tablet using OTG for the "ultimate" on the go setup.

 

[cel4145]

I've never heard the HE-400, but I believe they are quite heavy and therefore possibly not so comfortable.

Yeah. Some people don't like the weight. They don't bother me.

Do you have any experience with the Vali/Modi pairing with HD 600? or the DT 880? I would also consider going with an 02 if it sounded better. I just want to stay in the 200$ amp/DAC price range.

That really will depend on your listening tastes. I used to own the Little Dot I+ hybrid solid state/tube amp, and I stopped using it once I got the O2. These hybrid amps are not the same as the much more expensive OTL tube amps. They only add a little bit of tube flavor to the gain stage; it's not the fuller rich tube sound. So you might be the kind of person that likes that little bit of extra flavor, or the kind that prefers the increased accuracy of the solid state only amp. You'll have to guess

However, the O2 and Magni seem to be very comparable as solid state amps. I'd probably go with the Magni over the O2.

 

[Claritas]

For comfort, I prefer the AKG suspension system on Q701/K70x to the Beyers and Sennheisers. I find HE400 too heavy for more than a couple of hours, unless you're lying down. (The build is comfortable enough; the weight, not so much.)
 
So I would recommend the newer versions of Q701 that don't have the bumps on the headband. If the newer K701 doesn't either, maybe get that because it doesn't have a detachable cable jack sticking out. Single-sided cable entry makes it easier to wear too. After AKG, Beyers and Senns are pretty close with Beyers a little better.

 

[magicaldingus]

Yeah. Some people don't like the weight. They don't bother me.
That really will depend on your listening tastes. I used to own the Little Dot I+ hybrid solid state/tube amp, and I stopped using it once I got the O2. These hybrid amps are not the same as the much more expensive OTL tube amps. They only add a little bit of tube flavor to the gain stage; it's not the fuller rich tube sound. So you might be the kind of person that likes that little bit of extra flavor, or the kind that prefers the increased accuracy of the solid state only amp. You'll have to guess

However, the O2 and Magni seem to be very comparable as solid state amps. I'd probably go with the Magni over the O2.

 
This is great insight. I'll make it a project to go out and listen to a tube and a solid state before I commit to one of them. 
 

  Hah! we're in the same boat, check out my thread. I'm convinced on the HE-400s and a FIIO E18, my setup is going to be paired with an android tablet using OTG for the "ultimate" on the go setup.

 
Will do, hombre.
 

  For comfort, I prefer the AKG suspension system on Q701/K70x to the Beyers and Sennheisers. I find HE400 too heavy for more than a couple of hours, unless you're lying down. (The build is comfortable enough; the weight, not so much.)
 
So I would recommend the newer versions of Q701 that don't have the bumps on the headband. If the newer K701 doesn't either, maybe get that because it doesn't have a detachable cable jack sticking out. Single-sided cable entry makes it easier to wear too. After AKG, Beyers and Senns are pretty close with Beyers a little better.

 
Interesting... Hadn't even thought about AKGs, thanks!

 

[sinnottj]

Speaking of AKG, the AKG 612 pro is another an excellent option.
 
It's a bit warmer sounding compared with the K702/Q701 (and a whole lot cheaper) In fact, it has quite a similar sound to the Senn HD 600. Very comfortable too.

 

[magicaldingus]

@RadiatedAnt: Just read through your thread along with some other reviews, and I think the HE-400 might be precisely what I'm looking for, sonically. I love that it has a tight bass, and excellent detail throughout. Only problem being comfort. Unfortunately it's a pretty big deal to me, as I think a comfortable headphone adds to the experience a great deal. I wish there was a way of having Beyer/Senn comfort levels with the sound/price of the HE-400. Sigh. Can't have it all, I guess.