[Taxihamster]

Hey folks,

Looks like my D2000's finally kicked the bucket. In that the holding screw that is long obsolete bust off and I just don't have the patience to try to make them fit right anymore. My studio cans (Shure's) also are broken (headband). So, with that in mind I'm in the hunt again for some new cans.

Got an iBasso D4 Mamba (older) and a damaged SOHA II which I need to repair. That aside, I like closed cans for the options to shut out all the noise, been thinking about Beyers but the Fostex's also look good. Something with nice headbands that are nice and cozy...both the Shures and D2000's lacked 'comfort' in that regard.

I listen to lots of Industrial & Techno (Infected Mushroom, Younger Brother, VaC, etc) so a bit of bass doesn't hurt. D2000 had a bit of bass but was a hair shy in my opinion. Also play lots of PC games with them.

Any thoughts from you experienced headphone aficionados? I don't have a means to have any listen tests so I'm going blind again (like I did with the last two sets).

 

[NA Blur]

What about the Shure SRH1540? It's a sealed over-ear headphone with a slightly u-shaped frequency response making it bassy and detailed. To my ears it's perhaps a touch too bassy, but it looks like you want a bit extra on the low end so they might be a great fit. Build quality is ridiculous for a Shure as in awesome. They are very comfortable. They do not fold up and much like the D2000 they are not super portable.

Here is a review from innerfidelity:
https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/cool-comfy-and-competent-shure-srh1540

 

[FumblingFoo]

I'm should be getting a pair of ATH-M50x's to audition today. These might suit your needs as well, if they're not too low for your budget @ $150. I'll try and get around to leaving my impressions here if you haven't already made a decision .

 

[FumblingFoo]

Okay, I have them in and I must say I'm very surprised with how good they sound. What strikes me most about these 'phones is that they're very open sounding, possibly the most open I've heard. They have a frequency response that indicates a touch of warmth, but they sound bright even with the meaty bass. What I'm probably hearing isn't really "bright" but "dry" and lean. Treble is very well extended and detailed as well, not sibilant but can be strident in the cymbals. They have plenty of bass, but this is their weakness because the bass can intrude somewhat upon the mids and treble when the bass gets heavy. Other than the sometimes intrusive bass, they don't get confused too easily and can handle detail and transients very well. The soundstage isn't very immersive (seems to have width but not depth), but I can live with that with most music given how good the sound is and having the Sennheiser HD 598's when I need them.

I'm very pleased with these headphones; they stand out in my collection and add to my overall listening experience instead of being simply another pair of relatively cheap phones.

 

[Taxihamster]

Thanks for the breakdown you guys, appreciate it. I've always been curious of the ATH-M50x's, I might give that a go...as I can always manipulate the EQ a bit if the bass is slightly overwhelming.

SRH1540's look stunning, unfortunately way outside my budget range. I think the highest I'd be willing to go is $300...since my support equipment basically caps out at that level of quality. I wonder now, about the ATH's, would they handle diversity of other mediums like say...Metal/Rock or perhaps video games as well? I don't want to favor my musical preference to the point where I sacrifice their usability with other areas of interest. They are primarily stuck to my computer so portability is a non-issue.

 

[FumblingFoo]

The M50x's aren't really at all that immersive when it comes to gaming (I like to use the Sennheiser HD 598's for that, they're about $150 but are open cans). After listening for a bit longer with the M50x's, the mids seem natural and lush, but there is a bit of weakness in the upper treble. Its slightly tinny, meshing in with the leanness and clinical nature of the sound. In fact, I think the treble might be a touch harsh for heavy metal, but that's a trade-off for their super clear sound. The 598's will have a warmer sound at the expense of clarity compared to the M50x's, IMO. Its possible to get both sets for about 300 dollars, I think they complement each other nicely.

 

[Taxihamster]

I thought you might be talking in terms of USD but it turns out I can get each for $150 a piece in CAD from Amazon. That's actually pretty exciting...considering I spent $220+ on my D2000's which I was somewhat happy with. They were comfortable but...they never seemed to fit quite right.

How's the comfort level on your Senn's and M50x's? I'm definitely wanting the comfort factor. I had set of SRH840's, which were definitely monitors. Very clinical and exposed the sound exactly what it was with no extra warmth, bass, etc. They were ok, but I leaned on my D2000's for music since they "gave" me something. If the M50x is closer to the SRH840's over the D2000's I'm not sure I'd go that way...

When I think Immersive, I'm thinking if I'm playing DooM or Skyrim with the immersive background noise...Thanks for all the assistance and thoughts on this, going blind is always a bit more frustrating (not that I've been burned per se) but it's a bunch of money on faith.

 

[cossix]

I thought you might be talking in terms of USD but it turns out I can get each for $150 a piece in CAD from Amazon. That's actually pretty exciting...considering I spent $220+ on my D2000's which I was somewhat happy with. They were comfortable but...they never seemed to fit quite right.

How's the comfort level on your Senn's and M50x's? I'm definitely wanting the comfort factor. I had set of SRH840's, which were definitely monitors. Very clinical and exposed the sound exactly what it was with no extra warmth, bass, etc. They were ok, but I leaned on my D2000's for music since they "gave" me something. If the M50x is closer to the SRH840's over the D2000's I'm not sure I'd go that way...

When I think Immersive, I'm thinking if I'm playing DooM or Skyrim with the immersive background noise...Thanks for all the assistance and thoughts on this, going blind is always a bit more frustrating (not that I've been burned per se) but it's a bunch of money on faith.

The 598 are one of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. The clamp is just right and they're super light. The soundstage is very deep so playing immersive games with them will be very involving and natural. The only downside to the 598 is the lack of bass. I dont mind it personally, but if you enjoy feeling the explosions in any game, these can't quite provide that. I don't play many single player games, almost strictly competitive, and these are perfect for me in that sense. I think it's very hard to dislike the 598

 

[FumblingFoo]

Yes I tested these headphones with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the HD 598's were very immersive. The 598's are very comfortable, but the M50x's are less comfortable but still bearable. The ear pads are firm and might get sweaty after extended periods. And yes the M50x's are clinical like studio monitors, except for the augmented bass. This is the first set, aside from the HD 380 pro's which I barely used (didn't like them), that really shown me what clinical sounds like.

 

[Taxihamster]

Hmmmm...yeah the explosion side of things, I've never really had such a feature other than when I connect the computer to the giant stereo in the living room, so I could live without that. I may opt for those for gaming then.

Though if the M50x's have the firm/sweaty style pads....I may opt out. I definitely don't want clinical in the music side of things, I like a bit of character in them. I've had monitor, which is OK for the curiosity side of things but not for immersive "lose yourself" in the music side. So the hunt is on for the music side of cans then...