Moving to a new level of headphone

[GREQ]

The UE6000 can be a tad bassy at times, but over all has a very good sound for a closed headphone. It's also right on your budget.

 

[dagrish]

Alright, thanks for all of your suggestions. I'm going to see if I can find a nearby store that I can try out some headphones, hopefully some of the ones that you guys have suggested. Let me know if you have any more suggestions, I'll probably ask about amps again once I've made a choice.

 

[adamlr]

Quote:

Alright, thanks for all of your suggestions. I'm going to see if I can find a nearby store that I can try out some headphones, hopefully some of the ones that you guys have suggested. Let me know if you have any more suggestions, I'll probably ask about amps again once I've made a choice.

 
youv been given plenty of good suggestions, but as you seem to live somewhere where auditioning the headphones is possible, i thought id throw 2 more suggestions into the mix. i cant vouch for either of them, having never heard them, but what made me think of them is that they both have changeable bass settings, which from your op, i thought you may be interested in...
 
beyerdynamic custom one pro
 
akg k267
 
good luck
 
p.s
you brought back memories mentioning agalloch, i used to LOVE them...

 

[Mani ATH 87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dagrish /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I currently have the Studio Beats
 
I feel unsatisfied.

You don't say

 

[dagrish]

Quote:

 
youv been given plenty of good suggestions, but as you seem to live somewhere where auditioning the headphones is possible, i thought id throw 2 more suggestions into the mix. i cant vouch for either of them, having never heard them, but what made me think of them is that they both have changeable bass settings, which from your op, i thought you may be interested in...
 
beyerdynamic custom one pro
 
akg k267
 
good luck
 
p.s
you brought back memories mentioning agalloch, i used to LOVE them...

Well, I don't have that many options for trying out headphones. I went to my local Best Buy today and the only ones I tried were the UE6000s, there weren't many other options that weren't Monsters/Beats/Bose. They sounded good but I feel I'd need an amp for those ones. Thanks for the recs, I'll look into them.

And ha, yeah, Agalloch is pretty awesome. My roommate and I just discovered them a few months ago.

@Mani ATH 87 - Ha, yeah that's what I get for being 16/17 and ignorant at the time of my last expensive headphone purchase.

 

[mpawluk91]

Well, I don't have that many options for trying out headphones. I went to my local Best Buy today and the only ones I tried were the UE6000s, there weren't many other options that weren't Monsters/Beats/Bose. They sounded good but I feel I'd need an amp for those ones. Thanks for the recs, I'll look into them.


And ha, yeah, Agalloch is pretty awesome. My roommate and I just discovered them a few months ago.


@Mani ATH 87 - Ha, yeah that's what I get for being 16/17 and ignorant at the time of my last expensive headphone purchase.

I got the ue6000 and u don't really need an amp dude just raise the mids a little and lower the treble a hair and voila, I only listen to metal the real heavy **** like carnifex and stuff so I know these will work. Just make sure to burn them in for at least 50 hours

 

[hduong]

An amp for the HD598 is not required to get it to play loud.  But a amp should result in better sound quality.  I have a FIIO E7 and not very impress with it.  It sounds thin to me.

 

[dagrish]

@MegaMushroom I just read your review of the Amperior's in another thread, and I have a couple of questions. How have your opinions changed, if at all, after the burn in? Also, and I've seen other headphones described like this, when you say they have somewhat 'recessed mids', well that makes me think music like indie and 70's rock won't sound as good for the most part, since they aren't very bass heavy and are big on vocals and guitar and such. Is that pretty accurate, or not quite the result of that quality?

 

[markm1]

Hi There,
I think you should keep the 225 on your short list.
 
Full disclosure: I'm new to this scene. I'm sort of an old metal head who is slowly expanding his tastes and I've put in a lot of research into good rock cans. And,truly, I listen to a small ton of heavy metal, expiremental noise rock,  punk, classic rock, prog as well as folk, jazz, and instrumental stuff.
 
So, I've just purchased the 225 and I can tell you that if you like rock and metal (but also many other genres-pretty much an thing with a guitar as well as jazz, small ensemble instrumental) Grados seem to be a (maybe the) go to rock box. The 225 you mentioned is often cited as being brilliant with rock .
 
That said, the more time I spend on this site, the more I learn that some people HATE them. And, a lot complain about their comfort. I wouldn't buy them sight unseen. I auditioned several first. You want to demo them first. The Hifiman 300 sounds like a winner to me as well.
 
Good luck!

 

[StyleElements]

+1 on the UE6000. I really like them at the 199 price point. They are bass-heavy with ANC on, but still bass-emphasised in passive mode (where they sound best, IMO). For your preferred genres of metal and all sorts of rock, the UE6000 should rock...
 
They are closed, so outside noise will be blocked out somewhat, and they don't leak a lot (like the Studios) so they'd do for walking to school, as well as at home or in quiet places like the library. Finally, the UE6000 really don't need an amp, unless you want to listen at really high volumes - they're designed to be used straight out of an iPhone, as evident by the supplied 3-button remote cable. An amp would mess that up to say the least.

 

[mpawluk91]

+1 on the UE6000. I really like them at the 199 price point. They are bass-heavy with ANC on, but still bass-emphasised in passive mode (where they sound best, IMO). For your preferred genres of metal and all sorts of rock, the UE6000 should rock...

They are closed, so outside noise will be blocked out somewhat, and they don't leak a lot (like the Studios) so they'd do for walking to school, as well as at home or in quiet places like the library. Finally, the UE6000 really don't need an amp, unless you want to listen at really high volumes - they're designed to be used straight out of an iPhone, as evident by the supplied 3-button remote cable. An amp would mess that up to say the least.

I heard they're pretty nice through an amp tho even at low volume levels

 

[dagrish]

I'd be willing to get an amp if I got the UE6000 pair, since their about $200. I'm going to go back to Best Buy to try them out again. Unfortunately, those are really the only pair I have access to, unless I decide to drive into Denver and find stores that have the ones I want to try, if any. There were a couple of pairs at the Radio Shack in the mall the other day, but the two I tried were both broken haha. I thought they just sounded terrible before I realized they were messed up. 

@markm1: So, as a result of not having many testing options, I most likely won't go with the 225i for now. I'd like to consider them, but the fact that I probably won't be able to sample them combined with the division between people who like/love them and people who hate them kind of has me dropping the idea for now. But I appreciate the input, I'll still probably check out more reviews of those just in case.

 

[markm1]

Quote:

I'd be willing to get an amp if I got the UE6000 pair, since their about $200. I'm going to go back to Best Buy to try them out again. Unfortunately, those are really the only pair I have access to, unless I decide to drive into Denver and find stores that have the ones I want to try, if any. There were a couple of pairs at the Radio Shack in the mall the other day, but the two I tried were both broken haha. I thought they just sounded terrible before I realized they were messed up. 

@markm1: So, as a result of not having many testing options, I most likely won't go with the 225i for now. I'd like to consider them, but the fact that I probably won't be able to sample them combined with the division between people who like/love them and people who hate them kind of has me dropping the idea for now. But I appreciate the input, I'll still probably check out more reviews of those just in case.

That makes sense to me.  Keep in mind if you do a bunch of online searches for rock/metal you will keep seeing Grado, grado, grado. Course, if they hurt your ears, it doesn't mater how "metal" any headphone are!

 

[dagrish]

I went back to Best Buy today to test out the UE6000s again. They're pretty great. I thought they sounded great with indie pop/rock/whatever (Belle and Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Smiths (besides the first album), and Of Montreal), pretty great with metal (Death, Pantera I guess) and electronic (Crystal Castles), just alright with classical and a few other things.

So, my question is, which would be the all around best buy for me? The UE6000 with an amp that's around $100, or the Amperiors? I guess not everyone will have tried both, but I thought I'd ask just in case. I know you guys said that you don't really need an amp for the UE6000 or the Amperior, but if I get the cheaper option then I'd like to try an amp since I haven't before. I think these are both good options, though, both because you guys rec'd them and because both should be good as portable/noise cancelling phones.

I'm considering buying the Amperiors since I haven't had a chance to try them, then just return them if I don't like what they have to offer and probably get the UE6000 (I'm pretty sure you can return eBay purchases, which is where I'd get the Amperiors since they're $285 on there).

 

[StyleElements]

I've tried the Amperiors, albeit only briefly at the Apple Store. They're great headphones, quite detailed but kind of bright for my taste. That's just personal preference - the aluminium cups on the Amperiors are very cool, and they are indeed built like a tank. I think they would be great across a range of genres if you're not into heavy bass. I find them less comfortable than the UE6000 - they're on-ear, clamp a little and don't have much padding on the headband (but neither does the UE6000, I guess).
 
I have never amped the UE6000, as I always hear it at Best Buy or another store, but without a doubt it packs more bass than the Amperiors, though it sacrifices detail and somewhat artifically smooths out the treble. I like the UE6000 a lot at that price, so I'd probably go with them. Bear in mind I'm no expert - I don't personally own either of these cans, but that's what I reckon based on my random listens at the electronics store.
 
I don't know what sort of amp in particular you are looking into, but for $100 you could get a range of stuff, like the FiiO E11 or Hippo Cricri, the C&C BH and some of the lower iBasso models, as well as heaps more. I'm no amp expert, and I only own a humble E11... But it has plenty of juice and at $60 it's a good starter amp!