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OP - Before you start narrowing anything down - might pay to list:
- main genres of music you listen to
- listening environment (do you need isolation <closed cans> or is open OK)
- do these need to be portable, or will main listening be at PC (I ask this because you mentioned a sound card)
- set-up solely for music, or is gaming an option? Which is most important?
- what is your total budget?
- from any listening you've done so far, are there any clues you could give to signal listening preference? Prefer bassy / detailed / strong mid-range emphasis (vocals etc) / more balanced?
- what is your source - PC? iPod or MP3 player? etc .....
@typhoon859 - reason above is important to know is because without the info, you're really recommending in the dark. He specifically mentioned a PC sound card in his original post, which does indicate PC - meaning could include gaming. If that was the case, then the E17 is the last thing I'd be recommending (until we know one way or the other). For me personally (after owning the HM5), I'd rather wait first to hear about his preferred genres. Although some people have been 'comparing' the HM5 to cans in the $300-400 bracket - eg HD600, IMHO opinion they really aren't up there. They are a great bargain for their price, and may suit OP's budget and taste well - but even then he should look at the Jaycar clones which are significantly cheaper anyway. Lets wait and see if he replies with more info.
1) I know why the things you listed could be important, thank you. Because based on my input it totally sounds like I'm a total novice and your are LEAPS AND BOUNDS beyond me. Nice attempt at trying to discredit everything I said and showing a sense of superiority. Needless confusion, that's great. You could've just asked those questions separately to give your own input so don't apologize and say that's not what you intended. As a matter of fact, don't reply to this, I'm just some idiot anyway.
2) Something specifically for gaming does not headphones make. A gaming headset is clearly not what he's looking for and something like that is pointless anyway. It's only for hardcore gamers who get some crazy mouse and keyboard to go along with that.
3) In regards to the HM5's not being up there with some of the others in that price range, point is, those are the only headphones to compare these with, so you're kinda missing the point. Yes, of course it's a great deal, although I wouldn't say bargain. That's just a little crude...
4) I'm not entirely convinced yet and so isn't there any proof that the Jaycar clones are the same yet. I'd say a copy of a copy is a little much. Plus, MP4Nation are a really good lot of people so it's always nice dealing with them and there's definitely no issue with returns and/or replacements. Jaycar I'm not sure about. Of course you'd carelessly say that like its nothing because it's all the same crap anyway right? What difference is it to you?...
Yes, I get a little ticked off when what I say is attempted at being discredited by someone who thinks they know it all and flaunt that.
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Sorry, I was at school today. I didn't get a chance to reply until now
I borrowed my friend's V-Moda Crossfade LP, which I thought were too bassy for me. I mostly listen to Classic Rock, Jazz, Ska, Folk, Rock, and some Classical. I do vary interest from genre to genre, so something that has as much versatility as possible would be nice.
Portability would be very useful, because I have a home-built desktop and a Macbook Pro, so it's not a necessity but it is very helpful.
Open cans would be fine.
For gaming, as long as the sound is good enough to make Amnesia's sound design shine, then I'm good with it for gaming. I'm not too picky about gaming sound. Music is more important for me.
Right now, I have $580 saved up, but I would only like to spend 300-350 max.
My sources would be my PC, my laptop, and my iPhone.
Again, sorry for taking so long to reply and having a vague post. I'm new to this! Thank you so much for the help though, I'll definitely be returning to this site often. Right now the HM5 and E17 seem like a good fit for me.
Wow, so from what you're saying it's EVEN MORE perfect. Your bit of display in taste, the genres of music you listen to, your devices, everything! I feel that this combination will suit your needs perfectly. As a matter of fact, the music is very similar to that which I listen to along with the idea behind it.
In terms of portability, the HM5's do come with a case but.. for the outside, I'd recommend something different. Coincidentally, before the HM5's release, my favorite IEMs in up to the $100 price range were the Brainwavz M2's. With the type of deals I mentioned originally for the HM5's, the same way I got the M2's MANY times for different people for price between $25-$35. Right now they're going on Amazon for $45 vs. their original $55/$60 ($50 during pre-order) so it's a pretty decent deal, considering their value in the first place. They aren't neutral at all but they are the one pair of portable headphones whose color I GREATLY enjoy and suits pretty much 95% of all my music very well. FYI, neutral doesn't really exist for anything but full-sized headphones or $2000 specially molded IEMs (may be a bit of an exaggeration).
The M2's sound very warm and natural so things like Jazz, Ska, and Folk sound especially good just because of the natural instruments like brass and such - of course guitar as well. They're good for all genres of music, very much so for pop as well; it's just a matter of that occasional song. What I mean by that is, aside from a few exception, everything sounds like it should; the sound isn't ever really at all questionable. They lack a bit of clarity to be honest which I compensate for with my Cowon J3 player (which is a PMP) which is what I chose them for (where my research led me). In reality, it is they that fix the Cowon's lifeless, cold, analytical sound. I never tried but with the iPhone + the amp with these headphones, there might be compensation for that there. I haven't really tried an amp with IEMs yet so I'm not exactly sold on the prospect yet.
The E17 you'd be able to hook up to all your devices and it would also suit them perfectly. The amp with Apple products creates a very nice sound. The thing is, since it would be your main portal to sound, you probably would want to keep it grounded with USB at home, between your laptop and your desktop. Depending on what you do with your laptop though, you'd likely be tempted to carry the amp with you and just plug it back to your desktop when you come back.
In any case, your options for the solution here would be to get two (way too expensive and I guess kinda pointless), or to also get the FiiO E11 alongside of it. The E11 is essentially half the price and it's basically just the amp component of the E17, you know, without the digital interface portion and the DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) which is what makes it the alternate option for a soundcard. One benefit of this aside from the obvious is that if you also get the additional line-out cable for the E17, what you could do is connect the E11 to the E17 and plug in an additional set of headphones. It could be any ones, even those that your friend may bring. The result here is two identical sources of output in the hands of two separate people. So, you could listen with another person and each of you would have their own volume control. Make sure the line-out cable is long enough or just get an extension (female-to-male) - not expensive stuff. There aren't any perfect splitters that I know of for a reasonable price which don't ruin the quality of the source, and SIGNIFICANTLY I should add. With the E17 + the E11 as one instance, this is the only case where with the same pair of headphones, you could share the same exact sound you experience simultaneously with a friend. It kinda looks cool too, like some kind of chain, which it technically is, lol.
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The E17 just sold out on Amazon
Where should I buy it from? I'm fine with spending the extra 20 bucks on the HM5's to get them sooner, even with the extra 20 bucks they still seem like an incredible deal. AccessoryJack has a really low price on it, are they reliable?
The E17's first batch is pretty much sold out. It was such a hit that they didn't really manufacture enough of them. I contacted MP4Nation and they said they'd probably be back in stock Mid to Late June. I'd wait. They had it before for $140 and are certainly dependable (may take a bit of time to ship though if you get them the second they receive them).
On a side note, THE HM5's ARE ON SALE RIGHT NOW! $110!! Couldn't find an additional coupon for you unfortunately because they just redesigned their site with all previous coupons no longer working but I think this should be good enough, lol. Not sure how long they will stay this price!
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http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-studio-monitor-headphones
PS- Hope you didn't make the purchase yet XD
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DT 990 Premium? Pro? 250ohms? 600ohms? Right now I think I'm definitely getting the FiiO E17. Are the Brainwavz HM5 and the Jaycar really exactly the same? I also have listened to a pair of Grado SR80i and loved the open-back sound, and that's what I'm leaning towards. So the Alessandro MS1i looks like it's going to take the cake for me. I heard it's highly modifiable, what are some good mods for it?
I'm not sure that the Jaycar ones are the same. It hasn't been exactly verified yet. There's only like one review on them and haven't heard from anyone that has one and the other. Plus, they're kinda designed uglier (not technically mind you but still) and don't come with an option of a shorter and/or longer cable which is very useful in cases. That's ten bucks they save right there but I guess you can always get it separately. Also I don't think it comes with the nice little airplane adapter and I'm not sure on their warranty so all-in-all, it wouldn't be my choice regardless. You can find them here:
http://jaycar.us/productView.asp?ID=AA2065&keywords=headphones&form=KEYWORD. They're $70 with shipping. I mean... if they're the same (and you'd likely be needing the shorter cable which you can get here for $10:
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-hm5-spare-cable-1-3m), you'd be saving $30. The only thing you'd be trading in here I guess would be for the uglier logo and less reliability. All I know is that at MP4Nation you have a 30-day return policy for them and a year warranty whereas with Jaycar you have just a 7-day return policy... So, up to you. I've gotten the HM5's several times for $95 before so for $15 less, I wouldn't even consider it. For $30 there's something to consider but I like MP4Nation customer relations and all that too much to go for it myself, nevermind the lack of credence Jaycar has...
I also don't know why the confusion with such recommendations as the DT 990's right now and in regards to your question, don't expect a clear cut answer. My reply to that is, IMO, I think past 80 ohms for headphones is stupid unless it's with some very intentional design (unlike here) in mind, so as others have said to me in regards to these, probably the Pro version would be the best balance. I think those may have boosted bass though to some degree vs. the Premiums. I don't recall exactly. I never tried them because many called them out on their sibilance. That could cause those annoying 'T' and 'S' sounds to cut your ears which happens sometimes with certain songs and annoying headphones. This shouldn't be a thing in regards to music which very often happens. In those cases, it's definitely the fault of the headphones. As a matter of fact, it's kinda similar to what
Iamthem was mentioning above, or at the very least, in this case this happens to be one of the resulting effects.
PS- Keep in mind that your music will have to be of substantial quality, otherwise, it really won't sound good. Your stuff should be 212 KB/s MP3 at the very least, or in other words,
V0 quality which averages at around 244 KB/s or something like that. A common option for encoding is also 256 KB/s so all of this is good, the first really being an option only if it's as a result of alternating bitrate (ABR) with
V0. I mean, that's the lowest of the low. MP3 goes up to 320 KB/s and obviously that's great as well. I'd also like to save you some time by telling you that the difference for casual listening between lossless (like FLAC) and V0 MP3 isn't worth it. As a matter of fact, doing blind testing, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Alright, hope this helps!
