[GanChan]

Greetings, all.

Since I'm kind of new to this stuff, please help me confirm that I'm not deaf or nuts (well, at least not deaf). I currently own the KSC-50 and the V6, both excellent phones, but I notice that when I watch DVDs, the cheaper Koss paints a more natural picture than my "main" headphones. Don't get me wrong, the V6 still has more clarity, power, immediacy, detail, and accuracy, and if I were seriously studying a complex piece of music I would turn to it first every time. The KSCs, by comparison, have a little midbass hump, a slightly echoey midrange and distinctly "silvery" (chilly?) highs. And yet...with the V6, as great as the sheer sound is, I'm always aware that I'm listening to a device parked on my head, because the sound is very "close," very much in the foreground going "Hey you, listen up." With the KSCs, on the other hand, I could almost be fooled into thinking I'm listening to a pair of stereo speakers in the room with me. My guess is that it's the KSC's very eccentricities -- the slight distancing effect on certain frequencies, the less aggressive highs, and the faux-subwoofer effect of the slightly emphasized lows, that combine to create a sensation of more "air around the notes" and more of a soundstage, room-acoustic effect. Well, that and the fact that they're open phones!

So I'm starting to think that my main phones should sound like that too, since I listen to DVDs all the time this way. Unfortunately, I'm hobbled by the >$100 ceiling; I can't even afford an amp to go with them. Who has any thoughts on what phones I should try?

Thank you.

 

[Guyferd]

Beyer Dt250-80 sounds right for you. Their good and thick midrange make is seems very realistic for dvd..

 

[GanChan]

Oops! I meant my budget is <$100, not >$100!

Sorry.

Carry on.

 

[TimSchirmer]

go with philips SBC-HP890's. About 10 bucks or so above your budget, but they will suit your needs perfectly.

 

[GanChan]

Anything from Sennheiser?

 

[Magicthyse]

Try the Grado SR60. It's got a similar balance of frequencies compared with the KSC-50 and will provide the 'being there' sound that you're looking for with sufficient impact given a decent source.

Recommending a DT250 with it's closed-in, rolled-off character for 'natural sound'? Hmmmm... I wonder what kind of DVD's Guyferd watches?

 

[andrzejpw]

Sennheiser's lineup really begins to shine with some of their higher end phones. The choices above will serve you well.

 

[Steve999]

With the substantial caveat (did I spell that right?) of possible comfort problems, the Sennheiser HD 497s (about $60 or $70) are pretty awesome open headphones that might give you the sound you yearn for.

I have the Grados, the V6s, and the HD 497s, as well as the KSC 35s. For me, the HD 497s are easily the closest match to the KSC 35s. I'd call them KSC 35s on steroids.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

Are you using a headphone amplifier? If so, I'd recommend making the stretch for a Sennheiser HD-580. They deliver major league performance.

 

[kelly]

Under $100.
No dedicated amp.
Sony MDR-V6.

 

[redshifter]

i know this is over your budget and may be hard to get, the the sony cd1700 + cha47 amp are perfect for dvd: realistic vocals, detail galore, dynamics, musical, etc.

 

[Czilla9000]

Kelly...did you even read his post? He says he already owns a pair of V6s.


Note: That was not ment to be hostile.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Czilla9000 Kelly...did you even read his post? He says he already owns a pair of V6s. Note: That was not ment to be hostile.

I did... and then I read the other replies while I was doing other stuff and forgot his original question. I do that a lot.

Sorry.

But I still say V6.
Play with Dolby Headphone.

 

[Guyferd]

Magicthyse:
I watch this movie currently

<-------- (see my sigs)
Kamen Rider Kuuga!(masked rider kuuga dvd tv series.. hehehe)
I am using the beyer dt770pro and everything sounds good and realistic to me.. plus I prefer closed as I like to disappear into my own world .. hhehe
Very privatephone .. for cool and mysterious listening! hehe joking...

anyway i realised the beyer dt250 is aliitle above ur budget.. I suggest that you go for Sony V6. They are good and cheap.

 

[MacDEF]

I wouldn't recommend the V6 as a "natural" sounding headphone. They're too analytical and harsh in the mids/highs, IMO. I second the recommendation for the HD 497.

I also would highly recommend the Beyer DT250-80. Their treble "roll-off" isn't a bad as people say and, in fact, more closely resembles the natural treble roll-off experienced by the human ear in many environments than a lot of other headphones that are more expensive.