[bahamut727]

Ok, I am looking for new headphones. First of all, I listen to...

•Techno/Trance
•Dance music
•Eurobeat
•Random other stuff

Pretty much in that order of priority. I currently have Sennheiser HD 212 headphones. I love the bass on them, but the trebles seem a little harsh on them, and some songs sound horrible on them.

Now, these new headphones should be good quality (duh), particularily for the above mentioned genres. I would prefer closed headphones, though I suppose if there is a really good open pair, I would get those. Good bass is essential. Also, I will most likely hook these up to my TV every once in a while to watch movies or play games, so it should sound good for that as well. I really have no clue where to start looking for headphones, and I have been all over town looking for a place that allows you to test pairs out (haven't found one yet). From reading these forums, I have noticed that the Sony V6 phones get a lot of praise, but how well would they fit my requisites? Finally, they should be priced under 200 bucks (but I would MAYBE consider going beyond that if I needed to). Anyways, thanks a lot for taking the time to help me, and I hope I can find some I like

 

[bahamut727]

Ok im confused now about the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro headphones. In the picture you linked to, the earbuds are silver. However at this site they appear black. What color are they really?

EDIT: Oh, and how is the isolation on them? Compare it to my Senns if you have used them before...

 

[Patrickhat2001]

For a closed phone with lots of bass slam that doesn't absolutely require an amp I'd say take a look at the Ultrasone 650 DVD edition--I've never heard them but they get good reviews around here and are said to be in the same family as the Sony V6 and Beyer 770 in terms of bass output. Cheapest place to get them is Meier Audio--just follow the link on the head-fi homepage.

 

[bangraman]

The phones are usually black. Without amping they will sound... well, like many other phones and in fact weaker than the V6. Certainly if you are considering using them from a portable or even many PC's, consider them inadequately powered, the V6 would be a better option. Both the V6 and the DT770 are somewhat sharp sounding though, although less splashy in the treble as the HD212.


I think if you let us know what you will be using the phones with, then more helpful recommendations can be made.

 

[bahamut727]

Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman I think if you let us know what you will be using the phones with, then more helpful recommendations can be made.

Ok, mostly, I will use them with an iPod (I am planning on getting an amp as well, but I probably can't get both at the same time for money reasons, so I would be without an amp for a while). Besides that, I would plug it into my TV's stereo system for gaming/movies, and possibly my home stereo. The main thing is the iPod though...

 

[bangraman]

Hmmm... In that case even the DT770 might work well. Driving the DT770 with sufficient power to generate

holy****bass

in my experience makes them quite harsh. With slightly less power you should get quite a more acceptable sound. Be warned though that the phone is not exactly mild and sibilance (exssssessive essssesss

) may turn up. The 770 is also large. Not heavy, but large.


An alternative (if you don't mind the bulk again) that I like a lot is the AKG K271S. Nice bass, not overpowering but enough to deliver plenty of thump. Otherwise a very well balanced sound. Not very efficient for a low-ohm phone but goes quite nicely with the iPod's (relatively high powered for a portable) amp. The problem with portable use with the 271S is the long cord which isn't curled. On the other hand I found the curled DT770 cord far too short for domestic applications, while ideal for portables.


If your main use is with the iPod, I'd also suggest the Shure E2c as a far more portable alternative, although ultimately not as spacious or accurate as the above two phones. However it does have a slightly reduced treble for a milder sound. It does still deliver a punch for your preferred music and it is of course a lot cheaper

 

[Geek]

AKG K271S. That will totally shine with the iPod. It has a very balanced sound with a clear treble and midrange and very deep bass for a closed headphone while maintaining a neutral sound.

They are easily driven (55 ohm) by the iPod, have extremely good isolation (i'm not kidding about this, more so than any other closed circumaural phone I've heard), and are VERY comfortable.

Give them a shot!

Cheers,
Geek

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Geek They are easily driven (55 ohm) by the iPod

Just so that you know in the future (if you don't already), efficiency is a far better measure of how easy a phone is to drive. The K271S has a very low 91db/mw efficiency rating. This makes them among the hardest to drive sub-64 ohm phones I've come across for a while. The iPod with the 30mw->32 ohm amp will power the K271S satisfactorily despite the figures, but many other portables will not.

 

[bahamut727]

Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman Be warned though that the phone is not exactly mild and sibilance (exssssessive essssesss ) may turn up.

EVIL EVIL!! I hate the "exssssessive essssesss". My current senns do that all the time and it is one of the main reasons I am getting new ones. How often do these turn up? Maybe the 770s aren't the way to go after all....

About the K271S, how good is the bass. Like I said, Im a bass freak (hell since I listen to a lot of electronica, a lot of my music IS bass

). Do they do the excessive esssess?


Man, its so hard picking a pair of phones without being able to hear them first. Thats how I got stuck with my Senns in the first place

 

[averydonovan]

The sibilance isn't *that* bad with the DT770's. It is there, and may sometimes get annoying, but it isn't that bad. They can be enjoyable without an amp, but they will improve very much with one. But if you are a certified basshead then the DT770's are your ticket.

And the DT770's always have black earcups, but some have black yokes (the part that holds the earpieces) and some have white yokes. The ones with black yokes are the DT770 Pro, the ones with a white yoke are the DT770 which have a larger headband than the DT770 Pro to fit larger heads more easily.

 

[bahamut727]

Quote:

Originally posted by donovansmith The sibilance isn't *that* bad with the DT770's. It is there, and may sometimes get annoying, but it isn't that bad. They can be enjoyable without an amp, but they will improve very much with one. But if you are a certified basshead then the DT770's are your ticket. And the DT770's always have black earcups, but some have black yokes (the part that holds the earpieces) and some have white yokes. The ones with black yokes are the DT770 Pro, the ones with a white yoke are the DT770 which have a larger headband than the DT770 Pro to fit larger heads more easily.

Awww too hard to decide, I really wish I could hear them to see how "not that bad" they are. Anyone heard the Senn HD 212s before that can comment on the sibilance difference between the 212s and the 770s?

Keep in mind, I am an audio newbie. The 212s are the best headphones I have ever heard, and they are pretty crappy compared to whats out there.

 

[Tyson]

The AKG K271 Studios manage the very difficult trick of being revealing but not sibilant at all. Especially for a closed headphone, that is quite rare. If sibilance bothers you, avoid Sennheisers till you can get to the 580 or 600 level. And avoid sony v-6 like the plague (almost ripped my ears off when I had them).

 

[bahamut727]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyson The AKG K271 Studios manage the very difficult trick of being revealing but not sibilant at all. Especially for a closed headphone, that is quite rare. If sibilance bothers you, avoid Sennheisers till you can get to the 580 or 600 level. And avoid sony v-6 like the plague (almost ripped my ears off when I had them).

Thats good to hear, but do they have...

1. Good bass?
2. Good sound quality?

In those two aspects, how are they compared to the 770?

Oh and would they be good for gaming/movies?

EDIT: Also, what are your thoughts on the Sony MDRV900s? I saw those and thought they *may* be what Im looking for.

 

[hedonist]

Quote:

Originally posted by bahamut727 Awww too hard to decide, I really wish I could hear them to see how "not that bad" they are. Anyone heard the Senn HD 212s before that can comment on the sibilance difference between the 212s and the 770s? Keep in mind, I am an audio newbie. The 212s are the best headphones I have ever heard, and they are pretty crappy compared to whats out there.

Order the 770's from www.headphone.com. If you don't like them, you can return them within 30 days of the purchase.

 

[bangraman]

The 212s are pretty bad in my opinion. Which is kinf od odd because they seem to be based on the same driver and basic chassis as the 497 which I quite like. There's the difference between open and closed phones I suppose.


The MDR-V900 (assuming it's similar to the MDR-7509 which is my only experience) is very unfatiguing and extremely comfortable but it doesn't really have the resolving power when stacked up against the DT770, K271S, ATH-A900, etc.
It's not a bad phone, but not worth it at the prices they seem to usually sell for. If you find it for $100-$120, then yes it might be an alternative given what you want. If you do find it for that much for a new one, please let me know as I'd like to order one too