Need An Upgrade From HD 280s
May 1, 2014 at 7:14 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 4

Donut

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So I'm looking into finally upgrading my HD 280s, which has served me faithfully for some time now. They represent, along with the HD 497s, my first foray into headphones. I'm pretty happy with my set of earphones, but I need a good home 'phone to listen to, since I live in an apartment complex and a full on speaker system just won't do. Things to consider:
 
1. I have a budget of roughly $500, give or take about $100. It's a bit flexible, especially if spending the money would be worth it.
2. I'd rather not have to hook it up to an amp or DAC or such; ideally, I could plug it directly into my computer's hp port and roll along. If I do end up having to get an amp/DAC, that would have to be included in the budget.
3. Usage would be mainly for music & movies/TV shows, split about halfway if not leaning towards movies/TV shows. Music listening choices include everything, but skew mainly towards hip-hop & rock [anywhere from Marilyn Manson to A Perfect Circle to Green Day to Linkin Park to Metallica...mostly mainstream stuff]...and yes, a bit of country.
4. I did enjoy the 497s while they lasted; the 280s are okay, but were lacking in bass save the really low stuff. They, in particular, leave me wanting more.
 
My initial thought was the Ultrasone Pro 900, but given my general lack of experience in the area, I more than welcome the opinions of more knowledgeable people.
 
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
 
May 1, 2014 at 7:31 PM Post #2 of 4
Focal Spirit Pro / Classic, NAD HP50, Sennheiser HD380Pro, Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 ohm + a DAC/amp for the rest. Not to power them only, but purely for SQ. You don't wanna run headphones out of a HP out on your motherboard, you won't bring the full potential out of them, even if you're talking about 30-40 dollar headphones.
 
Maybe even look into Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro's since you can adjust the bass on them.
 
May 1, 2014 at 8:25 PM Post #3 of 4
Okay, so if I have to add in a DAC/amp, how would I pair this? I mean, I'm completely in the dark in that category. I suppose I'd also have to raise my budget ~ $100 or so.
 
May 1, 2014 at 8:45 PM Post #4 of 4
Shure SRH1540 will work well straight out of your computer.
 

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