[CyberAthlete]

Music listening preferences:
Rock [Pearl Jam/Seether/Foo Fighters/Pink Floyd]: 25%
Orchestra [Inception s/t, Tron s/t, LOTR s/ts, Shawshank s/t]: 25%
Hip-Hop/Rap [Jay-Z, Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, Ne-Yo]: 10%
Electronic [Morgan Page, Deadmau5, Armin van Buren]: 15%
Pop [Michael Jackson, The Fray, Bjork, Coldplay]: 25%
 
 
My current collection:
Sennheiser HD598
Audio Technica m50s
 
Based on that what is listed, which ones would you recommend? Thanks! Do NOT worry about amps at the moment. Just want one that will satisfy me for years to come
 
There are so many to choose from in this price range:
AKG K 550 (demoed them at Best Buy, they sounded impressive. The only issue i found was that my ears could touch the headphones themselves. The pads weren't foamy enough I guess to create more separation. Not sure why, my ears aren't that big and the Senn HD598 wrap around them snugly. However, how do these compare to the rest on the list)
 
Beyerdynamic T70
Shure 940
Sennheiser HD650
Ultrasone Pro 900
 
 
Not interested in:
Denon AHD-600 (over priced IMO)
Noise cancelling headphones
 
Thanks!!!!
 
 
 

 

[Dillan]

Only ones that I've heard/owned from your list is Sennheiser 650, Ultrasone 900, Beyerdynamic..
 
Sennheisser 650's are not closed, they are open back.  They have a better overall sound, love the soundstage and mids, and the bass is no where near lacking for an open back headphone.  The ultrasones will be the most bass but as far as everything else.. not as good.  They have a large V shaped sound.  Thats not to say they arent good in mids, im just saying, the only time i put on my ultrasone pro 900's is when i want to hear bass and treble. 
 
For purely closed back, from your list and keeping in mind your music taste (also i havent heard shure's 940)..
 
I would choose the T90, but for open back option I would go with hd 650, its such a good headphone.

 

[CyberAthlete]

Ah of course, the HD650 is open.

So you would recommend the T90 over the T70? Thanks! I can stretch my budget by $50 no problem.

 

[Dillan]

Oh im sorry i didnt mean to say t90, after you said that i went back and read i saw that i mistyped.  T90's are good, but they are also open back.  But yea, from your list I would go with t70.  Unless your a major basshead, then I would choose the ultrasone pro 900's.  Just know that they will sound painful until you burn them in.
 

 

[tortex73]

I have and love the Sony MDR-Z1000. They've been d/c'd but you can still find them for around $500. I listen to metal, and just starting to get into SOME electronic- specifically Lindsay Sterling's dubstep violin tracks which sound simply amazing out of these things. They have great isolation (I use them on airplanes on a weekly basis), are very comfortable for long periods of wear, and have a very pleasing and musical sound signature. One thing they have been criticized for is having a small soundstage, which they do compared to open backs, but I don't think it's nearly as small as some people make it out to be, especially considering they are closed back. Small soundstage or not, their imaging is fantastic. They really, and I mean REALLY excel at instrument separation. With some of the metal I listen to, most headphones make it sound like a jumbled, homogenized mess. With the Z1000, you can hear every instrument independent of the others, all with great imaging and detail/clarity. They are also very easy to drive- use them with or without an amp, they sound great either way. 

 

[CyberAthlete]

Thanks for the response guys. I'll look into the T70 and the Sony. Although I do prefer a new set with a warranty. I'm just very skeptical like that. I wish there were stores that carried all these headphones for us to test out
 
Would make shopping for 1, 100x easier.
 
I am not a fan of the Denon sound signature. I just feel that their mids are recessed. I do like Shures, and Sennheisers. And the AKG sounded good too although I spent more time with the Denon AHD-600 to see if they were worth the $500 price tag. I didn't think so....
 
I've never owned any Beyerdynamics but have read a lot of good things about a lot of their products. Thanks again!

 

[Errymoose]

you say don't worry about amps... do you have one?  The T70 is 250ohms unlike your other cans.  It will be difficult to make it sound good without an amp (even though it is quite sensitive).  My own experiences is that the bass is pretty pathetic without an amp, but with one it does become acceptable.  Definitely not bass heavy at any point though, if it matters to you.

 

[CyberAthlete]

I do have an "amp" it's the sound blaster Z sound card for now. It supports and drives headphones with up to 600 ohms.
 
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sound-blaster-z.aspx#specs
 
Headphone : 1 x Amplified 3.5mm jack 
600 Ohm Amplified Headphone Output: Maxim MAX97220A
 
I have tested it out and it works and drives headphones really really well. There is a night and day difference between the X-Fi titanium that did not have an amp, and this one. I am confident it should drive the T70 with no problem and bring out it's best qualities.
 
Also you can only use the amp if you plug the headphone directly into the headphone out of the sound card. It will not work with the front panel audio out of your PC since the front panel plugs into a header on the sound card, which is not connected with the amp.

 

[CyberAthlete]

Bass would be nice as I tend to listen to my closed headphones a lot louder than my open ones. I want the impact. I enjoy mid bass/punchy a lot. That's why I like the m50s, but I want to upgrade from them. I used to own the Denon AH-D2000 and am kicking myself for selling them especially when I bought them brand new from electronicsexpo when they were clearancing them out. Only to see now they go for $270+ used in good condition....sigh.
 
They were good, but I think they lacked the mid bass that I craved....and mids were ever so recessed BUT that maybe because (and I am more mad at myself for this) for not testing them out with an amp and based my conclusion off a wimpy sound card.

 

[HamilcarBarca]

Quote:

Thanks for the response guys. I'll look into the T70 and the Sony. Although I do prefer a new set with a warranty. I'm just very skeptical like that. I wish there were stores that carried all these headphones for us to test out
[...]
I've never owned any Beyerdynamics but have read a lot of good things about a lot of their products. Thanks again!

 
The Cable Co. has a program through which the customer puts down a deposit (5% of the purchase price) for a 7-10 day trial of headphones they carry. Afterward, you either return the equipment or pay the other 95%. They have the DT 880, DT 990, T 70, T 90, and T 1. They have other brands, such as HiFiMan and Audeze, and equipment like amps and cables.
 
I'm can't endorse them because I have zero experience with them. I've read about them here and at another, "hi-fi" web site.

 

[Dillan]

Good luck on what you choose man, I also would love to have a headphone shop where I live.