[thedjswn]

okay, first post, here goes. i need help, big fan of quality audio, only recently into head phones though. i presently own, ksc-75s (like) ,portapros, (really like)  grado sr-60i, (could this be love?) sennheiser hd280's,( meh.) and recently got rid of some klipsch s4's (haaaaaated them, too sibilant.) and bose triport in ear,(loathed them, sounded like crap. wet, muddy, can't get it off the bottom of your shoe, crap.) my hd 280's just broke, which im okay with, but now all of my headphones are open backed. I need a pair of closed, not too expensive headphones. need to keep it under 200$ if possible.
 
here is what i'm looking for.
don't care much about portability. comfort somewhat important, but not critical. isolation decent.
 
sound quality: good extension in the upper range, clean mids. deep lows, i mean like sub bass lows.  80hz-20hz if possible, decent soundstage would be nice, but not as important to me as good separation.
 
I have a hugely divergent music collection. i listen to everything. alt rock, classical, hip hop, acoustic. blues, gospel, accapella. r&b, heavy metal. not so much trance or electronica or dubstep though. 
 
There are three things that are absolute no-no's
 
1: sibilance, I hate it. drives me crazy, i know, i know, "sometimes it's the recording..." yeah, and sometimes it's the headphone.
 
2: too much upper bass or mid bass. the kind of bass that makes male voices sound unnatural. i hate it. i want bass, but i prefer the lower end of the spectrum. I don't mind a little bump below the 100hz mark. but i don't need to be punched in the eardrum every time a guy in a song or on a movie speaks. (this was the one thing i liked about the hd280's)
 
3: I don't want an amp. pretty please, with cherries on top, don't try to sell me an amp. i want to be able to come straight out of my computer, or phone and sound decent.
 
I have been scouring this and other sites, and i believe that i may want one of the following:
ath-m50, beyerdynamic dt-770, ultrasone hfi-580, or creative aurvauna live.
but I am completely open to suggestions.
 
any recommendations? please help!
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Denon D2000, used.

Or get the Panasonic HTF600 if you wanna do it on a dime.
 
Live in Florida by chance?
 
Very best,

 

[thedjswn]

I have heard good things about the Denon d2000, really good things, but i can't find them anywhere for under $300, which is a little out of my price range at the moment. plus I read that they need an amp.  As for the Panasonics, I've never heard of them. I'll do a little digging though and see what I can find. Although I must admit that up until now I've never had a great experience with panasonic. are they better than the ath-m50?  And yes, as I matter of fact I do live in Florida, why?

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

I have heard good things about the Denon d2000, really good things, but i can't find them anywhere for under $300, which is a little out of my price range at the moment. plus I read that they need an amp.  As for the Panasonics, I've never heard of them. I'll do a little digging though and see what I can find. Although I must admit that up until now I've never had a great experience with panasonic. are they better than the ath-m50?  And yes, as I matter of fact I do live in Florida, why?

 
Get the D2000 used. Hit the for sale board, they crop up often for around $200~220. See a review of the HTF600 in my signature (click the model number); they are superior to the M50 to me. Then again, I find a lot of phones to be superior to the M50 (over hyped, over-popularized expensive medicore headphone in my eyes, and I have it too).

Live near Gainesville?
 
Very best,

 

[thedjswn]

im looking into the panasonic's now. at that price i could pick them up, and still have enough to get another pair. i am still curious about the denon d2000, do they need an amp? or do they sound pretty good from unamped sources? and I'm closer to Tampa then gainesville.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

im looking into the panasonic's now. at that price i could pick them up, and still have enough to get another pair. i am still curious about the denon d2000, do they need an amp? or do they sound pretty good from unamped sources? and I'm closer to Tampa then gainesville.

Heya,
 
The D2000 does not need an amp. You'll read it does. But you'll read every single headphone needs an amp, depending on who you read it from. They sound great from my Sansa Fuze for example and my Droid Incredible.
 
If you ever get up around Gainesville, give me a shout. A mini-headphone meet for a few locals would be an excellent way for you to try out various headphones.
 
Very best,