[tnrg]

Hello, I'm new here although I've been reading along for some time before making this account.
My situation, I'm new to the 'audiophile' world. I don't own good headphones, only got some cheap in-ears (Sony MDR-EX50LP) for my phone.
My tv is connected to an Onkyo TX-NR579 receiver with the Jamo S426 HCS 3 Surround Speakerset. And I have the Logitech Z4 for my PC.
I don't own an amp and I also not really have budget for it at the moment.
 
My budget for the headphone is around 150 euro. So far I've been reading buying guides and a lot of reviews.
I want use it mainly for listening music on my pc but also for watching movies/series on my tv and playing games on my Xbox 360.
I listen to almost all genres of music but mainly electronic dance music and hiphop. I don't have flac files but mainly 320kbps mp3 files (and also lower because not all the songs i like are easy to find in better quality).
 
The first choice I had to make is to go for an open or closed headphone. Although I'm not living alone, i choice open at first. Mainly because the better sound quality and I'm only using it at home. The sound leakage isn't perfect but not such a big problem.
 
After some reading I had 5 options left:
Sennheiser HD558 & HD598 (145 euro / 190 euro)
Audio Technica ATH-AD900 (not available in The Netherlands, can buy it on Ebay for about 175 with taxes I think)
Philips Fidelio L1 & X1 (135 euro / 165 euro)
 
The Sennheisers and Audio Technica easily got more positive reviews compared to the Philips. Because the Audio Technica unavailability here I decided to choice the Sennheiser HD 598. But after reading more reviews i began to doubt again. Mainly because of the bass. According to the reviews there isn't much bass on the HD558 and HD598. I don't think i'm a 'basshead' but because of my preference for electronic dance music and hiphop this maybe isn't the best choice. I also read the headphones are much better when amped, also not a positive point for me at the moment.
 
I began searching for new options and found:
Sennheiser Momentum (170 euro)
 
I understand the bass is better in closed headphones so i started looking for closed options too. The price of the Momemtum is pretty good here. Many good reviews. But... Why buy a portable headphone for use at home? And isn't the sound of the HD 598 much better?
 
I'm kinda clueless now. What to choice? The more reviews I read now the more unsure I get in choosing the right headphone. It's difficult to try the different options around here and because i'm totally new to the headphone world probably all options sound great at first.
 
I really could use some advise here!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Connect the Xbox 360 to the Onkyo using HDMI cable, also use a HDMI cable from the Onkyo to the TV.
Get an Asus Xonar DG sound card for the PC
 
AKG K612 Pro headphones (160 Euros), should work plugged into the Onkyo's headphone jack and the Xonar DG sound card.

 

[tnrg]

Thanks for the advise! I quickly checked for some reviews but didn't find a lot. What are the advantages of the akg k612 pro compared to my options?
i'll try to find some more info now.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Thanks for the advise! I quickly checked for some reviews but didn't find a lot. What are the advantages of the akg k612 pro compared to my options?
i'll try to find some more info now.

The headphones you listed are 30-Ohm (Philips), 40-Ohm (Audio Technica) and 50-Ohm (Senn)
Where as the AKG K612 Pro are 120-Ohm, at 120-Ohm, the K612 Pro is a little more compatiable with a receivers high impedance headphone jack.
 
But in all fairness, I plug my 50-Ohm HD558s into my Yamaha RX-V671 receiver and they sound fine.
But I believe the K612 Pro might have more warmth and be more musical, then the HD558s (guessing).

 

[flan208]

sorry to disturb but where did you find the sennheiser momentum for 170€ i have been looking at them and if i could find them for that low it would be great.
 
Thanks in advance

 

[tnrg]

  sorry to disturb but where did you find the sennheiser momentum for 170€ i have been looking at them and if i could find them for that low it would be great.
 
Thanks in advance

You are from the Netherlands? Here we have a bank (ING) who give out points when saving money (rentepuntenwinkel). Using the points you can buy some products more cheaply like the Momentum and the Fidelio.

 

[tnrg]

 
The headphones you listed are 30-Ohm (Philips), 40-Ohm (Audio Technica) and 50-Ohm (Senn)
Where as the AKG K612 Pro are 120-Ohm, at 120-Ohm, the K612 Pro is a little more compatiable with a receivers high impedance headphone jack.
 
But in all fairness, I plug my 50-Ohm HD558s into my Yamaha RX-V671 receiver and they sound fine.
But I believe the K612 Pro might have more warmth and be more musical, then the HD558s (guessing).

Ohh... I really didn't know this was important too.
There aren't much reviews of the AKG 612 pro on the internet but they are positive.
You have some experience with this headphone?
 
Any other recommendations? Or is there someone with good or bad experiences with the AKG K612 Pro?

 

[PurpleAngel]

 
Ohh... I really didn't know this was important too.
There aren't much reviews of the AKG 612 pro on the internet but they are positive.
You have some experience with this headphone?
 
Any other recommendations? Or is there someone with good or bad experiences with the AKG K612 Pro?

I have zero experience with the K612 Pro, but have been tempted lately at buying them.
I feeling I get from K612 users seems positive, 95% of the time.
Here are some threads dedicated to the AKG K612 Pro headphones.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/216596/akg-k601-k612-pro-owners-unite
http://www.head-fi.org/t/685483/akg-k702-the-classic-vs-k612-pro-the-upstart-review-and-comparison

 

[flan208]

O

You are from the Netherlands? Here we have a bank (ING) who give out points when saving money (rentepuntenwinkel). Using the points you can buy some products more cheaply like the Momentum and the Fidelio.

. Oh ok thanks anyway

 

[tnrg]

I can be sure it works well with the Asus Xonar DG sound card? Or is it still a risk and do I maybe have to buy something more to make it work good?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I can be sure it works well with the Asus Xonar DG sound card? Or is it still a risk and do I maybe have to buy something more to make it work good?

I would be surprised if the Xonar DG did not decently drive 120-Ohm (K612 Pro) headphones.
 
Is it possible to run a S/PDIF (optical or coaxial) cable from the computer to the Onkyo?

 

[tnrg]

At the moment that is possible, they're only 2 metres away. In my next house they will be in a different room probably.
For now it is better to connect the pc to the onkyo? It gives a better sound than the Asus Xonar DG?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  At the moment that is possible, they're only 2 metres away. In my next house they will be in a different room probably.
For now it is better to connect the PC to the Onkyo? It gives a better sound than the Asus Xonar DG?

You really do not need to get a an add-on PC sound card if you can use the Onkyo to drive the 612 Pro headphones.
Just make sure you have updated to the latest software/drivers for your motherboard's on-board audio.
Try using Foobar2000 for playing audio files.
 
Maybe in the future (next year?) you can get a sound card like the Sound Blaster Z (FPS gaming), you can buy the cheapest version and still use the Onkyo to drive the 612 Pros.

 

[tnrg]

Hmm... I forget to look before answering. It seems my pc don't have a S/PDIF connection. At least not on the outside.
According to my motherboard (M4A78-AM) specifications it should have an internal S/PDIF output connector though.
This will make the Asus Xonar DG the best choice again?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Hmm... I forget to look before answering. It seems my PC don't have a S/PDIF connection. At least not on the outside.
According to my motherboard (M4A78-AM) specifications it should have an internal S/PDIF output connector though.
This will make the Asus Xonar DG the best choice again?

The Xonar DG comes with a S/PDIF optical output, so you can test the headphones and see which connection sounds the best.