[Fry]

They are very uncomfortable headphones and after about an hour my ears are in agony so now I am looking for something better. I really have nothing to judge them against so they sound ok to me but from what I have seen here they are a rather poor set of phones so I need help on choosing another.

I use the control unit of my Logitech z680’s to amplify with and can really push the v700’s but I am sure it is nothing compared to a good amp. The list below is what I have gathered looking around here but I want to make sure that what I buy will at least sound a little better and definitely be more comfortable they also need to be sealed and in the same price range as the ones below.

ATH-A500
MDR-V6/7506
MDR-D66SL Eggo
HD-280 pro

btw: This is my first post so hi

 

[linnem]

Hi and sorry about your wallet.

Do a search on the mentioned phones, lots of info on all. EGGO's are hot at the moment.

 

[pedxing]

If you want to jump on the popular bandwagon, get the EGGO's. From the reviews I read on this forum, the EGGO seems to have smoother sound in comparison to the V6. I personally found that the V6 harsh in certain spots in the bass and treble, but I still think they are good heapdhones.

I don't know much A500 or the HD280 pro.

 

[linnem]

I second the eggo assesment. Very smooth sound. Comfort beyond belive and the only truly portable "full-size" phone.
The 7506 sounds cold to me and the cord is a real pain.

 

[Fry]

Thanks for the info so far guys. Anyone have the V700’s and any of the ones in my list for comparison purposes?

 

[bangraman]

Are these for portable use at all?

 

[PinkFloyd]

For "comfort" the sennheiser HD 590's are pretty hard to beat.

 

[linnem]

maybe, but it is not exactly portable as an eg...

 

[Fry]

No these will be for home use.

 

[psyco1]

If they're for home, do they need to be sealed?

Just wondering...

 

[Fry]

I stated in my first post that they need to be sealed but I am flexible on the subject.

 

[Gallaine]

I have owned the Sony V6s for about a year and recently purchased the Audio-Technica ATH-A500s.

The V6s are comfortable, but I found that my ears got pretty hot after about an hour. These are great cans for rock music and ok cans for classical. They isolate fairly well. I used them at work and they were the right balance between buffering me against outside noise and still allowing people to get my attention without screaming. They have great bass and an up-front presentation. They are well-built and you should be able to find them for around $70. The one caveat is that they are painful when paired with a bright source - as I found out with the Sony D25s portable. And thus my purchase of the A500s.

The A500s are far more comfortable than the V6s. I can wear these cans for over 2 hours without my ears getting hot, warm but not hot. Overall the sound is more distant and laid-back than the V6s. They can be a little bass shy in comparison to the V6s. Others have pointed out that vocals can be a little colored. However, I would enthusiatically recommend them in terms of sound. To me they have a smoother presentation than the V6s without being "soft" or undetailed. A very enjoyable pair of cans to listen to. They do not isolate as well as V6s.

I could recommend both cans. If you need more isolation and don't have a bright source the Sonys would be a good choice. The A500s are difficult to find outside Audio Cubes, are more expensive at $99, and not built quite as well but IMO are smoother and seem to be a better match for bright sources.

 

[Fry]

That was very helpful Gallaine thanks.

 

[bangraman]

The HD280 may work for you. They are comfortable around the ears, and sonicallyreasonably accurate, yet tweakable and versatile... if your soundcard has EQ to some degree these phones can for example be even bassier than the V700, but in a much more precise way.
I can echo Gallaine's overall views on the V6.
The D66, I've not really tried these paired with home equipment, but what little time I did spend like that was very encouraging, not to say very surprising that you could get such a grown up sound out of such tiny cups. They are quite comfotalbe too. A very balanced sound, not fatiguing physically or sonically.
I haven't tried the A500, but being Mr A-T I would automatically recommend these of course

and from I read on various Japanese forums, these are less detailed versions of the A900 with similar sound balance, which isn't a bad thing at all.
I would say for home use, drop the V6 but the rest are all very worthy competitors soundwise. So I suppose it comes to features: Choose A-T for comfort, Eggo for portable / home versatility and HD280 for sound tweakability and sealing.

 

[Fry]

Its not easy deciding what to get when it comes to headphones. :\