Need help. New audiophile in the making

[DestinyBear]

Hi  .
 
I'm new to this forum and headphones in general, I've had my first pair of headphones (Sony MDR-NC7) when I was 15 and I still use it to date. Being the person that only uses his headphones in the bus and at home for gaming I never actually spent time to notice the sound quality of it. Recently I did and I keep noticing the horrible quality which makes me want to throw this pair of headphones out the window. So now I'm looking for a new pair of headphones.
 
I've narrowed down my search to these two pairs of headphones
 
-Ath M50
-Hfi 580
 
Most of the threads I saw said that the HFI 580 was clearer and the instruments were more distinct than the M50. The M50 is still a pretty good pair however it was "muddier" than the HFI 580 and the difference was noticeable. However, the HFI 580 is 40$ more expensive than the M50, (170$ vs 130$) and it's less common as well. Considering i'm a 17 year old teenager with a restricted budget, should I get the M50s or the HFI580. Also, is it necessairy for me to get an amp? (Talking about Portable Amp)
 
If I do need get a portable amp, which one should I get? If it's 50$ or more, it'll take a delay of 2 months for me to get it so will I be able to live without one.
 
Types of songs I listen to : Hip Hop, Pop, Classical, Techno 
 
Bass matters to me, but mid and high as well, I want a balance of them. I would want a good bass but not at the expense of covering the other sounds.
 
 
Note. I'm Canadian so that's why the prices are so expensive, the shipping fees are a steal. 
 
Thanks in advance for helping this newbie

 

[ssavage]

are you gonna use them for gaming too?

 

[DestinyBear]

I won't be using it for gaming . This is purely for music .

 

[Markon101]

I just got a pair of AKG-240's from Sweetwater (US) They seem to be very balenced with enough bass. Another good listening option is  the Sony MDR-7056. Be careful, there are lots of fakes on ebay ect.

 
 
 

 

[DestinyBear]

How do they compare with the M50s and the HFI 580? Is it a better choice for my needs?
 
Also are you talking about the AKG-240's or the 240MKII's?
 
Quote:

I just got a pair of AKG-240's from Sweetwater (US) They seem to be very balenced with enough bass. Another good listening option is  the Sony MDR-7056. Be careful, there are lots of fakes on ebay ect.

 
 
 

 

 

[Digital-Pride]

The K240 might not be a good match for you as they utilize an open-back design that does not isolate outside noise at all.  If the M50's are more in your budget range then go for them instead, as the improvements over the M50 offered by the HFi-580 are not significant enough to warrant you spending the extra 40 dollars, especially if your budget might not allow it.  Both headphones are very efficient and are easily driven by portable sources, so you needn't worry about an amp with these guys.
 
Welcome to Head-Fi by the way and sorry about your wallet!

 

[eriktheg]

Okay, The difference between the clarity of the M50's and HFI 580's minimal and I wouldn't consider the $40 jump to the HFI 580's unless you have extremely good ears and are a top notch audiophile.
Also keep in mind that FHI 580 has more comfort issues than M50.
And also consider that M50 is very very easy to drive and can even be hooked up to a small ipod nano and work perfectly with minimal loss of quality, unlike the HFI580 which MAY need an amp.
 
Since your a " New audiophile in the making", you should go with the ATH-M50's IMO because of the reasons stated above.
 
Yes, many will argue that 580 sounds better, but IMO, it isn't worth the $30-40 upgrade unless you can find some HFI580's for $120 somewhere...
 
~edit* I just read what Digital-Pride said and I completely agree with him.

 

[Markon101]

I was talking about the AKG-240's. And as Digital-Pride pointed out they are semi-open headphones. If you do decide on the AKG you want a relatively quiet room.

 
Quote:

How do they compare with the M50s and the HFI 580? Is it a better choice for my needs?
 
Also are you talking about the AKG-240's or the 240MKII's?
 

 

 

[DestinyBear]

The only site that ships to Canada without overcharging for the headphones was B&H and to my disappointment, when i decided to get the M50s and pressed the checkout button, It said that they didn't ship this item to Canada.
 
Now I guess I'll have to go with the HFI 580s. Sadly I found out they only come in a straight wire model so I'll probably be getting the DJ1 PRO (found them for 141$ + 17$ shipping). 
 
My new question is. How do the DJ1 PRO compare to the HFI 580s? Unless someone can find me a pair of M50s for 140$ (shipping included) that's not ebay :/. 
 
Thanks in advance.
 
-Miles

 

[DestinyBear]

Oh also, would it be better to get the DJ1 PRO or the DJ1s?

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

The only site that ships to Canada without overcharging for the headphones was B&H and to my disappointment, when i decided to get the M50s and pressed the checkout button, It said that they didn't ship this item to Canada.
 
Now I guess I'll have to go with the HFI 580s. Sadly I found out they only come in a straight wire model so I'll probably be getting the DJ1 PRO (found them for 141$ + 17$ shipping). 
 
My new question is. How do the DJ1 PRO compare to the HFI 580s? Unless someone can find me a pair of M50s for 140$ (shipping included) that's not ebay :/. 
 
Thanks in advance.
 
-Miles

1. Maybe if you search through the forums a bit you'll find someone who's selling their M50's, I haven't tried myself but it might show up.
2. The DJ1 Pro's come with 2 detachable cables (straight and coiled), an extra set of removable earpieces (in case your first pair wears out), and a hard carrying case (instead of the carrying pouch in the DJ1). I've heard that the Pros are more comfortable, have a larger soundstage, and are more balanced than the HFI-580's. However, the DJ1 Pros have a lower impedence and require more power, meaning it sounds better or might require an amp for use.
 
*I also had the DJ1 Pros in my list but I think I'll buy the DJ1's since the DJ1 Pros sound more accurate with an amp...which I was hoping not to buy and so I would think the DJ1 would be a better match for you too.*

 

[Digital-Pride]

The DJ1 seems to be an adaptation of the HFi-580, while the DJ1 PRO seems to do the same with the PRO 550 as the specs of both DJ styles are virtually identical to their conterparts.

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

The DJ1 seems to be an adaptation of the HFi-580, while the DJ1 PRO seems to do the same with the PRO 550 as the specs of both DJ styles are virtually identical to their conterparts.

That's what I've heard too.
 
In a thread about the HFI-580's vs DJ1 Pros, wind016 stated:
"HFI- upfront sound, most bass quantity
PRO- spacious, more versatile"
 
For pop and techno music, as I was told, the HFI series might be a better choice since the voices and bass are more direct and pronouced.

 

[Tablo]

Scitscat seems to sell the M50s for $109.95 with free shipping to Canada.


Sent from my iPod touch 4th generation using Tapatalk

 

[eriktheg]

Quote:

Scitscat seems to sell the M50s for $109.95 with free shipping to Canada.


Sent from my iPod touch 4th generation using Tapatalk

I don't see anywhere in their shipping policy that they ship to canada.
Got any hard evidence? It says "Free shipping applies to the contiguous 48 US States only"
But if the shipping to canada costs under $30 then I'm sure it would please him, because thats aless than $140