MrFriday
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2014
- Posts
- 4
- Likes
- 10
Hello everyone,
I've spent a fair bit of time on Head-Fi trying to narrow down which cans to buy as my first foray into 'serious' headphones. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more indecisive and confused I get so please forgive me if I am making yet-another-help-please thread. I also apologize in advance for my tendency to be overly verbose.
With that out of the way, I understand that I won't get very good help without giving a little bit of background of what I have and what I'm looking for:
Background & 'Listener Profile':
It would be a lie to say that I am anything short of a music addict. If music was a substitute for sleep, I would never feel tired: Unless I'm out with friends or at work doing something that requires even the slightest bit of communication with other human beings, I'm always listening to music: at home, at work and in the car.
The music I listen to is extremely varied as well although if I had to narrow it down a little I would specify rock, metal, jazz and electronic (both chillout/ambient and trance/house) although as a guitarist, I tend to listen to more rock and metal than the others, particularly progressive rock and metal. I love complex arrangements with a lush, melodic soundscape but I also don't mind a healthy dose of heaviness either. Example artists/bands would be: Porcupine Tree, Sithu Aye, Plini, Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Minus the Bear and so on.
I usually listen to music at moderate or moderate-low volume because I still need to hear if someone is calling me around the house or such. I also find it less fatiguing on the ears and probably better for my long-term hearing given that I am usually on extended listening sessions. I also never use the EQ to modify my listening experiencing; I prefer to listen to music 'as it was intended' by the artist.
Current Gear:
As my main can, I have a Turtle Beach P11 headset which I use on my PC. I believe it's an around-the-ear, closed headphone? I'm rather fond of it as the muteable microphone and separate voice chat/music volume controls are great when I game or chat with friends, but I don't consider them a priority or essentials per-se. I bought this set for ~$45 about 4 years back and they were my first experience into pure audio bliss, at least compared to mass-market cheapo speakers and headsets. It also plays nice with my slightly-bigger-than-average head. Overall, I'm happy with it but I think it's time for a long-overdue upgrade.
I'm not sure about the tonality of this headset but I'm guessing it's fairly balanced? A lot of headphones/headsets I tried out in stores seemed to push ridiculous amounts of bass that killed everything else in the music. The P11 seems to have enough bass to enjoy delicious bass grooves without going overboard while everything else sounds clear and nice.
For on-the-go listening, I have a Bose MIE2i which I got three years back or so for ~$140. I love their portability, durability and built in controls but the sound quality leaves something to be desired at times as it sounds generally less 'rich' in comparison to my P11 but overall it does the job. Just threw that out there though, since I'm not planning to get an on-the-go set.
What I'm looking for:
Based on the above, I'd like to buy headphones that fit the following criteria:
1. Within the $150-$300 range. A little over 300 wouldn't be an issue though.
2. Are comfortable for extended periods of listening: 2, 3 or even 4 hours. Uncomfortable cans are a no-go.
3. Versatile enough to play well with various styles and genres.
4. Are not a pain to get working with a PC. Bonus points if they're easy to plug into a guitar amplifier/amp modeling unit but not necessary whatsoever.
I would also say that I'd like tonally balanced/neutral headphones, but since I don't know what way my P11 actually leans into, that point can probably be overlooked. The main idea is that I'd like to hear enough bass in my music without it overpowering other instruments or vocals.
Durability is also probably a good trait to have, but that's mostly because I have shipping concerns in mind. I'm gentle and neat enough with my equipment that they don't break or get roughed, so long as the build quality is not atrocious.
I don't care much for portability as these will stay home for sure.
Currently eyeing:
1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Headphones.
2. Grado SR225e or SR325e.
3. Shure SRH940.
4. AKG K451.
5. AKG K550.
6. Sennheiser HD 598
7. Focal Spirit One.
The list keeps growing, but my end goal is that I want to land a set that will really stay with me for the next 4 or 5 years and I'm willing to spend what I can within my budget. +$400 headsets look tempting, but I can't really afford them (or want to) with my current financials.
Thanks for reading this far and yeah.. a little help please?
I've spent a fair bit of time on Head-Fi trying to narrow down which cans to buy as my first foray into 'serious' headphones. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more indecisive and confused I get so please forgive me if I am making yet-another-help-please thread. I also apologize in advance for my tendency to be overly verbose.
With that out of the way, I understand that I won't get very good help without giving a little bit of background of what I have and what I'm looking for:
Background & 'Listener Profile':
It would be a lie to say that I am anything short of a music addict. If music was a substitute for sleep, I would never feel tired: Unless I'm out with friends or at work doing something that requires even the slightest bit of communication with other human beings, I'm always listening to music: at home, at work and in the car.
The music I listen to is extremely varied as well although if I had to narrow it down a little I would specify rock, metal, jazz and electronic (both chillout/ambient and trance/house) although as a guitarist, I tend to listen to more rock and metal than the others, particularly progressive rock and metal. I love complex arrangements with a lush, melodic soundscape but I also don't mind a healthy dose of heaviness either. Example artists/bands would be: Porcupine Tree, Sithu Aye, Plini, Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Minus the Bear and so on.
I usually listen to music at moderate or moderate-low volume because I still need to hear if someone is calling me around the house or such. I also find it less fatiguing on the ears and probably better for my long-term hearing given that I am usually on extended listening sessions. I also never use the EQ to modify my listening experiencing; I prefer to listen to music 'as it was intended' by the artist.
Current Gear:
As my main can, I have a Turtle Beach P11 headset which I use on my PC. I believe it's an around-the-ear, closed headphone? I'm rather fond of it as the muteable microphone and separate voice chat/music volume controls are great when I game or chat with friends, but I don't consider them a priority or essentials per-se. I bought this set for ~$45 about 4 years back and they were my first experience into pure audio bliss, at least compared to mass-market cheapo speakers and headsets. It also plays nice with my slightly-bigger-than-average head. Overall, I'm happy with it but I think it's time for a long-overdue upgrade.
I'm not sure about the tonality of this headset but I'm guessing it's fairly balanced? A lot of headphones/headsets I tried out in stores seemed to push ridiculous amounts of bass that killed everything else in the music. The P11 seems to have enough bass to enjoy delicious bass grooves without going overboard while everything else sounds clear and nice.
For on-the-go listening, I have a Bose MIE2i which I got three years back or so for ~$140. I love their portability, durability and built in controls but the sound quality leaves something to be desired at times as it sounds generally less 'rich' in comparison to my P11 but overall it does the job. Just threw that out there though, since I'm not planning to get an on-the-go set.
What I'm looking for:
Based on the above, I'd like to buy headphones that fit the following criteria:
1. Within the $150-$300 range. A little over 300 wouldn't be an issue though.
2. Are comfortable for extended periods of listening: 2, 3 or even 4 hours. Uncomfortable cans are a no-go.
3. Versatile enough to play well with various styles and genres.
4. Are not a pain to get working with a PC. Bonus points if they're easy to plug into a guitar amplifier/amp modeling unit but not necessary whatsoever.
I would also say that I'd like tonally balanced/neutral headphones, but since I don't know what way my P11 actually leans into, that point can probably be overlooked. The main idea is that I'd like to hear enough bass in my music without it overpowering other instruments or vocals.
Durability is also probably a good trait to have, but that's mostly because I have shipping concerns in mind. I'm gentle and neat enough with my equipment that they don't break or get roughed, so long as the build quality is not atrocious.
I don't care much for portability as these will stay home for sure.
Currently eyeing:
1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Headphones.
2. Grado SR225e or SR325e.
3. Shure SRH940.
4. AKG K451.
5. AKG K550.
6. Sennheiser HD 598
7. Focal Spirit One.
The list keeps growing, but my end goal is that I want to land a set that will really stay with me for the next 4 or 5 years and I'm willing to spend what I can within my budget. +$400 headsets look tempting, but I can't really afford them (or want to) with my current financials.
Thanks for reading this far and yeah.. a little help please?