[frozentundra]

There is quite a bit more to this stuff than I thought, so I'm tapping out and asking for help. I tried to search, but I'm having a hard time.

I just need some closed back, over-ear headphones that favor clarity over too much bass. I have some hearing damage, so huge bass overpowers nuance, and I don't know I'll even be able to take full advantage of truly high-end equipment with my ears.

I like to listen to solo instrumental acoustic guitar, some classical music, and old delta blues among other things. Also movies, YouTube and podcasts.

I think they need to be low impedance so I can use them with my phone, chromebook, and perhaps occasionally a guitar amp. I don't know exactly how many ohms this requires, but perhaps low is better? For this reason, I've was looking at the AKG K275 (32 ohms) for about $70 as the higher end of my budget range. I thought about the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x, but the impedance is higher (47 ohms)

I would prefer sound quality, clarity, and comfort over wireless capability or ANC, but I honestly don't know how much better a wired HP like the K275 may sound compared to something like TaoTronics Soundsurge 85 Bluetooth 5.0 ANC for $50. Some bottom-end range is nice, but not if it destroys clarity and nuance for acoustic guitar and classical music.


Any advice from the knowledgeable? What headphones should I be looking at?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Sony MDR7506

 

[frozentundra]

Does 63 ohm impedance of the Sony MDR7506 make a difference vs 32 ohm for the AKG K275 when using primarily with a Google Pixel 3XL phone? Or is this not really an issue?

 

[Light - Man]

AKG K361, nice controlled bass and openness for a closed back and nice crisp treble detail, anywhere near your budget. Also nice build quality and comfort...............

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Does 63 ohm impedance of the Sony MDR7506 make a difference vs 32 ohm for the AKG K275 when using primarily with a Google Pixel 3XL phone? Or is this not really an issue?

the difference between a 32 ohm headphone and a 63 ohm headphone is negligible. I wouldn't use the power requirements as a deciding factor. I have had no problem powering the MDR7506 out of any device, it's pretty efficient.

 

[frozentundra]

After doing a little more reading, I am now wondering if the headphones listed above aren't too good for streaming audio from Youtube Music on a Google Pixel phone or Chromebook. I don't think they have very good dacs or amps. Will feeding a good headphone from relatively poor sources actually make music and movies sound worse by revealing more issues with the sound? Am I going to spend $100 to find out I need other equipment to actually take advantage of good headphones?

If I am using simple mobile devices and streaming digital audio 95% of the time, is a "forgiving" headphone what I should be looking for over a "good" headphone?

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

After doing a little more reading, I am now wondering if the headphones listed above aren't too good for streaming audio from Youtube Music on a Google Pixel phone or Chromebook. I don't think they have very good dacs or amps. Will feeding a good headphone from relatively poor sources actually make music and movies sound worse by revealing more issues with the sound? Am I going to spend $100 to find out I need other equipment to actually take advantage of good headphones?

If I am using simple mobile devices and streaming digital audio 95% of the time, is a "forgiving" headphone what I should be looking for over a "good" headphone?

That's not really how it works. You will notice some recordings don't sound as good as you thought before, the headphones will occasionally point out flaws in a recording, that's true, but purposely choosing headphones that don't sound as good isn't the answer.
The factor you want to be aware of when using a source like a phone or laptop is the power requirements of the headphone. All things being equal a lower ohm headphone will sound better out of a low output source as opposed to a higher impedance headphone of the same quality.
In your case I would get the best sounding LOW ohm headphone I can afford. You can always get an amp later, and it will most likely improve the sound noticeably, but in the meantime a good sounding low impedance headphone is going to sound better than a "forgiving" headphone. Compromising sound quality because your sources might not be up to the task is counter intuitive.

 

[Diable]

The Sony MDR7506 are perfect for your situation. You'll have zero problem driving them off a phone and they'll grow with you if you add a amp-dac at a later date.