[sperkowitz]

I currently own a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 250 Ohm driven through a HiFiMan EF2A amp and connected to my PC. I do much of my music listening while on my PC. I have no idea why I got a 250 Ohm as the little reading I already did seems to show that impedance really doesn't do anything for quality. I am looking for something with a little more "boom" for some music, and being able to retain clarity for times I decide to listen to something classical like piano. The clarity of the 770's is good, but I think it's lacking on the bass side. I listen to a lot of trance music, and also rock across the spectrum. Honestly, I don't know if it's the cans or my EQ settings on my PC (if there even is one) as to why it lacks feel for the lows. I would really like to avoid spending more than $200. Maybe 250 if there are enough recommendations. I know getting opinions on headphones is not easy as it's personal. But my general lack of knowledge of headphone tech is minimal at best. I'm hoping someone that might listen to the same stuff would know what I am looking for.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[Youth]

If you wan't more bass you're generally gonna sacrifice on something else. I listen to alot of trance myself and for that genre it's important to get a fast headphone. Does it have to be closed? 

 

[sperkowitz]

No, they don't have to be closed as they won't be used outside my home or in public. If need be, I can always switch to my Beyerdynamics depending on what I want to listen to. But I primarily listen to trance. And what are "fast" headphones?

 

[Beyakusenn]

For your preferences I think the HiFiMan HE-400 is a great option, but to drive it properly you are likely to need an amp. Planar magnetic headphones are relatively fast, accurate and they have excellent bass extension, but they are often quite inefficient.

 

[sperkowitz]

  For your preferences I think the HiFiMan HE-400 is a great option, but to drive it properly you are likely to need an amp. Planar magnetic headphones are relatively fast, accurate and they have excellent bass extension, but they are often quite inefficient.

I do currently have a headphone amp: HiFiMan EF2A. Would that work on most quality headphones? And what does it mean by being "quite inefficient?"

 

[Youth]

Fast headphone means that it had quick decay in the bass section, which is needed for high bpm tracks like trance. Slow bass decay on high bpm will mean that the bass won't end before a new beat comes up.
 
Inefficient means that it needs alot of power to get all of the dynamics.
 
I'm not sure what to recommend with this bugdet though :-/

 

[sperkowitz]

I can go up to 500, but that's definitely my hard limit. Thanks for the information. Would my current headphone amp be sufficient for most headphones?

 

[Youth]

I've heard good about TH600 and T90 but that's $100 above bugdet. DT990 600 ohm are great cans and might offer what you're looking for - they do need the right amp pairing to sound right though. I've also heard good about Philips Fidelio X2 but I'm unsure about the bass since I haven't heard them myself. Otherwise planar magnetics might be something but the require some strong amping.     
 
I don't know your amp, sorry

 

[Beyakusenn]

I do currently have a headphone amp: HiFiMan EF2A. Would that work on most quality headphones? And what does it mean by being "quite inefficient?"

EDMaddict already explained what efficiency means. I looked up the technical specifications of your amp and compared them to my own DAC/AMP and the popular O2 amp. The measurements for the power output at are (more power = better):
 
HiFiMan EF2A: 
320 mW at 32 Ohm
256 mW at 150 Ohm
 
Audiotrak DR. DAC2 DX Muses Edition
500 mW at 32 ohms (conservative estimate. 1W might be possible depending on the headphone)
400 mW at 300 ohms
200 mW at 600 ohms
 
O2 amp
613 mW at 33 Ohms
355 mW at 150 Ohms
88 mW at 600 Ohms
 
The HE-400 is 35 Ohm, so looking at the measurements above, your amp should deliver more or less 300 mW. I think that is more than enough unless you want to listen at very loud volumes. The other 2 amps I mentioned have much more power, but I think you'll only need that for higher end planar magnetics.
 
There are newer, better versions of the HE-400 (the 'i' and the 's') and therefore the price of the HE-400 is relatively low ($299 new and around $200 used in good condition).

 

[cel4145]

The other 2 amps I mentioned have much more power . . .

I would be hesitant to say "much more power." It takes double the power to achieve a gain of +3db in volume. For perspective on that, a +10 db increase in volume is generally perceived as a doubling of volume. So not as big a difference in power output there as people might think since it looks to be no more than +3 db.

 

[sperkowitz]

Ok, I'll probably bite on the HE-400 then. I can always upgrade to a new amp if it seems I need to.

 

[Beyakusenn]

I would be hesitant to say "much more power." It takes double the power to achieve a gain of +3db in volume. For perspective on that, a +10 db increase in volume is generally perceived as a doubling of volume. So not as big a difference in power output there as people might think since it looks to be no more than +3 db.

That's true. 3dB is a clearly audible difference, but not that large. "Much more power" was not the right way to describe it.

 

[superjawes]

Ok, I'll probably bite on the HE-400 then. I can always upgrade to a new amp if it seems I need to.

The HE-400 is a fine headphone at current prices. It's got some issues (it's a bit heavy, and the sound response is a bit uneven), but it still sounds pretty good to my ears (and I listen to a lot of different stuff). And that extra speed and bass will probably work well for you.

 

[GearMe]

I can go up to 500, but that's definitely my hard limit. Thanks for the information. Would my current headphone amp be sufficient for most headphones?

$500 gives you access to the HE400, HE400i and the HE500 headphones -- all very good choices.

Any chance you can listen to them? I spent some time in an audio store with the HE400 and HE500 and decided to wait to purchase the HE500; just a better fit for my tastes. Then...the HE400i came out. For me it was the perfect compromise in the lower end of the HiFiMan line and was also less expensive than the HE500.

Here's a couple threads that might be worth reading:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/673378/hifiman-he-400-or-he-500
http://www.head-fi.org/t/698974/hifiman-he-400i-impressions-and-discussion
http://www.head-fi.org/t/756217/he-400-vs-he400i-vs-fidelio-x2-need-input

BTW, the X2 might be worth considering; supposed to be a great set of cans. Haven't heard them, but wonder if they would be as 'fast" as the HiFiMans; probably not since they're Dynamic instead of Planar. Based on the other comments in this thread, it sounds like 'fast' is key for listening to Trance.

 

[sperkowitz]

I paid the extra few bucks and the HE-400's arrived not too long ago. Already got them plugged in and going. Wow....
 

 
Next up would probably be upgrading to another DAC amp.