[vondoom88]

 Hello,
    I joined here while looking through the internet for a "budget" set of good cans. I found a lot of ones I've never heard of before & am looking for some help in picking out my first "proper" set of cans.  Having said that I don't plan on getting an amp for now these will be strictly for home use plugged into my receiver mostly for vinyl/cd playback.Main reason for "budget" is I'll likely be buying two pair one for me & a set for my daughters(14) Vinyl rig. I'd like to keep the cost around $60 but might go as far as $100.
 
I listen to a wide variety of music what I'm after is solid bass response with good mids & highs. I'm particularly sensitive to high frequencies so I'd prefer "laid back" to "forward" I guess. I wear glasses & have a pretty big melon, wear a 7 3/4 fitted cap. Would like to be able to listen confortably for several hours with glasses & hat on. Not that I'll always have them on but I'll likely have one or the other on. I live about 90 miles west of Chicago which means I basically live in a cornfield. So auditioning most if not all on the list is basically impossible for me to do. Last store I was in that had demo headphones were 90% Beats by Dre or Bose which all sounded like crap to me. Prices are all from Amazon, there may be cheaper ways of getting some like the Somics. 
 
My ever expanding list of contenders as of now are:
 
Pinoeer SE-A1000  $60       Amazon 
 
Superlux HD668B   $43.29  Amazon
 
Somic MM185        $53.99  Amazon
 
Somic MH463        $56.99   Amazon marketplace 
 
 
 
Pushing the limit of the budget would be:
 
Sony MDR-7506   $79.99   Amazon
 
NVX XTP100       $99.00   Amazon

 

[cel4145]

In case this helps, NVX XTP100 is $85 + shipping through buysonic.com

 

[vondoom88]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[vondoom88]

In case this helps, NVX XTP100 is $85 + shipping through buysonic.com

Is buysonic & massdrop the same? I went to register @ buysonic said my username was already taken so I tried to login with my massdrop credentials & it worked? 

 

[cel4145]

I don't think so. Buysonic is a division of Sonic Electronix, from what I understand.

 

[vondoom88]

That explains it ! I've ordered from them in the past!

 

[Music Alchemist]

The NVX XPT100 doesn't have the nasty treble peaks of the Sony MDR-7506 (which you should definitely avoid due to your sensitivity to high frequencies), but neither of them are good for bass. I owned both and even when I used a powerful amplifier and boosted the XPT100's bass via EQ, it didn't respond well. You may still like it, though. It looks and feels awesome and has superb isolation and comfort. I personally like the Audio-Technica ATH-M30x (which I am selling) and M40x more in terms of sound. Oh, and here's a tip from a fellow glasses wearer: move your glasses out from and over the pads. This greatly increases comfort, and sometimes sound quality too due to having a better seal.

 

[vondoom88]

  The NVX XPT100 doesn't have the nasty treble peaks of the Sony MDR-7506 (which you should definitely avoid due to your sensitivity to high frequencies), but neither of them are good for bass. I owned both and even when I used a powerful amplifier and boosted the XPT100's bass via EQ, it didn't respond well. You may still like it, though. It looks and feels awesome and has superb isolation and comfort. I personally like the Audio-Technica ATH-M30x (which I am selling) and M40x more in terms of sound. Oh, and here's a tip from a fellow glasses wearer: move your glasses out from and over the pads. This greatly increases comfort, and sometimes sound quality too due to having a better seal.

 I appreciate the feedback on the differences. Would you say the bass is actually lacking in the 7506 & XPT100 or are they just not "boosted". I would prefer quality over quantity.  That's my issue I don't have anywhere I can listen nearest Guitar Center is an hour away they only have limited selection. Have you by chance caught the AKG M220's ? There's a pretty decent deal on massdrop for them right now with 5 days to go 69.99 Free S/H -Wht/Blk got that stormtrooper look happening. They also have a drop going on the Takstar PRO 80's if it makes the quotta they'll be 59.99 + 6.99 S/H which puts them only 5 bucks shy of the AKG's which look better but the Pro 80 has that nice case.......
 
 
 New Contenders:
AKG M220             $69.99  massdrop
 
Takstar PRO 80     $59.99 + 6.99 S/H

 

[cel4145]

 I appreciate the feedback on the differences. Would you say the bass is actually lacking in the 7506 & XPT100 or are they just not "boosted".

Here are measurements for the FA-003, same cups and drivers as the XPT100 (same sound): http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FischerAudioFA003.pdf. It's not rolled off in bass. Just not as heavy in bass as some people might like.

 

[Music Alchemist]

   I appreciate the feedback on the differences. Would you say the bass is actually lacking in the 7506 & XPT100 or are they just not "boosted". I would prefer quality over quantity.  That's my issue I don't have anywhere I can listen nearest Guitar Center is an hour away they only have limited selection. Have you by chance caught the AKG M220's ? There's a pretty decent deal on massdrop for them right now with 5 days to go 69.99 Free S/H -Wht/Blk got that stormtrooper look happening. They also have a drop going on the Takstar PRO 80's if it makes the quotta they'll be 59.99 + 6.99 S/H which puts them only 5 bucks shy of the AKG's which look better but the Pro 80 has that nice case.......
 
 New Contenders:
AKG M220             $69.99  massdrop
 
Takstar PRO 80     $59.99 + 6.99 S/H

 
Measurements (both headphones have awful measurements, by the way) are only a starting point. For whatever reason, despite how the measurements imply it has plenty of bass, actual listening indicates to me that that the XPT100 is lacking bass compared to neutral bass, which you can hear in planar magnetic and some electrostatic headphones. (The XPT100 has unique pads, whereas the other headphones that use the same drivers it has have other pads, so that can change the sound too.) More importantly, the sound quality of the XPT100 isn't that good, but for the price, you can't complain much. The 7506's bass can be enjoyed, but it sounds pretty weak most of the time...and again, more importantly, the sound quality is, frankly, trash: bright, harsh, thin, tinny. (The MDR-V6 is similar, but has less of those negative qualities and better bass.) But despite this, I enjoyed it more than the XPT100 even though I acknowledge that the XPT100 is objectively better as far as the tonal balance goes.
 
Also note that I have heard many high-end headphones, so what sounds bad to me may sound great to you.
 
Here is my thread about the AKG M220: http://www.head-fi.org/t/775466/akg-m220-semi-open-studio-headphones
 
I heard that the Takstar PRO 80 was a pretty bassy headphone, and the measurements coincide with that...but I haven't heard it or the M220 myself.

 

[cel4145]

Measurements (both headphones have awful measurements, by the way) are only a starting point. For whatever reason, despite how the measurements imply it has plenty of bass, actual listening indicates to me that that the XPT100 is lacking bass compared to neutral bass,

My listening experience was different. Perhaps you had a bad pair. You hated them, after all, didn't you?

 

[Music Alchemist]

My listening experience was different. Perhaps you had a bad pair. You hated them, after all, didn't you?

 
I sent it in to NVX to be examined. They sent me a second pair. They also reported that the first pair had no problems. The second pair sounded the same. And I was using a Schiit Magni 2 Uber amp, so it wasn't an amping issue. It could have just been due to other aspects of its sound (such as dynamics) that made the bass sound weak to me. The overall sound did not impress me at all. But maybe if I heard it again after having so much more experience, I would like it more. lol

 

[cel4145]

If you peruse the HM5, FA-003, and XPT100 discussion threads, more often than not, people tend to describe these as fairly neutral.

The problem can be trying to make comparisons without something to ground you in what is "neutral." When one trades headphones constantly, one's hearing will adjust somewhat to what one is currently listening to. It's sort of like wines. If you have been drinking through a case of cab sav over a period of time, and then drink a glass of merlot, it will taste more demure than if you have been drinking something else lighter in flavor more often. Try listening to Grado SR225i for a month, then switch to HD598--they'll sound very dark. Or vice a versa. Go from a month of HD598s, and the Grados will likely sound very aggressive at first.

And this is why professional reviewers have their favorite speakers/headphones as their "reference" to help keep their evaluations consistent.

 

[juan1894]

Hi guys.
 
I will recommend the HD558 from Sennheiser, it surprise me when I put it on my ears, also it have a laidback caracter and the highs are not pronounced in any way. 108 US Dollars in amazon.

 

[Music Alchemist]

If you peruse the HM5, FA-003, and XPT100 discussion threads, more often than not, people tend to describe these as fairly neutral.

The problem can be trying to make comparisons without something to ground you in what is "neutral." When one trades headphones constantly, one's hearing will adjust somewhat to what one is currently listening to. It's sort of like wines. If you have been drinking through a case of cab sav over a period of time, and then drink a glass of merlot, it will taste more demure than if you have been drinking something else lighter in flavor more often. Try listening to Grado SR225i for a month, then switch to HD598--they'll sound very dark. Or vice a versa. Go from a month of HD598s, and the Grados will likely sound very aggressive at first.

And this is why professional reviewers have their favorite speakers/headphones as their "reference" to help keep their evaluations consistent.

 
It adjusts, sure, but I know what accurate sound sounds like. Been a multi-instrumentalist and avid music listener my entire life. It's easy to tell when a headphone doesn't (relatively) sound like real instruments or is lacking in certain areas. Those Fischer measurements you linked to are a disaster. Anyone who knows how to interpret measurements can plainly see that that is not neutral. Just compare them to an actually very neutral headphone below. (Though, like I said, the XPT100 has different pads, different measurements, and different sound to the others with the same drivers, though the differences may be minor.) Anyway, my dislike of the XPT100 stems primarily from the sound quality (aspects other than the tonal balance) being mediocre. It sounded lifeless. Even if it was very neutral (which it is clearly not, as I have documented), it doesn't matter if it can't do the other stuff. The STAX SR-207 is the most accurate headphone I have encountered so far, especially in terms of transparency. It's slightly audibly bass-light and doesn't have quite enough weight to the instruments sometimes, but is still by far the most neutral (and accurate in other areas) headphone I've heard. Just look at how closely the measurements align with the compensation curves in my first measurement link! (Ignore the incorrect labels, though.) Never seen a non-electrostat come that close.
 
Measurement links:
http://cdn.head-fi.org/9/92/92b5a906_STAX_SR-207_Frequency_Response_HRTF.png
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR207SB2217.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/StaxSR207EP507LeatherPadsSerNumSB22217.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/NVXXPT100FlatPads.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/NVXXPT100AngledPads.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FischerAudioFA003.pdf