[evil.jelly]

ok well.. the heading kind of says it.. I'm looking to buy some decent headphones and I need some help..

i've been reading up as much as i can and i think i have an idea, but i would like to throw some numbers onto the floor for discussion to help make the final cut..

i work and play at home with two kids sounding like a heard of elephants behind me, and I also don't want too much sound leakage to distract the missus while she is watching tele

... so i guess it's got to be closed phones..

these are purely to be hooked up through the computer using a gametheatre xp without a headphone amp.. music-wize i listen to hiphop, rock, techno .. but more importantly I play a ton of online gaming and with the advent of UT2k3 looming I need that extra edge of hearing someone creep up behind me and to be able to feel a rocket scream past me and slam into the wall in a creschendo of twisted metal.. and a couple more notes: I enjoy bass a lot, comfort is obviously an issue and i'm looking around the $100-$175 range...

this is what i have managed to summise from other posts:


Sennheiser 280 Pro : Preferred by a few people, might lack in the bass area.. a good phone but possibly a clinical sound?


Sony V6 : Again potentially cold and clinical but has a better bass end and well formed mid and high, generally good but not excelling in any 1 area..


Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (referred to as 770-250's?) : Very bassy and fun.. kind of like 'the ducati of phones... it's about the ride and not just how fast they go'

hmm.. those were the ones that leapt out at me.. any feedback or help would be greatly appreciated to help pick 'the one'.. thanks in advance

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

the 280s have just as good as bass as the v6 i think.... but the v6 have a bit more mid-bass. the 280s have better soundstage, but the v6 might be a bit more flat overall in the response... you really should look at Beyer dt-250-80s... the 770s need an amp. the 250-80s have better bass then the 280s and the v6. but they dont isolate as well. since you are in a noisy environment i would suggest the 280s, these have the most isolation. but the v6 and the 25080 are pretty good as well.

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

I think the isolation of the 250-80's is pretty good.

Biggie.

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

yeaahh, just get the 250-80s... there isnt THAT much of a diff....

 

[elnero]

Hey evil.jelly,

Cool another UT player

You play the leaked demo yet?

All the phones you listed are potentially good for your purposes and any choice would come down to personal preference. I would recommend getting a listen to a couple or all of them if you can.

For what's it's worth I just bought the HD280's a few weeks ago and I have to say I'm loving them more every day. They are balanced with lots of detail, and deep, extended bass with an overall smoothness now that they're broken in. I still find a slight hardness in the upper treble but it's not a big thing by any means. An amp may make them better but I don't find them lacking. I wear them for probably at least four hours of the day and have no comfort issues whatsover and isolation is awesome. Games are amazing with them as well, localization is pretty darn good and I would say my level of play has increased since I bought them. They can be a pretty revealing headphone which you may find good for games as well as music but be aware that they can also show you the problems in some recordings and equipment.

Just my 2 cents worth,

Phil

P.S. I'm Canadian so my 2 cents is worth alot less than everyone elses.

 

[Snufkin]

Seeing as the DT770pros need an amp, I'd say go for the DT250-80s

There's nothing wrong with the isolation on them, I find them to offer just the right amount if you want to be in your own world, but still need to be able to hear it if someone breaks a window near you or somesuch.

I like the 250-80s a lot for gaming, they're an excellent all-rounder.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by evil.jelly these are purely to be hooked up through the computer using a gametheatre xp without a headphone amp.. music-wize i listen to hiphop, rock, techno .. but more importantly I play a ton of online gaming and with the advent of UT2k3 looming I need that extra edge of hearing someone creep up behind me and to be able to feel a rocket scream past me and slam into the wall in a creschendo of twisted metal.. and a couple more notes: I enjoy bass a lot, comfort is obviously an issue and i'm looking around the $100-$175 range...

You've just described the Beyer DT250-80 to a "t"

Their only "fault" is that they have a slight roll-off in the treble, but don't think that means they don't have great detail -- they just aren't as bright or analytical as some of the other contenders. It also means that they mate well with the scratchy quality of most sound cards. Overall these are clearly more enjoyable to listen to music through than the others listed in my opinion.

I've owned the V6, 280 Pro, and DT250, and I've heard the DT770, but not extensively.

The DT770 is really a bad choice for your setup. Besides the fact that they have the least amount of detail of all the headphones you listed (not good for gaming), they also need an amp.

The Sony MDR-V6/7506 are easy to drive and comfortable (especially if you swap the pads for the Beyer DT250 pads), and give very good bass. Unfortunately, the mids and highs leave something to be desired when run from a computer sound card.

I would describe the HD 280 Pro as sort of in between the DT250 and V6: more treble than the Beyers, and the treble is a bit hard, but not as peaky and cold on the high end as the V6. The 280 have better soundstage than the Sony, and about the same as the Beyer. The mids on the 280 Pro are a bit recessed, so you sometimes get a bit of a "hollow" sound.

Isolation-wise, the HD 280 are the best, the Beyer DT250 are second, and the V6 are third.

I would go with the Beyer DT250 personally. I've owned all three, and the only reason I don't use the Beyer is that my head is shaped funny and I'm apparently one of only two people on earth they don't fit right

Quote:

Originally posted by a1leyez0nm3 the 280s have just as good as bass as the v6 i think.... but the v6 have a bit more mid-bass. the 280s have better soundstage, but the v6 might be a bit more flat overall in the response...

Now that I've owned the 280 Pro for a while

I can tell you that no way do they have the bass of the V6. In fact, of all the headphones listed here, the HD 280 have the shallowest bass extension. The V6 and both Beyers provide significantly better bass, with the V6 having the best.

That said, I actually think the HD 280 Pro are a bit flatter from the midbass up through the treble. They're a bit recessed in the mids, but other than that pretty good.

Quote:

the 250-80s have better bass then the 280s and the v6. but they dont isolate as well.

The V6 still have more extended bass than the DT250, but the DT250 isolate a bit better.

 

[BenG]

When most people talk about the highs on the V6, I think they're talking more about the upper mids into the lower treble - it is spikey in response and alittle grainy & spitty sounding. The higher highs of the V6s, say closer to 10kHz and beyond, seem recessed and rolled off.

 

[Magicthyse]

Interestingly in Europe, the DT250-80's can usually be found considerably cheaper than the 7506 and a bit cheaper than the 280. No contest?

It looks like I have to wait 2-3 weeks for another 250!

 

[Flasken]

Extremely positive review of DT-250-80

If you are not 100% convinced that buying the 250 is a good idea, you never will be.

By the way, I wrote that myself

 

[evil.jelly]

WOW! What a fantastic, informative and fascinating read you guys have just presented me with. Thanks to everyone who contributed

Getting down to business then, I've swapped the 770's over for the 250's (in my mind) as suggested.. so it's between the HD280's, the V6's and the 250's.. interestingly they all seem to have their strong points which makes deciding so much more difficult

The 250's definitely seem to leap out as the 'reader's choice'.. although i do worry about the size issue (i'm 6ft 4) and comfort levels..

I've loved the Sennheisers ever since i saw them, they look so comfortable, but they seem to be looked over by everyone in favour of the others (except elnero.. and yes i have the leak, but haven't played it so as not to ruin the experience for when it finally comes out

)..

Much as I am embarrased to admit it, I have always been a Sony fan.. but the look of the V6's doesn't do it for me, although this seems contradictory to the opinion of others..

and really that's the last remaining factor is the look and feel as judging by your reviews it's a matter of personal taste between the varying sounds of each..

while i go off to lock myself in a dark room and bang my head against a wall for hours in an attempt to decide which pair to go for.. i'd like to pick your brains on one final issue: Where to purchase them from?

preferably online..

i guess an obvious place is here:

headphone.com

or :

djmart.com

millionbuy.com

any other suggestions? Especially Magicthyse's european site for the 250's?

Thanks once again, it's been a great help and I appreciate all the feedback

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

kwkarth said that the beyers have better exension than the V6, and i think that the 280s have just about as deep of bass as the V6... the 280s dont seem to have as much midbass, but that doesnt mean they are recessed comparitively..

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

MacDUFF


course my airhead is a defective one, so maybe you are right about the bass thing...

 

[akar]

.

 

[Khazim]

Quote:

Originally posted by elnero Cool another UT player You play the leaked demo yet?

I used to play UT alot a couple years ago. I've moved on to Warcraft 3 though.