[Wasabi26]

Been stuck in the realms of mid-fi audio for a while now and finally have a budget to make something bigger and better.
 
I'm currently using an E10 and a E17 as my main sources for my laptop and my desktop. I have an E11 handy too but I kind of want to build something new from the ground up. My previous headphones were mostly mid-range portables like the M-50, the DT770 250 Ohm (which broke sadly), the M-80, and the M-100 (my favorite thus far). So I've found to like headphones that have a good bass impact but i'm interested in something that shows off the mid range more.
 
I'm going to be using this rig for my desktop computer and I'm looking for a good all-rounder as I listen to most genres. I don't really care if its an open or closed headphone as long as the leak isn't ridiculous.
 
Any help would be much appreciated, thanks guys!

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
All open headphones leak. There is no isolation or privacy with them. So if this is even remotely an issue, go closed.
 
With your budget, it seems natural to move towards something like the HE400 or even HE500. Philips Fidelio X1 also comes to mind.
Otherwise, if needing closed, look to the Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs. Or a used Ultrasone Signature PRO. Or perhaps a Beyer T5.
 
Very best,

 

[Wasabi26]

@MalVeauX
Hi thanks for the answer. I think i've narrowed my choice down to the HE400s and the Fidelio X1s. Forgot to mention that I'm looking for a fun sounding headphone more than anything but out of the two of those which one would you recommend more?

 

[fateicon]

For closed, you might want to read some of the extensive postings I've done on Yamaha Pro 400, AKG K550, and Sennheiser Amperior. I think the Amperior has a big mid-range focus if you look at its frequency response graph on headphone.com
 
I got all these for under $200 each if I recall. My favorite is the Yamaha. Good bass impact when a song has it, decently neutral, can be exciting without tremendous fatigue, big soundstage, able to do orchestras or provide bass to make the cups rumble without distortion or mucking up the rest of the frequencies, very accurate instrument timbre for wood, string, and brass instruments. If you search my posts, you'll find a lot of info on all these. Amperior are probably more fun than the Yamaha while also boasting a good bass response. But like a lot of fun phones, the fatigue factor can kind of insidiously creep up on you if the source music is bright or hot.