Over ear headphones with a similar or better sound quality than Shure SE846 in ear earphones?

[Macintosh1990]

Hi, I was initially looking at upgrading my current SE215s to a pair of Shure SE535s now that they are down to £300, but now I'm considering opting for over ear headphones to get better sound quality for the same price. My question is, is there a pair of over the ear headphones that have better sound quality than Shure's top of the line SE846 in ear headphones for less than £300? Any help and advice will be much appreciated, thank you.

 

[NA Blur]

Do you mean the SE864? The White filters sound the most even, but all three filters have a similar sound signature.
 
The Philips Fidelio X2 and OPPO PM-3 come to mind in that price range. Even a pair of Massdrop Fostex TH-X00 is worth considering if you like a bassy headphone.
 
Do you want an open or closed headphone?
 
Where do you plan on listening to these the most?
 
The SE535 is an awesome sounding headphone although the fit is not for everyone.

 

[Macintosh1990]

  Do you mean the SE864? The White filters sound the most even, but all three filters have a similar sound signature.
 
The Philips Fidelio X2 and OPPO PM-3 come to mind in that price range. Even a pair of Massdrop Fostex TH-X00 is worth considering if you like a bassy headphone.
 
Do you want an open or closed headphone?
 
Where do you plan on listening to these the most?
 
The SE535 is an awesome sounding headphone although the fit is not for everyone.

Hi, Basically I was looking at buying the SE535 but now I'm considering getting over ear headphones instead as they will only be for home listening , so I don't really need the portability benefits that come with in ears and I've read that over ear headphones have a much better sound quality than in ear earphones that cost many times the price. So I'm wondering if there are a pair of over the ear headphones for sale under £300 that have the same accurate sound signature as Shure's lineup of in ear headphones with the same or better sound quality than Shure's top of the line in ear headphone, the SE846 http://www.shure.co.uk/products/earphones/se846. In regards to open or closed, it only depends on which has the better sound quality, as due to being for home listening only I don't need to worry about sound leaking out. In regards to the two headphones you suggested, would either of these be a match to what I'm asking of them? Thank you for the help.

 

[Macintosh1990]

  Do you mean the SE864? The White filters sound the most even, but all three filters have a similar sound signature.
 
The Philips Fidelio X2 and OPPO PM-3 come to mind in that price range. Even a pair of Massdrop Fostex TH-X00 is worth considering if you like a bassy headphone.
 
Do you want an open or closed headphone?
 
Where do you plan on listening to these the most?
 
The SE535 is an awesome sounding headphone although the fit is not for everyone.

Hi, thanks for the reply, I tried to post earlier but it was sent to the moderators due to including a link. Regarding the your suggestions the Oppo PM-3 seems to be the closest to what I'm after. As these will be for home use I don't need to worry about sound isolation, therefore do you think the open back Hifiman HE400S would offer better sound quality to the Oppo PM-3? Thank you.

 

[NA Blur]

I do think both the HE-400s and especially the HE-400i has a more even sound compared to the OPPO PM-3. The HE-400i is my top recommended headphone currently because of its cost vs performance ratio. It scales so well and retains that awesome planar sound. The build quality on the PM-3 is far superior to that of the HE-400(s,i) line of headphones  so if that is a concern the PM-3 might be a better choice.

 

[Macintosh1990]

  I do think both the HE-400s and especially the HE-400i has a more even sound compared to the OPPO PM-3. The HE-400i is my top recommended headphone currently because of its cost vs performance ratio. It scales so well and retains that awesome planar sound. The build quality on the PM-3 is far superior to that of the HE-400(s,i) line of headphones  so if that is a concern the PM-3 might be a better choice.

Would you say the HE-400S is just as easy to drive as the PM-3 without an amp, connected directly to an iPod, iPhone or MacBook? Thank you.

 

[NA Blur]

Yes, the PM-3 and HE-400s are both very close to each other both in sensitivity and impedance and you should have not issues driving either with say an iPod. The better amp you have the better they will both sound. My HE-400is is plenty loud from my iPod touch at 70% volume and it is harder to drive than either the PM-3 and HE-400s.

 

[Macintosh1990]

  Yes, the PM-3 and HE-400s are both very close to each other both in sensitivity and impedance and you should have not issues driving either with say an iPod. The better amp you have the better they will both sound. My HE-400is is plenty loud from my iPod touch at 70% volume and it is harder to drive than either the PM-3 and HE-400s.

I'm beginning to lean towards the HE-400S. Regarding portable amps/dacs would you say that the FiiO E07K or Q1 would be a good portable amp/dac to power either of these headphones? And are there other portable amps/dacs that would be better suited to the PM-3 and HE-400S in the same price range? Thank you.

 

[NA Blur]

My iPod touch drives both the 400s and 400i just fine so no portable amp needed if you want to keep it simple.
 
I typically shy away from portable amps because it is super hard to find one without compromises that actually improves the sound.
 
I do really like the Chord Mojo, but that thing is around $600 USD.