[skaar545]

Hey guys,
 
I did some more research after posting in the recommendations thread a while back. Thought creating this thread would make it easier to follow. 
I'm having a hard time finding a pair for my needs and don't really know what kind of 'sound signature' I enjoy. Want something fun and easy to listen to 

 and hope to make a decision fairly soon.
 
Budget: ~$300 for headphones + ~100 for an amp
Where: Office, semi-cube environment
Isolation: Yes. Don't want to hear people around me.
Genre: Acoustic/Instrumental/Classical (lots of guitars, uke, etc. think..Jake Shimbakuro, Andy Mckee )
Portable? No.
 
Other: Should be comfortable. I like good construction and sound quality.
 
Headphones I'm looking at that are closed, full-sized:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 or some variant (Good isolation and good for classical?)
AKG K550 (I heard there could be clamping issues)
MDR 7520 ($357, little above the budget)
 
Thanks so much!

 

[Dyaems]

k550 for sure. dt770 has too much bass and 7520... i havent heard it!

 

[obobskivich]

Kenwood KH-K1000 - no need for an amp. Will drive swimmingly from most anything.

 

[skaar545]

Thanks for the input guys.
 
I'm leaning towards the AKG K550 now (especially after reading: AKG K550 Review).
 
Quote:

Kenwood KH-K1000 - no need for an amp. Will drive swimmingly from most anything.

 
FYI I don't mind buying an amp and plan to. Also the KH-K1000's seem hard to find. (Not my style either )
 
Any more suggestions?

 

[Dyaems]

if you can find a used ATH w1000 (not w1000x) around 300-350usd, that should fit all your requirements as well, except for the extra 50usd.
 
very comfortable
closed
perfect for your genre
soundstage as big as k550, or even better---which is kinda great for classical
wood! if youre into wood!
lightweight
can sound great even unamped

 

[formula1]

I've seen lots of people recommending the SRH 940 for the genres you like. I dont give recommendation on what others say usually, but the reviews are great. 

 

[Lorspeaker]

Quote:

I've seen lots of people recommending the SRH 940 for the genres you like. I dont give recommendation on what others say usually, but the reviews are great. 

yap..if u just wanna enjoy strings....frets....the twangsss....940 is it.
the bass is lean, not absent.

 

[dweaver]

940 for those genres all the way.

 

[skaar545]

Thanks peeps!
 
I went to Guitar Center and Best Buy and tried a few of your recommendations but was a bit rushed (3 minutes on the 940's, 1 min on the others).
Also I am no audiophile so I can't explain what I liked about each of them with that limited of an experience
 
Source: 16GB Iphone 4 (believe most of the music was 320kbps except for Spotify tracks @ possibly 160kbps)
 
My thoughts:
SRH 940: Sounded great for acoustical music, seemed comfy and provided enough isolation.
K550: I would say my head is normal sized but could not fit these properly. They didn't sound as good to me.
ATH w1000x (not w1000): Sounded great, I think I enjoyed them more than the SRH 940's but are quite a bit more expensive at retail prices.
 
Right now I'm leaning towards the SRH 940's unless anyone has more suggestions. I will definitely go back and try the K550's again.

 

[skaar545]

Getting antsy 

 
Think I'm going to pull the plug on the SRH 940's unless there is opposition.
 
Next step: Find a desktop amp if it will help (my audio source is a work PC which I assume has a less than decent integrated sound card).
 
Actually work PC has this I believe: High Definition Integrated RealTek ALC262 Audio

 

[obobskivich]

Getting antsy 


Think I'm going to pull the plug on the SRH 940's unless there is opposition.

Next step: Find a desktop amp if it will help (my audio source is a work PC which I assume has a less than decent integrated sound card).

Actually work PC has this I believe: High Definition Integrated RealTek ALC262 Audio

There is generally no benefit to an amp - unless you just feel the need to spend more money for the sake of saying you did it. Got any more info about what your PC has in it? Have you tried headphones out of it yet?

The SRH 940s are probably a fine choice, but a lot of people report them falling apart within a year or so (I can neither confirm nor deny; just tell you what I've seen and heard).

 

[Lorspeaker]

If u jus want a dac for dac sake , get a fiio...
If u wan to spend more get a dacportLX

Or just buy the 940 first, plug it into yur computer n give it a week or two, see how u like it...
Then move from there.

 

[skaar545]

Quote:

There is generally no benefit to an amp - unless you just feel the need to spend more money for the sake of saying you did it. Got any more info about what your PC has in it? Have you tried headphones out of it yet?
The SRH 940s are probably a fine choice, but a lot of people report them falling apart within a year or so (I can neither confirm nor deny; just tell you what I've seen and heard).

I still need to do research to see if it would help with these headphones and my setup. Saw a post about amping the SRH 840 being great.
 
I have: Intel 82801JI (ICH10 Family) HD Audio Controller, with the Intel/Realtek HD ALC262 Audio Codec. I'm using my IE8's currently and I have to set the volume to ~75% for them to sound decent. Using my friends NuForce Icon Mobile DAC/AMP and it helped with that. I'll search the forums for more info later.
 
Thanks for the info about their durability..I will definitely see what others have experienced before I buy.

 

[obobskivich]

Be aware that there's a lot of mythology surrounding the need for amplification, and a lot of misunderstandings about what a headphone amplifier actually can and cannot do. The better option is either to put a new soundcard in the computer, or go with a hi-fi component like a receiver.

 

[valerianaoff]

My 2 cents:
 
D2000
 
DT880
 
Q701