[VitoGenovese]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the community. My name is Matt. Recently I had a friend who was interested in picking up a cheap pair of headphones and I, being the deal searcher that I am, deciding to scour the internet for all of her best options. I have been so surprised to find everything That I have. I never thought there was anything more than $40 pairs.

I thought the best deal I found for a good quality unit was the Sennheiser HD280Pro for $100 instead of MSRP $200. I began investigating further reading through specs and review after review and hundreds of opinions. I keep discovering new brands I have never heard of and alternate options. I read so many reviews for each pair that sound great until I find some common negative things people have to say and I am steered towards another pair again and again.

My friend already decided on some cheaper Skullcandy pair, but now I am looking for myself. For years now I had been using a pretty decent set of 2.1 Labtec speakers for my desktop PC and onboard audio. Within the last two weeks I have picked up a Logitech Z-2300 set and a CreativeLabs SB X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatality Professional Series sound card. I really like the sound that is being put out and notice big improvements in the distinctions of sounds as well as positional audio compared to my old setup. The problem is that I live in a house with my girlfriend and 3 other roommates. We all spend just about all of our time in the living room where we have a bunch of computers set up, the htpc, projector, receiver and speakers everywhere. Somehow my roommates all feel that anytime they decide to watch tv or a movie they should have audio priority and the right to blare their sound as loud as they like but if can can even marginally hear my speakers then it's too loud for them. This has led me to wanting my own headphones.

So far I have been interested in the Sennheiser HD280Pro, Denon D1001K, and Audio Technica A700 / AD700. This is not an exclusive list and am willing to listen to any advice. The problem is that I am finding so many options and conflicting opinions that I cannot figure out how to make a good decision. I am hoping that if I can describe my scenario that you all can help me pick a good set for my conditions.

I only plan on using these with my PC. Their main purpose should be for gaming. I want something with great sound quality and also being able to hear "direction" would be wonderful, especially with the EAX and CMSS features if they are as good as advertised. It would not be unexpected for me to listen to music as well. My tastes involve any genre with the word "rock" in it or have some rock influence. I have also begun to take a liking to all kinds of electronic sounds. The whole purpose of getting headphones is so that my roommates won't be giving me a hard time about having my speakers at 20% volume being too loud for them. So sound leakage will be an issue. A little bit should be fine, but I can't have something that sounds as loud to them 15 feet away as it does to me between the headphones. Isolation from outside sounds might be nice, but is not necessarily a feature that should affect the outcome very much. As long as I can hear my own sounds, that's great. If I can still hear my roommates and the tv, well that's okay I guess. If I can't hear them, then I won't pretend to be disappointed. I am looking for something that falls under the $150 price range.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and helping me with my decision. This is a whole new world of sound to me that I never knew existed.

 

[REB]

Hi Matt, welcome to Head-Fi and sorry for your wallet

. There are a lot of headphones that would suit your situation. I don't know what kind of sound you like, but you will find out. I'm sure others will chime in with recommendations, but I think you can't go wrong with the Audio Technica AD700s. They have a great soundstage, great sound quality and they should be good for gaming as well. They are open, so you will be able to hear at least some outside noices. If you want total isolation, the Sennheiser HD280s are for you. You won't be able to hear a thing from the outside. Have fun, your journey has just begun!

 

[VitoGenovese]

Thanks for the response. I don't think even I know what kind of sound I like just yet. I was under the impression that the 280s are the best for isolation, but it seems like some people are not very impressed by their quality. As long as my roommates are not going to hear me nearby over whatever they're doing, would you say the quality of the ad700 is better? When I was looking into the Audio Technica brand I couldn't decide between open or closed. It sounds like the soundstage is better on open sets, but that might be louder for people around me and the bass does not seem to be as good from what I am reading. I really know nothing about headphones other than what I have started reading over the last week. The only ones I ever use are some $10 Philips earbuds at work I picked up at Wal-Mart.

 

[VitoGenovese]

So I'm deciding between the A700 and AD700. I'm hoping these are not headphones that will require an amp as I do not have one. I was wondering if I will notice a significant difference from plugging the headphones directly into the sound card or if it is okay to use the more convenient passthrough (I think that's what it is called) jack on the z-2300 volume control unit.

 

[jonathanjong]

You're doing well so far, in your (or four, now) choices. All those cans (HD280, D1001, AD700) are very respectable headphones at the price point, and for the purposes you mentioned. Looks like you've done your homework.

First, I'd drop the HD280s, unless you can test them. They sound good, don't get me wrong, at least to my ears. But they're touch-and-go on the comfort side of things. On the plus side, however, they isolate well and you'll get a strong bass response.

Second, I generally think that closed headphones are the way to go if you'll be listening in the presence of others. However, there's the compromise on sound quality.

Third, I think it's a toss-up between the 700s and the 1001s. There's been a lot of recent discussion comparing the open AD700s with the closed D1001s. I've not used the AD700s, but by all reports, they sound great. Some who've compared say they sound better than the Denon 1001s. But, and you knew there would be a but, they're huge and tricky on the fit. The 1001s also sound great, especially at the price, and they do rock very well (classical...meh). They're uber-comfy, but they leak sound both out (a little) and in (loads).

Finally, the A700s...I know absolutely nothing about these.

 

[GravityEyelids]

You could go with the Senn HD201! It has an incredible soundfield (directioning) and crazy good SQ for its price (<$30) I would also recommend the D1001. These dont leak much sound at all, but let some in.

 

[compuryan]

my vote goes for the hd280. I don't think they're uncomfortable at all. Great phones.

 

[ricmat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by compuryan /img/forum/go_quote.gif my vote goes for the hd280. I don't think they're uncomfortable at all. Great phones.

i couldnt disagree more... HD280 are great... ... only for isolation! in SQ, hated them!

if isolation can be sacrificed, take a look at ES7 or ESW9!


Cheers

 

[M-A-Z]

You should also consider the wearing characteristics. I wouldn't buy a model with a weight exceeding 200 grs or pressing against your head or making you sweat after some time.

 

[Jaawa]

A warm welcome to Head-Fi! really sorry about your wallet though

I vote for the HD 280 Pro, but this is only because I've heard them myself and
agree with ie. HeadRoom's review on them: link here.

If possible, you should try all those headphones somewhere, to get a picture of
how they compare, because while asking around here in Head-Fi produces
resources on the subject, the down-side is that there are as many
controversial opinions about headphones as there are and lovers for them.

The most important opinion is the one that your own ears give you about
any headphones

 

[Jaawa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-A-Z /img/forum/go_quote.gif You should also consider the wearing characteristics. I wouldn't buy a model with a weight exceeding 200 grs or pressing against your head or making you sweat after some time.

The Denon AH-D2000 weigh in at 350 grams and they feel featherweight

The Sennheiser HD 650 clamp on your head like a bear but feel like a hug

The ...okay I can't find any headphones that make you sweat comfortably

 

[jonathanjong]

Good point on the ES7s. A bit more expensive than the D1001s, though.

It's not entirely true that the D1001s don't leak sound out, though the "much at all" qualifier in the previous comment might save it. It does leak sound out, but it's not as much leakage as typical "open" headphones. Pretty bad for closed cans, though, I think. Certainly worse than my HD201s.

About those: They're great for the price, and they're pretty comfy too. But they're a no go for rock. Pathetic bass response.

 

[M-A-Z]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaawa /img/forum/go_quote.gif there are as many controversial opinions about headphones as there are and lovers for them. The most important opinion is the one that your own ears give you about any headphones

However, when you test headphones and need to come to a conclusion within a couple of minutes, it is important to know what to pay attention to from the outset. Descriptions of sound in this forum might provide you with a catalogue of criteria to apply or with theses you can verify.

 

[Jaawa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-A-Z /img/forum/go_quote.gif it is important to know what to pay attention to from the outset. Descriptions of sound in this forum might provide you with a catalogue of criteria to apply or with theses you can verify.

Which is what I meant by "asking around here in Head-Fi produces resources on the subject".
Oh well, I guess I should be more descriptive

It is however, almost 3AM

 

[ricmat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathanjong /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good point on the ES7s. A bit more expensive than the D1001s, though.

True! but they are excellent HP for the pricetag! and very good bass response! I recommend them all the time! (can't leave mine!)