[GeraldBaez]

Hey all!

I've always wanted to have a good pair of around ear headphones. I've been researching online and apparently the best two are the Audio Technicas ATH M50X and the Beyerdynamic DT770.

Now I'm really concerned about overall sound quality because that is the main reason why I want the headphones for. Also, I really want them to be very comfortable.

I'm comparing these two headphones because they are more or less around the same price.

I really DO NOT want to use an amp because I plan to use the headphone with my iPhone.

And the DT770's I'm referring to are, specifically, the 32 ohm version.

Which one should I get!? I can't make up my mind!

What are your thoughts and opinions!?

Also...I don't plan on taking the headphones out all the time. Maybe sometimes like in plane rides, long car rides, and stuff like that.

I listen to a little bit of everything, not a specific genre - if that makes a difference.

Keep in mind that I am on a budget. The most I'm willing to spend are around the DT770 and ATH M50x price range.

I'm not an audiophile, so I don't understand the terms you guys use lol, but what I really want is a headphone that will make me hear all the little details that I've never been able to hear before in my favorite songs.

I want to hear soaring vocals and stuff I've never heard before.

If there are better headphones, besides the 2 I've listed above, and are around the same price, let me know.

Please give me a recommendation as I can't make up my mind, and I've been dying to make a purchase so that I can finally experience what I've never been able to experience before.

Thanks in advance!

 

[KG Jag]

Based on the two cans you mentioned, you appear to favor a bass oriented sound signature over one that is resolving and detailed.  There are certianly headphones that are technically superior within the same general price class to the two you have mention.  To steer you in the right direction (for you), we need to know:
 
What is your specific budget?
 
Describe the sound signature that you are seeking?

 

[GeraldBaez]

Actually, I'm not one of those guys who's a bass-head. I want to be able to hear music the way the producers intended for it to be heard.

Let me give you an example of what I don't want. Some headphones add a thumping bass (like Beats lmao), but I want to hear the bass exactly the way it was intended to be heard by the producer.

My budget is around 200-230 dollars.

 

[GeraldBaez]

Also I don't know what recessed mids and stuff like that is, but I'd like to hear very clear vocals. I don't want the vocals to seem like they are far away. One of my favorite singers is Leona Lewis and she has a very high vocal range.

I'm mostly into mainstream music (too bad Leona is not very successful here in the States). So I'll also be listening to Maroon 5, One Republic, Kelly Clarkson, etc.

 

[GeraldBaez]

I should also add that I want everything to be very balanced. I don't want the lows to overpower the mids and highs. That's why I thought those two cans were appropriate since they were made for studio use, but I' no expert, so that's why I'm seeking advice and thoughts on this site.

 

[cel4145]

Soundmagic HP-100 or AKG K550 seem like very good choices to suit your listening tastes

 

[GeraldBaez]

Thanks!

Are they good for iPhone use? I really don't want to deal with any amps.

And which is more comfortable?

 

[KG Jag]

Actually, I'm not one of those guys who's a bass-head. I want to be able to hear music the way the producers intended for it to be heard.

Let me give you an example of what I don't want. Some headphones add a thumping bass (like Beats lmao), but I want to hear the bass exactly the way it was intended to be heard by the producer.

My budget is around 200-230 dollars.

Beats are almost never in the discussion here.  So you may be a basshead or basshead lite by the standard used here, which is judging a can from a base point of neutrality (= nothing--not bass, treble or mids EQed either up or down).
 
Mids are where vocals and guitars live in the music.
 
If you truly are not a bassshead of any stripe, start your search with the UE 6000, which is currently at closeout prices.  See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/surprisingly-good-logitec-ue6000-and-ue9000
 
At the top of your budget--or maybe just beyond it if buying new--are the NAD VISO HP50 and PSB M4U 1

 

[GeraldBaez]

Well I'm not saying that I don't like bass; I just don't want it to overpower everything else. 
 
I just want a closed headphone that has a high quality sound and that is very comfortable. 
 
Oh and I can't stress enough that I don't want a headphone that requires an amp because I'm basically going to be using the cans with my portable devices. 
 
What's your opinion on the Soundmagic HP-100 and AKG K550 that cel4145 recommended?

 

[KG Jag]

  Well I'm not saying that I don't like bass; I just don't want it to overpower everything else. 
 
I just want a closed headphone that has a high quality sound and that is very comfortable. 
 
Oh and I can't stress enough that I don't want a headphone that requires an amp because I'm basically going to be using the cans with my portable devices. 
 
What's your opinion on the Soundmagic HP-100 and AKG K550 that cel4145 recommended?Ce

 
Cel gives good advice here.  I have not heard the HP-100. 
 
The K 550 is a good, if large for a portable can, that needs a proper seal to deliver its full voice.  People with facial hair and even glasses have sometimes run into problems.
 
Headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session.
 
I still get the impression that you are looking for a bass oriented (or at least bass enhanced) can, based on the two you mentioned.  Such cans are not the default positiion or majority sound signature here, as they may be on the street.

 

[GeraldBaez]

   
Cel gives good advice here.  I have not heard the HP-100. 
 
The K 550 is a good, if large for a portable can, that needs a proper seal to deliver its full voice.  People with facial hair and even glasses have sometimes run into problems.
 
Headphone comfort is a very individual thing.  Everyone has a different head size and shape, as well as different sensitivities and levels of sensitivity.  We can point you to headphones that are generally considered to be comfortable and mention others that have garnered complaints for being uncomfortable.  However, the only way to know for sure is to wear them yourself for a time equivalent to your longest listening session.
 
I still get the impression that you are looking for a bass oriented (or at least bass enhanced) can, based on the two you mentioned.  Such cans are not the default positiion or majority sound signature here, as they may be on the street.

 
Yeah I do wear glasses :/ 
 
I mentioned the two cans because I read online that since they are studio cans, they play music the way the producer intended for everyone to hear. And I dunno about any other good cans cause I'm a newbie.
 
But here are some of the songs I listen to:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGIL4auYMmk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj6fHiF8Osg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOBs8dU4Pb8
 
Just a mix of different genres, but mostly mainstream music. 
 
Tbh I really don't know what I want. 
 
But what I do want (for sure) is for the headphones to blow me away and for them to be comfortable.
 
I know that comfort is subjective, but I'm going to go with the general consensus regarding the comfort of a particular set of cans. 

 

[GeraldBaez]

KG Jag, I replied to your last post, but it is waiting for "approval." I included a link to a few songs on YouTube so you could get an idea of what kind of music I listen to. 
 
I dunno how long that takes. So I'm going to wait for it to be approved so that I don't post the same thing twice.
 
Again, sorry for the duplicate thread.

 

[GeraldBaez]

Cel4145, which would you pick out of those two that you recommended?

Also, are those the best neutral cans?

 

[KG Jag]

  KG Jag, I replied to your last post, but it is waiting for "approval." I included a link to a few songs on YouTube so you could get an idea of what kind of music I listen to. 
 
I dunno how long that takes. So I'm going to wait for it to be approved so that I don't post the same thing twice.
 
Again, sorry for the duplicate thread.

Don't believe everything you read--especially that these two are studio cans.  Both of these are far too colored to be studio cans, which must be neutral--or at least very close to neutral.  Both the M50 and especially the DT 770 emphasize treble & bass and deemphasize mids.
 
Read the review I posted (it is from a very highly respected headphone site) and go to a store (e.g. Guitar Center) and put a handful or more cans over your ears and on your head.  At a minimum that will give you reference points, if not a baseline.

 

[GeraldBaez]

Ok so based on the recommendations I have gotten so far, I have eliminated the AKG K550's because of portability issues. I read that the cable is very long.

The ones you mentioned are too pricey and I don't want active noise cancellation with the U6000.

So I've finally narrowed it down to the Soundmagic hp100 and the Seinnheiser Momentums.

As to whether or not they are neutral, I don't know. But what are your thoughts on these two and which one would you ultimately pick?