[pbirkett]

Hello!

Its my first post here, and I came in for some advice.

At the moment I have got some Sony MDR-CD280 headphones. My first question is, does anyone have any experience with these? They were a present off my mother, but to me, the sound quality of them is poor (at least compared to my amp and speakers they do).

Anyway, I have them connected up to a cheap headphone amplifier that cost about $40 or something. Its a B-Tech BT928.

What I want to know is, if I were to replace the headphones, would I need to replace the amplifier as well, or should that be OK. I was thinking it might be ok, just the headphones themselves suck. OK so its not gonna be the best for the price of it, but I do not wish to replace it if I dont have to.

So basically, I need to know which headphones you would recommend for around $100 at the most, not being rich. I would like them to be full size for listening in my room. I will be using them for:-

+ Listening to my music, which is mainly trance/techno that sort of thing.
+ Watching TV/Movies
+ Playing the occaisional game on the PC

I would like some phones that sound quite bright, but not harsh (I quite like enhanced highs), and powerful sounding bass, but not too boomy or overwhelming, and also ones that would sound decently realistic for movies and games (thats a secondary priority though, music is most important).

Also, would you recommend a new amp, and if so, which one, again for around $100 or less if thats possible.

Thanx!

Paul

EDIT: They also need to be comfortable!

 

[pbirkett]

Well, I have to say I am taken aback with all the responses <yawns>.

Anyway, I think I have narrowed my choice down to the Philips HP890 and Technics RP-F800.

So long...

 

[andrzejpw]

sorry for the lack of responses.
Personally, I think the philips would be an excellent choice.

 

[LTUCCI1924]

Just to give you a little more support. For under 50.00 you could consider the koss portapros. They sound like full size cans but are very portable and sound great. Good luck

 

[Haoleb]

You should read through my post below titled," Sennheiser HD570, Grado SR80 Which to get?" I am Kina in the same situation as you. take a look.

 

[pbirkett]

OK, cheers guys!

 

[Gluegun]

So what is a good 'big bass' headphone for £65UKP?

From what I have read, the Philips would be better than the Technics RP-F800 that he is considering (more accurate, open, nice sound, etc.), but what about OTHER stuff in that price range in the UK? Is there anything good by Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, etc. that he could get?

Also, do you need any portability AT ALL?

 

[pbirkett]

Yea, I'm open to suggestions on just about anything really.

I dont need any portability, as its been a long time since I had anything portable. The main thing is for my dance music to sound as good as they do through my Wharfedales

I need to know shortly though as I will be getting them in about 2 days time.

Cheers again

 

[Duncan]

the sound requirement has V6 stamped all over it if you ask me

But, they're hard to get in the UK... try to demo a pair of Beyerdynamic DT231 'Gallactic' though, they're well reviewed and about the same price as the Technics...

 

[kerelybonto]

I don't suggest the V6 for dance music or any music where the beat is supposed to be prominent. The V6 won't give you the bass presence you want, and you won't need the high bass accuracy.

kerelybonto

 

[Gluegun]

Kerely... you might wanna check your post for typos, you got a few names mixed up, i think.

 

[kerelybonto]

Nope, that's what I meant to say.

I own and enjoy the V6, but I would never listen to any hip-hop or strong-beat electronic music on them. Just listening to rock on them is a challenge, since I really like to notice the bassline and kick drum. I know the V6 are reknown for their bass, but that's because of their tonal accuracy and extension. They do not have very present bass or bass with a good whallop to it. My Grado SR80 have a much more up-front low end. And that's what I feel is needed when listening to music that consists in large part of a defining beat.

Keep in mind this is out of an ampless source, but I doubt an amp would do much in the bass department given the 'phones supa-low impedence.

kerelybonto

 

[Gluegun]

I don't know about you, but I have heard otherwise about the V6's, including about the amp thing... try turning them up a bit, or if you have an EQ, boost the bass a little...

 

[pbirkett]

Well, I've made my choice, and it was an unexpected one for me, but it came about because nobody had any Technics RP-F800's in stock, and I aint buying anything I cant listen to beforehand. Similarly, the Philips HP890 was in Dixons, but they wouldnt let me listen to them.

So I decided to listen to some Sennheiser HD497's, and to be honest I was blown away by the sound quality (obviously, after having to suffer the Sony MDR-CD280's

). They are very impressive.

My only issue with them is the build quality. The first pair died when I got them home, but this pair seems ok.

Its also highlighted how bad my £30 headphone amp is - when I plug them into the Santa Cruz, I get much better sound quality than with the headphone amp. Thats not really an issue at the moment as my computer is my only source for music at the moment, but it appears I may need a new headphone amp sometime in the future, because the one I have is cack, and my amplifier does not have its own headphone jack.

They are also very comfortable, and I cant wait to hear them when they have been run in

Well, cheers for the advice, but I suppose the moral to this is you have to listen for yourself.