[pp312]

And it goes without saying that since 6 is very close to 7, which is only 1 off 8, which again is only 1 away from 9, then 6 is really quite close to 9 when you think about it. In fact, practically the same thing.  

 
Quote:

I'd get the Sennheiser HD580, which is essentially a Hd600 with different grills. Since the HD600 is in no way inferior to the HD650, the HD580 is no slouch either. If you shop smart, you can get a HD580 for $110
 

 

[129207]

Quote:

And it goes without saying that since 6 is very close to 7, which is only 1 off 8, which again is only 1 away from 9, then 6 is really quite close to 9 when you think about it. In fact, practically the same thing.  

 

I was expecting this kind of reply to be honest but in my opinion the HD580 (with HD600 grills) and HD600 sound the same. I couldn't distinguish between the both of them. There are quite a few threads in here going into great detail describing the similarities. I still stand by my advice a 100%. 

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
I'm still debating whether to get the 580, the 600 or the 650's. 
Are there really not anything non-Sennheiser to look at? 
I'm also thinking about buying customs - would that be a bad decision?

 

[pp312]

I'd stick with headphones if I were you.

 
Quote:

 
 
I'm also thinking about buying customs - would that be a bad decision?

 

[pp312]

I've no doubt the 580 with revised grill sounds like a 600 since historically they're the same phone (the 600 began as a 580 Jubilee). However, the 650 is a different design with different drivers and does not sound the same or, some would say (yours truly included), even particularly similar.

 
Quote:

I was expecting this kind of reply to be honest but in my opinion the HD580 (with HD600 grills) and HD600 sound the same. I couldn't distinguish between the both of them. There are quite a few threads in here going into great detail describing the similarities. I still stand by my advice a 100%. 

 

[129207]

I only compared the HD580 and the HD600. I know the HD650 sounds different. I prefer the sound of the HD600/HD580 to the HD650 though. The HD650 is too dark and laid back for my tastes. To illustrate my taste, I used to be a Grado-fan but after hearing the HD580 I converted to Sennheiser.  

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

 
 
I'm still debating whether to get the 580, the 600 or the 650's. 
Are there really not anything non-Sennheiser to look at? 
I'm also thinking about buying customs - would that be a bad decision?

 
That's actually not a bad idea at all.  You seem to want portability anyway, of course you'll be giving up a bit but there are tradeoffs both ways.  You won't need an amp, I was surprised when my ipod video performed at 95% of the udac1.  They're also more forgiving of source material. 
 

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
I'm not exactly sure if I want portability, but it is definitely a plus - although not a deal-breaker at all. 
The 580's seem like they would be the cheapest choice, and still getting a good rig, and that I really do like. I also prefer the looks of the 580's to the 600's, as I'm really not a fan of the marble look of the 600's, and a 580 with 600 grills would look pretty great. The problem is getting a hold of a pair of 580's. But I'll look into that in April. 

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

- Yulong D100 DAC&AMP / $399 (get this and you're done. everything after is about extreme diminishing returns 

 and yes, I have heard this baby and it IS that good. Check out the amplifier A/B comparison thread for some sense.)  

I would skip the Yulong D100 and go with the Zero DAC/amp as they both use op-amps and thus will sound practically identical if you match op-amps. The Zero can be had for around $100 stock, $120+ with upgraded op-amps and THIS is in my opinion the best DAC to get until you can afford to loose those op-amps and buy something other than Chinese rubbish. With this in mind you could play it cheap; $100 DAC with built in amp, used Senn 580s for around $150 and you're done... in fact if you're buying used you could buy both the 580 and 650 and see which you prefer. Once you have your chosen headphone develop the setup by buying a decent tube amp ($200+) and working to create your desired sound. This is the route most of us here take, we start out with a pair of headphones, improve them with amping, realize our ipod or sound card isn't up to snuff and buy a DAC and so on...
 
As far as looking for something other than Sennheiser I can't not recommend the Beyerdynamic DT880, there is a large appreciation thread here on head-fi over the 600 ohm variants which I suggest you pickup especially if you end up with a tube amp.
 
You were also looking at Ultrasone which I also have and enjoy, primarily for techno and bass-driven songs. Another thing to note is they're not comfortable, they squeeze worse than Senn 580s and dig into the top of your head. FWIW Beyerdynamic are renowned for their comfort, you can wear these for long periods with no problem other than forgetting to take them off when you get up and walk away. 

 

[hifidk]

I would personally recommend Matrix mini-i (~$300) + HD600 or DT880 or K701 (~$200-$300). You would have to read reviews on these headphones to figure out what kind of sound signature you want. But personally these three headphones are best bang for buck headphones in this price range (HD650, AD900, SR325i would be good choice too depending on what you are looking for). I heard good things about Audio GD dac/amp combos and Nuforce HDP too. 

 

[DanielofDenmark]

 
 
That's some real solid advice Graphicism. I will definitely look into that route, as I am by no means an audiophile (yet!), and I can very easily appreciate music from my MacBook Pro's onboard soundcard-> Superlux HD 681 - I just want something better and comfortable
 
I'll have to hope that the 580 is for sale when april hits.
 
Another thing; I've heard that Ultrasone is like a closed Grado, yet they're almost exclusively recommended for techno, bass-music etc. - how come?

 

[Graphicism]

 
Hope it helps, I suppose the best thing for a newcomer to do is to read reviews and try decide from the written word what it would sound like.
 
Both Grado and Ultrasone are forward sounding, also known as elevated/forward treble. The Ultrasone however is bass-driven which works great for electronica but perhaps not so with rock. While the bass is well controlled it can still interfere with the mids thus not quite as snappy as the Grados. That said there are those out there who enjoy rock with their Ultrasones, I'm one of them.

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

Well, I haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if I have missed something and take my comments with a grain of salt (I'm fairly new around here). Are you sure you want to plug all of your money into a rig that is exclusive to your home? You don't think you might want to have a bit of portability, too? Currently, I have my first ever rig and it's portable. I'm not suggesting that you go exclusively portable either. I just think you should put a little cash aside to grab yourself a digital audio player and maybe a portable amp. The E7/E9 combination could do you good here. You could use the E7 as a portable amp when you are on the go and then use it as your DAC at home.
 
You could grab yourself a Sandisk Sansa Clip+ (pretty cheap) and just rockbox it www.rockbox.org. The Clip+ has a playback glitch that makes it virtually unusable in my personal opinion but once you change the firmware to Rockbox you won't have that issue. I rockboxed mine and it really wasn't difficult.
 
Oh, and FYI my rig consists of a Sansa Clip+ (rockboxed), PA2V2, and the Ultrasone Pro 900s. I'm more into metal, rock and industrial but I must admit these headphones are pretty good all around.
 
Good luck on your search, man! Keep us posted as to what you get! Oh, and happy birthday.

 

[DanielofDenmark]

The happy birthday part has to wait just a bit - but thanks anyway!
 
I'm mainly thinking "at-home" because when I'm usually on the go I almost always wear a helmet at the moment, and music + helmet = no-no. However, if I go the HD 580 + Zero DAC I could easily fit in a pair of portable headphones as well..
At the moment I have the Sennheiser IE8, but I think I'm in the process of selling them to my girlfriend, as I'm not really satisfied with them, but she loves them. 
 
@Hifidk: Don't worry, I haven't missed your post!
The Mini-i is a very good-looking device, and as far as I can tell, it's a pretty good one as well. It won't be the K701's. I actually looked a bit at the DT880's as well, but their treble "warnings" scared me off - is it really that bad?
 
I hope I'm not annoying you guys, I just don't want to waste my money. 
You have been great help so far - thanks a lot.

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

No, you're not annoying. I am seriously enjoying this thread. I like reading about people getting new stuff for themselves.