[jujulio]

Hi, it's been a long time since i visited this forum. Anyway, i do own a pair of HD 650, and i do think hey're not that hard to drive, though the results are very scalable once you upgrade your setup. But straight from my creative zen, the results are already pretty decent, especially regarding sound stage. then the bass is good too, but it lacks texture ( i like listening to my HD 650 with my zero DAC, soon to be frank modded, and my old marrantz receiver, it really render well metallic sounds from electronica and such) just to say HD650, if you're not afraid of looking like a freak plus letting sound in and out, can be driven by a mp3 player.

that being said, I'm trying to advise a friend for a new headphone for a sale on headphonesolutions which ends friday :s (20% off on all site if you're interested, coupon 20EM i think) and i would like to have a general feedback on the diffeent brands
correct me, but broadly speaking:
-sennheiser: dark sound, not exactly a jack of all trades but still an overall good spectrum restitution
-grado: great for classic and rock, might be too bright for some liking, heard the soundstage is so-so??
-beyerdynamics: great fro basshead (hey I'm one of them I'm not bashing ^^) but bass might be overwhelming, do the open ones correct this?
-Dennon: Jazz, classical, nice bass
-technica????
-AKG: transparent signature? but can be bitches to drive
-Ultrasone???
-JVC????
-Panasonic???
-Sony??? would say it would tend to be a bit overpriced like say...Bose, but maybe not for the audiophile segment of their products
-Koss: had the portapros, were quite funny to listen too, but i don't know their other prodcuts ( i saw them at 30 euros on amazon, I live in France)
this is not an exhaustive list, tell me if i forgot some

thanks in advance fellow head-fiers

 

[elcarajo]

Jujulio - the Ultrasone Pro 900's are extremely bright. This comment appears consistent with all Ultrasone models and most users. I am finding them to be fairly weak on bass, too, although others have said they find the bass to be ample.

The Sennheiser HD 650's can be driven off an iPod, although they are (of course) improved by amplification. They match your assessment of Senns overall but I think the high end is a little muted, reducing their transparency and vivacity a little.

 

[SteveK]

I strongly recommend the HD650. I listen to a lot of the same bands as aydar and find that the somewhat less aggressive mid-high voicing of the HD650 favorable for extended listening sessions at high SPL for rock/electronica in the same genres as above. IMO, aggressive guitar-based music ironically seem to benefit, in general, from audio listening gear that isn't overly "in-your-face" sounding. Interestingly, the HD650s provide a listening experience that is similiar to my favorite studio monitors, the O300 from Klein & Hummel.



A couple of months ago, I did a lot of a/b'ing with other headphones under $500 and these were my faves. The K701/K702 are my other pics - but only for jazz/classical and only with an beefy headphone amp. They sound thin and metallic if you use them with a garden variety headphone amp, or directly off an iPod. However, with a real amp, like a corda or lavry, they sound really really lovely especially for orchestral music.

 

[armoursingh]

Could anyone (preferably in the UK) recommend some closed headphones for console gaming (xbox live/psn) and movies?

I don't want open because I play games and watch films at night and I don't see the point in turning the volume down low to make sure no one is disturbed

I'm currently looking at the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80ohm which can be had for ~£120.

Are there any others in a similar price range which I should consider choosing? I know people have compared the Beyers to the ATH-A900 but the A900's are ~£200 and I don't want to spend more than £140-150

The ATH-A700's are ~£140 but I don't know how they compare to the DT770

Thanks

 

[Bullseye]

ATH M50. I find them really nice for gaming and films. You can buy them through ebay for <$100 + shipping. .

 

[armoursingh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullseye /img/forum/go_quote.gif ATH M50. I find them really nice for gaming and films. You can buy them through ebay for <$100 + shipping. .

How is the soundstage of the M50's? (only just discovered the term from the forums!).

Edit: I've just read this from a review from Amazon.com on the M50s

Quote:

Soundstage 4/5 - For a studio monitor, the soundstage is very good. There is a wide sense of space and incredible depth to the sound. Nevertheless, they aren't as open-sounding as others such as the DT-770 pros, which have a closed design as well. This can sometimes take you out of the "scenario" when watching movies or playing games, which is why I use these primarily for music. I use the DT-770 pro's for movies and games, which those excel in this area.

Not sure what to think now, I didn't know it would be this difficult to buy headphones!

If it means anything the last headphones I used for gaming were the Turtle Beach X1's, but to be honest the audio quality is not that great and the bass is a bit much.

Cheapest price I've found for the M50's is £105 in the UK which sounds pretty good. The Beyers are around £120.

 

[ramenmeal]

I tried some grado rs2's and rs1's today, and i LOVED the sound. i didnt get to listen to them long enough to give a review of course, but the bass made me fall in love with them. anyway, i was kind of turned off by the foam cushion. It didnt seem to bring the phones far enough away from my ears, and my ears were against the hard part inside of the cushion. it didn't necessarily hurt, but i'm not sure how it would be for extended use. Are there replacement cushions for the rs2's?

also, how can i check if they are rs2's or rs2i's?

 

[vapman]

see my avatar. obsessive? maybe just a little.

I had SR-60's, which I loved, but had to trade away because the highs started to irritate my ears (i'm very sensitive to the high end). Eventually I traded them for AKG K81DJ's, which I didn't like. I got AKG K301's, which were OK, but still now what I wanted. I borrowed my friend's SR-80's, which I liked a lot, but on occasion they still hurt my ears a little. A while ago, I traded Jahn for his legendary Enigma Audio pure silver recabled Koss PortaPros on a whim.

MAN was that a good decision!

so while KOSS PortaPros aren't the BEST headphone I've ever heard, I'd be so bold as to say they're the best (especially for the money) for under $200 (as the SR-225's cost $200). The reason I say this is because they are the most versatile headphone for the money, offer seriously good sound, are time tested, often (imo) under appreciated, and most importantly, amazing value. About $35 new, but I'd take my PortaPros over Grado SR-60/80's anyway, which is saying a LOT.

Mine have the quarter hole in the pad and Enigma Audio silver recable. While the recabling might be a bit overkill, the stock PortaPros come with some seriously crap cable. Now, I'm not one by any means to say that a new cable will make a difference on a decent pair of headphones, but we're talking Koss here. Recable them, any halfway decent cable will make them noticeably less muddy. Between this and the quarter hole (or different pads altogether), the PortaPros really shine and show the full extent of the KSC-35 driver. They also respond very well to amping - I can amp them out of an old NAD stereo amp and they sound amazing. At least as good as SR-60 or SR-80's, and certainly cheaper.

My main problem with Grados was that my ears are sensitive to the high end of the spectrum, so they would easily hurt my ears with all the crisp and pronounced treble. However, I still like clear treble, and I can't stand headphones with a muddy treble. And I can't tell you enough, it's like night and day between stock PortaPros and quarter hole/recabled PortaPros. The highs are comparable to how present they are on Etymotics, if you are familiar with Ety sound. My other little nagging problem with the Grados is that I occasionally wanted more bass "thump". Well, not many headphones will please a basshead more than PortaPros, at least not before you start getting into DT-880's and such.

So, yes, I'm a bit obsessive, but if my PortaPros ever broke, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy another pair. Ask me about my PortaPros

 

[vapman]

see my avatar. obsessive? maybe just a little.

I had SR-60's, which I loved, but had to trade away because the highs started to irritate my ears (i'm very sensitive to the high end). Eventually I traded them for AKG K81DJ's, which I didn't like. I got AKG K301's, which were OK, but still now what I wanted. I borrowed my friend's SR-80's, which I liked a lot, but on occasion they still hurt my ears a little. A while ago, I traded Jahn for his legendary Enigma Audio pure silver recabled Koss PortaPros on a whim.

MAN was that a good decision!

so while KOSS PortaPros aren't the BEST headphone I've ever heard, I'd be so bold as to say they're the best (especially for the money) for under $200 (as the SR-225's cost $200). The reason I say this is because they are the most versatile headphone for the money, offer seriously good sound, are time tested, often (imo) under appreciated, and most importantly, amazing value. About $35 new, but I'd take my PortaPros over Grado SR-60/80's anyway, which is saying a LOT.

Mine have the quarter hole in the pad and Enigma Audio silver recable. While the recabling might be a bit overkill, the stock PortaPros come with some seriously crap cable. Now, I'm not one by any means to say that a new cable will make a difference on a decent pair of headphones, but we're talking Koss here. Recable them, any halfway decent cable will make them noticeably less muddy. Between this and the quarter hole (or different pads altogether), the PortaPros really shine and show the full extent of the KSC-35 driver. They also respond very well to amping - I can amp them out of an old NAD stereo amp and they sound amazing. At least as good as SR-60 or SR-80's, and certainly cheaper.

My main problem with Grados was that my ears are sensitive to the high end of the spectrum, so they would easily hurt my ears with all the crisp and pronounced treble. However, I still like clear treble, and I can't stand headphones with a muddy treble. And I can't tell you enough, it's like night and day between stock PortaPros and quarter hole/recabled PortaPros. The highs are comparable to how present they are on Etymotics, if you are familiar with Ety sound. My other little nagging problem with the Grados is that I occasionally wanted more bass "thump". Well, not many headphones will please a basshead more than PortaPros, at least not before you start getting into DT-880's and such.

So, yes, I'm a bit obsessive, but if my PortaPros ever broke, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy another pair. Ask me about my PortaPros

 

[giovanni]

I feel very similarly about the Porta Pro, an incredible product ... but I really really hope that you are joking about that cable stuff !!! it is funny indeed.

Enigma what ? audio ??? ahahaha.

 

[Frank I]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjarrett /img/forum/go_quote.gif I heard closed headphones can be uncomfortable for long listening. Maybe it was just something I made up in my head and is completely a myth I just don't want to waste 70-100$ on a set of headphones that are less than the quality of my previous ones. I know that I should probably attempt to try them somewhere, but honestly I doubt that its possible. Just a guesstimate is really what i'm looking for, haha.

The Dernon 1001 are very comfortable and sound great. Excellent cans

 

[Diorama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by armoursingh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are there any others in a similar price range which I should consider choosing? I know people have compared the Beyers to the ATH-A900 but the A900's are ~£200 and I don't want to spend more than £140-150 The ATH-A700's are ~£140 but I don't know how they compare to the DT770 Thanks

Do you have any way you can get stuff sent from Japan?
My A900s were 18,800円 in Tokyo, which is only about £116. Even with shipping costs that would be a huge saving.

 

[ethan961]

If you are looking at A700/A900 you might want to look at the JVC HA-RX700 and HA-RX900.

 

[armoursingh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diorama /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you have any way you can get stuff sent from Japan? My A900s were 18,800円 in Tokyo, which is only about £116. Even with shipping costs that would be a huge saving.

I could import them but I will more than likely be hit with more charges from customs causing the price to be much higher in the end

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethan961 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you are looking at A700/A900 you might want to look at the JVC HA-RX700 and HA-RX900.

Will have a look, thanks

 

[t3haxle]

Mail Order Japan

I was looking for headphones around the 100 dollar price range, and I decided on the ATH-700's, but I was wondering if anyone who's had experience with both could tell me differences between the two.