[ggro]

Hi all, I'm looking to replace my ATH-AD700s and and I'd like your recommendations. Here's what I'm looking for:
 
- open back, circumaural
- wide sound stage
- neutral sound, maybe something with bass that's less weedy than in the AD700s
- good for gaming and movies as well as music (I mainly listen to blues, jazz, country, folk, bluegrass, and hip hop)
- durable build quality would be nice. The AD700s are really flimsy and I've had to glue and tape together the plastic housing together a couple of times
- detachable cable. Would be nice to have but isn't essential. I've had to replace the cable on my AD700s three times and it's kind of a pain in the arse.
- comfortable for extended wear. The biggest plus is AD700s have is how comfortable they are; I can wear them for 16+ hours without any discomfort fatigue
- comfortable for large heads. Another plus the AD700s have is that they seem to be designed for large noggins
- budget is around £150, although I am a fan of cheapo headphones that perform above their price point
 
I'm currently considering the Superlux HD-668Bs, the Samson SR850s, and the Fischer Audio FA-011s. My main concern is the semi-open design of these headphones; how does it compare to fully open headphones? I'm not a fan of anything that blocks out outside noise as it tends to feel claustrophobic, and I use my headphones indoors in a quiet environment so sound leakage isn't an issue.
 
Cheers

 

 

[cel4145]

Amazon UK has the AKG K702s for £149. These would be as good for gaming as the AD700, and even better for music. An upgrade.

You would likely need an internal sound card (not just motherboard audio) or external amp to drive them well.

 

[Me x3]

Sennheiser HD598, although not as capable as the K702 it's much easier to drive and also smoother sounding (better all rounder).
 
The AKG, while really capable, it tend to sound dry and bright with less than perfect recordings, definitely not a very good pick for Hip Hop.
It's also very unsensitive, it needs much more power than planars like LCD-2 rev 2 or HE-400
 
If you want to stay cheap you should consider the Takstar Hi-2050!
 
Best Luck!
 
 

 

[ggro]

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
I have an Asus Xonar DGX soundcard, which I think would be enough to drive the K702s.
 
Wouldn't the HD598 be more of a 'sidegrade' rather than an upgrade, especially considering they're the same price as the K702s (£150)? I don't listen to as much hip hop as I do the other genres, so a headphone that's particularly suited to hip-hop isn't really a high priority.
 
I've also been looking into the following headphones:
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250ohm - £150
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm  - £105
Audio Technica ATH AD900X - £115
 
Any thoughts? The Beyerdynamics look pretty promising, but the 250ohm (cheapest versions) might be a bit of a stretch for my soundcard.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Thanks for the suggestions!
 
I have an Asus Xonar DGX soundcard, which I think would be enough to drive the K702s.
 
Wouldn't the HD598 be more of a 'sidegrade' rather than an upgrade, especially considering they're the same price as the K702s (£150)? I don't listen to as much hip hop as I do the other genres, so a headphone that's particularly suited to hip-hop isn't really a high priority.
 
I've also been looking into the following headphones:
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250ohm - £150
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm  - £105
Audio Technica ATH AD900X - £115
 
Any thoughts? The Beyerdynamics look pretty promising, but the 250ohm (cheapest versions) might be a bit of a stretch for my sound card.

 
The 250-Ohm Beyers need a bit more power then what the DGX can provide them.
So I vote AD900X.

 

[Me x3]

  Thanks for the suggestions!
 
I have an Asus Xonar DGX soundcard, which I think would be enough to drive the K702s.
 
Wouldn't the HD598 be more of a 'sidegrade' rather than an upgrade, especially considering they're the same price as the K702s (£150)? I don't listen to as much hip hop as I do the other genres, so a headphone that's particularly suited to hip-hop isn't really a high priority.
 
I've also been looking into the following headphones:
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250ohm - £150
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm  - £105
Audio Technica ATH AD900X - £115
 
Any thoughts? The Beyerdynamics look pretty promising, but the 250ohm (cheapest versions) might be a bit of a stretch for my soundcard.

 
The AKG K702 is much harder to drive than the DT880 250 Ohm
They need almost 5 times more power!
 
 
Quote:

   
The 250-Ohm Beyers need a bit more power then what the DGX can provide them.
So I vote AD900X.

+1

 

[cel4145]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I have an Asus Xonar DGX soundcard, which I think would be enough to drive the K702s.

Maybe if you like listening at very modest volumes. My K612 Pros (similarly hard to drive) don't do so well with the Xonar DG.