[wertyxhts]

Hello Head-Fiers,
 
I was looking for reviews on Beats Studio by Dre & Bose headphones sold at Best Buys, and I stumbled onto this site. It looks like these are frowned upon here. After doing some research here and going to through many pages. I am now overwhelmed with many choices. I was wondering my fellow Head-Fiers can give me a few recommendations.
 
Budget: $800 
Type of Headphones: Portable, (Noise-Canceling not needed but is a plus) - Is it worth it to get noise canceling? I may also want to use the headphones at home too.
Music: Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Rock, Country, Techno or any up tempo music
Source: iphone 4
 
 
Also, what are amps good for? I can shell out another $400-500 if amps are worth it. Of course, I would want a portable one. 
 
P.S. I can't believe I found this site, here comes another hobby and a lot of money spent....I am also interested in a good portable setup also

 
Thank you!

 

[wertyxhts]

Bump

 

[roy_jones]

Maybe not the worst idea in the world to do some reading.  That way you can ask more specific questions that will be more relevant to your unique needs. 

 

[wertyxhts]

Quote:

Maybe not the worst idea in the world to do some reading.  That way you can ask more specific questions that will be more relevant to your unique needs. 

I've have gone through many pages, like I mentioned earlier. That is why I am asking on opinions from other members. Instead of increasing your post count, you should just ignore this thread.

 

[IpodHappy]

Welcome to Head-Fi and say goodbye to your wallet.
 
Your budget gives you access to all of the universal IEMs and some of the customs.
 
I prefer universal IEMs over customs as I can afford to experiment more.  If you're into cameras and photography gear, it's somewhat analogous to purchasing amateur lenses vs. the pro models.  Trying out a variety of amateur lenses doesn't drain the resources as quickly.  If you're just starting out, I'd try the universal route for sure to see what sound signatures you like.
 
That said, I'm enjoying my Westone W4's quite a bit for classical music where a neutral colored sound is advantageous.  For electronic music, I prefer my Westone W3's which have a stronger bass punch.  The dynamic IEMs I own such as the Monster Turbine Pro Copper and Golds offer an even stronger punch, but their high end is too piercing for my tastes over a long time period.  I like to hear a lot of sound stage and ambiance in my music and have tried to focus my purchases in that direction.  I like a lot of isolation and appreciate very low microphonics.
 
Please note as you read the posts here that everyone experiences phones differently as a function of their personal tastes and hearing characteristics (or lack thereof due to too loud music

).  Each person experiences IEMs differently, so the reviews are the individual reviewer's opinion.  This isn't unusual; some people like classical, some people like hip-hop, some people like jazz . . . 
 
To help direct some of the advice you might get in answer to this question, is there a headphone you've liked in the past?  What type of home speakers do you use?  When you adjust the trebble, mids, and bass on your car stereo, do you leave it flat or boost any of these frequencies?  Do you like thumping bass or a reserved bass presentation?  How important is sound isolation to you?  Did you get to listen to the Studio Beats or the Bose IEMs at BestBuy?  If so, what was your impression?

 

[hojomojo96]

Why not get multiple top tier universals, so you can find what you like?

 

[roy_jones]

uh-huh
 
Quote:

Quote:

I've have gone through many pages, like I mentioned earlier. That is why I am asking on opinions from other members. Instead of increasing your post count, you should just ignore this thread.

 

[wertyxhts]

I want something over the ears. I'm haven't tested any IEMs because I haven't been exposed to any. Also, for some reason I just get the feeling that  I don't like IEMs...The only thing I have ever listened to was Beats Studio by Dre. I thought they were good until I stumbled here...but I felt that there was a little too much bass. On my car radio my treble is at 5/5,bass 2/5 and everything else is untouched. Also, my car has three SSP settings feel, hear, and neutral. I have set on feel. I guess sound isolation is somewhat important to me. I would rather hear music only instead of background noise. I also want headphones that do not leak music.
 
Quote:

Welcome to Head-Fi and say goodbye to your wallet.
 
Your budget gives you access to all of the universal IEMs and some of the customs.
 
I prefer universal IEMs over customs as I can afford to experiment more.  If you're into cameras and photography gear, it's somewhat analogous to purchasing amateur lenses vs. the pro models.  Trying out a variety of amateur lenses doesn't drain the resources as quickly.  If you're just starting out, I'd try the universal route for sure to see what sound signatures you like.
 
That said, I'm enjoying my Westone W4's quite a bit for classical music where a neutral colored sound is advantageous.  For electronic music, I prefer my Westone W3's which have a stronger bass punch.  The dynamic IEMs I own such as the Monster Turbine Pro Copper and Golds offer an even stronger punch, but their high end is too piercing for my tastes over a long time period.  I like to hear a lot of sound stage and ambiance in my music and have tried to focus my purchases in that direction.  I like a lot of isolation and appreciate very low microphonics.
 
Please note as you read the posts here that everyone experiences phones differently as a function of their personal tastes and hearing characteristics (or lack thereof due to too loud music

).  Each person experiences IEMs differently, so the reviews are the individual reviewer's opinion.  This isn't unusual; some people like classical, some people like hip-hop, some people like jazz . . . 
 
To help direct some of the advice you might get in answer to this question, is there a headphone you've liked in the past?  What type of home speakers do you use?  When you adjust the trebble, mids, and bass on your car stereo, do you leave it flat or boost any of these frequencies?  Do you like thumping bass or a reserved bass presentation?  How important is sound isolation to you?  Did you get to listen to the Studio Beats or the Bose IEMs at BestBuy?  If so, what was your impression?

 

[IpodHappy]

I've been so focused on IEMs for the past four years that I can't give you advice on over-the-ear phones.  I liked my Sennheiser PX250s for their relatively neutral sound signature, but I hated the bit of hiss they had from the active noise suppression system and the battery pack which had to be clipped to my belt.  The Bose QC2 really were never meant for outdoor use and picked up a lot of wind noise whenever I tried.

 

[wertyxhts]

Thinking of getting ATH-m50s for first headset...the other one im thinking about is the HFi580
 
Quote:

I've been so focused on IEMs for the past four years that I can't give you advice on over-the-ear phones.  I liked my Sennheiser PX250s for their relatively neutral sound signature, but I hated the bit of hiss they had from the active noise suppression system and the battery pack which had to be clipped to my belt.  The Bose QC2 really were never meant for outdoor use and picked up a lot of wind noise whenever I tried.

 

[cali141]

I would highly consider a Sennheiser HD25-1-II. They're not circumaural as you desire, but they are very comfy; completely eliminate the need for noise cancellation due to their excellent isolation; are easy to drive, portable and durable; and most of all, they sound very very good. Been using one pair for about four years now, and they've been excellent. I bought lower-priced headphones leading up to them, and was consistently underwhelmed to various degrees until I bought the Senns.

 

[wertyxhts]

okay I have narrowed it down to the westone 3 and the um3x..need help deciding on which is best for the music I listen to...

 

[dbdynsty25]

Quote:

I would highly consider a Sennheiser HD25-1-II. They're not circumaural as you desire, but they are very comfy; completely eliminate the need for noise cancellation due to their excellent isolation; are easy to drive, portable and durable; and most of all, they sound very very good. Been using one pair for about four years now, and they've been excellent. I bought lower-priced headphones leading up to them, and was consistently underwhelmed to various degrees until I bought the Senns.

Quoted for truth.  I wish there were more times I could wear the on-ear Senns...my favorite headphones in a landslide!