[peritusONE]

It's rare that I post one of these threads but navigating the new (to me) world of headphones is a bit daunting.  I typically do my own research but there's a LOT of product out there and I'd like some recommendations to hone in on what I should be looking at.
 
I'm looking for new headphones and a DAC, my total budget being around $300 with a little wiggle room.  I'm currently open to IEM or over-ear headphones, with a preference towards the latter, more specifically over-ear that is comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.  My single primary use is listening to music on my work laptop through the headphone jack, these will not be used for travel hardly at all, if ever.  My music currently comes solely from iTunes, which in spot checking a few recently purchased tracks, clocks in with a variable bit-rate of around 265kbps.  I am open to sourcing my music from somewhere else for a higher bitrate if that's recommended (if you have suggestions on where to buy, I'm all ears).  The kind of music I listen to is a lot of rock and a lot of country, and a little of everything in between.  Only music, no videos/movies.
 
My biggest fear in buying headphones is that I'll spend the money and not be able to tell a difference from the IEMs I am currently using that came with one of my phones over the years.  I am not an audiophile in any sense of the word but would absolutely love to be blown away by good sound.  I'm hoping my budget and shopping for some kind of DAC/amp will help with this.
 
Thank you for any help.

 

[GREQ]

If when you're using your laptop you DO NOT hear any kind of humming through your current headphones/iems then you do not need a new DAC.
 
Laptops, even the good expensive ones, sometimes hum, especially when plugged in, and suddenly go nice and quiet when running off the battery.
Because there are many components so close together, its difficult to electronically isolate everything inside it, so you never know until you try it out.
The on-board sound chips or DACs inside laptops (or even full size pc's for that matter) have come leaps and bounds since their inception when they were truly horrible things.
 
 
If you do however start to hear a hum, I would recommend getting the absolute smallest and cheapest external USB dac you can possibly find.
 
I use this at work - http://www.ebay.de/itm/PCM2704-USB-DAC-to-S-PDIF-Sound-Card-Decoder-Board-3-5mm-Analog-Output-/201089065014?pt=Wissenschaftliche_Ger%C3%A4te&hash=item2ed1d7a036
... and it sounds perfectly fine.
 
But you could get something like this - http://www.ebay.de/itm/New-PCM2704-USB-DAC-USB-to-S-PDIF-Sound-Card-Decoder-Board-with-Aluminum-Housing-/390879063970?pt=DE_Elektronik_Computer_TV_Video_Elektronik_Verst%C3%A4rker&hash=item5b02352fa2
... and you don't need to make your own enclosure.
 
 
This leaves you about $290 left for your headphone budget, which is SO much more important.
 
Closed back headphones -
- Sennheiser Momentum - requires average size ears - anything bigger than average is a bad thing (who would have thought!

)
- Bang & Olufsen H6 - expensive - you might be able to find these on a nice sale?
- NAD HP50 
- AKG K550 or K551 - both much cheaper, but soundstage and comfort are guaranteed - a touch heavy/bulky though.
- Bowers and Wilkins P7 - you might be able to find these in budget too..
 
Open back headphones -
- Sennheiser HD598
- Sennheiser HD558 - same driver as 598 but treated slightly differently - but cheaper!
- Beyerdynamic DT990 - a touch pricey for the package but built like an absolute tank
 
I find these headphones are 'all rounders' good at almost all things.

 

[BrezicR]

From my experiance, if your laptop is the source, you definitely need a dac. There was a great improvement in sound quality, when I changed my laptop for a desktop with an Asus xonar soundcard (I had the Senns HD558 at that time). At first I thought the HD558 were avarage headphones, but only after improving the source I realised they were acctualy great sounding headphones.
 
Anyways, I agree on the recomendations above. I owned the HD558 and they are great headphones for the money. I could add to the mix also the Sony MDR-1R - very portable and comfortable headphones or for a few extra buks the Q701 (or a bit cheaper K701). I didn't like the Momentums that much, because I thought the bass was a bit uncontroled (and yes, they are made for small ears).

 

[peritusONE]

Thanks for the replies.  I read elsewhere (possibly in the starter threads) about how an open-back design allows a "fuller/richer" sound experience...is that the case?  I work in my own office and do not mind a bit of sound leakage, if that occurs with an open-back design.

 

[BrezicR]

Indeed, the open back design makes a more airy, open and natural sound. If you ask me, open back desigen always beats closed back with other components being the same. If I were you, I would buy a cheaper dac/amp combo and the Senns HD558. They are not too expensive, very neutral, slightly leaning on mids and also comfortable. That makes them a good entry level headphones. But it depends on your preferences, whether you want more neutral or bass havy or "fun" etc. headphones. I don't know what your preferences are. I didn't try too many dac/amps, so I can't really advise you on that. I hate using laptops for music, because you can't upgrade them with a dedicated sound card, which can be a cheap alternative to usualy more expensive dac/amps.

 

[peritusONE]

  If when you're using your laptop you DO NOT hear any kind of humming through your current headphones/iems then you do not need a new DAC.
 
Laptops, even the good expensive ones, sometimes hum, especially when plugged in, and suddenly go nice and quiet when running off the battery.
Because there are many components so close together, its difficult to electronically isolate everything inside it, so you never know until you try it out.
The on-board sound chips or DACs inside laptops (or even full size pc's for that matter) have come leaps and bounds since their inception when they were truly horrible things.
 
If you do however start to hear a hum, I would recommend getting the absolute smallest and cheapest external USB dac you can possibly find.

 
Perhaps I used the wrong terminology then, I have been using DAC and amp interchangeably.  Should I be shopping instead for an amp?  Is this needed with my laptop setup?

 

[peritusONE]

  But it depends on your preferences, whether you want more neutral or bass havy or "fun" etc. headphones. I don't know what your preferences are.

 
Not bass heavy but I want the bass to present, not overpowering the sound as a whole.

 

[GREQ]

Depends on the headphone you get.
 
A Beyer DT990 for example would benefit somewhat from an amp.
Senn HD598/558 would also benefit somewhat from amping, but it's not critical.
 
Even getting the cheap USB external DACs from ebay I posted above would be enough for these headphones as they push out quite a bit of power. 
Even my old and less sensitive Beyer DT990 600 Ohm (original vintage model) is driven quite well through it without need for amping. 
 
Getting a small DAC/AMP combo would be great if you want to expand the hobby further.
 
Otherwise maybe you just need something like a FiiO E17.
This way you have a half decent amp/dac that you can take with you anywhere for home, office and commuting. 
The amp on this is kind of OK, but the DAC and the number of options it gives you like EQ etc are really great. 
- something like that would suddenly give you much more freedom/flexibility in your headphone choice.

 

[BrezicR]

   
Not bass heavy but I want the bass to present, not overpowering the sound as a whole.

Well, don't worry, when you buy good headphones the bass is always present
If you want a bit more bass, maybe the Senns HD600 would fit you. Previously mentioned Sony MDR1R would also be great. The Senns would need an amp, while the Sony not as they are portable and can be driven with an iPod for example.
 
This is my recomandation, if you really want to be blown away (as you said):
Usualy, when people ask me how much to spend for headphones, I say, the best budget is around $500. With this you get a HD600/650, DT880, Q701, Mad Dogs, Philips Fidelo and many more great headphones for around $300 and you spend another $200 for a dac and an amp, like the Shiit Modi/Magni or Jlab O2/ODAC. To me that represent the best bang for buck. You get a great sound, that you can improve only by spending much more money.

 

[GREQ]

   and you spend another $200 for a dac and an amp, like the Shiit Modi/Magni or Jlab O2/ODAC. To me that represent the best bang for buck. 

Concerning these combos I agree, but for dynamic headphones only.
Planar magnetic headphones like the Mad Dogs etc scale up drastically with more powerful amps (or for advanced users - speaker taps, which is not unaffordable)
 
That isn't to say these combos WON'T drive the Mad Dogs properly, but a more powerful amp or speaker amp will provide more control over treble and dynamics (most noticeably)... but only in a small increment over what you'd need to pay extra... so this is more a 'note for later' than a recommendation for now.

 

[nuclearboy197]

AKG K545 is great

 

[peritusONE]

I appreciate the discussion thus far.  I believe what I am going to do is allot my budget towards a quality headphone and only introduce a DAC/amp later if I feel it is needed.  Thanks for the recommendations, now to start reading reviews.