[BillsonChang007]

What's up! This is getting interesting. Now, I mean the HD 449 not the HD 448 I am not a bass head. I just need an over-head headphone that have good & natural sound stage. As for bass, my XBA 4 does a great job. If you think HD 449 is not a good idea, can you please recormend me a canes that is of around the same price, not assembled in Taiwan or China & it MUST be a over-head headphone. No Bose, Skullcandy & Beats(sorry if it is not suppose to be mentioned)

 

[TeliaSonera]

M50

 

[XxDobermanxX]

ATH-M50 does not have a natural sound and are bass heavy  

 

[XxDobermanxX]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/591059/a-concise-view-of-why-the-ath-m50-is-no-longer-king

 

[BillsonChang007]

ATH-M50 a bass heavy headphone?!? No thank you. Stick with the HD 449 then. I need neutral sound not bass heavy & uneurral sound. Will be looking forward if there's any headphone that have more neutral sound then HD449 & over-head headphone

 

[stevenlongs]

If you read the thread, you will see that opinions are very split. From what I read, some are still large advocates of the m50, but others think there are better deals out there for a similar price. this does not necessarily mean the phones are bad...after all the argument spans a huge amount of pages and is debating whether the m50 is the most bang for buck.

Go read the thread, explore the other recommendations in the thread and decide for yourself.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Yep, the opinion is very split. But, there's one thing that everyone agrees, M50 is a bass heavy phone. Not saying that they are bad but sometimes, after a long day of work, I need to enjoy some acoustic music, I don't need bass heavy phone, I just need a phone with neutral sound. If sometimes I want more bass(mostly in the morning), my XBA 4 will do the job.

As for exploring the threads & finding a good pair from there is not really a good idea, because their recommendation is/are required a AMP(I don't even have one) or better to drive with non-iPod player.

 

[cyberalpha11]

No questionsble that ATH-M50 is a better choice.

 

[XxDobermanxX]

Quote:

Yep, the opinion is very split. But, there's one thing that everyone agrees, M50 is a bass heavy phone. Not saying that they are bad but sometimes, after a long day of work, I need to enjoy some acoustic music, I don't need bass heavy phone, I just need a phone with neutral sound. If sometimes I want more bass(mostly in the morning), my XBA 4 will do the job.
As for exploring the threads & finding a good pair from there is not really a good idea, because their recommendation is/are required a AMP(I don't even have one) or better to drive with non-iPod player.

The HD 449 is way more natural , balanced, better soundstage, better mids and high(plus tight controlled bass),more comfortable,newer than grandpa ATH-M50

 

[BillsonChang007]

To me, headphones is not about new or old. It's about sound quality>comfort>built quality>design. It doesn't matter when it was released. However, I believe that the newer ones will have a better sound with a better technology. Still, sticking with HD 449 any more recommendation?

 

[BillsonChang007]

Oh, btw. I am also considering HD439. How's the sound compare to the HD 449? I find the HD 439 is more comfortable to wear since I wear glasses. The HD 449 cushion doesn't seem to last, right?

 

[XxDobermanxX]

The HD 449 cushion is very durable but you have to read up on how to care pleather earcups, also pleather earcup tend to warm up in hot conditions but give better noise isolation than the velour pads, the HD 449 has better soundstage than the HD439, the HD 449 stays truer to the track than the HD 439 but the HD 439 has more bass and since it has velour pad are more comfortable , but less noise isolation , and switching the pads of the HD 439 with the hD 449 or vice versa will mess with their original sonic performance (meaning if you put the velour pads on the HD 449 it will lighten the bass presence). 

  

 

[BillsonChang007]

From what I know, velour earpad on the HD 439 is more open(isolates less sound). Open headphone have good treble but lack on bass. closed ones, better bass, less treble. In this case it doesn't seem to be right. I prefer velour earpads then pleather but I really like HD449! I think I do take good care of my headphone but not sure about pleather(just read how to protect) pretty hard as I live in a hot & wet country. Also, I listen music like 2h a day. Worried it won't last. So just wanna ask if I can actually buy the velour pad for HD 449 at Sennheiser stores...

 

[XxDobermanxX]

Quote:

From what I know, velour earpad on the HD 439 is more open(isolates less sound). Open headphone have good treble but lack on bass. closed ones, better bass, less treble. In this case it doesn't seem to be right. I prefer velour earpads then pleather but I really like HD449! I think I do take good care of my headphone but not sure about pleather(just read how to protect) pretty hard as I live in a hot & wet country. Also, I listen music like 2h a day. Worried it won't last. So just wanna ask if I can actually buy the velour pad for HD 449 at Sennheiser stores...

Of course you can , but as i said it will mess with its original intended sonic performance, also the velour on the hd 439 doesnt make it leak sound (only at high volume). also the HD 449 isolates approx. 18 decibels by just wearing them without any music on. also i live in jamaica so i know what all year round sun feels like 

, but your concern is a wish one, because i wont want to buy pleather and later on its starts to strip, and then you have to spend 20 buck on new ones. the HD 449 doesnt have a clamping force like say the ATH-m50( the clamping force and the pleather pads on studio monitors in hot conditions make your ears get hot fast but they isolate sound more , hence the clamp) so they can keep cooler overtime. also if you get the velour pads remember to wash them 

.
also heres a quote from a guy on headfi who changed his pleather on his HD 448 and used velour 
 
"They make the sound a bit airier and make the bass a bit more subdued, but the bass is more coherent in that the attack is not separated from the rest of the bass note, without the echo that occurs in the pleather pads. I am using the velour pads right now, so that probably tells you which I prefer 

 though I still wish the bass was a bit more full and cleaner than it is with either the velour or pleather pads."
http://www.head-fi.org/t/441191/new-sennheiser-hd-448/60 (here is the thread as proof i dint make this up) 
Finally here a link to the velour pads 
http://headphonespares.sennheiser.co.uk/hifi-tv-headphones/hd-439
ill update you if i get any other valid links 
Cheers

 

[astroid]

I have had both, i kept the 439, for me i hated the pads on the 449 , really poor quality, sprayed pleather that will flake and is too thin. The 439 also has more bass, to me it just sounded like the 449 with added bass response which was ideal for me as the 449 left me wanting on the bass front.