[Kbman]

Okay so I've been looking into getting a pair of headphones for a while now (a few months), and have gone back and forth from getting IEM's to Open headphones to Closed headphones and now I am just looking for a normal pair of headphones open or closed since I don't exactly care at this point and have no preference. I would only use IEM's while out and about so this time around I am just looking for a pair to use at home or on travel and no isolation is needed.
 
I've been looking a lot into what would be the best choice for me and I've fallen upon multiple different headphones that I really do like a lot, but have not heard personally and all of this is just from researching.
 
I wouldn't want to pay more than $250 for a pair of headphones and am prepared to shell out about $100 or so for an amp if required.
 
So I like the AKG Q701's for the look and the comfort that people are saying they provide
I also like the HD598 for the all around good things I have heard about them
And then there are the DT990's or 880's.
 
Those are the main 3 I have been looking into purchasing and am open to any suggestions!
 
Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Kbman]

Anyone? Also been looking into the Q701's because they are available for cheaper. I would probably buy a E17 or E07K to run them since they are 120 OHM and I believe that either one of them can easily do so, maybe not the best quality possible, but it should work right?

 

[Kbman]

No one at all huh. Cool.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I'd go for the Q701 - among those listed it's the one that I really liked listening to. 598's seemed a bit off (erring on warmth) for me, and the 880 had a slightly sharp treble.

 

[Kbman]

Okay cool. I am kind of stuck now between the Q701, HD 598 and the new M50x that's coming out. My only concern for the Q701 is powering it on my iPhone and at home. Will the E17 amp suffice for both mobile and desktop amping? The M50x is sort of the back up if all else fails.
Thanks!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

M50X from what I've read is still the same old driver, but the chassis has a replaceable cable. I wouldn't buy it for AFAIK nearly double the price of the old M50; when price goes down significantly in a few months or by next year then it'll be a good buy.
 
I've tried the Q701 with the Fiio X3 and it worked well enough. It's no Burson Soloist (which, among all the amps I've tried on the x70x cans, is the best by far) in terms of dynamics and PRAT, but for around $200 it isn't too far behind my Cantate.2 (that I got for $400). A little bit warm for my tastes but overall not bad for the price. E17 shouldn't be too different from the X3; that added warmth to it might even be something you might prefer over other cans.

 

[Kbman]

Okay so I have decided I want to stick with a more portable headset for now. I still want a nice amp for them, but I'd prefer portable on ears because how much I visit the gym with my horrible IEM's that I have and want to replace. I sort of want to buy a pair of VSonic GR07, but I want a bit better sound and would prefer an on ear set of cans. I've been looking at the momentum, HD 25-1 ii and the amperior as well as the Monster DNA Pro's. The main reason I am just now thinking about the portables is because walking around and doing daily things outside of my house is mainly where I spend my time and a nice pair of cans that don't bother me so much.
 
Any suggestions?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I'd go with either full-size circumaurals or IEMs. I'm not really a fan of on-ears thanks to how they can leave a gap between some part of the earlobe and the earpad where a lot of noise can leak through. Look into the K551's - the cable is shorter and has a remote vs the long cable on the K550. The cups are huge but they still fold flat, so they're easier to hang on one's neck without the cups getting in the way when the head moves.

 

[Kbman]

  I'd go with either full-size circumaurals or IEMs. I'm not really a fan of on-ears thanks to how they can leave a gap between some part of the earlobe and the earpad where a lot of noise can leak through. Look into the K551's - the cable is shorter and has a remote vs the long cable on the K550. The cups are huge but they still fold flat, so they're easier to hang on one's neck without the cups getting in the way when the head moves.

I was looking at those, but they are a bit too big to be lugging around in a gym. I saw the new Philips L2's that are soon to come out and they seem small enough though I can't tell because of how little amount of videos there are of them.