[yawg3d]

Hi,

I've got some questions... while you're reading, keep in mind that I am only 16 at the moment, and so I don't have 2000$ to spend on headphones, even if I wanted to

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Yesterday I got myself the Senn HD 500 off ebay. They're not here yet, but I bought them at a very reasonable price, so I will be able to resell them if I don't like them. I know that there aren't many people who think highly of the HD 500, but a friend of mine said it sounded quite well, and for the price I got it, I thought I might give it a try. Well, considering the case I wouldn't like the 500 and reselled them, which phones should I buy for ~50-60$? I'd like closed phones, so that I don't hear noise from the outside, and others don't hear what I'm listening to. I'd probably be able to pick up the Sony MDR V-500DJ (don't know if that's the correct name) , are they good?

As a little help: I like listening to very different music: Metal and Hard Rock as well as Electronic Music (like The Prodigy...), but a lot of Classical Music, too. I know I can't get satisfying sound quality for 50 bucks, but I'd like to have the 'best bang for buck'

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Ah well, and another problem: My amp is the Denon UD-M30. I know it's not a good amp by many standards, but for the price it's quite good, I'd say. So, I think I couldn't plug a HD 600 or something like that to the UD-M30, because then, headphone quality would be higher than amp quality. What's the max in headphones I can reasonably use with the UD-M30?

Thanks for your time, I'm looking forward to your answers. Ah, yes, I'm from Germany, please excuse my English spelling, grammar, and vocabulary... at least I'm trying to get better

.

 

[Mindless]

Welcome to head-fi and sorry about your wallet

Im only 15 and im getting along fine, and I dont have $2000 either

Im not quiet familiar with good headphones under $150.
I guess you can drive pretty much everything as long as the amp can power the Impedance on the phones I guess, with good or bad results, I don't know. BTW, is that amp a speaker amp or a headphone amp?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

yawg3d,

Both the Sennheiser HD 500 and the Sony MDR-V500DJ have been slammed relentlessly here in these forums. In particular, they sound really bad for the prices that they sell for.

The HD 500 is very dark, boomy, unbalanced and muddy for such open-back headphones. Some might like this, but I'd much rather have a balanced sound. And the MDR-V500DJ is simply dull and lifeless.

 

[yawg3d]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mindless Welcome to head-fi and sorry about your wallet Im only 15 and im getting along fine, and I dont have $2000 either Im not quiet familiar with good headphones under $150. I guess you can drive pretty much everything as long as the amp can power the Impedance on the phones I guess, with good or bad results, I don't know. BTW, is that amp a speaker amp or a headphone amp?

Well well, ok

. I might be able to spend more than $60, but the question is, is it reasonable? I can't afford a new amp with it. Ah yes, it's a speaker amp, but it's got a headphone-out. To give you an idea about amp quality: The UD-M30 is an amp with integrated CD-Drive and Receiver, both of which aren't really good, but they're fine. I bought it together with two Low-End Denon SC-35B speakers for $450. You see, the amp is very probably rather bad, but it's somewhat ok fo rmy standards. But, you see, I don't want to spend $150 on HD600's if there is no difference to the HD500's because of the amp.

If you think the amp can reasonably power better phones, you can try to convinve me of spending more money for the headphones

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edit: Thanks for your reply, Eagle_Driver, but what phones should I buy in your opinion?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Over there in Germany, I'd recommend looking for the HD 497 instead of the HD 500. You see, higher-numbered doesn't mean better sound!

 

[yawg3d]

Thanks

.

Had a quick look at the 497's , the cables don't look very solid, do they

? But, I'll consider them...
Which phones would you recommend if I raised the maximum price a bit?

edit1: Ah... just found another option... Are the Philips SBC HP-890/910 good? I had HP-820 once, they didn't sound really brilliant

, but worst, they weren't anything near to solid... they fell off a small table once and broke. The cable connecting both sides of the phones broke too, and I had no idea how to repair this, so I had to 'bury' them in the depth of a trash can

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edit2: And another one on my list... the HD280Pro. They are at the top level of my price range, but they really look good in my eyes, AND they are closed...
Has anyone of you ever listened to the 280's and can tell me how they sound, maybe give a comparison to the 500's? Thanks

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[Mindless]

I would personally describe the HD280Pro's as Eagle_Driver described HD500, dark, murky, dull, lack of precition. But thats my ears. The Philips HP-890 is a pair of relativly goodheadphones, really comfy at least, havent heard them so much but they are at least better than HD280 in my eyes.

HD600 vs HD500 ... quite stupid to compare these as HD600 would sound better out of a $5 crap radio than the HD500 out of a really nice set-up. The question isnt if the phones would sound better, it's if the amp would explode or not, wich i think it wont, i currently play CD's sometimes through me DVD and my dads 27 year old amp, works fine, with quite good sound.

Anyway, good luck with whatever choise you make.

 

[Ticky]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mindless Im only 15 and im getting along fine, and I dont have $2000 either

Caution, caution folks. I hate to sound like a paranoid parent, but try not to spill out too much personal info. - especially age, real name and contact.

You'll be amaze how much info one can gather on the internet about an individual. Trust me, i had some work experience in these matters. I even dispair at how much of "my" personal info is littered around the www.

I like to think folks in this forum are all alright, but it is an open forum.

Boy... I do sound like my parents. If they ever find out, i think they'll have a ball of a time laughing.

 

[yawg3d]

Well Ticky, there isn't anything in my personal life anyone in Australia or South Africa or North America or Russia

would be interested in. If they want to, they can print big posters saying 'yawg3d from head-fi.org is only sixteen, lives in Germany and can't afford HD600s.' . I can't say I would mind

.

Well, back to topic then. Anyone has some other phone suggestions, preferably closed and less than $100?

 

[sanity8me]

hey yawg3d,

I started out with the sony mdr-7560 (same as mdr-v6) and I could not be happier with them. Got them off ebay for ~$70. I'm now in the process of getting the audio-technica ATH-A900's for ~$200 (I was told they have the legendary 7506's signature sound that I love), but that's after around 4 years of truely enjoying the 7506's (still do).

By the way, I also love prodigy

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[mikeliao]

Notice a trend?

...which phones should I buy for ~50-60$?
I might be able to spend more than $60...
Which phones would you recommend if I raised the maximum price a bit?
Anyone has some other phone suggestions, preferably closed and less than $100?


Senn PX200 or HD212 for your original budget if you must have closed phones.
Ety Er-6 or Shure E2c for around your new budget. Not closed phones but better at keeping out the outs and in the ins.
Grado SR60 and second the Senn Hd 497 recommendation, great at around $50 although neither are closed.

 

[gsferrari]

Grado SR60 / SR80 / Sennheiser HD580/590/497

Etymotic/Shure

Used grado sr80/60 and a used amp - should be possible for around $100 - $120

 

[yawg3d]

Quote:

Originally posted by mikeliao Notice a trend? ...which phones should I buy for ~50-60$? I might be able to spend more than $60... Which phones would you recommend if I raised the maximum price a bit? Anyone has some other phone suggestions, preferably closed and less than $100? ...

Yes, I DO notice a trend. You guys are psychologically manipulating me and try to get the last cents out of my pocket

.

Thank you all very much for your help and your suggestions

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