[Pianist718]

For anyone reading this thread ... to make more sense of it and not give false info that I have a lot here...
 
I was used more to the darker sound and thus HD380 appealed to me. I was also used to lots of sub as my home theater has a lot of it. So ... when I compared HD598, Grados, HD380 etc, etc the ones that had the most bass clearly stood out. This is not the right way of picking a headphone.
 
I can now say that .... after testing
Grado SR225i
Sennheiser HD598
Sennheiser HD380
Sennheiser HD600
Beyerdynamic DT-770
Sennheiser Momentum
Shure SRH840
Beyerdynamic DT-1350-80
SoundMAGIC HP100
KEF M500
 
You get used to the sound you listen to. Once something is different, we tend to possibly dislike or feel like it's bad. Get you ears to adjust first
 
I liked HD380 but now I hear that others like HD598, Grados, Momentum, Shure are much more detailed. They are also all brighter than HD380 which I now like. Now the HD380 to me sounds like a nice product but I am starting to like a different kind of sound.
 
It really depends on the music. Once song will sound best in HD598 and the other one is best on Grados (this happened to me). I think that there is no such thing as the best headphone. It really depends on your music you listen to and how you want to hear it.
 
Once you think about buying something "professional" grade .. it almost always requires an extra piece of equipment. Good example .... HD600 is a shame to listen to without an amp. For me, because I don't want to buy an amp, I found that HD598 is a better solution.
 
Comfort .... I didn't think that this is so important. It's crucial. I noticed that after 30 minutes I wanted to tear HD380 off of my head as it was just giving me a headache. HD598 is awesome. Grados are great for some songs but their fit is just weird. Momentum are great ... like I said before ... awesome for portable and again ... some songs it;'s good with and some it's really, really bad.
 
Final thought.
Pick 10 songs you listen to. The kind of music you will most likely listen to and run it on all headphones you consider. I can guarantee that no one headphone will beat other on all 10 songs. Just pick the one that had a majority. For me ... it seems like it's going to be HD598.   by the way .... when I added a bit of bass in my Winamp EQ, I wasn't too crazy with the outcome.
 
I really want to compare the Beyerdynamics DT880, 990, etc  but all of them require an amp and I don't feel like going too PRO with the whole headphones music arena.

 

[markwilliamsweb]

Yes it's amazing how much your head needs to adjust to a different sound. I went from using (almost exclusively) the V-Moda M80 for a year to the Momentum and my first thought was how it was so much more detailed, but lacked bass. I was a tad disappointed. Well after a week or so of listening my opinion completely changed, so much so that I find the M80 has too much bass, which is also isn't true. Both are fantastic headphones, but just have different signatures.
 
You seriously need some dedicated listening to get used to a sound signature and fully appreciate it.

 

[Pianist718]

Just saw that Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro (250 ohm) dropped in price to $200. Is it worth comparing it to Sennheiser HD598??? ... i won't be using an amp though

 

[Sekka]

  Just saw that Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro (250 ohm) dropped in price to $200. Is it worth comparing it to Sennheiser HD598??? ... i won't be using an amp though

Didn't you say a couple of pages back that you had a receiver that could power headphones?

 

[Pianist718]

  Didn't you say a couple of pages back that you had a receiver that could power headphones?

 
I don't know if that receiver's headphones input gets the power you would get with a headphones amp. I am not sure. It did get pretty loud when I tried running headphones off of it. Just not sure a home theater receiver is meant to power up headphones in the same way a stand alone headphones amp would.  you tell me

 

[Sekka]

   
I don't know if that receiver's headphones input gets the power you would get with a headphones amp. I am not sure. It did get pretty loud when I tried running headphones off of it. Just not sure a home theater receiver is meant to power up headphones in the same way a stand alone headphones amp would.  you tell me

What is the model?

 

[Pianist718]

  What is the model?

 
I have a Denon 4311ci

 

[Sekka]

   
I have a Denon 4311ci

I can't find any info for the headphone jack's output impedance or max output.  Someone mentioned that it drove the HD800 pretty well, but that is a 300 ohm headphone.  You might be alright with a higher impedance model or a planar magnetic, but I doubt it would work very well for sensitive, low impedance headphones like the HD598.

 

[Pianist718]

At least he didn't get the 325is. He would be seething at the mouth due to those highs.

As for an amplifier... I think a FiiO E11 would do you well and they're only $59 new.

 
Curious .... you suggest a $59 amp for headphones like HD600, etc .... so why do people pay $500+ for those cool looking amps with lamps, etc?
I find it hard to believe that a $59 amp is doing anything other than adding more volume.

 

[Pianist718]

  I can't find any info for the headphone jack's output impedance or max output.  Someone mentioned that it drove the HD800 pretty well, but that is a 300 ohm headphone.  You might be alright with a higher impedance model or a planar magnetic, but I doubt it would work very well for sensitive, low impedance headphones like the HD598.

 
 
I just re-read this thread and realized how much I "grew" in understanding headphones (still not anywhere close to knowing enough, but way more knowledge and change of preference).
 
I've decided that I am perfectly fine with HD598. Actually really like them. From what I understand for someone without an amp wanting a "hi-fi" sound, there are almost perfect.
 
Let's see how much I stick with this hobby and how much of listening I'll actually do. I came to realize how great HD598 sound and how much detail I hear at normal volume without any amping.
 
I know that there is a whole new world our there with the next level of headphones that need amping
HD700, HD650/600, HD800, AKG K 701, Beyer T1, Beyer 880, HiFiMan - HE-500, LCD-2, Denon d5000, Fostex TH900, etc.
 
I have the means to get any one of those but that's a next level up that can wait for now.

 

[Vain III]

At least he didn't get the 325is. He would be seething at the mouth due to those highs.


As for an amplifier... I think a FiiO E11 would do you well and they're only $59 new.

Curious .... you suggest a $59 amp for headphones like HD600, etc .... so why do people pay $500+ for those cool looking amps with lamps, etc?
I find it hard to believe that a $59 amp is doing anything other than adding more volume.

"with the lamps" you mean tube amplifiers? Amplifiers that are suppose to stay in one place when you're using them and are very delicate. I would never suggest a tube amp for portable usage. Which is what you asked me to suggest an amplifier for. People have different Amps/Dacs for different things. An E17 is a great Amp/Dac that is portable. An E11 is a slight downgrade to that. It's not like I suggested you use a E6. I also didn't assume that you would actually be getting the HD600.

Look at the Fiio E18 (Dac/Amp) or FiiO E12 (Amp) for a bit more power in a portable amplifier. If you want something desktop worthy then I am quite partial to the Valhalla amplifier.

 

[Pianist718]

Before sending Grados back, decided to compare how electric guitar sounds on them VS HD598 ... got to give it to Grados ... beat HD598 easily   
 
everything else, HD598 does better. Keeper