[rsgladwin85]

Hello All,
 
I am looking to purchase a somewhat hi-end pair of open back cans.  I already have the closed cans that I want, and plan on keeping for a long time.  With that said, I'm looking for some open back cans to complement them.  I have been looking at the Beyerdynamic T1 and the Hifiman HE-500's.  I listen to a wide variety of of music Rock, Hard Rock, Classical, Jazz, Pop, and others. I really love good vocals, and guitar representation. 
 
I'm not new to the world of headphones, and I know what I don't want.  I do not want a pair of Sennheisers that have that Sennheiser "veil". I have owned the Audeze LCD-2, and while they had a great sound, they were too dark of a signature for my taste. While I love the grado sound for most of my music, they aren't all that comfortable for extended wear imo. I do not want a pair of cans that are lacking in the low end as in generally described with the K702's and HD800's.
 
What I am looking for is a fun sounding can, that isn't overly emphasized in the bass area (i.e. I dont want them to rattle my earlobes like the DarthBeyers I owned). A mild emphasis in the low end wouldn't be a bad thing. Clean and clear mids. Not rolled off treble.  
 
I will be buying or building an amp for whatever I end up purchasing.  Thanks everyone for your time, and help.  Much Appreciated.

 

[KT66]

I hate to sound boring and like a scratched record, but have you considered HD600?

 

[rsgladwin85]

I have given those consideration, however from reviews that I've read, some have said that they suffer from that Sennheiser "veil" that I am definitely not fond of.

 

[swspiers]

Simple: Grado, possibly the RS1i.
 
But the HD800 lacking in the low end...?

 

[rsgladwin85]

  Simple: Grado, possibly the RS1i.
 
But the HD800 lacking in the low end...?

As I said, I love the Grado sound, but the comfort over extended listening is less than desirable. 
 
And yes, nearly every review I've read about the HD800 says that it is bass-lite. I don't doubt that it has a very clean and clear lower end, but just want a bit of impact.

 

[swspiers]

  As I said, I love the Grado sound, but the comfort over extended listening is less than desirable.
 
And yes, nearly every review I've read about the HD800 says that it is bass-lite. I don't doubt that it has a very clean and clear lower end, but just want a bit of impact.

Wow,  Okay, then you might want to wait for the results on the new Hifiman cans.
 
Or, the HE-5LE was as close to wearing subwoofers on my head as I have ever had with headphones.  They can be had for under $500 lately, and they certainly do not have the veil ( 

 ) associated with Sennheisers.  The HE-500 is also popular, although I have not personally heard them.

 

[rsgladwin85]

The upcoming Hifimans are intriguing.  I just wish we had more information about them.  I previously owned a pair of HE-5LE's, and I didn't find them to be like having subwoofers on my head, so perhaps the 500's are the next direction to go.  Or it might pay off to just wait and see the impressions on the upcoming 560i's.

 

[swspiers]

Good luck, and I can't wait to read about what you eventually find!  Bass is an incredibly important and subjective thing with headphones, to be sure.
 
For myself, I'll be getting some sort of bass transducer down the road to the get the body/chest experience, and at the same time keep me from getting a monster sub for my audio system.