[maddy]

Hello all
 
Firstly, this is a wonderful website and has helped me a lot in the past, though only as a "lurker" as I don't know enough to offer advice etc 

The only proper headphone i have is the Grado SR60, which i actually love but find to be fatiguing and a little "cold" sometimes - I'm planning to continue using it for hard rock and so on. 
I'm looking for a second headphone which is warm and "intimate" sounding (if that's a real phrase 

) and fairly bassy for blues and acoustic music. I'm leaning towards the Beyerdynamic DT 77 as I've been told it's great for blues. 
 
I'm not sure though because of:
1. "recessed mids" is something I've heard a lot - I'm not sure what that is if anyone could explain? 
2. the impedance - I actually have a little Fiio e5 amp, but I'm absolutely not willing to spend more than $50 on another amp :/ I'm poor haha
3. the price - i was really looking at headphones for around $130, but have been swayed. But I really couldn't go higher than the Beyer's $200 price tag
 
 
I would use these at home, so portability is not an issue, but i do need the cans to be closed so i don't have to sit on my own  

I usually listen to music through the Fiio amp from my Ipod Classic and have most of my music in either lossless or mp3 320 
 
I did have the Sennheiser px200 for my closed phone but I really didn't like it, as i found it thin and lifeless  - but other reviews have said Senn's generally have a warm, "sunny" sound so I won't dismiss them. Overall,  I'm basically open to any brand  
 
 
I've looked at so many contradictory reviews I've confused myself and would really appreciate some help from someone who knows what they're talking about (unlike me!)
Thanks so much in advance for any replies and suggestions! 

 

[Proglover]

Seems like DT770/80 are a good choice for what you're looking for. They will benefit from your E5 and if you would ever buy a better amp, they would benefit a bit more

 

[shane55]

Price range?
Open / Closed?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Try a used Sennheiser HD-600 for around $200.

Their sound changes depending on your amp. Pair them with a sweet-sounding OTL tube amp and you'll get a lush, warm sound. The HD-650 will be a little warmer, but they're more expensive.

 

[Proglover]

^ OP is going to use it with E5, Erik, and doesn't want to spend over 50 bucks for another amp
 
Nothing wrong with that offcourse, but maybe it's not a good match to go for 6X0 then

 

[maddy]

Thanks for the advice guys! 
Would you not consider the "recessed mids" of the beyer to be a problem?
I actually like the sound of sennheiser's but I'm put off by the "veil" I've heard people talk about - I really don't like my music to be distant sounding 

 

[crinacle]

M50? They're warm... at least to me.

 

[maddy]

Crinacle, I'm intrigued by the M50s - would you describe them as a fairly "forward" headphone? What type of music would you say they're more suited to? 

 

[Proglover]

Quote:

Thanks for the advice guys! 
Would you not consider the "recessed mids" of the beyer to be a problem?
I actually like the sound of sennheiser's but I'm put off by the "veil" I've heard people talk about - I really don't like my music to be distant sounding 

 
Almost all headphones have their pro's and con's, but I do think the Beyers are nice allrounders.
 
HD600 and HD650 are one league higher in my perception, but need some serious decent amping. With all respect, but E5 will definitely not be enough to make it worth while using those Senns.
 
 

 

[m0ltar]

Quote:

 
Almost all headphones have their pro's and con's, but I do think the Beyers are nice allrounders.
 
HD600 and HD650 are one league higher in my perception, but need some serious decent amping. With all respect, but E5 will definitely not be enough to make it worth while using those Senns.
 
 

I agree, however, its not just the 600's and 650's that need amping. A couple renditions of the DT 770's need amping as well with the higher impedance. The best bang for the buck phone out of all of these is going to be the DT 770. You can find it on the webz for $150.
 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Crinacle, I'm intrigued by the M50s - would you describe them as a fairly "forward" headphone? What type of music would you say they're more suited to? 

They are great all-rounders. Slight smiley face frequency response, meaning most popular music genres (rock / pop / rnb / rap / dance / techno) will sound fun without losing details. Also yeah they are quite forward.
 
However when I say "all-rounder" I mean it; M50's dont have the best bass / mids / highs, however they sound great together.

 

[maddy]

Thanks I'm leaning towards the Beyers more now. Would you consider them to be "forward"? How do they perform with vocals? 
I realise the E5 isn't much use 

 When I bought it I was just intrigued how much an impact an amp would have at all. How much of an upgrade would you say the PA2V2 or CMOY would be? 

 

[maddy]

 
Quote:

They are great all-rounders. Slight smiley face frequency response, meaning most popular music genres (rock / pop / rnb / rap / dance / techno) will sound fun without losing details. Also yeah they are quite forward.

 

However when I say "all-rounder" I mean it; M50's dont have the best bass / mids / highs, however they sound great together.

 
Ahh I see, I'm really wanting something more bassy at the minute. I've favourited the M50s in case I suddenly win the lottery though

The "sorry about your wallet" thing I keep seeing on Head-Fi is right. 

 

[Proglover]

Quote:

I agree, however, its not just the 600's and 650's that need amping. A couple renditions of the DT 770's need amping as well with the higher impedance. The best bang for the buck phone out of all of these is going to be the DT 770. You can find it on the webz for $150.
 

DT770's definitely benefit from good amping, that's true. But sound was suprprisingly decent when I paired my DT770/80 pro with E5.
 
I think DT770/80 with E5 still gives better sound then M50's, even though DT770 can do a little bit better.

 

[Proglover]

 
Quote:

Thanks I'm leaning towards the Beyers more now. Would you consider them to be "forward"? How do they perform with vocals? 
I realise the E5 isn't much use 

 When I bought it I was just intrigued how much an impact an amp would have at all. How much of an upgrade would you say the PA2V2 or CMOY would be? 

A noticable upgrade, but not enough to amp HD6X0
 
I would just use a possible DT770 with E5 (I've been really happy with that for months), and if you would like a serious amp, try to save for a 100 usd budget and buy a nice one on our For Sale section here.