acheron32
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2016
- Posts
- 17
- Likes
- 12
Greetings! Well, first off I have always loved Head-Fi and the forums but never really got around to posting anything. I figured my current dilemma would be a good start. Previously, I had used a Bowers & Wilkins P7 before getting an Oppo PM-3. I tend to use that PM-3 with my desktop (custom built, not purchased), my MacBook Pro Retina, on my iPad or phone and if I'm at home or on a vacation. I use Bowers & Wilkins C5 Series 2 earbuds for when I am doing various tasks, like mowing the lawn to some tunes. I've seen the PM-3 do well even with my Roku remote's headphone jack, too.
That being said, I have contemplated having a pair just strictly for home use. Half the time, I might use them on my desktop, which has a fairly good headphone amp on the Sound Blaster Z card. Would I add an amp/dac in the future? Perhaps, but who knows for sure. I'm not really in the market for that yet, but I would love to have a good pair for home use and just use the PM-3 for when I am being a bit more portable. I decided to increase my range to $700, but not above that. I am absolutely not buying a pair of headphones more expensive than $700, for the record. For comparison, I do enjoy the sound out of the PM-3 generally, though I know that I've had some so-so experiences with it depending on the genre.
So far, I have been leaning towards either the Audeze EL-8 or the Sony MDR-Z7. I have seen numerous reviews and have combed places on here at times for both to make me very undecided on this matter. I do like how some have described the bass that Audeze headphones typically have as well as the overall sound profile. I like how it looks as well as the fact that it is another planar magnetic headphone. I figured if I went with the EL-8, that perhaps i'd make it worth my while at get the open-backed EL-8 since it isn't going to be used out in public. The concern I have with the open backed EL-8 almost exclusively is the bass performance of the open-backed model. I see that some reviewers note that the bass is weak with the open model, while some say it is "adequate" but tight. Does anyone have a general idea as to the bass performance in relation to the PM-3? It isn't that I want headphones that are all bass without much else, I just want a pair that has a strong bass response when necessary. What really appealed to me about the Z7 is how people raved about its comfort level (which is important to me) as well as feeling like the music was exciting to listen to. I know some say the mids were recessed, but many said the soundstage and detail were quite exceptional overall. I certainly saw many reviews rave about the MDR-Z7 as well as the EL-8 Closed and Open.
My taste in music does vary greatly, which includes Classical, Jazz to hard rock and sometimes hip hop, too. I can't remember exactly which pair it was, but I had some headphones a while ago that had very soft, weak bass performance and I felt like all the fun was sucked out of some of my jazz and classical. I can't find either headphone in a store near me to test them out, so I am stuck here. I'm not against getting the closed-back EL-8, I just figure it would make sense to get the open back version if it doesn't lose too much low end as compared to the closed model. Does anyone have a good idea of how both would compare to the PM-3 then? I figure that both are likely to improve upon the PM-3 in some areas, perhaps. If there's a better headphone around $700 or less that would be more ideal (open or not), I would be receptive to the suggestion. I am just plain stuck here!
Thank you to anyone willing to help break the impasse!
That being said, I have contemplated having a pair just strictly for home use. Half the time, I might use them on my desktop, which has a fairly good headphone amp on the Sound Blaster Z card. Would I add an amp/dac in the future? Perhaps, but who knows for sure. I'm not really in the market for that yet, but I would love to have a good pair for home use and just use the PM-3 for when I am being a bit more portable. I decided to increase my range to $700, but not above that. I am absolutely not buying a pair of headphones more expensive than $700, for the record. For comparison, I do enjoy the sound out of the PM-3 generally, though I know that I've had some so-so experiences with it depending on the genre.
So far, I have been leaning towards either the Audeze EL-8 or the Sony MDR-Z7. I have seen numerous reviews and have combed places on here at times for both to make me very undecided on this matter. I do like how some have described the bass that Audeze headphones typically have as well as the overall sound profile. I like how it looks as well as the fact that it is another planar magnetic headphone. I figured if I went with the EL-8, that perhaps i'd make it worth my while at get the open-backed EL-8 since it isn't going to be used out in public. The concern I have with the open backed EL-8 almost exclusively is the bass performance of the open-backed model. I see that some reviewers note that the bass is weak with the open model, while some say it is "adequate" but tight. Does anyone have a general idea as to the bass performance in relation to the PM-3? It isn't that I want headphones that are all bass without much else, I just want a pair that has a strong bass response when necessary. What really appealed to me about the Z7 is how people raved about its comfort level (which is important to me) as well as feeling like the music was exciting to listen to. I know some say the mids were recessed, but many said the soundstage and detail were quite exceptional overall. I certainly saw many reviews rave about the MDR-Z7 as well as the EL-8 Closed and Open.
My taste in music does vary greatly, which includes Classical, Jazz to hard rock and sometimes hip hop, too. I can't remember exactly which pair it was, but I had some headphones a while ago that had very soft, weak bass performance and I felt like all the fun was sucked out of some of my jazz and classical. I can't find either headphone in a store near me to test them out, so I am stuck here. I'm not against getting the closed-back EL-8, I just figure it would make sense to get the open back version if it doesn't lose too much low end as compared to the closed model. Does anyone have a good idea of how both would compare to the PM-3 then? I figure that both are likely to improve upon the PM-3 in some areas, perhaps. If there's a better headphone around $700 or less that would be more ideal (open or not), I would be receptive to the suggestion. I am just plain stuck here!
Thank you to anyone willing to help break the impasse!
