[Zelderon]

I wouldn't necessarily consider myself an audiophile since I am pretty young. Just for the sake of background, I own a pair of audiotechnica ath-m50s for over ear headphones, and a pair of RHA-T20s for in ear buds. I did some money saving and am looking to get a new set of over ear cans... I do not have a huge preference leaning toward open or closed back, id just like to get some opinions from some more well informed headphone enthusiasts out there. I listen to rock, indie, jazz, edm, and grunge... a whole lot of nirvana, QOTSA, etc. I also have a thing for broad frequency range. As of now, I've narrowed my options down to a few that appealed to me, however i am open to options, im just looking for a sub 500$ price range. So right now its between the hd650's, the P7's, the MM400's, the TH500RP's and possibly other recommendations from the community. Any advice, guidance, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. This is a big deal for me since I am tiiiiight with money... heh heh.

 

 

[buke9]

I wouldn't necessarily consider myself an audiophile since I am pretty young. Just for the sake of background, I own a pair of audiotechnica ath-m50s for over ear headphones, and a pair of RHA-T20s for in ear buds. I did some money saving and am looking to get a new set of over ear cans... I do not have a huge preference leaning toward open or closed back, id just like to get some opinions from some more well informed headphone enthusiasts out there. I listen to rock, indie, jazz, edm, and grunge... a whole lot of nirvana, QOTSA, etc. I also have a thing for broad frequency range. As of now, I've narrowed my options down to a few that appealed to me, however i am open to options, im just looking for a sub 500$ price range. So right now its between the hd650's, the P7's, the MM400's, the TH500RP's and possibly other recommendations from the community. Any advice, guidance, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. This is a big deal for me since I am tiiiiight with money... heh heh.  

The HD-650's is going to need a amp for sure. Not for what gear you have. Have not heard the others so can't say. A pair of HE-400S with Focus A pads can be had for about $350 or cheaper and would be an upgrade. They can be run by just about anything also. Just a thought. Was listening to something else and different cans so I threw on the 400S's and some Nirvana and nice slam on Lithium. Plus very comfy.

 

[PinkyPowers]

I do prefer open-back headphones, but all the really good ones I've used require a decent amp.

Now, closed back... the Oppo PM-3 has beaten the B&W P7 in most reviews I've seen. And anything can drive it.

 

[Zelderon]

Thanks guys, ill definitely give those a look. ive definitely heard of the HE400s and the p3's. I wouldn't be too hesitant to get an amp but it would be nice to not have to dish out a wallet breaking sum to drive some headphones. I know the 650's are high ohm but i just figured id throw them in there to see what fruits it bore. Ive heard many good things about the MM400's but i was kinda skeptical since they seemed more focused on the portable route. Ill definitely check out those suggestions and see if it adjusts my attack plan. Thanks again for the help. Ive also heard some decent reviews on AKG headphones, but i dont really know much about them. Loving this community so far!
Edit: Just checked out the PM-3's, man that's a nice frequency range and low resistance, looking like a nice option.

 

[mysticstryk]

If you in the US, you can grab a Modi 2 and Vali 1 for $200 new (less if you buy used) and import an hd650 from Amazon UK brand new for about $285. This setup would smoke all the others you've mentioned and is within your $500 budget.

Otherwise I second the 400S and focus A pad.

 

[iamxLn]

Hd650, modi 2 uber, vali 2 and never read this website ever again.

 

[PinkyPowers]

They have a point. If you're up to getting a DAC and Amp right now, you can buy a killer setup within $500. The Sennheiser HD600 and HD650 are gods great gifts to the world.

 

[mysticstryk]

Hd650, modi 2 uber, vali 2 and never read this website ever again.

That's over his price. A regular Modi 2 and Vali 1 pairs great with the hd650 and is within his budget.

 

[Zelderon]

That hd650 dac+amp combo sounds pretty nice, always liked sennheiser. Having a hard time finding a new vali 1 but I can find the modi 2. Don't know if the magni 2 would be a good substitute maybe? I don't have a ton of knowledge in the world of digital analog converters and amplifiers so I'm just curious, do you need to pair a dac and amp or could I just get a nice tube amp to hook the 650s up to.

 

[mysticstryk]

That hd650 dac+amp combo sounds pretty nice, always liked sennheiser. Having a hard time finding a new vali 1 but I can find the modi 2. Don't know if the magni 2 would be a good substitute maybe? I don't have a ton of knowledge in the world of digital analog converters and amplifiers so I'm just curious, do you need to pair a dac and amp or could I just get a nice tube amp to hook the 650s up to.

The Vali 1 is at the bottom of Schiits product page on the main website under "closeouts" for $99. There is also one currently in the for sale thread here on head-fi for $70 if you don't mind buying used.

The Vali 1 will pair better with the hd650 than the Magni 2.

Edit: The Vali 1 is a tube amp. It uses subminiature tubes built into the inside of the chassis. I would stay away from other cheap tube designs that you might find on eBay or Amazon. The Vali 1 (and Vali 2) are the best cheap amps to pair with the hd650. You would have to spend a couple hundred more to get something that pairs better.

 

[cel4145]

Since you have the M50s, if you like the bass emphasis that they provide, I would choose the B&W P7 over the Oppo PM3. If you are happy with a bit less bass emphasis than the M50s, then the PM3 could be a good choice in a closed headphone. Another could be the NAD HP50. If you would like more bass emphasis than the M50l, then the Vmoda M100.

If you would like some bass emphasis and want an open headphone for the bigger soundstage, look into the Philips X2. They are also easy to drive and generally do not require an amp.

If you don't want to import HD650s from the UK (not sure how the warranty works if you do that), then look into the AKG K7XX that are often available on Massdrop. These are excellent headphones that provide great bang for your buck at their $200 price. They do not have quite as much bass emphasis as the M50s, but still have a little and overall are just a much better sounding headphone all the way around. They will require a headphone amp, though. Here is some discussion: http://www.head-fi.org/t/743280/the-akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-thread

 

[Zelderon]

The Vali 1 is at the bottom of Schiits product page on the main website under "closeouts" for $99. There is also one currently in the for sale thread here on head-fi for $70 if you don't mind buying used.

The Vali 1 will pair better with the hd650 than the Magni 2.

Edit: The Vali 1 is a tube amp. It uses subminiature tubes built into the inside of the chassis. I would stay away from other cheap tube designs that you might find on eBay or Amazon. The Vali 1 (and Vali 2) are the best cheap amps to pair with the hd650. You would have to spend a couple hundred more to get something that pairs better.

I'm kinda new to dacs and amps, so do you need to pair the vali 1 with a dac as well or can you go straight analog with the vali 1 and have no dac middle man? Digital and analog sound don't make a huge difference to me, so i was wondering if i could skip out on a dac for now and use just the vali 1 for a while until i decide whether i want to switch to digital.
 
Edit: if i could only go with an amp, i might be willing to pitch in a little more money toward one. What are the main differences between the vali 1 and 2?

 

[cel4145]

I'm kinda new to dacs and amps, so do you need to pair the vali 1 with a dac as well or can you go straight analog with the vali 1 and have no dac middle man?

You do have a DAC. Any device that plays digital audio has a DAC (digital to analog converter) or there would be no sound to use with headphones.

And yes. You can go without buying an additional DAC. Might improve the sound significantly to have one. Might now. But the Vali or another headphone amp is what you need to be able to drive the headphones well. An external DAC will not have an influence over that.

 

[Zelderon]

As a general nudge to the P7's and the pm-3's... both being closed back, how does the sound stage and signature vary in comparison to the hd650s? Im okay with a pretty neutral sound sig, but emphasis on certain areas isn't unwelcome.

 

[Zelderon]

You do have a DAC. Any device that plays digital audio has a DAC (digital to analog converter) or there would be no sound to use with headphones.

And yes. You can go without buying an additional DAC. Might improve the sound significantly to have one. Might now. But the Vali or another headphone amp is what you need to be able to drive the headphones well. An external DAC will not have an influence over that.

Thanks, the more you know right. Like I said, im pretty new to dacs and amps so that little crash course is nice . So would an external dac provide more clarity or what? still a bit confused on what the overall effect a dac has on the sound of a pair of headphones.