[toxic888]

Check out my more recent thread (shown below) or just answer the thread title question.

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Criteria:
- By budget is < $200
- Strong Bass would be a plus but not necessary (rock/electronic/techno music)
- Good build quality
- For use with an iPod, and usually, no amp.
- I would really, really hate to recable a pair headphones. A model with a shorter cable length would be ideal... (or coiled, long cloth-type acceptable as well) This is honestly the most important factor.

Models Considering:
- PRO 550 - $154
- PRO 650 - $198
- I like the PRO series because they come with a hard-case, and detachable, coiled cable.
- I don't like the PRO series because they might require an amp; I need HP's for portable use.

- HFI 580 - $123
- HFI 780 - $161
- I like the HFI series because they are easy driven + very high build quality.
- I don't like the HFI series because they come with a long cable -> would require recabling...

I'm looking for short cable length as well as good SQ. I might get an amp to use with these headphones, but most likely these will just be hooked up to my iPod Nano. You may suggest different headphones, but keep in mind the cable length/type and price issue.

The most important questions I would like answered, in order, are:
- the difference between 550 and 650 and how well they fit into my criteria. Main concern: How do these perform without an amp?
- the difference between 580 and 780 and how well they fit into my criteria. Main concern: Recabling...
- tell me about the PXC300 and Denon AH D2000

~~~Main Edits~~~

As of this edit, I'm completely lost D:
Now also considering:
-Denon AH D2000
-Sennheiser PXC 300
-Beyerdynamic DT770 (most likely will not buy)

 

[1Time]

You should go with the HFI-580 because it is easier to drive. You can get a good price on it from Northern Sound and Light.

 

[toxic888]

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[toxic888]

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[Peter Pinna]

I have the Ultrasone Pro 750. An iPod shuffle drives them surprisingly well. There is much more volume than I would have thought there would be before hearing this combination. I've never tried this with the 650 or 550 but my best guess is that an iPod would also drive those phones well too.

 

[toxic888]

thanks. very helpful. hows the bass on the PRO closed series?

 

[Peter Pinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxic888 /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks. very helpful. hows the bass on the PRO closed series?

Absolutely excellent on the Pro 750 (I have never heard a more excellent sounding bass from any other headphone). The Pro 650's bass is not quite as good as the Pro 750 but it still sounds great. I would rank the Pro 650's bass as being in the very good to excellent range. I have not heard the Pro 900 so I can't comment on them.

 

[toxic888]

Unfortunately the 750 is out of my price range and the Impedance is a bit high. :/
And those should definitely be used with an amp, right?

 

[Peter Pinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxic888 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unfortunately the 750 is out of my price range and the Impedance is a bit high. :/ And those should definitely be used with an amp, right?

See my answer in post #5.

 

[Wilashort]

The Best recommendation is the HFI-780 in your case. They sound great unamped (an amp is not necessary really) and are portable (for your application)....
...they sound better than the Denons in your Ipod without an amp. An amp is strictly required for you use with Denons w/ ipod (they need more current that your Ipod has/can to offer).
But the Denons with an amp will sound better than an HFI-780 unamped or amped.
The DT770sneed (mandatory) an amp with your Ipod, but they aren't in the same line (tier) as the two above, just one or one and half below....

 

[Antony L]

I love my hfi 780s they sound amazing and are very easily driven but even better with a fiio amp the cable is long but I just keep some coiled up.
i dont find them shrill, just they expose whatevers on the original recording so i knock that out with the eq.
Ive never been into classical and jazz ect but with these I go from radiohead to nat kingcole to Dianna Krall to Mozart and am just blown away ,the texture is amazing

 

[member1982]

HFI-780 is recommended it is more bassy than the Pro 750 which alot of posts and reviewers mentioned a muddy bass for the 750 (personally i do find it slightly less detailed in the bass and less punchy then i expected without amping) But i am able to drive it easily with resonable volume to my liking on iPods. 40ohms and 96 sensativity isnt particularly that great.

HFI-780 is only 5ohms lesser about the same as the Pro 750s i would consider it just perhaps slightly more volume, but the sensativity is the same.

Treble-mid details have no problems at all, i do find that you lose ALOT of details on my iPod classic on lower volume about 4/10 for the Pro 750, Then when u upped to 7/10 its beaaauuutttiiiffuuulllllllll awesome i love it when i cramp up the volume it even takes less sound pressure off your ear drum apparently, and i find it very nice to listen to on slightly higher volumes than i used to.

Also u can buy the hardcase if u want from ultrasone or other detailers.

As always dont judge the Ultrasone at first, let them burn-in for some time. Which i suppose in this case best to find a used one unless u are prepared to burn them in for the long haul.

 

[Wilashort]

Yeah, they sound great {i wanted that i had good the drivers [to use with the Fiio (They will give the weight that the mid/high midbass and highbass needed...), that i never use with]}
Quote:

Originally Posted by Antony L /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love my hfi 780s they sound amazing and are very easily driven but even better with a fiio amp the cable is long but I just keep some coiled up. i dont find them shrill, just they expose whatevers on the original recording so i knock that out with the eq. Ive never been into classical and jazz ect but with these I go from radiohead to nat kingcole to Dianna Krall to Mozart and am just blown away ,the texture is amazing

 

[Peter Pinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antony L /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ive never been into classical and jazz ect but with these I go from radiohead to nat kingcole to Dianna Krall to Mozart and am just blown away ,the texture is amazing

Nat King Cole and Dianna Krall are (were) Jazz performers. Nat Cole performed, in his day, what was considered popular music (he was a very popular performer in his lifetime especially considering that he was a black man during a time when prejudices were stronger from white people against black people) but the arrangements written for him were rooted in Jazz harmonies and rhythms and Nat Cole's interpretations and phrasing were rooted in what you might call a "Jazz feel". Nat Cole, in addition to his popular singing career was also a superb Jazz pianist, in case you didn't know.

 

[Peter Pinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by member1982 /img/forum/go_quote.gif HFI-780 is recommended it is more bassy than the Pro 750 which alot of posts and reviewers mentioned a muddy bass for the 750 (personally i do find it slightly less detailed in the bass and less punchy then i expected without amping) But i am able to drive it easily with resonable volume to my liking on iPods. 40ohms and 96 sensativity isnt particularly that great. HFI-780 is only 5ohms lesser about the same as the Pro 750s i would consider it just perhaps slightly more volume, but the sensativity is the same. Treble-mid details have no problems at all, i do find that you lose ALOT of details on my iPod classic on lower volume about 4/10 for the Pro 750, Then when u upped to 7/10 its beaaauuutttiiiffuuulllllllll awesome i love it when i cramp up the volume it even takes less sound pressure off your ear drum apparently, and i find it very nice to listen to on slightly higher volumes than i used to. Also u can buy the hardcase if u want from ultrasone or other detailers. As always dont judge the Ultrasone at first, let them burn-in for some time. Which i suppose in this case best to find a used one unless u are prepared to burn them in for the long haul.

I do not know what's wrong with your iPod or amp or the recordings to which you listen or which ever part of your audio chain but, there is absolutely no truth that the bass sounds "muddy" on the Pro 750 regardless of where the volume is set. Actually, the bass on the Pro 750 is definitely the most distinct I've ever heard on a headphone. Remember, the Pro 750 is a very revealing headphone. The GIGO rule definitely applies with them because they are not what you would call a "forgiving" headphone. With them, as long as the rest of your audio chain is "correct", you will hear, in the sense of the frequencies, that which the recording sound engineer intended for you to hear.