[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironmics Yea well are any of them good?

Hellufino.

 

[wnewport]

Shure e2c's are underrated for what you get for the money. 70 bucks gets you a quality product with a fit kit and case. A great entry level to IEM's. The isolation is great, but the sound is lacking for my tastes. Still you cannot go wrong for that price if you want to use your ipod on a plane, mowing the lawn, etc.

Not everyone wants to spend 200+ bucks to get good sound on something they won't use that often, making these shures a good choice to satisfy those instances when isolation from outside noise is crucial.

 

[megawzrd]

Well as a first post I can say that my stanton dj pro 60 are awesome for $40. They are "fun" cans and my favorite since I got them in 2003. Other than that all I have had is $40 sony's here and there. Now that I am no longer a student with a better budget I was looking for something better. I found these forums and now I am $300 deep to get an introductory taste to Hi-Fi (see sig). I will still always love my stantons though. Bass is killer.

Anyways...I am looking forward to good discussions and information here (the learning of future methods of paycheck disposal

).

 

[Elephas]

My vote for the most underappreciated headphone on Head-Fi is definitely the ATH-AD2000.

I've heard a few store demo Ultrasone headphones, and didn't like them enough to buy one. The ones I tried were the iCans, DJ1 Pro and HFI-2200ULE. The relatively new iCans were OK, but I didn't think they were as good as the ATH-ES5 or Senn HD25-1. They were very comfortable and light-weight and matches white iPods. The other two full-size Ultrasones sounded much better, especially the HFI-2200ULE.

 

[blip]

While they may not be the most under-rated... I always think that the HD280s are quite nice phones.... especially if you need isolation and can't handle IEMs.

 

[YW_Slayer]

I'll go for B&O A8s if, like me, you consider the following:

(1) SQ is not the only and overriding criteria in a pair of portable earphones

(2) Comfort and build quality are important

(3) You can get them for USD65 or less in certain parts of the world (like I did)

(4) You have every right to ignore people who insist that you listen to them and claim that they have the BEST SOUND EV4R!!1!1!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas My vote for the most underappreciated headphone on Head-Fi is definitely the ATH-AD2000.

Isn't that because they're so expensive that almost no-one owns one?

 

[raisin]

How about ety's and e5's- just because they're a few years old, they get no love. Balanced armature technology has not changed at all since these were introduced, and they are both top-notch flavors.

 

[boodi]

technics rp-f400 .
I'm the only one who mention then .

 

[catscratch]

Stax SR-001 Mk II. This system costs $249 and beats an HD600 with a pretty good portable amp, which costs one hell of a lot more, and is a lot less portable besides. The system beats the ES2 straight out of the headphone jack, though the two sound different enough that it's somewhat hard to compare. But, they're more or less on the same plane, and the SR-001 sounds fuller and less fatiguing, while retaining all of the detail.

Why the hell is it that only 3 or so people on head-fi have this system? Beats me. It's an amazing deal for the money.

The SR-404 is also a bit underrated, but only because it's not that easy to build a complimenting system around it. The SR-404 together with tubes and the right source can sound very much like the HE90, mostly losing in soundstage but competing well in resolution and tonal balance. The SR-404 can sound damn near ideally balanced to my ears, and it's not even remotely lacking in bass in the right system, unless you are a basshead or want more bass impact than a stat can give you. For $450, it's an awfully good bargain and a really high-end can. You can put together a well-matched SR-404 system in under $2k, and it will sound amazing.

I would say that the AD2000 is a bit underrated as well. Many obsess over the A-T woodies since they look gorgeous, but A-T open cans have gotten very little attention.

The most uberly under-rated unknown unrecognized under-appreciated unjustly unloved system on head-fi ever of all time?

Stax SR-Lambda Pro + SRM-1 Mk II. $10k performance for $300 on eBay (if you can find one).

 

[gremlin]

HD-280s. Lack of bass my ass, maybe compared to a subwoofer.

 

[TLC]

I second the Stax Lambda Pro, SRM1/MK2. Had them since the early '90s. Still amaze me every day, even after thousands of hours. Probably the biggest bargain in used gear for a headphone/amp combo. Not portable, though. If only I could get the same signature in a PX100 size package.

TC

 

[Elephas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YW_Slayer Isn't that because they're so expensive that almost no-one owns one?

True, the ATH-AD2000 are expensive. They're listed at over US$700, but I believe street prices in Japan are closer to US$500 according to PriceJapan.

There are many more expensive headphones that are more popular, though, such as another AT, the L3000. I think the L3000 sounds better than the AD2000, but it costs almost four times as much. The two are sufficiently different to make a choice between them difficult.

 

[TheGhostWhoWalks]

JVC HPDX1K

They're really good cans, but way overpriced so perhaps they're justifiably overlooked. If they were in the sub $700 price range I think they would definitely be worth it though.

 

[saint.panda]

Beyerdynamic DT 831.

If one can live with its brighter sound, I think it's up there with the A900, DT 770-80 and other top tier closed headphones for under $200.

 

[jtwn]

Another vote for the CD3000 here, the Senn 6 series has been held so highly as probably the best of the sub 1k section when really there is a phone that most certainly does beat it, the CD3k, maybe just in its rarity compared it doesn't get the recognition it deserves.