[Ash Hayes]

Hey guys,

I currently own a pair of Senny HD555's however I am looking to upgrade.

These will be used at home for mostly listening to music with possibly some light gaming.

Unfortunalty I don't own an amp so these will be played from my smartphone (Tidal stream). I may also get a DAC in the near future and have been looking into the Dragonfly Black or Red.

I am after an open back set of headphone as I am not a fan of the closed sound.
The headphones I am looking at are :

Philips Fidelio X2
Hifiman HE400S
AKG K712

Or possibly even the Philips Fidelio L2 to reduce some of the noise leak as these are partially open phones?

The types of music that I tend to listen to are Soundtracks, Post-Rock (e.g. Explosions In The Sky, GIAA), Rock/Metal/Emo (e.g. Bring Me The Horizon, Underoath, Hawthorne Heights, Enter Shikari) and also stuff like Enigma, Clint Mansell.

Can anyone provide any suggestions as to which pair of headphones they think will sound best for my intended use?

Thank you.

 

[serman005]

The first two won't require an amplifier but the K712 really will in order to sound good. I would not consider the K712 without an amp. ssThat said, all three on your list are good headphones. They are just different. The X2 has a huge soundstage and a marked bass emphasis. The HE400S has less emphasized bass but its bass is probably more detailed. It is very detailed overall and has a nice, if not huge, soundstage. For your purposes, I would think the HE400S would be the best option. It will play beautifully out of your phone and no amp is required. And it would be a good option for your music interests. Just my $.02. YMMV, of course.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

These will be used at home for mostly listening to music with possibly some light gaming.

Unfortunalty I don't own an amp so these will be played from my smartphone (Tidal stream). I may also get a DAC in the near future and have been looking into the Dragonfly Black or Red.

I am after an open back set of headphone as I am not a fan of the closed sound.
The headphones I am looking at are :

Philips Fidelio X2
Hifiman HE400S
AKG K712

HE400S and X2 can work well without an amp, the only thing you really need with those is a low output impedance. HE400S has a lower 24ohm impedance, and compared to the X2, has an earlier bass roll off that doesn't have a tall plateau either and also has a treble peak. X2 might be safer soundwise if you like the sound of the HD555/595, but in terms of product support, it's like Philips wants people to forget that earpads are not indestructible while they run off with your cash. Check the thread on it and see what third party pads fit so they won't be a longer term headache.

 

[buke9]

Yes of those listed the HE-400S would be my choice. They don't require a amp but boy do they respond to a little more juice. The Dragonflies would probably do reel well with them.

 

[Ash Hayes]

Thanks for all the replies.
Going to place an order on the HE400S's.

 

[banco-sg]

Definitely HE400S, K712 is harder to drive

 

[serman005]

Thanks for all the replies.
Going to place an order on the HE400S's.

Let us know how you like them.

 

[Ash Hayes]

Was just about to place my order and noticed that the X2 is listed for £130 (prime day deal), the HE400S are listed for £240.

Are the Hifimans really worth the extra £110?

Thanks.

 

[buke9]

It's been too long since I've heard the X2's to say for certain.

 

[Ash Hayes]

Hey guys,

So I ordered the HE400S which arrived on Saturday.
What I have immediately noticed is the vocals within tracks are much cleaner and clearer. This I love.
On my Hyper Cloud 2's the vocals are muddier but at times too sharp/ piercing in the high notes.
The HE400S handle vocals brilliantly and overall I am very pleased with their sound, however the bass does seem a bit flat and a tad disappointing.
The bass on the Hypers is much better but these are a closed can, so to be expected.

I know I originally asked for open headphone only but are there any closed headphones with a sound similar to that of the HE400S but with more bass?

Many thanks.

 

[banco-sg]

Hey guys,

So I ordered the HE400S which arrived on Saturday.
What I have immediately noticed is the vocals within tracks are much cleaner and clearer. This I love.
On my Hyper Cloud 2's the vocals are muddier but at times too sharp/ piercing in the high notes.
The HE400S handle vocals brilliantly and overall I am very pleased with their sound, however the bass does seem a bit flat and a tad disappointing.
The bass on the Hypers is much better but these are a closed can, so to be expected.

I know I originally asked for open headphone only but are there any closed headphones with a sound similar to that of the HE400S but with more bass?

Many thanks.

Try Sony MDR-Z7, it has plenty of bass. But the impression is quite polarizing, it's either you love or you hate the can.i suggest you to go and try first before you decide to buy.

 

[buke9]

Yes everyone wants more bass. You have only had them for one day. I think it takes at least a week before your brain can adjust to a new sound signature. I do not find them bass light but you are probably used to a over emphasized bass signature in your other cans ( guessing haven't heard them) . You should give them a little bit and also if you bought them new some Planars do respond to burn in.

 

[Ash Hayes]

Yes everyone wants more bass. You have only had them for one day. I think it takes at least a week before your brain can adjust to a new sound signature. I do not find them bass light but you are probably used to a over emphasized bass signature in your other cans ( guessing haven't heard them) . You should give them a little bit and also if you bought them new some Planars do respond to burn in.

Thanks.
I will give them a bit longer before I decide whether I keep them or not.
I am very happy with the sound, as I said I just find the bass a bit flat. If this were improved I think they would be perfect!

I have not heard planar headphone before prior to the HE400S, but the Oppo PM-3 seems to rate quite highly as well, and this is also a planar. How would this compare to the HE400S?
I have read that changing pads on the HE400S can increase the bass as well so if I keep them that may be something I look into also.

Thanks for your help.

 

[buke9]

I've only heard the PM-3's once or twice and found them good but just a little boring to my but it had been awhile though so can't say for sure. Focus A pads do help a bit with a little more bass. If you can put them out of earshot and run some bassy music from them for a day or two and see if it helps. Don't think it is going to be night and day but it might help a bit. Pads and little time with them and if that doesn't work maybe a bit of eq.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

What I have immediately noticed is the vocals within tracks are much cleaner and clearer. This I love.
On my Hyper Cloud 2's the vocals are muddier but at times too sharp/ piercing in the high notes.
The HE400S handle vocals brilliantly and overall I am very pleased with their sound, however the bass does seem a bit flat and a tad disappointing.
The bass on the Hypers is much better but these are a closed can, so to be expected.

It's not that they're closed headphones. Their response like many other dynamic driver headphones likely has a boosted plateau from the upper bass down. The HE400 might ahve a response curve that looks more like the response of a dynamic driver (ex the HD600) than the ruler-flat 10hz to 1000hz of the HE400i, but its upper bass plateau isn't as tall nor wide.

If the closed back design helps in any manner independent of the driver qualities, it has to do with blocking out a little bit more ambient noise, helping you hear more of what bass is there.

I know I originally asked for open headphone only but are there any closed headphones with a sound similar to that of the HE400S but with more bass?

Maybe the Beyer T5P.