[oulker]

I have given my HD555 to my brother and I am looking for good headphones for a reasonable upgrade.

Here is what I want

- Must be good for orchestral classical music.
- Comfort should be high. I was very happy with HD555 so I don't want a downgrade.
- I have a Audigy 4 Pro soundcard with a breakout box. Not sure how good the headphone output on it. It was able to drive the HD555 quite well unsurprisingly. Not planning of buying an amp right away.
- It will be mostly used for home listening so isolation may not be that important.
- Budget $200 dollar tops. I can hardly pass it.

Thank you for your suggestions.

 

[Henry Flower]

It seems that you basically want a better HD555, which makes the HD595 the obvious choice. You'd want the 50 ohm version if you're staying unamped, but I think most of the ones around today are the lower impedance.

 

[oulker]

well HD595 seems to be a logical choice, but I am not very sure to continue with a similar sound signature. Currently they seem to be a bit overpriced as well.
Any other suggestions like Beyers, etc? I have Beyer DT 990 Pro in mind which I can buy for $190.

I may want to buy an amp later. Depends upon how this sound card is able to drive the new cans.

 

[captian73]

Sennheiser HD25-1 - just brilliant headphones

Denon AH-d1000 - you want comfort baby? these are the ones to have! and they sound exquisite.

Equation Audio RP21 - although not as comfortable as the 555's

Ultrasone DJ1 - on my list, but i currently only have the Proline 750, which are a bit out of your price range.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultrasone-DJ1-St...QQcmdZViewItem

 

[oulker]

Hmmm, Denon AH-d1000 looks quite tempting right now, especially with a nice bargain price of $99.

I may pull the trigger any moment.

 

[hopemanjk]

AH - D1000 *2

Extremely comfortable ( I literally listened to it for 10 hours straight while studying!!) My ears are really sensitive, so i can't listen to even QNC7 for more than 2 hours. So that says a lot about denon's comfort. I think it sounds very good too. It doesn't lack that much compared to HD595, although the latter is open-headphone.

 

[captian73]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oulker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm, Denon AH-d1000 looks quite tempting right now, especially with a nice bargain price of $99. I may pull the trigger any moment.

where? that is a very good price!

 

[oulker]

It was on J & R yet they are currently out of stock.
I got excited for a moment looks like i have to wait for a while.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oulker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have given my HD555 to my brother and I am looking for good headphones for a reasonable upgrade. Here is what I want - Must be good for orchestral classical music. - Comfort should be high. I was very happy with HD555 so I don't want a downgrade. - I have a Audigy 4 Pro soundcard with a breakout box. Not sure how good the headphone output on it. It was able to drive the HD555 quite well unsurprisingly. Not planning of buying an amp right away. - It will be mostly used for home listening so isolation may not be that important. - Budget $200 dollar tops. I can hardly pass it. Thank you for your suggestions.

I suggest the following. Go to Northern Sound and Light's site. Email or call them for their special pricing for the Ultrasone Proline 650 and order it at that price. Then mod it similar to what's been done in this thread.

 

[AudioCats]

Beyer990 Pro, '03 version, $186 from BHphotovideo.com. Much better sounding than the 555 and More comfortable too.

 

[panyncor]

I owned the HD-555 and liked them before moving up the HD-600, which can be had for $200 used. The Beyerdynamic DT-880 (2003 version) can be found for even less than that used are are very good as well. Both are quite comfortable.

 

[Bigburger]

Probably not the best idea to upgrade to a 595. You may or may not notice much difference, and it most likely won't be worth it for the price jump, especially considering that you're not going to amp it anytime soon. Look higher up the Sennheiser line for what you can afford (or save up), if you like the sound signature you have at the moment. If you have the chance, audition different brands/models with your music.

 

[big-fi]

k701 / hd650 (if you push it)

 

[Assorted]

I never really liked the 595 for anything, too unnatural. If you're listening solely to classical orchestral, the 650 is a good move, as it can be easily had for $200 and it pairs well with your genre.

 

[1Time]

Just in case anyone finds this helpful:
All of the cans being suggested will benefit from the use of an amp. Some need amping more than the others, and some will perform well without an amp.