Upgrade from M-50 and Introduction of New Member Here!

[AbsoluteZero]

Greetings Headfi-ers!
 
I'm a newbie here after sticking around looking at reviews and comments in the forum and also relatively new to the world of high end equipments (about three months). I've always been itching to ask questions here but due to the lack of experience in the audio field, I restrict myself in order to prevent myself from sounding dumb

.
 
Although I'm relatively new to the headphone gear, I have always been a sound enthusiast since I ventured to the world of earbuds (owned Blox M2C and Yuin PK 3 and loved them).
 
Two months ago I dared myself to venture into the world of headphones and auditioned some of the $50 - $150 cans and my how dumbstrucked was I.... It was a new world from what I have experienced before with earbuds.
 
So to cut to the chase, I opted to buy M-50 (awesome cans by the way) and decided to reach for an upgrade..
 
I'm looking for a can with:
- Good soundstage and detailing
- Great vocals since I listen to a lot of Jpop(although I am a versatile listener, listens to almost every genre out there except dubstep)
- Flat (wanted to try since M-50 is not flat?)
 
I have some cans worth thinking of with the budget of $200 - $350:
 
- Mr.Speakers Mad Dog (Auditioned them, an excellent gateway to the world of orthos IMO)
- Beyer DT 990 / 880 (250/600 ohm)
- Shure 840
- Sony MDR SA-3000
 
The reason I put SA-3000 is that I've been wowed by this can since it is the first time I auditioned an open can. Wanted to list the D2K but not available anymore in my country so I must buy it from stores outside country online (horrible tax and shipping payments)
 
Guys, please give advice (cans not in the list are welcomed to be mentioned here).
 
And also for your note, my wallet is starting to weep from my newly-found hobby

.
 
Cheers!

 

[valerianaoff]

+1 DT 880
 
+1 Shure 840
 
KRK KNS 8400
 
Fischer Audio FA-003
 
Cheerz!

 

[streetdragon]

HD598 maybe? its neutral , its soundstaging is excelent and vocals is also very lively. also it fits your budget.(about $230 or less used?) comfort is very good, its an open headphone though, so it leaks quite a bit if you put it at very high volume or are in a very quiet place. this pair is versatile too, although it will do recordings with vocals and guitars/pianos the best, electronic.... there are better options avaliable for pure elcectro-
but anyway just giving my 2 cents^^

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

+1 DT 880
 
+1 Shure 840
 
KRK KNS 8400
 
Fischer Audio FA-003
 
Cheerz!

i wanna try the dt880, still haven't had a chance to hear what they are like since i see a lot of guys raving here about them

 

[valerianaoff]

Quote:

i wanna try the dt880, still haven't had a chance to hear what they are like since i see a lot of guys raving here about them

 
I wish you get to try them, to try them on and compare them with the others...they are semi open and have their advantage...
Wish you the best.
 
Rgds.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Quote:

+1 DT 880
 
+1 Shure 840
 
KRK KNS 8400
 
Fischer Audio FA-003
 
Cheerz!

 
Thanks valerianoff for the reply, some interesting cans there especially the 8400. Is it really a worthy upgrade for the M-50 since their price is similar (I know I know, should not value a product based on their price). What Ohm version do you recommend for the DT 880?
 
Quote:

HD598 maybe? its neutral , its soundstaging is excelent and vocals is also very lively. also it fits your budget.(about $230 or less used?) comfort is very good, its an open headphone though, so it leaks quite a bit if you put it at very high volume or are in a very quiet place. this pair is versatile too, although it will do recordings with vocals and guitars/pianos the best, electronic.... there are better options avaliable for pure elcectro-
but anyway just giving my 2 cents^^

 
HD 598 I heard is great for vocals, but I am looking more of a portable cans since it will be replacing my M-50.... Thanks for the advice though.
 
Also anyone can enlighten me on the Mad Dogs? Yes I've auditioned them but without an amp, how do they fare against the other recommendations?

 

[AbsoluteZero]

No cigars? Any info on how the mad dogs fare with other recommendations or suggestion on the ohms of the beyer 880?

Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Jpop?
 
Hifiman HE-400
AudioTechnica A900X
AKG K550
AKG Q701
Beyer DT770
 
Great for those vocals.
 
Very best,

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Jpop?
 
Hifiman HE-400
AudioTechnica A900X
AKG K550
AKG Q701
Beyer DT770
 
Great for those vocals.
 
Very best,

 
Thanks for the response, yes especially female vocals (not exactly has to be jpop). I noticed you always recommend HE-400 and I'm seriously considering it but it is out of my price range. Would it make a great difference if I purchased the HE-300 instead?

 

[BadFish81]

Quote:

 
Thanks for the response, yes especially female vocals (not exactly has to be jpop). I noticed you always recommend HE-400 and I'm seriously considering it but it is out of my price range. Would it make a great difference if I purchased the HE-300 instead?

From what I've heard the HE-300 has a VERY different sound than the 400, it's not just a downgraded model, 400 is Planar Magnetic and the 300 is a Dynamic headphone.  I've never heard much praise for the 300.
 
The Mad Dog on the other hand, again this is just second-hand, but it's supposed to sound similar in some regards to the 400 but it's more neutral with less emphasized bass.  I'd assume the sound stage would be lesser being closed as well.
 
In the Mad Dog thread you asked for the difference between Mad Dogs and D2k's, I just moved on from the D2k's to the Mad Dogs myself.  Now just to give warning first, I'm not as experienced as many on these forums, I haven't heard too many cans and couldn't tell you about many different sound signatures, but I can at least say the differences I noticed between these two in my opinion.  The D2k's are Sub-Bass monsters, they can be a ton of fun for listening to most types of Electronic music, but it can be very hard to enjoy details in the mid range.  If there is any sub-bass present in your songs it's going to be over-emphasized, and highs can make you wince sometimes.  This can be a lot of fun with some music, but if you really want to enjoy vocals or guitar strumming, it's a bit of a problem.  If there is no bass present, mids can sound very nice, James Blakes' "Limit to your Love" for example, is amazing on the Dennons.  When he's singing with the piano you can really feel it, and when that bass drops...

It puts a huge grin on my face every time.  I can't enjoy this song in the same way on my Mad Dogs, but this is much more the exception than the rule.  All of my Rock, Funk, Acid Jazz, Folk-Rock etc I feel like I can really enjoy every all facets to the music much more on the Mad Dogs.  Sound Stage is probably a bit better on the D2k's though the highs were forward which confused me with some songs.
 
In short, between these two cans, I would recommend the Mad Dogs for what you're looking for.  You say you're looking for something more flat, the Mad Dogs are very even if not a touch mid-centric.  I always worried bout "neutral" cans being boring, but there is sufficient energy to the Mad Dogs to still be entertaining, its just more reliant on EQ'ing and the recording.  I listen to a lot of varied music and I've enjoyed it all on the Mad Dogs, there's a few genres that aren't as amazing as they possibly could be, but I'm never dissatisified.  With the D2k's, I loved Electronic on it, but for most other stuff I listened too they felt too laid back and the rumbling sub bass and forward highs made it impossible to enjoy the mid range.  Maybe it's unfair to compare modded t50rp's against unmodded D2k's though, I'm still curious to hear what Markl Modded Dennons sound like because there was a lot I liked about these cans if it was just evened out some.
 
Also a word of warning, the Mad Dogs will need amping, but nothing too fancy, anything that can drive up to 250 ohms.

 

[miyinan]

I'd go for the DT880 600 ohm. They are not that hard to drive at all.

 

[Katun]

Not a huge fan of the HE-300. I've got them right now, and I find them way too dark. Although, I find they're one of the only basshead headphones that has an intact midrange. Treble is quite rolled off though.
 
From the OP, I think the K550 is a great headphone that meets your description wonderfully. The SRH840 is a slightly more balanced M50, so probably not too much of a change there. I'd take the Q701 over the DT880 any day.

 

[elwappo99]

An important question to ask is: How are you driving these headphones? Do you have any plans to upgrade? 

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Quote:

From what I've heard the HE-300 has a VERY different sound than the 400, it's not just a downgraded model, 400 is Planar Magnetic and the 300 is a Dynamic headphone.  I've never heard much praise for the 300.
 
The Mad Dog on the other hand, again this is just second-hand, but it's supposed to sound similar in some regards to the 400 but it's more neutral with less emphasized bass.  I'd assume the sound stage would be lesser being closed as well.
 
In the Mad Dog thread you asked for the difference between Mad Dogs and D2k's, I just moved on from the D2k's to the Mad Dogs myself.  Now just to give warning first, I'm not as experienced as many on these forums, I haven't heard too many cans and couldn't tell you about many different sound signatures, but I can at least say the differences I noticed between these two in my opinion.  The D2k's are Sub-Bass monsters, they can be a ton of fun for listening to most types of Electronic music, but it can be very hard to enjoy details in the mid range.  If there is any sub-bass present in your songs it's going to be over-emphasized, and highs can make you wince sometimes.  This can be a lot of fun with some music, but if you really want to enjoy vocals or guitar strumming, it's a bit of a problem.  If there is no bass present, mids can sound very nice, James Blakes' "Limit to your Love" for example, is amazing on the Dennons.  When he's singing with the piano you can really feel it, and when that bass drops...

It puts a huge grin on my face every time.  I can't enjoy this song in the same way on my Mad Dogs, but this is much more the exception than the rule.  All of my Rock, Funk, Acid Jazz, Folk-Rock etc I feel like I can really enjoy every all facets to the music much more on the Mad Dogs.  Sound Stage is probably a bit better on the D2k's though the highs were forward which confused me with some songs.
 
In short, between these two cans, I would recommend the Mad Dogs for what you're looking for.  You say you're looking for something more flat, the Mad Dogs are very even if not a touch mid-centric.  I always worried bout "neutral" cans being boring, but there is sufficient energy to the Mad Dogs to still be entertaining, its just more reliant on EQ'ing and the recording.  I listen to a lot of varied music and I've enjoyed it all on the Mad Dogs, there's a few genres that aren't as amazing as they possibly could be, but I'm never dissatisified.  With the D2k's, I loved Electronic on it, but for most other stuff I listened too they felt too laid back and the rumbling sub bass and forward highs made it impossible to enjoy the mid range.  Maybe it's unfair to compare modded t50rp's against unmodded D2k's though, I'm still curious to hear what Markl Modded Dennons sound like because there was a lot I liked about these cans if it was just evened out some.
 
Also a word of warning, the Mad Dogs will need amping, but nothing too fancy, anything that can drive up to 250 ohms.

 
Funny, as Mad Dogs impedance are low but still need amping? Care to elaborate?
Anyway, really respect your comparisons and I am a newbie here so I'll take any form of suggestions since in the end it will still be up to me to decide. The Denons I've spotted is recabled to enhance the mids. Now I am not a believer of cables having a significant effect on SQ dramatically that it can raise the recessed mids of Denon but somehow I am curious whether this can work?
Also what do you think about HE-400 vs Mad Dogs?
(BTW, just noticed the HE-300 are dynamics, dammit!)
 
 
Quote:

Not a huge fan of the HE-300. I've got them right now, and I find them way too dark. Although, I find they're one of the only basshead headphones that has an intact midrange. Treble is quite rolled off though.
 
From the OP, I think the K550 is a great headphone that meets your description wonderfully. The SRH840 is a slightly more balanced M50, so probably not too much of a change there. I'd take the Q701 over the DT880 any day.

 
So I think that settles to cross out the HE-300 from my suggestion list. Will look into Q701 more in depth though, and also have been eyeing some K550 since they do not need amping.
 
 
Quote:

An important question to ask is: How are you driving these headphones? Do you have any plans to upgrade? 

 
Yes, I forgot to mention my rig. So far, I only have a CMoy amp and a Sansa Clip Zip , so nothing too fancy but it gets the job done for my needs.
And for the upgrade question? Definitely, although I am still pondering whether to buy a portable Amp + DAC or just a stationary (desktop) one....

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

 
Funny, as Mad Dogs impedance are low but still need amping? Care to elaborate?
Anyway, really respect your comparisons and I am a newbie here so I'll take any form of suggestions since in the end it will still be up to me to decide. The Denons I've spotted is recabled to enhance the mids. Now I am not a believer of cables having a significant effect on SQ dramatically that it can raise the recessed mids of Denon but somehow I am curious whether this can work?
Also what do you think about HE-400 vs Mad Dogs?
(BTW, just noticed the HE-300 are dynamics, dammit!)
 
 
 
So I think that settles to cross out the HE-300 from my suggestion list. Will look into Q701 more in depth though, and also have been eyeing some K550 since they do not need amping.
 
 
 
Yes, I forgot to mention my rig. So far, I only have a CMoy amp and a Sansa Clip Zip , so nothing too fancy but it gets the job done for my needs.
And for the upgrade question? Definitely, although I am still pondering whether to buy a portable Amp + DAC or just a stationary (desktop) one....

 
 
The Mad Dogs use 'orthodynamic' drivers. If you glance over that article, you'll find that this technology uses a lot of power due to the push pull of the diaphragm. So even though the impedance is lower, more power is needed to perform this. In fact the HE-400's big brother, the HE-6, is often used with speaker amplifiers to power them. 
 
The topic of recabling is a bit of a delicate matter. I think recabling provides benefits to headphones to some degree. However, IMO a new cable only slightly modifies the sound (e.g. slightly tighten up the bass). It won't change the sound signature overall. 
 
I recently heard both the HE-400 and Mad Dogs. I think they're both really great. I think the HE-400 are just an amazing can though. Truly a hard headphone to beat out. 
 
A lot of new people here will end up getting a portable system. They're often a little cheaper, and you can take it with you! However, portable units rarely will come with the performance a full desktop rig can have. There's been a few portable units I have been impressed with. The rest sounded worse than the sound coming out of an iRiver H120.