[DracheKonig]

OK, so I have been doing a ton of research on what kind of headphone I want, and I have found a few to pick from. Sadly, I can't go listen to all of them, and I don't have a ton of money to buy and test.

I listen to a ton of modern Orchestra and classical music. For an example of my tastes, listen to nearly anything from the Audiomachine albums.

Most of my listening is done from my phone using 350 kb mp3s or wav files. So an impedance of less than 40 ohms is essentially required.

I currently have a set of Koss Porta-pros. I like the way they sound, but I really want more. I like bass, but I don't want it to be amped up. I just want it present and enjoyable. I like to feel/hear the low tones strong, but not overpowering the rest.

Because I am an avid lover of Orchestra music though I think the open/semi-open headphones would better suit me due to their larger sound stage. And obviously listening to Porta-pros normally means that isolation is not required, but would definitely be appreciated. Under $200 is pretty much a requirement.

So, what I have been looking at.

Ath-m50x look great, but are closed with a smaller soundstage.

Ath-ad700x or ad900x look great but most people comment on the lack of bass. How would these compare to my Porta-pros?

Sennheiser HD 598, same as the ath-ads.

And lastly, my top choice is out of my price range right now, but the Beyer Dynamic Dt 880 Premium 32 ohm. At 350$,they have better comments in the bass department. Are they worth saving for?

TLDR? I like good bass, not amped bass. Open/semi-open headphones are preferred for larger soundstage for my music.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[DracheKonig]

Oh, also. Comfort is important as I tend to wear them daily 1-4 hours. Detachable cables are very appealing since I have 2 kids. And that's it. Thanks again!

 

[homeros8000]

Hi, I'm an avid listener of classical music myself. I would suggest the following. 
 
Try Etymotic ER 4P first. Although they are in ear canals but they have high level of detail, excellent tonal balance and very accurate placement of instruments. I'm only suggesting The Etys because you're using them with the phone, so they block away the noise of your environment and they are easy to drive. 
 
If you like to go with open headphones your best choice the Sennheiser hd 580. You can buy them from Ebay around 130-180 and they sound amazing. They would sound better from a dedicated desktop system though. 

 

[DracheKonig]

Thanks for the response, but in ear does not agree with me much. I should have mentioned that, sorry. I am looking for over ear since on and in ear tend to be uncomfortable to me after a fairly short time.

And why the 580, not the 598 I mentioned? Not that I'm against other recommendations, just curious why?

 

[billybob_jcv]

The HD580 is the predecessor to the HD600 & HD650. It has not been made for many, many years, but at one time it was considered one of the best headphones you could buy. I'm not sure it's worth trying to buy an old "classic" - but it is certainly an option.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-important-sennheiser-hd-580-hd-600-and-hd-650

 

[homeros8000]

The reason to buy an old classic is the price. The HD 600 is double the price of the HD 580 and the sound quality is almost the same. 

 

[DracheKonig]

The only hd580s I'm finding are 300ohm. They look great, so thanks for the suggestion. but at that impedance can't drive them from my phone. Are there any others that come to mind? Or maybe the best out of those I listed?

Thanks again for your time and advice.

 

[DracheKonig]

Does anyone have advice for a portable headset? That's the main thing I need. A 300+ impedance does not help much regardless of how great it is.

 

[billybob_jcv]

IMHO, "laid-back" bass is not the same as "no bass" - to many people anything that doesn't boom like a cannon is "laid-back". I think the Sennheiser HD 598 would be a fine choice. I also think the DT770 are fairly bassy headphones. I like warm, but the DT770 go past my definition of "warm". I also find it a bit odd that you want open headphones, but then you say your top choice is a closed headphone?

How about the Philips L1? I have not heard them, but they seem to meet a lot of your requirements.

 

[DracheKonig]

The beyerdynamic dt880 is not closed. And the ATH-M50X was just mentioning that it seems to have the sound that I am looking for except it is closed.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

What do you think about the bass on the PortaPro? Would you like more, less, the same? Hard to recommend anything without first knowing what you like don't like about the Koss

 

[DracheKonig]

I like the level of the bass as it is on the Porta-pro, but I am looking for more detail and soundstage.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

Fidelio X1

 

[Lorspeaker]

Fidelio X1

 
i was about to type same.....
 
is the sale still on..on AMAZON? 180 or something?

 

[DracheKonig]

Thank you! I did not even know about these! They look to have everything I want. The X1 is not on sale, and is now the same price of the newer X2. I just checked the response curves and a great comparison review of the new X2 of on innerfidelity. I will likely get a set of the X2 as soon as I can! Thanks a ton!