[TheTodd]

Hello everyone,
 
   I am new to this forum but have been on it several times over the past year.  Everyone seems to be very helpful and kept non constructive criticism to a minimum too . I am still new in the audiophile world and look forward to learning and being able to experience more.
 
     About a year ago I purchased my MDR-XB700's.  I wanted something that was comfortable and within my price range at the time. I listen to all sorts of music to include Rock, Techno and Rap. I really enjoy the bass of these headphones but I must say its really loose and not tight at all. I don't get that punch out of these that I want. In the car audio world they seem more like 15's and I want them tight like 10's or even some 12's  
 
    So now that I have a little more money to spend I was wanting a couple opinions on what I can upgrade to. I still enjoy and want good bass but more importantly I want it to be tight and punch and I also want more full and crisp sound from the highs.  I am an Electronics Tech and I sit at my bench for ten hours a day so I would want something comfortable too but not a huge priority.  There are also a lot of times that I like to really crank up the volume to the point that XB700's distort I certainly don't want that either, I mean I know there is a threshold but im certain its higher than what these can handle.
 
   I listen to music through my iPhone, I stream music through Pandora and Spotify, the music I have stored on my phone is all 320kbs and lossless audio. I have a Schiit Magni that is also in line and as for price goes I can spend roughly 600$. I hope there is something within that price range that will satisfy me and I figured if I asked the professionals (you guys) then I can easily pin point the right ones to buy.  Thank you all in advanced.

 

[TheTodd]

bump

 

[cb3723]

Hello everyone,

   I am new to this forum but have been on it several times over the past year.  Everyone seems to be very helpful and kept non constructive criticism to a minimum too . I am still new in the audiophile world and look forward to learning and being able to experience more.

     About a year ago I purchased my MDR-XB700's.  I wanted something that was comfortable and within my price range at the time. I listen to all sorts of music to include Rock, Techno and Rap. I really enjoy the bass of these headphones but I must say its really loose and not tight at all. I don't get that punch out of these that I want. In the car audio world they seem more like 15's and I want them tight like 10's or even some 12's  

    So now that I have a little more money to spend I was wanting a couple opinions on what I can upgrade to. I still enjoy and want good bass but more importantly I want it to be tight and punch and I also want more full and crisp sound from the highs.  I am an Electronics Tech and I sit at my bench for ten hours a day so I would want something comfortable too but not a huge priority.  There are also a lot of times that I like to really crank up the volume to the point that XB700's distort I certainly don't want that either, I mean I know there is a threshold but im certain its higher than what these can handle.

   I listen to music through my iPhone, I stream music through Pandora and Spotify, the music I have stored on my phone is all 320kbs and lossless audio. I have a Schiit Magni that is also in line and as for price goes I can spend roughly 600$. I hope there is something within that price range that will satisfy me and I figured if I asked the professionals (you guys) then I can easily pin point the right ones to buy.  Thank you all in advanced.

The Sig DJ, IMO, has a fantastic sound that is a big step up from your XB700 for sure. This is what I would call an audiophiles basshead can in as much as it has prominent bass which does not leak out into the mids and highs, and unlike your muddy xb700, the Sig DJ's bass is tight, punchy and controlled - I've read some members refer to the Sig DJ as some of the best sounding bass heard on a headphone and I personally understand such praise as it really is IMO fantastically presented, and responds well to EQing should you wish to play around with tweaking the sound.

The mids and highs are crisp and clear as is the overall sound signature which gives a decent soundstage and airy feel rather than congested.

These cans are also quite light weight, not too big form factor, very comfortable - Ethiopian sheepskin leather earpads and headband = very wow and luxurious and come supplied with a beautiful and robust carry case.

Another key feature as why I recommend this can to you is fact that this can doesn't particularly require dedicated amplification to get an amazing sound which enables you to continue using your smartphone as source - direct plug and play. I usually use my Sig DJ's plugged directly into my iPad and the sound quality is superb.

You mentioned in PM to myself you were considering the Fostex TH600, ULTRASONE pro 900 and Audio Technica W1000X.

The Fostex TH600 are a lot bigger cans and possibly unsuitable for your workplace in as much as the non removable cable is very long and you'd have to pick up the slack and carry it around with you or remove headphones whilst you got whatever from the other side of the room, and I think you'd get tired of that kind of restriction/inconvenience very quickly. The Sig DJ's come with two cables, one long coiled DJ type with 6.3mm adapter and one regular cable with 3.5mm adapter ideally suited for using with your smartphone - it also has a track stop/play remote on cable too. The Fostex don't have much clamping force either so moving your head forward may cause them to slip forward too, causing you to constantly readjust. The disadvantages of the FOSTEX are the same got the ATH-W1000X.

I can't comment on the pro 900's as I've never heard them.

Another thing worth mentioning is apparently the Sig DJ's are now discontinued so existing stocks at stores and online will slowly start to diminish, so if you do decide to go for them, I wouldn't hang about.

Regardless of my recommendation, it's always advised if possible, for you to hear for yourself before you lay down your green.

Whatever headphone you do eventually choose - are you buying online or do you have a local audio store to hear them first hand?

Personally I love the Sig DJ for a refined yet very practical audiophile can with a wow factor sound, and based on what I've read about your preferences, think you may also too.

You can find photos of my Sig DJ's on my headphones album in the gallery, which gives you an idea of the carry case and cables etc, starting at below link:

http://www.head-fi.org/g/i/1123412/ultrasone-signature-dj/

 

[TheTodd]

Thank you very much for your response it was very good and descriptive.   I most certainly am looking for something more refined and exactly good bass impact but not at the expense of the mids and highs.
 
I wanted to my budget to stay somewhere around 600$ or 650$, I have recently seen a pair of Sig Pro's used for around that price except now I cant find them under 1000$ go figured. Do you think it is worth waiting for another deal like that or should I just look for something new that may compete around that 600$ price range?  I would certainly imagine most of anything would have a better sound signature than my XB700's lol.  I guess that's why I added the TH600 and the 900 PRO. 
 
As far as portability goes I am not to worried about that, when at work I normally just sit my bench and keep to myself. Actually more of a bench top style set up is preferred. Other than them being hot and some of my friends calling me Princess Leia I found my XB700's to be quite comfortable, so size isn't to much of an issue for me.
 
thanks again for helping, im sure most of the people on here are tired of having to repeat themselves to the noobs of the hobby.   I have always been into audio quality with my cars and home so I figured why not hifi headphones too being that's what I listen too 90% of the time.

 

[cb3723]

Thank you very much for your response it was very good and descriptive. I most certainly am looking for something more refined and exactly good bass impact but not at the expense of the mids and highs.

I wanted to my budget to stay somewhere around 600$ or 650$, I have recently seen a pair of Sig Pro's used for around that price except now I cant find them under 1000$ go figured. Do you think it is worth waiting for another deal like that or should I just look for something new that may compete around that 600$ price range? I would certainly imagine most of anything would have a better sound signature than my XB700's lol. I guess that's why I added the TH600 and the 900 PRO.

As far as portability goes I am not to worried about that, when at work I normally just sit my bench and keep to myself. Actually more of a bench top style set up is preferred. Other than them being hot and some of my friends calling me Princess Leia I found my XB700's to be quite comfortable, so size isn't to much of an issue for me.

thanks again for helping, im sure most of the people on here are tired of having to repeat themselves to the noobs of the hobby. I have always been into audio quality with my cars and home so I figured why not hifi headphones too being that's what I listen too 90% of the time.

Sig Pros are great cans but you may have found them lacking in the bass dept moving from your XB700's and I'm unsure what kind of prices the Sig DJ's go for second hand?

The JVC HA-SZ2000 and HA-SZ1000 may be of interest to you as they have decent mids and highs, and can be bass EQ'd to unbelievable levels due to the Kelton method used in their design, usually seen in floor speakers? Out of these two models I'd recommend the SZ1000 as it's around half the cost of the SZ2000 and almost identical unless pushed very hard on bass EQ. Check below threads for more info:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/716711/the-best-bass-headphones-are-the-extreme-bass-club

http://www.head-fi.org/t/661129/jvc-ha-sz2000-1000-appreciation-thread

Regarding the ULTRASONE Pro900 - as I've said I don't own this can so can't give you any advice on it as I've not heard it, which is the golden rule - you won't know if you'll like any can for sure until you've heard it yourself, though I have bought cans without hearing them myself after researching many users impressions to get a better understanding of what to expect, and to date, this approach hasn't let me down, but that's not to say this method is without risk - direct hearing a can before you commit is always preferred.

I was interested in the Pro900 but didn't have access to try them so I read up on user impressions like the one below which compares them with the XB1000, similar to your XB700's. The impression I got, without the benefit from hearing them myself, from owners of the Pro900 is the only potential deal breaker could be the very strong highs which some love and some loathe.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/552034/final-thoughts-sony-mdr-xb1000-vs-ultrasone-pro-900-who-is-the-bass-king-pictures

But it's advisable to read up on as many impressions as you can to form your own perspectives for sure

 

[TheTodd]

The HA-SZ2000 looks like they have great bass and hold up real well but it looks like they may still bleed over into the mids and sacrifice good highs just like the XB700's do ( just based off of some other reviews I have recently read).   Ill take good sound quality over bass I was just wondering if there is something within my price range that has both. if not then I will sacrifice bass for something that sounds great with Geners like techno and Rock all the way through to Vocal artists such as Loreena Mckennitt.  If I have to keep my XB700's and use it just for Rap/Hip Hop then so be it although id prefer not to though lol. those XB's just cant keep up with anything else other than Rap/Hip Hop they bleed to much and sound muddy, im afraid of selling those off just to get another type of headphone that's going to essentially do the same thing.
 
as far as me being able to test some out I will most certainly look into other places in my area. I know of a few that I could try other than Best Buy who has entry level at best cans.   There are a few Guitars Centers around and in the more wealthy parts of Cincy I believe their are some pretty high end audio places. I will also check the forums to see if there are any meets coming up soon or something that I can go to with my amp and listen.
 
thanks again for youre assistance. the links you have sent are very helpful and I am following them now so I can be even more enlightened, as stated earlier it may just turn out to be that I need more than one set of cans to encompass that vast variety of music that I listen too

 

[cb3723]

The HA-SZ2000 looks like they have great bass and hold up real well but it looks like they may still bleed over into the mids and sacrifice good highs just like the XB700's do ( just based off of some other reviews I have recently read). Ill take good sound quality over bass I was just wondering if there is something within my price range that has both. if not then I will sacrifice bass for something that sounds great with Geners like techno and Rock all the way through to Vocal artists such as Loreena Mckennitt. If I have to keep my XB700's and use it just for Rap/Hip Hop then so be it although id prefer not to though lol. those XB's just cant keep up with anything else other than Rap/Hip Hop they bleed to much and sound muddy, im afraid of selling those off just to get another type of headphone that's going to essentially do the same thing.

as far as me being able to test some out I will most certainly look into other places in my area. I know of a few that I could try other than Best Buy who has entry level at best cans. There are a few Guitars Centers around and in the more wealthy parts of Cincy I believe their are some pretty high end audio places. I will also check the forums to see if there are any meets coming up soon or something that I can go to with my amp and listen.

thanks again for youre assistance. the links you have sent are very helpful and I am following them now so I can be even more enlightened, as stated earlier it may just turn out to be that I need more than one set of cans to encompass that vast variety of music that I listen too

Shame no other members have pitched in to offer suggestions as of yet

Nonetheless - happy hunting and I hope you find what you're looking for within your budget

edit: if you are looking to have two cans rather than one that covers all bases, you might want to consider the Sennheiser Momentum over ear and the SONY MDR-1R, both of which offer crisp detailed mids and highs that you are aiming for, and you should find your nearest Apple store with the Momentums available to demo.

http://www.head-fi.org/g/i/1101702/sony-mdr-1r/sort/display_order/

http://www.head-fi.org/g/i/1100101/sennheiser-momentum-limited-edition-david-bowie-edition-feat-orange-stitching-and-colour-ear-padding/sort/display_order/

 

[Oregonian]

Couple other options - own them both as I never recommend things I have not used extensively -

Denon D600 - very comfy, great bass, good isolation and around $250ish.
Ultrasone Pro900 has great bass, comfort and isolation, and cost around $275.

By the way, I owned the Sig Pro and auditioned the Sig DJ and the comfort was sorely lacking for me, in both the headband and ear pads. As they say, YMMV.