What are the best headphones for me on a budget

[Garraty]

I love my HD 598's for acoustic, classical and rock and though they are great, you may be better off getting the HD 558's. They are a better buy for the buck and if you'd rather spend less, then the HD 558's are by no means a bad choice. The most important thing to note is that the HD 598's are a bit more refined, have less bass and have a bit more treble.

 

[halfinfinity]

It seems as though the wind is blowing in the HD 5?8 direction. And for good reason.

 

[kimvictor]

Lol. What about this? I'll sell my HD598(very good condition) for $150. If you want to buy it, I'll start a classified, and you can PM me then.
It's just been sitting in my drawer. I'm too busy with higher end gear most of the time.

 

[bluesnrock]

  It seems as though the wind is blowing in the HD 5?8 direction. And for good reason.

Yeah looks like I'll be going the Sennheiser route.

  I love my HD 598's for acoustic, classical and rock and though they are great, you may be better off getting the HD 558's. They are a better buy for the buck and if you'd rather spend less, then the HD 558's are by no means a bad choice. The most important thing to note is that the HD 598's are a bit more refined, have less bass and have a bit more treble.

Thanks for your input. The thing is the 598s sound exactly like what I want, more refined and clear with less bass and more treble. But they are $60 more and I could put that $60 into other audio equipment so I'm torn...

 

[halfinfinity]

  Yeah looks like I'll be going the Sennheiser route.
Thanks for your input. The thing is the 598s sound exactly like what I want, more refined and clear with less bass and more treble. But they are $60 more and I could put that $60 into other audio equipment so I'm torn...

 
You can mod the 558's to sound nearly exactly the same as the 598's. And it doesn't involve any soldering. You just open them up and remove some foam that's against the outer wall. Unless you are extremely particular, you won't know the difference.

 

[cel4145]

You can mod the 558's to sound nearly exactly the same as the 598's. And it doesn't involve any soldering. You just open them up and remove some foam that's against the outer wall. Unless you are extremely particular, you won't know the difference.

Agreed. Here's an article which shows the mod. Very simple

 

[Claritas]

Some people like Grados for classical; some don't. The Sennheisers are the "safer" choice, but not necessarily what you would enjoy the most.

 
Quote:

  So is the 558 my best bet for sub $150 phones?

 
Probably, and you can do the simple mod on them which is supposed to improve clarity and treble response.​
 
I think Grados are tops for rock and metal, and they're pretty good for acoustic guitar too. They're not a good choice for orchestral music or piano as they sound unnatural. HD558 is fine for that.
 
You might find that you're completely happy with HD558. My cousin has only one pair for home use, an HD595 driven by a vintage receiver, and he's very pleased. You can always pick up a pair of used Grados later on the FS board here.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Look into the Sony MA-900 never tried it but I was blown by MA-300. Really blown xD

 

[cel4145]

Look into the Sony MA-900 never tried it but I was blown by MA-300. Really blown xD[/quote]

Yeah. I thought it must have been the wind which blew you away

 

[bluesnrock]

Yeah looks like I'll be grabbing a pair of 558s. Thanks guys and at $120 I can feel pretty good about not spending too much money.

 

[jinxy245]

  Yeah looks like I'll be grabbing a pair of 558s. Thanks guys and at $120 I can feel pretty good about not spending too much money.

Awesome!! I hope you enjoy them. Let us know what you think!!

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Yeah looks like I'll be grabbing a pair of 558s. Thanks guys and at $120 I can feel pretty good about not spending too much money.

 
I bought this $20 cable for use with my HD558, as it comes with a 3.5mm plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261255113290?var=560215640800&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[BillsonChang007]

Nice to hear that!

To share your impressions when you got them!

Happy listening
Billson

 

[bluesnrock]

Nice to hear that!

To share your impressions when you got them!

Happy listening
Billson

Will do. Ordered them this morning. Should be here Wednesday. Never really extensively listened an actual expensive (compared to my other headsets) pair of headphones so I'm eager to hear what I've been missing out on.

 

[Claritas]

Burn them in for a couple of days before making up your mind. I like to use pink noise (http://simplynoise.com/). Best luck!