[srobertson]

Hi, all. Please disregard my newbieness, and thanks in advance for helping out a kid who's grown up in a home (and still living there, only a soph in high school) where 'audio quality' meant 'gee, it sounds better than my cell phone with one signal bar'.

I'm looking for a good set of headphones. I'm on a tight budget (jobless), and I don't have any way to listen to headphones - I live in Tampa, FL, with no audio stores offering headphones for listening. The only decent pair that I've ever heard are my weak EH2200s, which have far too much upper range for my tastes. So I really can't tell you what I'm looking for.

However, here's what I want to use them for. They will be amped, by an (Total) AirHead or similar price/portability amp. They will do a lot of electronic music (trance, ambient, house), along with moderate amounts of classical (what a contrast!). They may be used for games and movies. I like firm bass and a fair amount of punch, but I don't want muddy or overpowering bass. I've never heard headphones with 'tight' bass - is this what I'm talking about? Upper-range clarity is important, but brightness is not necessarily what I'm after. I like to be able to close my eyes and get "lost in the music", so not incredibly harsh, either.

I want some isolation. I don't not need to hear the blender running next to me, but it'd be nice to block out conversation-level audio. Leakage is not as important; it's either second-hand music from my headphones or first-hand music from my loudspeakers.

Any amp reccomendations that pair nicely with the cans listed (and in the $1-200 price range) would be nice, too, but I realize that this is not the 'Amps' board.

Thanks for reading my mini-epic, and in advance for any advice. Oh, and would anybody living in Tampa willing to let me hear their cans please PM me? Thanks!

 

[Guyferd]

try beyer dt250-80 !

 

[blessingx]

What is/are your source(s)?

 

[Ebonyks]

Raise that amount 25 dollars, and pick up some used ety 4's. Trust me, if you can get them to seal properly, you'll never turn back

 

[psyco1]

The A-T A900 would work, but they're just a little bit more than your price range.

The Beyer DT 250-80, Ultrasone HFI-650 and Senn HD250 all would work.

 

[AdamZuf]

i think that etymotic are worth getting only as a second set of phones.
at home, you need to put your phones on and off much.
sure that open phones are better, in your price range.
if you feel comfortable to hang out with big cans outside, like me...then:
post WTB for Beyerdynamic DT880. maybe you'll get them for $200, maybe less if you're lucky. if you feel comfortable to hang out with big cans outside, like me...then:
i can say that it SLAUGHERS the Sennheiser HD600 on every peice of equiptment i tried them with. not even talking about the DT250-280. the DT880 have huge soundstage and are very easy to listen - they free your mind - it's easy to get lost in the music.
more then that, i doubt that you will feel the need to upgrade them in the short term. this will save you money.. you are now at head-fi ...our saying to the new members: "sorry about your wallet".. be sure you'll end up with spending much more then you thought on other headphone related stuff later.. but if your budget is almost $400 - you can make very good desicions from start.
i tried the crossfeeded supermini (but that was the old version, now Xin has a new supermini with different crossfeed circuit) - and the porta corda was definetly better (you can check my review in the dedicated reviews section in the amplification forum). i don't know how the META42 sounds compare - but i know that the porta corda and the DT880 go very well together.
i think trying the new supermini would be a good choice - also pricewize, leaving you more free with your budget to your phones.

 

[plainsong]

I'll second the Ultrasone HIFI650 Trackmaster.

 

[srobertson]

blessingx: Good sound card (haven't decided which one yet, going in to the new computer) or DVD-A/SACD player (sometime in the future, when I get a little more money) to Yamaha RX-V995 via coax and optical digital respectively, or SonicBlue MP3-CD (which I'm also looking to upgrade in the future) (don't worry, I know about MP3 and how crap it sounds, I use Vorbis -q6 at home). So, relatively cheap, but will be upgraded.

AdamZuf: The question about those 880s is: how much isolation do they provide? Last night, when I posted, the house was quiet; today I'm suddenly finding it hard to concentrate, what with the family in the kitchen and the computer [there too] (by absolute insistence from my parents, because they don't want me to "disappear into a back room"). Will I still hear them clear-as-day?

Ebonyks: the etys scare me; I think i need a listen before I take the leap.

To everyone else: I'm searching on those three (or four?) closed can reccomendations. I'm leaning twoards them unless the consensus is that the 880s offer decent isolation (not just dB-wise, but escape-from-this-madhouse-wise). I also need to use them on the go, so closed is looking good.

Thanks again for the suggestions, everyone! It's really great to get some personal advice like this. Even so, is there still no way to take a listen before I file for bankruptcy/buy some headphones?

 

[joelongwood]

The DT-880s are very open..............cross them off your list.

 

[AdamZuf]

joelongwood,
don't you think the guy would be more pleased with the DT880 then of any of the phones listed here, even though they are open?
even with people talk around..they are killer phones, let's not forget that

srobertson,
they isolate more then the HD600 (from the other hand, only the AKG K1000 are more open)..but still..when your house will be quiet, you'll thank me

 

[blessingx]

I searched in a price range just below yours and ended up finding nothing that suited the quality I was after in a closed design (though unable to test the above Ultrasonic's- anyone want to loan me their pair?

). Have you considered spliting your price and getting an open and closed combo for different situations? Maybe a pair of Alessandro MS1's ($99 shipped) for those quiter moments and a pair of V6's ($69-$79) when isolation is a must? Also your price can fluctuate depending on your sources output. Go with player/receiver/soundcard with a strong output and an amp may not be necessary to power the low impendance phones.

 

[blessingx]

Quote:

Originally posted by srobertson Even so, is there still no way to take a listen before I file for bankruptcy/buy some headphones?

Can always buy from a place like HeadRoom with a return policy.

 

[MERTON]

i say get the ultrasone hfi 650 tackmaster and a flight or mint amp from tangent or fiddler. those amps are far better for the money... and the 650's are really great closed cans that block out a lot of sound and fold up for portable use.... but the meta flight amp will kick the total airhead ass anyday... just get an 8620 with 2x buffers and you'll be on yer way to some good time baby!

 

[AdamZuf]

Quote:

Originally posted by blessingx Have you considered spliting your price and getting an open and closed combo for different situations?

hey hey.. you're at head-fi

i say...quality first! then all of the other factors

even when i had the HD600..i wasn't very pleased outside because they didn't seel.. but it was more then ok..& the quality time at home was just unbeatable! (well..to be honest..the quality time with the DT880 beats the crap out of it.. but you get the point

)
i'm just in the opinion of the best set of cans that he won't sell soon..the phones you listed..he will sell them soon if he keeps up hanging out in here

 

[MERTON]

my setup idea is better... it would be a good beginner reference setup.. and ultra portable too... and relatively innexpensive.