[rukawa11]

Well head-fi fellows, I bought the octavart amp/dac because it was just ridiculously cheap and had great reviews. I know i worked backwards and that getting phones first and asking for an amp to match would be more orthodox but what can i say, i'm unorthodox(and scared that the octavarts would sell out by the time i figured out my headphone conundrum). I just wanted some opinions on what to get as i will be listening mostly to popular music i.e. hip hop, alternative, indie rock, rnb, classic rock, international pop and also will be listening to old school soul and jazz and have peaked an interest in classical. So basically i listen to everythign but mostly pop.

Prior to getting the octavart, i did loads of thread reading and learned a lot. I know trying out the headphones would be best to decide but i just missed the ny meet and don't know anywhere else to try on phones and also reading is fundamental.

Well let me tell you about my headphone journey(which lasted all of one week), i came to this board, quickly scanned through reviews and whatnot and concluded i wanted the hd650's. Did more research and found that in order to really get those babies great you needed an amp thats too expensive for my budget and also probably would want it to be balanced. After more reading, the HD600's seemed to suit me better. It is easier to drive than the 650s and is faster with tighter bass. Then i thought about how most people would recable them to get them to be better and I knew that I would definitely recable them and burn more money(which i really dont want to do). Enter the akg701s, they caught my eye, i loved the looks of it, and the mids and highs of these babies were glorified on this board, i would say this phone is probably the most widely debated on the forum maybe moreso than the 650s. The only thing that prevented me from immediately getting these was that i was worried about the thin bass and even tho i know these are extremely comfortable, the headband i hear was an issue to some and i can totally imagine the bumps hurting. Even so, I was still considering the 701s strongly(because of the looks i have to admit, i know i'm shallow) and continued to see if anything can be done to the bass of the akg's and heard that a lot of people like the bass as is and that in order to really fulfill that shortcoming a really expensive amp and/or expensive recabling(black dragon/silver dragon) would be needed also. Recently i started reading about the d2000's, which is now my front runner, and hear that a lot of people love these as well and find them fun. What i like about them is the looks,(the 5000's are even sexier, God help me to resist spending double the amount on these sexy beasts) and most of all that it is fine stock(correct me if i'm wrong).

I know those weren't exactly cliff notes, so here are some: i came to head-fi looking for cans, got me an amp/dac first instead, and am deciding between the hd600, k701, the d2000's(frontrunner), and maybe the beyer880's, and if i decide to splurge the d5000's(still wondering if its worth it, sq-wise). I'm still learning and all replies are appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[rukawa11]

bump buh bump

 

[Uncle Erik]

Get a pair of used HD-600s for around $200 and see what you think. The HD-600 is one of the best on the market and should cover everything you listen to. If you don't like it, you will have a good frame of reference to ask for advice on something more to your liking. Also, you should be able to sell them in the For Sale Forum for about what you bought them for.

And skip the aftermarket cable. Some of us think they're snake oil, but what cannot be argued is that they cost more than a second pair of headphones. For the price of a cable, you could also have the K-701 or DT880. A second pair will give you a lot more enjoyment, anyway.

 

[ZarakiSan]

If you want a pair that has more highs, that fits (even!) better, and that has more analytical qualities, go to the DT880's. The HD600 should be more relaxed, have more low-end, and should be an easier listen.

But damn if the DT880's aren't great.

 

[rukawa11]

thanks for the replies guys. Uncle Erik, i went to J&R today and they actually had k701s and senn 595s to listen to(no 600's tho) and i liked the k701's but my head hurt after 5 minutes like i thought it would so thats off the list. and the 595's were a bit too boring sounding to me while the k701s were not. So if thats the senn signature sound, then i'd have to cross the 600's out also. So basically right now im deciding between the denon's and the 880's, with the denon's still as the front runner.

 

[DKaz]

The Denon D200's are great. EXTREMELY comfortable. They scale up to amp/source also (true hi-fi). The Octavart seems great from what I have read also. If you decide to spend more later in life though you could always get a better amp and the Denon's will only get better. To me it makes it a long term investment. Plus it's down to $209 today!

Denon D2000