Yet another "which headphones" thread

[sgupt]

I've been lurkin around for quite a while, finally decided to register a while ago when I needed a really cheap pair of earbuds. Now it's time to get some real headphones

Umm so where to start. I'm pretty poor, so my overall budget for headphones + dac + amp is $400. I can stretch it a little bit if needed but I'd rather not to. My source would be my laptop (Dell m1210 w/ 320kbps and v0 mp3s mainly), but I don't need a portable setup in any way. I don't mind buying used stuff, and planned to anyways.

I listened to my friends headphones (AT AD700s), and I like them a lot. The only thing I can think of that merited improvement is somewhat "punchier" bass and if possible, a bit faster and more detailed. Too much bass gives me a headache really fast, so I don't really need anything that are bass monsters.

The music I listen to mainly is trance (armin, markus schulz, etc [lots of vocals too]) and progressive house (old school Sasha and the like). I do listen to a bit of metal and rock on the side, but not nearly as much as the former 2 genres. I have searched around on the forum extensively, but I have not found too much, so please don't flame me on that lol.

I also watch a ton of tv shows and movies (action), so the headphones would ideally be good for them too. I do a decent bit of gaming too (mainly left4dead), so it'd be nice to have something decent for gaming too loll.

Priority wise, I guess itd be Music >> Gaming = Movies/TV.

So far the headphones that have peaked my interest would be Beyer 880s, Senn HD600s, and Ultrasone DJ1 Pro. This is based mainly on my lurking and searching, but I dunno if they're really what I'm looking for

So yeah, any recommendations for all 3 components??

 

[jonathanjong]

You want wider soundstage than AD700? That's going to be tough...

 

[sgupt]

i guess soundstage isn't the right word then :-/ i dunno how to describe it exactly. it sounded almost like some notes were running together, maybe thats a better description? so something that sounds more "separated."

 

[lucky]

The only normal phones I'm reasonably sure have a wider stage than the AD700 are the AD900. Per someone who has the GS1000 and the AD700, the AD700 are wider. Between the K701 and the AD700, I find the AD700 wider. I've never seen a comparison to the K501, so you might consider that too, but you might find even less bass in those. There are also the MDR-F1s to consider. But overall, I'd say your best bet is the AD900. They're basically the AD700 with a slightly wider stage and slightly more bass and detail.

 

[sgupt]

thanks! what exactly is the definition of soundstage?

As before, I think I might have used the wrong word. I thought soundstage described like the separation between notes.

If I did in fact define it wrong, well then never mind about wanting a wider soundstage lol

EDIT: Oops I just noticed the glossary sticky. Looks like I did in fact use the wrong word :-/ So yeah, never mind; I do NOT care about having a wider soundstage. From what I can now tell, I want something that is faster and more detailed than the AD700s. Do any of the headphones I mentioned earlier fit this (Beyer 880s, Senn HD600s, Ultrasone DJ1 Pro)?

 

[nullstring]

google is a good place for definitions =p
Let me google that for you

Soundstage Definition - What is Soundstage

Definition: Soundstage is the ability to visualize the placement of musical instruments and vocalists in a music recording. A good soundstage also allows the listener to perceive the size and space of the performance venue in which the recording was made.

 

[sgupt]

Heh I usually tell people to google stuff on other forums. It's about time I had someone tell me haha.

Yeah, I definitely used the wrong term. My actual meaning is in post 5

 

[sgupt]

uhh bump?

 

[sgupt]

hmm ive done some more research/searching, etc. i think imma go with the Beyer 880s (2003 version hopefully)