[Roller]

Truth be told, there is a Vista driver that also supports Windows 7, namely version 2.18.0015, and a Windows 8 beta driver. I wouldn't recommend using a Windows 8 driver on Windows 7, however the opposite is more feasible.
 
You could get the amp first, since you already have a soundcard, it would be a more balanced upgrade path. Until you get the new soundcard, you should do a full uninstallation of your X-Fi Fatal1ty, clean any leftovers, then install the 2.18.0013 driver, the Product Identification Module Update and the 2.18.0015 driver, precisely on this order. If you do that, you should get issue-free usage of your current soundcard, which will ease waiting until you get the new one.
 
Unfortunately I haven't had first hand impressions of the MDR-1R, and the very brief listening session with the K550 did leave me impressed but I also share the opinion that mids aren't as pronounced as they could be. If it wasn't for you using Pro Tools, recommendations would be immensely easier, but that forces headphones to have a modicum of balance to their sound.
The Pro 750 does have both bass impact and quality, and certainly better than the K550. Mids take a bit of time to settle in and treble is very detailed. They are certainly not mellow headphones, something that might make you EQ them a bit to soften some areas of the frequency range, but overall they should work nicely with everything you throw at them.
 
So, where do you stand in terms of amps?

 

[Dhanijel]

Quote:

Truth be told, there is a Vista driver that also supports Windows 7, namely version 2.18.0015, and a Windows 8 beta driver. I wouldn't recommend using a Windows 8 driver on Windows 7, however the opposite is more feasible.
 
You could get the amp first, since you already have a soundcard, it would be a more balanced upgrade path. Until you get the new soundcard, you should do a full uninstallation of your X-Fi Fatal1ty, clean any leftovers, then install the 2.18.0013 driver, the Product Identification Module Update and the 2.18.0015 driver, precisely on this order. If you do that, you should get issue-free usage of your current soundcard, which will ease waiting until you get the new one.
 
So, where do you stand in terms of amps?

 
Well if we take ProTools out of the eqation, where do we stand then? is Ultrasone PRO 750 the best option then?
because I can always get a seperate pair of headphones just for PT later on, but now I'm searching more for entertainment headphones.
Because in the proffesional studio I work in we use mostly monitors and we have good headphones there, at home I use ProTools mostly for fun.
 
Well, I just want an amp that can power the headphones I'm getting, that's pretty much where I stand.
 
I'm going to get the soundcard pretty much during the same time, do you think I should get the amp first and not the card?
I mean, what is the better option? waiting on the amp or the card?
 
Also, how important is the amp if I have a good soundcard? do they not work without the amp?
 
I'm also interessted in atleast some noise cancelling, also comfort since I'm going to be using them for hours at end.

 

[Dhanijel]

But from what I've read it seems that most people actually think that the K550s are amazing, so I wonder if they are all around good or just amazing listening to certain music and mixing?
 
I'm just worried a bit about the bass, do they handle the bass good? I mean, if I listen to a movie, will the sub come through?
 
But yeah, now that PT is out of the way I still want to hear your opionions.

 

[Roller]

If you're interested in isolation, that excludes most open headphones, with the HFI-2400 being a rare exception that is open yet still has some isolation. However, true isolation is only present on closed headphones.
 
Both HFI-2400 and Pro 750 already sound good straight from the soundcard, but they do improve further with additional amplification. If you can get both the soundcard and the amp in one go, that would be ideal. Like I mentioned previously, amps like O2 and Schiit Asgard are excellent amps that pair nicely with the Titanium HD.
 
The K550 is indeed a bit light on bass, and there are quite some people that have fit issues with them.

 

[Nirvana Woman]

Just a caveat on the subject of the headphones of your choosing...
 
You mentioned a budget of 375 and 450 dollars for your headphones... In that pricerange there's lots of great open headphones available; dare I say it's pretty much the sweet spot for those.
 
I'm just mentioning it for the sake of being thorough .
 

 

[Roller]

Quote:

Just a caveat on the subject of the headphones of your choosing...
 
You mentioned a budget of 375 and 450 dollars for your headphones... In that pricerange there's lots of great open headphones available; dare I say it's pretty much the sweet spot for those.
 
I'm just mentioning it for the sake of being thorough .
 

 
Agreed. However, the OP did state he wants noise cancelling, something that isn't recommended as a feature alone, but isolation does work wonders for that. Unfortunately, isolation and open headphones usually don't play nicely at all. So far, the only open model I've seen with some isolation is the HFI-2400.

 

[Nirvana Woman]

Quote:

 
Agreed. However, the OP did state he wants noise cancelling, something that isn't recommended as a feature alone, but isolation does work wonders for that. Unfortunately, isolation and open headphones usually don't play nicely at all. So far, the only open model I've seen with some isolation is the HFI-2400.

 
Yeah I also picked up on that part about noise cancelling. I just figured it would maybe be worthwhile, in light of the things mentioned, to consider if noise cancelling is really a requirement . Maybe I was being redundant, in which case I would offer my apologies.

 

[Dhanijel]

So I'm pretty sure that I'm going with the AKG K550, it seems like that it's the headphone most people/reviewers agree on that it's pretty freakin' good.
 
I hope I wont regret it.

 

[MrGuzmanWhite]

Quote:

So I'm pretty sure that I'm going with the AKG K550, it seems like that it's the headphone most people/reviewers agree on that it's pretty freakin' good.
 
I hope I wont regret it.

You won't regret I think. I have the AKG K550 for more than a year and it is - for a closed can - an incredible headphone if you like exciting sound, with great soundstage, imaging and clarity. But I have to say that the sound I get from the AKG K550 is better depending on the DAC/AMP I use. In my Schiit Bifrost and Asgard setup the sound is absolutely fantastic!
 
By the way, I also tried the Sony MDR-1R recently and returned it after a week ... so if you are debating between both headphones that was my choice. But the K550 is not portable, great for home critical listening, not for moving around! The Sony on the contrary are extremely conformable and quite portable.

 

[Dhanijel]

Quote:

You won't regret I think. I have the AKG K550 for more than a year and it is - for a closed can - an incredible headphone if you like exciting sound, with great soundstage, imaging and clarity. But I have to say that the sound I get from the AKG K550 is better depending on the DAC/AMP I use. In my Schiit Bifrost and Asgard setup the sound is absolutely fantastic!
 
By the way, I also tried the Sony MDR-1R recently and returned it after a week ... so if you are debating between both headphones that was my choice. But the K550 is not portable, great for home critical listening, not for moving around! The Sony on the contrary are extremely conformable and quite portable.

 
 
I'm not looking for anything portable, I'm looking for something that handles music/movies/games (in that order) well.
Also, I want a closed headphone and I've heard that they are the the closest sounding to an open headphone.
 
I will get a card with a great DAC and maybe later I'll get an AMP if I think it's necessary.
 
But like I said, it's the headphones that most people seem to really like so I think I'll go with them.
 
The only thing I'm a bit worried about is how they handle bass, what are your opinions on that?

 

[Dhanijel]

Hmm, now I'm torned again between the K550 and the Pro 750, which one is the most fun?
I'm kinda a bass head so should I go with 750? I want to have fun listening to music/movies/games.
I don't want something clinical right now.
 
So is the 750 the best option?
 
if it is I'm going to get the K550 later when I need more clinical phones.