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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread

E

Erv

Member
Can someone help me find some high quality headphones that are studio like in appearance. Not earbuds. They need to be mostly white or entirely white. I want decent quality. I just dont want to pay as much as they charge for Beats by Dre. thanks
 
E

Erv

Member
thanks. i was actually just looking at these. I like the way the look. Does anyone have any experience with these?
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
M50s are well known as a solid medium range consumer choice. I think several people here have them.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Erv said:
Can someone help me find some high quality headphones that are studio like in appearance. Not earbuds. They need to be mostly white or entirely white. I want decent quality. I just dont want to pay as much as they charge for Beats by Dre. thanks
Click to expand...
Koss Pro Dj100 or the JVC HAS500
 
M

MicH

Member
Hey everyone, newcomer here.

I have NEVER owned a pair of good headphones before, but my in-ears are starting to annoy me a bit, so I've been lurking a bit and found a pair that interests me: the AKG K550. I've skimmed a couple of pages in this thread and these seem to have been recommended by a few people and the pricerange is perfect for me. I'll mostly be using them while listening to music fron my computer and my iPhone.

Would these fit a newcomer like me?
 
C

Coen

Member
I've seen to have misplaced my pair of AKG 272HD which I've had for years. Pretty sad, because they're the best headphones I've ever owned and I know replacing them will probably cost me about 150 euro. Any recommendations in that area? I'll look into those AKG K167 that've been mentioned above.
 
F

f0rk

Member
My parents are asking what I want for Christmas and the thin black plastic stuff that covers the foam on my Sennheiser PC350s has nearly all torn off. They still work fine but could do with some new ones still. I really like the closed design and they sound fine to my ears, what 'upgrade' would you guys recommend for £50 - £100 for music + games?

I need a microphone for skype and whatever so tips for a cheap one as well if the headphones don't include one.
 
3

3N16MA

Banned
Shuusui said:
Looking to buy myself an early x-mas present - my Beyerdynamic DT-235s broke recently and I'm looking for a new pair, but I have a little more to spend.

I mostly use these at work and at home, so comfort and a decent soundstage are important. I'm looking at the Sennheiser HD 598 currently, but wanted to ask you chaps for your weigh-in.

Distinct appearance is important to me - not out of being superficial, but because my old white DT-235s have kind of become what I'm known for at work. I think these fit the bill, but I'm not sure if I have better options in this price range.

sennheiser_hd558_598_06.jpg


Please advise! The only other option I can think of is the Grado SR 225i but the reviews for it don't seem to be quite so glowing.
Click to expand...

Ou1bD.jpg


UE 6000 in white might work for you. I have had limited time listening to them but like what I did here. They're closed and don't leak much sound so they would be perfect for work.
 
K

Kipp

but I am taking tiny steps forward
So right now I have my eye on Beyer DT 990s (600 ohm version) with the FiiO E9/E7 combo. First, are there any reasons why this is a bad idea? Second, is there an open headphone in the same price range that is pretty similar but has slightly less harsh treble? The DT 990s seem like what I want, but I have read quite a few complaints about treble being pretty harsh and I think I may be one of those people who is more sensitive to higher frequencies. I don't think that's a dealbreaker for me necessarily, but if there's something that's known to be quite similar but a bit more forgiving in the high end, I'd appreciate having the choice. Thanks in advance!
 
V

Varna

Member
jling84 said:
Whats a good set of over-ear starter headphones?

In general over is better than on-ear right?
Click to expand...

I'm looking for a suggestions on a similar item... something I can use for the gym but won't cause too much of a disturbance. Trying to get away from earbuds. They are just never loud enough.
 
S

Saucy_XL

Banned
Are there any decent wireless in ear headphones for around $100? My dad was asking for them as an xmas gift but I dont know much about them.
 
T

TxdoHawk

Member
So my Hifiman RE0s came in, as did a set of Brainwavz M5s I ordered when I was sick of waiting for the RE0s to arrive (delays due to Sandy).

And I gotta say...I vastly prefer the sound of the RE0s. By comparison, the M5s have more low-end "presence" but what's there just seems like a muddy mess. The highs don't quite stick out like they do on the RE0s either...the combo of these two things makes the M5s seem "off" when I listen to them, as if I am standing just past a doorway, just barely outside where the music is being played, rather than being in the room itself.

I'm going to burn the M5s in a bit more and see if that improves them, but at this point they don't make a great impression by comparison. Those RE0s though! So happy with them.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
I doubt your mind is gonna change in regards to the M5. If you've got two pairs of phones that are polar opposites, one is going to sound "off" if you're coming fresh from the other. The RE0 is one of the more analytical phones you can get for the money. Something like the Brainwavz B2 or the GR07 would be more up your alley if you're ever looking to upgrade.
 
J

Jomjom

Banned
After reading a bunch, I went with the JVC HARX700 as my very first pair of headphones. It was either this or the Sony MDR-V6. Did I make the right choice?? I can still cancel if I need to!
 
N

nekroseven

Member
I don't own either pair but if I remember correctly the JVC have more bass and the V6 are just better overall. Depends on your preferences and what types of music you listen to I guess.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
polyh3dron said:
If I had to choose between the two I would pick the V-MODAs without question.

I say this with lots of experience with the V6 headphones. They're just okay in my book. Nothing too great.
Click to expand...

Ha. I have both. V-Modas by a mile for music. Holy shit at that price.

Feelsbadman
 
H

HiResDes

Member
TxdoHawk said:
So my Hifiman RE0s came in, as did a set of Brainwavz M5s I ordered when I was sick of waiting for the RE0s to arrive (delays due to Sandy).

And I gotta say...I vastly prefer the sound of the RE0s. By comparison, the M5s have more low-end "presence" but what's there just seems like a muddy mess. The highs don't quite stick out like they do on the RE0s either...the combo of these two things makes the M5s seem "off" when I listen to them, as if I am standing just past a doorway, just barely outside where the music is being played, rather than being in the room itself.

I'm going to burn the M5s in a bit more and see if that improves them, but at this point they don't make a great impression by comparison. Those RE0s though! So happy with them.
Click to expand...

The M5s are warm and airy by comparison, I thought they'd be a nice compliment, but I might have been wrong

Kipp said:
So right now I have my eye on Beyer DT 990s (600 ohm version) with the FiiO E9/E7 combo. First, are there any reasons why this is a bad idea? Second, is there an open headphone in the same price range that is pretty similar but has slightly less harsh treble? The DT 990s seem like what I want, but I have read quite a few complaints about treble being pretty harsh and I think I may be one of those people who is more sensitive to higher frequencies. I don't think that's a dealbreaker for me necessarily, but if there's something that's known to be quite similar but a bit more forgiving in the high end, I'd appreciate having the choice. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Check out the AKG Q701




Anyway, I'd like to talk about some new exciting additions to the OP:

Sony MH1C
genuine-sony-mh1c-headset-earphones-with-smartkey-control-black-bulk-pack.jpg

ClieOS of Headfi said:
The IEM was given over 50 hours of burn-in before the review. At first, the bass can be a bit boomy while the presentation is more upfront than it should. In time, bass will settle down and the sense of space will improve. I do recommend a minimum 50 hours of burn-in (100 hours if you can) with MH1, but it is not mandatory. The IEM will sound good out-of-the-box - burn-in just tightens up the overall presentation and resolution.

The overall sound signature of MH1 is warm and sweet, while well balanced in all frequencies. Bass extends down to 10Hz and hits with really good quantity and quality. Not the fastest or biggest impact around, but nothing to be ashamed of even among bass monster. Mid is sweet and right in the butter zone to give the right balance of intimacy and texture while still maintains a good sense of layer and space. Treble extends up to the very top, but it is more about smoothness than it is brightness. While analytical listeners might not find the sparkle or crispiness to be enough for their taste, it still however compliments the mid and bass impeccably and doesn’t feel lacking in anyway. Soundstage is rather good. By no mean the best of the best or endlessly large, it does portrait width and depth in a very 3D, well layered and resolving manner within its own confine.

What I have noticed as I listened to MH1 during the course of evaluation is that this is an IEM that truly has bare minimum weakness in overall tuning. In fact, it excels in almost any genre I can throw at it – Pop, Alternative Rock, Vocal, Folk, Country, and even Classical – just name it. Granted it might not be the best at every genre, I will say it has some of the most consistent performance across the board… Okay, may be Electronic can use a bit more sparkles, but that’s about it - and it is not to say Electronic isn’t enjoyable on MH1 at all.

As I have mentioned before, the only complain I have with MH1 is its cable. I just wish that it was less awkward, which would have made the IEM a smashing success. Beyond that, it is a fully capable IEM that can actually compete easily with IEM that cost 3 times its original price, right at the edge of top-tier category. Even Sony’s own XBA-4 is not that far ahead of MH1. If you are like me, please put aside your bias against headset and give this a try. If you can get a real MH1 with those $30 bulk deals, it would be an absolute steal – much like the craze over ADDIEM (Apple dual driver IEM) a few years ago, except this is much better sounding and an even bigger bang for the bucks. I’ll wholeheartedly recommend it with a Sonic Diamond [4.95 / 5].
Click to expand...



Denon HP700
dendnhp700_xl-500x500.jpg

dweaver of Headfi said:
So lets get a few basics out of the way. The HP700 is a DJ style headphone and has the comfort one would expect from that type of headphone, in other words nice but not great. The cable is also more utilitarian versus high end and is half coil and half straight which I like. The D7000 on the other hand has a very nice feeling long cable that is much higher quality but would be impractical in most DJ situation. The D7000 is also extremely comfortable as it lightly hugs the head which gives it an almost open headphone type sound including the loss of isolation.

The biggest thing I can say about the HP700 is how close its bass is to the D7000 in regards to depth and impact (in some songs I think it even has more impact) but with NONE of the boominess I have heard in other small closed headphones including the A100 from Denon and ZERO cavern effect. It just presents a deep controlled bass that is present when it’s in the music and does not color the rest of the sound spectrum.

The next biggest thing is it’s mid-range which is much more forward in comparison to the D7000. If you like the D7000 but wish it had more foreword mids, the HP700 may be just the ticket for you.

Finally the treble is almost as nice as the D7000 but not quite as sparkly and clean. For some this might actually be better but I did find myself noticing and missing the difference.

The HP700 is also a more intimate headphone in regards to it’s sound stage and instrument separation which works to its advantage in some instances and hampers it in others.

But for me the kicker is this is only a $100 street price headphone that comes close to the D7000 and offers a bit of a change up for those who can afford to own both!
Click to expand...


Soundmagic HP100
soundmagic-hp100-black.jpg
soundmagic-hp100-black-folded.jpg

randomkid of Headfi said:
Comfort is amazing, so many companies get it wrong and make uncomfortable headphones, these are fairly heavy but well padded, the headband has very soft padding and the pleather ear pads are super soft too, but soft in a comfy way and not compressed so you feel the plastic way. These rival the Beyerdynamic DT770 in the comfort department. My ears only get sweaty after long listening sessions

The isolation isn’t great but good enough for walking about with, but I don’t think these were made to be particularly portable.

The whole headphone kind of reminds me of the DT770 in style, with the circular cups and pads, and general shape. These can fold inward neatly (like the audio technica ATH-M50 and Shure SRHXXX), and the cups can rotate 90 degress to the back so you can use them on one ear, dj style. All hinges are metal and sturdy.

Not bass monsters, so bass heads need not apply, but the bass they do have has very good punch when needed and extends low with great control and detail. The bass is full bodied but not extremely fast in recovery, I think the full body of the bass helps as like this they don’t sound cold or thin and give an overall great body to the sound. I find the amount of bass perfect, if slightly above neutral. They handle EDM and Dubstep very well in my opinion and the bass does not bleed into the mids.

I find the mids on these very transparent in the way that on some tracks the mids sound slightly behind, but not exactly recessed, but on others the mids are perfectly balanced between the lows and highs. The mids are detailed but never harsh and they don’t throw detail in your face. The mids are very smooth with only the slightest hint of sibilance (mainly on bad recordings). They portray vocals very naturally but electric guitars do lose some power.

Great is a good word to describe the highs, never harsh or bright, with the right amount of presence (a little bit more forward wouldn’t hurt though). Details in the highs are easy to pick out and they extend very well with a good amount of sparkle. The decay and shimmer is perfect for my liking. Every tap and crash of cymbals can be heard with great detail and never become splashy.

The soundstage is one of this cans strong points, it reminds me of the DT770 with great width, depth and height.

Imaging is also done very well but not quite as good as my Shure SRH440. Instrument separation is good, there is enough space between the lows, mids and highs, but these don’t have an airy presentation so the space between the instruments isn’t that big.

I think soundmagic have done a marvelous job with their first full sized closed cans. There are a lot of options in the sub $200 zone and these do a great job at fitting in. I think depending on your preference there are better options, but for a great all rounder that you can throw anything at and it will sound great, then these are very good. They are easy to listen to and have no real weak points, with a smooth non fatiguing sound with amazing comfort you cannot go wrong.

They are balanced, but not neutral with a sense of warmth and thickness to the sound, but they just sound very natural playing whatever genre you like. I cannot hear any major dips or peaks in the frequency response.

I must say I can’t think of a better option for music, gaming, movies or TV, they out do the DT770 in my opinion.

These really do benefit from amping, as i find them to sound flat and boring just driven from my iPod, adding an amp brings out the bass, and widens the soundstage and just brings out the best in them. Also they are not very sensitive so you will have to crank up the volume of you portable source to get decent listening volumes
Click to expand...


Soundmagic E30
Dzj2f.jpg

keanex of Headfi said:
Pros: Sound is phenomenal for the price, packaging is great.
Cons: Build quality is lacking, comfort is an issue, slight microphonics

I want it to be known that these headphones blew my mind the second I heard them. The clarity has me thinking of my Ad900s. The sound actually reminds me slightly of them. I'll try to explain without sounding ridiculous. These headphones have a fantastic mid-range, slightly forward, clear and very musical. The highs are clear and extended without being fatiguing, though some sibilance is noticeable. Now here's the part that differs from the Ad900 and may even sound silly. The bass is definitely pushy, it lacks some impact, but is definitely quality. It extends well, but sometimes over exerts itself into tracks making it the main focus. I know I said the mids are slightly forward and that these are relatively balanced/neutral headphones, so how can the bass be slightly pushy/prominent? Well overall the miss and highs are well tuned to work together, neither pushes the other out of the way, and they both sound wonderful and present. The bass though is definitely pushy. It doesn't muddle up the mids like one would expect, but it makes itself a prominent feature in most songs, sometimes a bit too much.

The soundstage is typical of an IEM, nothing special. The sound is a bit congested at times, but overall it sounds great.

I hope that makes sense. Overall though these headphones are hard to beat for the price. If the A151 were similar to the HD5XX series, then the E30 are similar to a bass heavy Ad900. Funnily enough though, as much as I love my Ad900, I think I prefer the A151 over the E30 overall. These are definitely top notch headphones though that bass lovers will love, without messing up the other frequencies or sounding muddy.
Click to expand...
 
C

Cagey

Banned
polyh3dron said:
For that price, yes. Get them now.
Click to expand...

polyh3dron said:
If I had to choose between the two I would pick the V-MODAs without question.

I say this with lots of experience with the V6 headphones. They're just okay in my book. Nothing too great.
Click to expand...

"That price" = $75 right?

Also, how comfortable are they? My first/last pair of over ear headphones were the Sony XB500s, which felt like warm pillows on my ears. I do value the headphones for their earmuff-like quality in the winter time (something I am relearning now that I'm using earbuds again after three winters of XB500s).
 
M

mackattk

Member
I am just about to sell my AH-D7000 headphones. I am kind of looking to downsize, so I need money more than I need really high end headphones.

With that being said, I am looking to replace them.. I have always been a fan of AKG headphones, so I might be wanting to go with them, but I am open to other ideas. What do you guys think for the best headphones under ~150ish?

I am sure that this question has been asked before and I apologize for my absurd laziness.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
mackattk said:
I am just about to sell my AH-D7000 headphones. I am kind of looking to downsize, so I need money more than I need really high end headphones.

With that being said, I am looking to replace them.. I have always been a fan of AKG headphones, so I might be wanting to go with them, but I am open to other ideas. What do you guys think for the best headphones under ~150ish?

I am sure that this question has been asked before and I apologize for my absurd laziness.
Click to expand...
Look at the Denon HP700 or Soundmagic HP100 above you or if you're willing to spend a little more check out the AKG K167
 
C

CPCunha

Member
Headphone GAF, could you guys point me to the best Hi-Fi store in Boston? I need to sample some high-end gear before i take the plunge.
 
Keylime

Keylime

ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎγλοÏÏον καί ÏεÏδολÏγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
Just got in my T-400 Comply tips to use with the Miles Davis Trumpets and I'm so much happier now... my funny shaped ear canals weren't a great 1:1 fit with any of the provided tips (although pretty close with a couple of them)...and now they're coming alive in all the right ways.

Still insanely in love with the look and sound of these puppies.
 
G

gutterboy44

Member
Not sure if I saw it on the last page or this one but earphonesolutions.com is having a 30% off sitewide dead today with the code CYBER2012 Nothing on the headphone side but a nice selection of earphones to pick from.

I ordered a pair of the Shure 215's in the limited edition blue with the iphone cable to replace my Westone UM2's. It is a sound quality down grade but for daily use I abuse earphones too much so buying another expensive pair isn't worth it. Also for daily use and commute, inline mic with controls as well as replaceable cables is a huge +. I had to send my UM2's in for cable problems too many times over the last five years. Oh well, they had a good run. Any >$200 purchase of ear or headphones will be for home use only.
 
3

3N16MA

Banned
Ordered the Sony MH1C just to give it a try with all the hype surrounding it. Under $30 is not bad and hopefully I can get some of the controls to work with my iPhone 4.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
Audio GAF, I was wondering if you guys had some input on this. Let me start off by saying I know these probably don't compare audio-quality-wise with other stuff in the price range. However, a very very important aspect of gaming is having a very good mic. I've tried a ton of options that are commonly listed and they're all pretty much terrible. ModMic looks intriguing, but they've been sold out for ages. I try to get some good headset options in that are mostly based on both mic and audio quality in even respects for the PC thread, but of course link folks here for the ultimate rec's if they don't need a really good mic.

So Steelseries has two new products available in a series called 'Flux'. It mostly seems to be trying to grab the same sort of market/aesthetic as the Beats stuff (which I know is crazy overpriced), but at reasonable prices with good mics attached.

Few reviews here:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/06/steelseries-flux-and-flux-in-ear-pro-headsets-ears-on-video/

http://www.custompcreview.com/reviews/steelseries-flux-luxury-edition-review/16519/

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/audio/steelseries_flux_headphones_review/1

That seems to be most of the decent stuff I've been able to dig up, so I'm curious if anyone here has any knowledge of what all this means. I don't know any specifics about audio hardware and make most of my purchases based on the OP here. Was hoping you guys could take some time to give me a thumbs up or down on audio quality.
 
J

jongkookie

Member
Grakl said:
How long is it?
Click to expand...

40 hours, but I don't do it 40 hours straight... 6 hours a night at least since that's how long I sleep lol. I don't really have a set process but I made a playlist that is built around dynamic range and just play them at 75% volume from my laptop with iTunes. 100 songs, 1/4 is bass heavy stuff like dubstep, hiphop, electronica, another 1/4 is pop/rock based songs to cover the mids and the last half is jazz and classical music to specifically cover the highs and pretty much the entire dynamic range. I sometimes run sine waves as well but I might skip that this time.
 
G

Grakl

Member
jongkookie said:
40 hours, but I don't do it 40 hours straight... 6 hours a night at least since that's how long I sleep lol. I don't really have a set process but I made a playlist that is built around dynamic range and just play them at 75% volume from my laptop with iTunes. 100 songs, 1/4 is bass heavy stuff like dubstep, hiphop, electronica, another 1/4 is pop/rock based songs to cover the mids and the last half is jazz and classical music to specifically cover the highs and pretty much the entire dynamic range. I sometimes run sine waves as well but I might skip that this time.
Click to expand...

Sounds good. I just grabbed some from the Amazon deal as well, and need to do the same thing, haha.
 
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