Any headphone freaks here?

I have HD650's and am looking for a good amp. I really like the stuff I read about that Little Dot MK-III, looks cheap as well. But I don't trust those head-fi folks. Any recommendations?

If you must have a tube amp the Little Dot is pretty good actually. I would really recommend a solid state amp if price/performance is a concern.

  On 12/28/2009 at 8:18 PM, Philip Glass said:

Again, this is not the first thread about headphones...

 

 

Tell us what is your need for headphones. Do you want to go outside with them? Will you use them only at work? home? Ignore all those answers above until you've answered that.

I'm just quoting my post again because there is too many fucktards just throwing random headphones left and right without having any answer from the original poster about his real needs. Don't ever get Grado's if you are in a working environment with workers really near you. Or thinking "cool man Grados, they will be usefull in my daily 30 minute subway ride". It's going to be the worst spending of your life (now if you have said for home, that's different!)

  On 12/28/2009 at 2:17 PM, kakapo said:

  On 12/28/2009 at 1:34 PM, karmakramer said:

  On 12/28/2009 at 1:29 PM, MAXIMUS MISCHIEF said:

the high end is a bit screechy on those shure 440s. i have the sony mdr 7506s and i like them a lot more.

 

Hmm really? Those were my previous pairs and I find the 440's to be better, not to mention the build quality is shit tons better. I hate those cheap slip on covers. Always falling off and a bit to get on after

 

Are you sure you're talking about 7506s and not some other Sony mdr model?

lol... yeah I'm sure

If isolation is a requirement then my choices would be Sennheiser HD-25 IIs for fullsize, or the UE Super.fi 5vis for in-ear (they also have a microphone that works with the iPhone). The Sennheisers I mentioned are supra-aural, so they don't have tons of isolation like the HD-280pros or Beyer DT770 would, but both of those are really bulky to pack around in public. In fact if looks are an issue then I really can't recommend anything other than an IEM for walking around. I would NOT recommend tons of isolation for the workplace -- just listen at a reasonable volume. You want to be able to hear people and/or the phone.

I have used both of these extensively on the MAX in portland, which to be sure is not the loudest train in the world. The UEs or an older pair of Etymotics are fantastic for blocking out pretty much any noise -- just be careful walking around a city like this.

  On 12/28/2009 at 8:18 PM, Philip Glass said:

Again, this is not the first thread about headphones...

 

 

Tell us what is your need for headphones. Do you want to go outside with them? Will you use them only at work? home? Ignore all those answers above until you've answered that.

Sorry, should've been more clear... this isn't a "i need new headphones under $100 earbuds suck lol" thread.

I'm looking for sub $500USD (street price) open headphones. Like the HD-650, AKG 701, Beyer DT880/990, etc... anyone have any experience with Audio-Technica or Denon?

I'm also looking for amp advice - how do tubes sound with, say, Autechre? From what I understand they really compliment vocal and acoustic sounds. But the Little Dot MkIII ($200) is such a bargain for output power per dollar...

The reason I don't just ask this at Head-fi is because A) they're a little nuts, and B) most of them seem to listen to solely Rush or Eric Clapton or Norah Jones or somethin...

Better ask head-fi. Seriously. Most people here are kiddos that barely can buy themselves something better than Sony MDR's lol.

  On 12/29/2009 at 12:59 AM, Al Hounos said:

The reason I don't just ask this at Head-fi is because A) they're a little nuts, and B) most of them seem to listen to solely Rush or Eric Clapton or Norah Jones or somethin...

LOL

Audio-Technica make some good phones... but they are mostly closed from what I have read/experianced. I have the AD700's which I use for gaming and moves which are open and preform very nicely for the price ~$150 but I think you are after something a bit more hifi. You want semi open of full open? What kind of music besides AE? What kind of source are you using?

If you want full open you can check out the Grados as mentioned before or you can also check out the Alesssandro line...

The Denon line is very good, but again mostly closed phones. The D5000/7000 series is usually the electronic music listeners wet dream. The D5000s are in your price range on amazon right now for $424

Ive been in the market for some new closed phones... have had the Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A's in my shopping cart for the past few days just begging for a check out. I would like the D5000 but need something a bit more portable since my music listening rig is a PMP with a portable AMP.

sennheiser 4 lyfe!

Head-fi used to have a nice little IDM subculture. One of the reasons I gravitated to watmm more.

Also they're much more stick up the ass when it comes to political and nsfw stuff.

Yeah, Alessandro is a good choice if you need to get Grados outside the US without paying ridiculous shipping. Or you could buy a used pair on the head-fi market forum.

I've been using the same pair of Sony MDR V-400s for like 12 years... Would switching to one of the nicer pairs listed elsewhere in this thread be like watching a 3d movie for the first time or would it make only a tiny difference that I don't care about?

  On 12/29/2009 at 6:24 AM, Franklin said:

I've been using the same pair of Sony MDR V-400s for like 12 years... Would switching to one of the nicer pairs listed elsewhere in this thread be like watching a 3d movie for the first time or would it make only a tiny difference that I don't care about?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns

Anyway, most headphones over, say, 300$ do necessitate also an amp. You won,t just plug them into any player. So either a normal amp or a portable one.

  On 12/28/2009 at 12:34 PM, Blanket Fort Collapse said:

go with Sennheiser, fuck shure

 

btw this should be in this thread

HD 580

  On 12/29/2009 at 6:08 AM, goffer said:

  On 12/29/2009 at 12:59 AM, Al Hounos said:

The reason I don't just ask this at Head-fi is because A) they're a little nuts, and B) most of them seem to listen to solely Rush or Eric Clapton or Norah Jones or somethin...

LOL

 

Audio-Technica make some good phones... but they are mostly closed from what I have read/experianced. I have the AD700's which I use for gaming and moves which are open and preform very nicely for the price ~$150 but I think you are after something a bit more hifi. You want semi open of full open? What kind of music besides AE? What kind of source are you using?

 

If you want full open you can check out the Grados as mentioned before or you can also check out the Alesssandro line...

 

The Denon line is very good, but again mostly closed phones. The D5000/7000 series is usually the electronic music listeners wet dream. The D5000s are in your price range on amazon right now for $424

 

Ive been in the market for some new closed phones... have had the Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A's in my shopping cart for the past few days just begging for a check out. I would like the D5000 but need something a bit more portable since my music listening rig is a PMP with a portable AMP.

Yeah I'm looking for purely at-home open headphones. I've got IEMs for outdoors. I listen to everything, and I like all of my listening devices to have weight AND detail... like one of Beethoven's symphonies I reckon . The D5000 looks great but closed phones are just an unnecessary compromise for me.

I've got an ok DAC (HotAudio USB1) but I'm thinking I'll get the amp before I get the new phones as whatever I get will sound like poo unamped. Plus I've got a feeling these humble HD-555s can sound better still.

Hey Dune Worm-

I'm calling you out. I want to buy your Grados.

  On 12/29/2009 at 12:15 PM, Al Hounos said:

  On 12/29/2009 at 6:08 AM, goffer said:

  On 12/29/2009 at 12:59 AM, Al Hounos said:

The reason I don't just ask this at Head-fi is because A) they're a little nuts, and B) most of them seem to listen to solely Rush or Eric Clapton or Norah Jones or somethin...

LOL

 

Audio-Technica make some good phones... but they are mostly closed from what I have read/experianced. I have the AD700's which I use for gaming and moves which are open and preform very nicely for the price ~$150 but I think you are after something a bit more hifi. You want semi open of full open? What kind of music besides AE? What kind of source are you using?

 

If you want full open you can check out the Grados as mentioned before or you can also check out the Alesssandro line...

 

The Denon line is very good, but again mostly closed phones. The D5000/7000 series is usually the electronic music listeners wet dream. The D5000s are in your price range on amazon right now for $424

 

Ive been in the market for some new closed phones... have had the Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A's in my shopping cart for the past few days just begging for a check out. I would like the D5000 but need something a bit more portable since my music listening rig is a PMP with a portable AMP.

 

Yeah I'm looking for purely at-home open headphones. I've got IEMs for outdoors. I listen to everything, and I like all of my listening devices to have weight AND detail... like one of Beethoven's symphonies I reckon . The D5000 looks great but closed phones are just an unnecessary compromise for me.

 

I've got an ok DAC (HotAudio USB1) but I'm thinking I'll get the amp before I get the new phones as whatever I get will sound like poo unamped. Plus I've got a feeling these humble HD-555s can sound better still.

HD650 get a lot of love from the open-phone community... but I would consider the Grado SR325is both of which would benefit from a nice amp.

In all seriousness-

I am considering buying a very nice pair of headphones and amp but I have to wonder: as an exclusively electronic music listener, will this be overkill?

Headphone reviews talk about hearing saliva in the singer's throat, the sound of double bass pizzicato, and the raspiness of a double-reed.

I'm wondering if electronic music has the sorts of subtleties that the high-end range of headphones is known to bring out...

  On 12/28/2009 at 1:29 PM, MAXIMUS MISCHIEF said:

the high end is a bit screechy on those shure 440s. i have the sony mdr 7506s and i like them a lot more.

how does it compare to the 7505? are they both monitoring headphones?

I'm currently using Technics RP-DH1200 . The sound quite is quite epic , but the craftsmanship is fuckin 'atrocious . They're like made out of the same plastic used for Playschool Toys

I really wanna get the Sony MDR - 7506. I hear a lot of good things about 'em .

The first time I listened to Avril the 14th on a good system... I could hear the retraction of the piano keys... it was as if I were naked on a couch and Aphex, clothed in nothing but a robe of majestic nuance, were playing it with silty hands soaked the the bone in warm, slightly distilled, sadness.

It makes a difference in just about everything you listen to... the purer the source, the better. If your collection is nothing but low bitrate mp3s, a new setup will make them sound worse.

  On 12/29/2009 at 3:29 AM, Philip Glass said:

Better ask head-fi. Seriously. Most people here are kiddos that barely can buy themselves something better than Sony MDR's lol.

I have MDR 7509s. There's a significant difference between these and the more 'dj' oriented MDRs. The 7509s are very good by any standards, but particularly for a closed back design. They probably come up a little bit short on the high end (open, semi-open)sennheisers , but for comfort and listenability they're great, and they're useful for mixing and tracking. Certainly in the UK over the past decade, if there is such a thing, they have been an industry standard for closed backs.

I also think I'd get just as much useful feedback asking a forum where the majority of people had broadly similar music tastes and see hifi as a means to an end, than asking a forum of autistic audiophiles who have nothing better to do than this.

  On 12/28/2009 at 11:55 PM, karmakramer said:

  On 12/28/2009 at 2:17 PM, kakapo said:

  On 12/28/2009 at 1:34 PM, karmakramer said:

  On 12/28/2009 at 1:29 PM, MAXIMUS MISCHIEF said:

the high end is a bit screechy on those shure 440s. i have the sony mdr 7506s and i like them a lot more.

 

Hmm really? Those were my previous pairs and I find the 440's to be better, not to mention the build quality is shit tons better. I hate those cheap slip on covers. Always falling off and a bit to get on after

 

Are you sure you're talking about 7506s and not some other Sony mdr model?

 

lol... yeah I'm sure

What are the cheap slip on covers for the 7506?

yea maybe he is talking about the ear pads... which havent fallen off for me but i hear the rubber comes off after a while.. then again there are people who have had them for 5+ years who have said they never had a problem.. so i dont know. you can get the beyerdynamic dt250 earpads i believe which fit on them and are apparently more comfy and durable.

but yeah if your price range is 500 dollars then i am sure you can find something better than these. i would go for AKG

Might also want to check out the Audio-Technica ATH-AD2000s... beautiful open phones... you might be able to fit them into your budget

  On 12/30/2009 at 12:17 AM, kakapo said:

I also think I'd get just as much useful feedback asking a forum where the majority of people had broadly similar music tastes and see hifi as a means to an end, than asking a forum of autistic audiophiles who have nothing better to do than this.

 

Yeah, exactly, autistic is a good word... i just looked up a review for the AD2000 and the guy tested with "Rock/Metal": Korn/Incubus and "Electronica/Ambient": Shpongle/Oakenfold....