Recommend me some hifi headphones!

[Maelstrom]

*Hopefully hifi is the appropriate adjective to describe what I'm looking for, I'm fairly new to this stuff .
Hey guys, with Christmas coming up I was thinking of replacing my Sennheiser HD555s with something better. I've been looking around head-fi.org and reading about various headphones, but there are too many headphones and there is too much information! I need some help! Budget is ~$300 US (I may be able to get away with $350). Also, I want the bass to be good, as I listen to a lot of electronic music and heavy metal. Must be around the ear. I appreciate any and all recommendations!

 

[jsfitz54]

Akg: K240 mk ii

 

[Achilles1600]

I didnt find any good name brand headset's, although i found some other headset's for cheaper.

RAZER Megalodon Gold-plated USB Connector Circumau...

Creative Circumaural Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Ome...

ASUS Vulcan ANC 3.5mm Connector Circumaural Pro Ga...

steelseries Siberia v2 USB Connector Circumaural F...

 

[majestic12]

You should be able to score an HD650 for around your price range (which works pretty well with your soundcard). If you want to go closed-back, I'd probably recommend the Denon AH-D2000s.

 

[fenurch]

Look into Beyer's (*cough* DT770/880 *cough*) or Ultrasones if you're looking for bass (you didn't really give us much to go on to ). Budget is more than sufficient and you might even end up with a cheap amp to go with the phones.

 

[Maelstrom]

I didnt find any good name brand headset's, although i found some other headset's for cheaper.

RAZER Megalodon Gold-plated USB Connector Circumau...

Creative Circumaural Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Ome...

ASUS Vulcan ANC 3.5mm Connector Circumaural Pro Ga...

steelseries Siberia v2 USB Connector Circumaural F...

Not really what I was looking for, but thanks anyways!

You should be able to score an HD650 for around your price range (which works pretty well with your soundcard). If you want to go closed-back, I'd probably recommend the Denon AH-D2000s.

I was looking into the HD600. Are the HD650s worth the extra cost?

Look into Beyer's (*cough* DT770/880 *cough*) or Ultrasones if you're looking for bass (you didn't really give us much to go on to ). Budget is more than sufficient and you might even end up with a cheap amp to go with the phones.

What other details do y'all need? I will be mainly using them to listen to electronic music and heavy metal, and gaming (their primary job is to make music sound good though ). My soundcard has a built in headphone amp (Asus Essence STX). Bass is important to me. Don't really care what brand it is. Open or closed is fine, but it has to be around the ear. If you need more that, you'll need to say .

 

[Ra97oR]

HD600 and HD650 are simply different sound flavour, not one is better than one other.

I prefer the HD600 over the HD650 as it sounds more detailed and airy then the more bass heavy HD650. Both headphone will work well with the internal headphone amp on the Essence and I recommend them at this price.

Beyers are another option, just make sure you are ordering the higher impedence version (250Ohm/600Ohm) as the Essence's internal headphone amp is not as capable delivering current as pumping out voltage swing. That leaves Audio Technica and Denon headphones out unless you are looking to get a headphone amp with it in the future.

Beyer 880/600 ohms is quite possible the best sounding pair of headphone to pair with the Essence at this price range. Highly detailed pair of headphones with great dynamics, works with faster music you listen to and for gaming. The Sennheiser on the other hand is more relaxing but the HD600 are still quite detailed.

 

[majestic12]

The 650s are a bit smoother and bassier than the 600s. If the difference in price is over 80-100 bucks, it's probably not worth it for the better model. BTW, J&R music world sells the 650s for a little bit over 300 bucks.

I hope your music collection is good quality (not the choices but the format in which they were ripped). A crappy 64kbps MP3 sounds really really crappy on better gear.

 

[Maelstrom]

The 650s are a bit smoother and bassier than the 600s. If the difference in price is over 80-100 bucks, it's probably not worth it for the better model. BTW, J&R music world sells the 650s for a little bit over 300 bucks.

I hope your music collection is good quality (not the choices but the format in which they were ripped). A crappy 64kbps MP3 sounds really really crappy on better gear.

Ripped lossless from CDs .


Thanks for all the recommendations so far guys!

 

[BumbleBee]

surprised no one mentioned the Grado Prestige SR-325i. Grado specialize in rock and metal. you can buy larger cups that will open the soundstage and provide extra comfort.

 

[nick_1992]

Honestly, not really HIFI, but i love my M50's from AudioTechnica. Great sounding.

 

[xXxBREAKERxXx]

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones

 

[Ra97oR]

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones

I hope that you are not serious. The B&W is a good little portable phone, notice exceptional on the sound side and poor comfort for long term use. Combined with its short cord and high isolation, it is designed for portable use as it said on the name.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

It'd be nice if there was a shop you could demo these in. So much of this is personal preference. I've heard people say they enjoyed the 598s over the 600/650s.

 

[Fourstaff]

It'd be nice if there was a shop you could demo these in. So much of this is personal preference. I've heard people say they enjoyed the 598s over the 600/650s.

This would be what I recommend. I am not sure how well trained your ears are, but if they are decent and not super good then HD555 might very well be the peak of your ability to differentiate, other headphones above it is just (to you) different colourations. It would be a sidegrade not an upgrade if the only thing you can differentiate is colouration, no matter how expensive the earphones are.

 

[Frederik S]

Beyerdynamic DT880, Sennheiser HD580/600/650, Shure SRH 940. Also the Denon D2000s might be good.

If you can go to a shop that has some of them and try them out before hand. They are all very different from the HD555s.

 

[Maelstrom]

Checking them out in person would be awesome, but I have no idea what stores would even carry headphones like these. If it helps I'm currently about an hour away from Philadelphia, PA and will be until winter break. I doubt my hometown has any store that would. I'll do some research myself, but if anyone had the name of a store that would be great.

 

[BumbleBee]

check the yellow pages and call stores to see if they do in-store demos.

here is a thread

http://www.head-fi.org/t/182890/hi-fi-headphone-stores-in-philadelphia-pa-area

 

[STCNE]

For heavy metal and electronica you probably don't want another Senn, or an Audio-Technia.(I've tried HD598, A900, and AD900, Grado SR-80i, and Ultrasone PRO2900)
I would say to go for Denon AH-D2000, Ultrasone PRO2500(2900 if you can afford it, you can find it for $400 if you look around, my personal recommendation ) or a Grado. Grado isn't too good for electronica but is great for metal. Ultrasones are great for both. Denon should be good with both but I haven't heard one so I won't comment.

The Senn HD598 I had was good for electronica but the worst thing I've heard for metal, and it wouldn't be much of an upgrade over your 555. The higher end Senns are even more 'laid-back' which would make them even worse metal phones.

 

[Cybrnook]

Just wanna add, I listen to all kinds of Music (Mostly Metal and rock). The best bang for the buck I ever found was my Sennheiser Passive Noise canceling HD280 pro's. I Love them to death and they reproduce my flac audio collection perfectly.

That's all ;-)

 

[claylomax]

I have the Audio-Technica AD500 and they sound great, mind you I listen to Steely Dan, Traffic etc and Blues.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

I personally like Grado phones because they are the most aggressive phones I have encountered. They are also easily modifiable, which makes them great projects. Buy a pair of SR-80's, and if you like them you can get a better pair later, but honestly, those are great earphones, they just aren't for everyone.

My favorite phones I own in order:

-Senn 595's
-Heavily modded Grado SR-60i's
-Stock SR-80's
-AKG 271 MKII's
-ATH A700's

Those Senns are so comfy I can't get over them. If you don't own one of those brands buy it, see if you like it. If not, trade em with someone for another pair in the same price range.

 

[majestic12]

You could modify your 555s as well in order to tweak the sound a bit. There are quite a few people out there claiming that it would practically turn them into 595s. Might be worth checking into.

 

[Frederik S]

Not to forget the HD 598s which takes the HD595s a bit further in every aspects. It is no night and day difference but they are easy to drive well, have a good coherent sound stage (good for gaming), a little more dominant high end (they are a bit ugly though).

Most big stores that carry these brands have demonstration units. I am quite sure you can find a shop in Philadelphia that carries a least a couple of the brands mentioned here.

 

[AhokZYashA]

if you listen to a lot of rocks, Grado SR225i or even the 325is is the way to go,

for Rock listening, i find that the HD598/HD600/HD650 is too laidback, and too wide, so the energy from the rock music is not translated properly, but with proper setup, HD600/650 will shines on almost any genre of music,

Denon D2000 is bassy, quite the V-shaped sound that most rock recordings are,
ATH-AD900 is another choice, but it lacks bass and the soundstage is too wide to enjoy rock properly, for classical or pop, AD900 shines.
K701 also is another option, soundstage is very wide, the imaging is good, but, its very hard to drive.
DT880/600 is very good, great dynamics, nice rounded bass, excellent highs though a bit sibilance.

but, if you listens to a very wide range of genre, I strongly reccomends you to get the HD600,
its more neutral than the HD650 which is more laidback and bassy, and it doesn't as demanding as the HD650 on the amp or DAC, its should sounds very good out of your essence.

and not to mention, its also very comfortable on the head.