Hardest decision ever. Which headphones?

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Gensou

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Messages
344
Price range: Up to $250.
Environment: Small room with a loud computer.
Music choice: Techno, trance, jpop, jrock, classical. Techno & trance mostly though.

I've been getting so many mixed opinions, it's crazy, confuses me a lot.

I was looking at the ATH: A900 & AD900 headphones.
Denon: D2K
AKG: K340

For the soundcard I was looking at something like the auzentech prelude or x-fi xtremegamer.

Post which headphones do you think suit me most and if they will require an amp. ( if needs amp, suggest an amp also please..not too expensive though )

Thank ye a lot!! <3
 
Everyone hears differently and has different taste so you must take that into account. Only way to know for sure is to audition the various headphones but I know that these days that is pretty much impossible.
Looking at your taste in music I am guessing you like bass and you want headphones that are easy to drive but will still improve with an amp later. I expect the Denon D2K is a good choice for you but don't blame me if I am wrong.
 
Denon D2000. Plenty used but like new on the Head-fi for sale. I can't recommend it strongly enough for what you want. It is what I would have if Stax did not exist lol. My headphones run off a speaker amp! Boom.

Oh an amp will help but is not needed immediately. Get the sound card and save up for a proper amp.
 
The AKG K340 is a bad choice if you do not have a nice beefy amp for them. That's not including the fact they are semi-hard to find and there are a couple versions of them floating around.
 
If you go for the Denons be sure to use eBay and cashback. I got brand new ones for the same price I would have paid for used.
 
strid3r said:
The AKG K340 is a bad choice if you do not have a nice beefy amp for them. That's not including the fact they are semi-hard to find and there are a couple versions of them floating around.
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That is so true. I had a great, great pair with an SQ-84 amp. Holy smoking rabbit was that a killer sound! It cost about $1500 for that setup with the OMZ dac I had.

The D2000 is the ticket though. Everyone I have told to get a pair LOVES theirs.

So the decision really isn't that hard huh?
 
Have you also considered Grado? I had a pair before and I quite liked them for Jpop and Jrock (in fact I like the way Jrock sound on them more than my 007A). But they aren't that good for classical.
 
I heard Grados are hella hard to find and are expensive.

Which model of Grados and are they better than D2000s?

So far I'm leaning towards the D2000s.

Also, what sound card do you guys suggest?
I'm thinking of the prelude but if there's something cheaper that gives the same quality, please say so. ;D
 
The HT Omega Claro Halo has a headphone amp built into the soundcard but it is probably more than you want to pay.
 
Gensou said:
I heard Grados are hella hard to find and are expensive.

Which model of Grados and are they better than D2000s?
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I've done a lot of reading up on headphones as I've just made an investment in a pair -- So I'm not an expert, but maybe I can help you because I was just in a similar situation:

The Grados don't seem to fit your needs. They are great for rock music. I don't think they are ideal for trance, pop, techno

It's between the Denon D2000s or A900s. Spaceman loves those Denons, but people also love the A900s. Just go with your personal preference.
 
Gensou said:
Price range: Up to $250.
Environment: Small room with a loud computer.
Music choice: Techno, trance, jpop, jrock, classical. Techno & trance mostly though.

I've been getting so many mixed opinions, it's crazy, confuses me a lot.

I was looking at the ATH: A900 & AD900 headphones.
Denon: D2K
AKG: K340

For the soundcard I was looking at something like the auzentech prelude or x-fi xtremegamer.

Post which headphones do you think suit me most and if they will require an amp. ( if needs amp, suggest an amp also please..not too expensive though )

Thank ye a lot!! <3
Click to expand...

The SA5000 are highly praised when it comes to Techno & Trance.. If gaming is also involved, I'd grab a pair of MDR F1's.. I played the club with these, & man oh man..:eek:
 
InnocentNoobie said:
I've done a lot of reading up on headphones as I've just made an investment in a pair -- So I'm not an expert, but maybe I can help you because I was just in a similar situation:

The Grados don't seem to fit your needs. They are great for rock music. I don't think they are ideal for trance, pop, techno

It's between the Denon D2000s or A900s. Spaceman loves those Denons, but people also love the A900s. Just go with your personal preference.
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I like the wings on the A900s, they look good too, and I heard they're very light and comfortable but sound is more important to me so I guess I'd go with the Denons.

The SA5000 and and MDR-F1s are a bit over my price range. They're $300+.
I found the D2000s for $180 but waiting until cyber monday to get them.
Yes, I will be doing some gaming. Like 80-70% music and 20-30% gaming.
 
im not much of an expert but I'm loving my sennhieser HD515s, especially for the price. Not so much on the mids (a long way from bad but, I donno clarity seems a little off, then again maybe i just need a better equilizer) but it'l go as low as you want it to, and they claim 25,000Hz, but im not a big fan of ear shattering noises, so i havnt tested it up that high.
 
Ultrasone Proline 750... You want closed headphones in your environment. I tried the A900 but even though I have a large head they fit a bit loose and big and bulky and quite heavy. But maybe they just feel heavy because they fit so poorly? Build quality don´t seem very good but well better they fall apart then break I suppose. Also they use what it´s called vinyl so you get sweaty after a while.

But really the Proline 750 is leagues about the DT 770 and A900 I tried before. Not as comfortable as the DT 770 but almost. DT 770 fits perfectly you never realise you wear them :)

If you buy headphones like the 750 it will cost more because you want both a soundcard and amplifier that do it justice... And you will find that you really want great recordings as well. These are studio headphones so they don´t try to change the audio so to speak to make lesser recordings more enjoyable. If that is important there is the Proline 650 for example.

But really I use them for movies, music, games it´s the end of the road for me regarding headphones. Though must say I am intrigued by their 1500$ top of the line but I will never go that crazy.
 
oqvist said:
Ultrasone Proline 750... You want closed headphones in your environment. I tried the A900 but even though I have a large head they fit a bit loose and big and bulky and quite heavy. But maybe they just feel heavy because they fit so poorly? Build quality don´t seem very good but well better they fall apart then break I suppose. Also they use what it´s called vinyl so you get sweaty after a while.

But really the Proline 750 is leagues about the DT 770 and A900 I tried before. Not as comfortable as the DT 770 but almost. DT 770 fits perfectly you never realise you wear them :)

If you buy headphones like the 750 it will cost more because you want both a soundcard and amplifier that do it justice... And you will find that you really want great recordings as well. These are studio headphones so they don´t try to change the audio so to speak to make lesser recordings more enjoyable. If that is important there is the Proline 650 for example.

But really I use them for movies, music, games it´s the end of the road for me regarding headphones. Though must say I am intrigued by their 1500$ top of the line but I will never go that crazy.
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Naw. The 750 is a good one but I would rather have a 900 Pro or even the 780 hifi over it. S-Logic is a love/hate thing. You certainly must use a decent amp with any of these Ultrasones.

The D2000 is just it for the moment. Nothing else does as well with everything as it at this price point.
 
I've heard otherwise about the 770. Heard they are uncomfortable.
 
Alai said:
I've heard otherwise about the 770. Heard they are uncomfortable.
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Naw. Heavy sure. Their velor pads are among the most comfortable in headphones. Now the sound they produce is uncomfortable lol. boom boom BOOOOOOOOM.
 
Man, I wish there was a place where I could try these headphones out..otherwise it's like getting a cat in a box.

There are a lot of split decisions, I should've made a poll or something.

I wonder how comfortable the D2000s are. My head is pretty big, I think. xD
Which headphones are a step above D2000s in sound quality?

I don't know if I asked this already, but would I need an amp for these D2000s and what kind of souncard should I get to accompany the headphones?

Oh, and most of my music is 320kbps CBR or 200+kbps VBR.
 
spaceman said:
Naw. Heavy sure. Their velor pads are among the most comfortable in headphones. Now the sound they produce is uncomfortable lol. boom boom BOOOOOOOOM.
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That can't be good for your ears...

And comfort isn't just in the pads. It's also got to do with the pressure on the head.
 
Apparently they are very comfortable. As for a step up, that depends on the sound quality you like. I would think that Beyerdynamic DT 990 (2005), Sennheiser HD650 and AHG 701 are all a step up. Of course there is Denon AH-D5000 which would be another step up. All of those headphones require an amp and the D2000 are ok without an amp but better with one.
 
AKG 701, in case OP gets confused. I think AKG 701 will be my next set of headphones. :D
 
Gensou said:
I like the wings on the A900s, they look good too, and I heard they're very light and comfortable but sound is more important to me so I guess I'd go with the Denons.

The SA5000 and and MDR-F1s are a bit over my price range. They're $300+.
I found the D2000s for $180 but waiting until cyber monday to get them.
Yes, I will be doing some gaming. Like 80-70% music and 20-30% gaming.
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Thats retail price.. Ebay sells the F1's for around or so. I paid 230 for mine.. Includes shipping.
 
Alai said:
AKG 701, in case OP gets confused. I think AKG 701 will be my next set of headphones. :D[/QUOTE
They sounded great out of my 1,400 set up.. Seriously, probably the most fun I had single ended..A Bada12 mates very well with the AKG 701. But the 701's lack the AKG's house sound and signature mid range..And can sound artifical at times.. The 701's are also very finicky when it comes to amps..Out of my DAC1 the 701's sounded lean, lifeless, shill and boring.
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I searched for Sony MDR-F1s on ebay and there was only 1 result. They cost $260 w/out shipping.
Who thinks the Denon AH-D2000s is the best choice for me, say "aye"?
Time to look for a sound card now.

Btw, thanks a lot guys! You are all very helpful! This community rocks!
 
I have the ATH-900s and the Denon D2000s and I prefer the Denons and I don't even have an amp for them yet.
 
Gensou said:
I searched for Sony MDR-F1s on ebay and there was only 1 result. They cost $260 w/out shipping.
Who thinks the Denon AH-D2000s is the best choice for me, say "aye"?
Time to look for a sound card now.

Btw, thanks a lot guys! You are all very helpful! This community rocks!
Click to expand...
Too bad...They used to sell for 150 on Ebay.
 
Not to highjack, but I'm in the exact same predicament here save differenct music tastes (math rock, beard rock, some R&B). I think I've decided on the Denons D2000s, but am still a bit torn. My budget runs a bit higher at 300-350, so if there is something significantly better out there in that range, I'm all ears.

Now... Any suggestions for OP and myself on a good value/performance amp?
 
harmattan said:
Not to highjack, but I'm in the exact same predicament here save differenct music tastes (math rock, beard rock, some R&B). I think I've decided on the Denons D2000s, but am still a bit torn. My budget runs a bit higher at 300-350, so if there is something significantly better out there in that range, I'm all ears.

Now... Any suggestions for OP and myself on a good value/performance amp?
Click to expand...

Cute Beyond

cute01um8.jpg
 
This is the amp someone at headfi recommended I get to go with my Beyerdynamic DT990 that I ordered just last week. This amp has crossfeed too which is a great option to have because some music is not very pleasant to listen to on headphones without crossfeed.

CORDA ARIETTA $230.00 USD

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/
 
DT 770 is a dream because it fits perfectly on my head. No excessive pressure and not to loose like the A900. The velour pads is great. Really I can´t feel I have weared them after 10 hours of use. Can´t say the same thing of any other headphones I ever tried which I guess is about 15 by now if you count the real cheap ones as well.

Yes you do need an amp to get the full out and even more important a good source but even unamped they walk over everything I have used before. there is no amp in the world that can save either the Dt 770 or A900 in comparison.

As for DT 770 yes they are for bass heads they aren´t neutral for a dime. Compared to the 750s which has even deeper and more powerful bas but at the same time have the treble to match it so they don´t feel bottom heavy unequalized :)

As for S-logic for those that preferr the "speaker type of sound" they generally adapt very quickly. Closed headphones can otherwise feel very cramped. It gives a great room feeling with sound coming from pretty much everywhere which make them awesome for movies and games and for picking out different instruments for classical music. the sad thing is that you get used to it and don´t really notice it much unless you try other headphones for a while... I guess the brain don´t allow it to be fooled for to long :)

I tried to hook them up to PS 3 now. PS 3 is stupid I have to run through HDMI and go through my TV then to my receiver... Stinks pretty hard there I can tell you compared to my PC setup... Have an elite pro as mentioned but sounds good also out of a mere Audigy 2 unamped :)

But first time I listened to brothers in arms with them and got the drums and voice in the front and guitars in the back it was just whats happening :D. That is one other thing that is great with the Proline 750 the excessive burn in time... I had to burn my in for 150h before they stabilized... Then you went through all these changes... In the beginning very bottom heavy, drums sounding metallic, then it start to loosens up... then after a while all sudden they sound crap before they start to sound better again. Fun experience for sure and nice to be in contact with another ultrasone owners experience the same thing. Had a hard time trusting my ears for a while with the metamorphosis these headphones went through. But after 150h listening they stayed the same. Never experienced that with any of my previous headphones. Burn in for some 20h and you where done some hardly need anything at all. Honestly thought it was placebo prior to getting these.

Great voyage but it got expensive since I bought a amp for 350 buck and was seriously close to getting a true audiophile even though I was warned it´s very expensive. I guess Ultrasone is the last company I would be offended getting the lable ultrasone fanboy lol
 
I've had my ATH-A900 for about a week. Sound is quite good, but they don't fit me well. If I turn my head suddenly or look up, they slide out of place easily. I'm thinking about trying the DT880. It'll depend on how good of a price I can find. The Grado phones intrigue me, but I've been told they're not very comfortable.
 
Man, all you guys with the A/AD900 falling off your heads... I guess I have a big head? The AD700 hasn't fallen off my head yet. It stays relatively firm without being too tight like the HARX900 (which isn't tight but puts pressure on the wrong spots for me). And I never considered myself having a big head until now lol.
 
Funny! I thought my head was big, too.

I just ordered a Grado SR 225from J&R. $200 w/free shipping seems like a decent price. Reviews are excellent, so I'll give them a try.
 
I know for sure I have a big head ;). It doesn´t fall off but if you headbang it will on first or second attempt lol.

I have tried some Grados and yes very uncomfortable and I really didn´t like them. Works for rock that´s about it for me. Grados if you look around seem to be very much love or hate headphones no in between lol
 
I ordered a Beyer DT 880, too. I oughtta have a fun Thanksgiving weekend evaluating them against the SR 225. :D
 
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