Which Headphones?

acameron_56 said:
Hey, I have a HDR 40 base, but the cans are broken. Would this base be compatible with the HDR 100 series? kotlt1, what will you be using the headphones for? What kind of music do you listen to?
Click to expand...

hello,

i prefer to listen soft pop, gothic rock :)
 
acameron_56 said:
Hey, just got my RP-21's the other day and I love them! Thanks for the recommendation :D. Anyways I like them too much because now I can't stand my shure E2c's so I need something new for my portable build. Are the K81dj's + little dot micro a good combination for $80, or should I go for either the KSC75 or KSC35's? Any other opinions are always welcome too :)
Click to expand...

I agree, I just got mine the other day, and they are quite wonderful. Best $100 I've spent in a long time. Nice detailed bass, good mids, and good highs. Not shrill like I've heard they have been described. RP-21's rock!
 
I keep hearing about these RP-21's,maybe I should check them out.Like the looks on them if nothing else.
 
I have a modded pair of RP-21s coming to me this week. They have Beyer pleather pads and a 5 1/2 foot Mogami cable. Since I have not heard them and still listed them, I figured that I better try them myself lol.

However, they will be FS soon after. I keep buying and selling so I can keep current.
 
Manny Calavera said:
I keep hearing about these RP-21's,maybe I should check them out.Like the looks on them if nothing else.
Click to expand...

They really are pretty good for the money. Obviously there are going to be more expensive and better setups. But without a proper amp (just connected direct to my Auzentech Prelude) they sound absolutely great. And for me they happen to be pretty comfortable for long term use (so far). Money well spent in my opinion, only $108 from Amazon.
 
Kotlt1, I would recommend saving up a bit and getting the Rp-21's. But if you need them now I would probably recommend the AKG K81dj's...I've yet to hear them, but they are on the way so I can give some more info on them a bit later if you want. I also recommend the KSC75's. You can get them and see how you think they sound. If you don't really like their sound, which would be very surprising, they are only $15 and you can sell them really easy. If you do like them then you can save up for something a bit more high-end and use them in the meantime. Hopefully some of the more professional audiophiles will help you out, because I'm a noob myself. You could also sniff around head-fi, as they have lots of threads by people in a similar situation as yours...the only problem with head-fi is that it kills your wallet :(
 
The RP-21 I just received is making me happy and needs more testing. I do not yet have a way to plug it into my Prelude analogue b/c the cord is too short. However, it has great bass slam and extension up and down. The sound stage is a bit small atm. This might change.

For the moment I can say that these are more fun for music than the AT 700 but not as good for gaming. I have these for tunes and the Koss for gaming. Really good combo imo.
 
Rather than starting my own thread, here's another "which headphones" question.

Budget: $200(-ish, see below)

Use: iPod @ work in a quiet environment (meaning I don't want sound leaking out and bothering other people. NO AMPLIFIER (at least for awhile).

Music: From what I call 'rich' music (eg newer Tool) to 70's (eg Pink Floyd) to some bass-heavy stuff (Massive Attack's Angel) to alternative. I tend to like things with a lot of different sounds going on at the same time. I like a little punch with the bass but certain high bass tones (or maybe low midrange) can bother me from time to time. Crisp highs are desired.

Music quality: Mostly EAC/LAME encoded, some iTunes quality

Type: Circumaurul, and probably open. Whatever has the best sound, really.

The DT880 had great reviews but I can't go that high. I looked on headphonereview.org and their price of $240 was wildly optimistic. They're going for $300, not $240. I could probably swing $240 if that was the final price (after taxes and shipping).

The HD595's looked okay and so did the Audio-Technica ATH-A900s. Aside from that I have no idea. I want to buy something RIGHT NOW so if I don't hear anything I'll probably go with the ATH-A900s.
 
Just hold on and I will find you something. The 900s are cool but they need a pad mod to actually fit right. If you are willing to do a bit of this and that with some scuba tubing they own. I can find a pair of used 880s probably for around $200. Let me ask around.
 
Thanks... used? I *might* do that but I generally don't trust used stuff.

Heh, I see a review from FLECOM on headphonereviews.org - same guy? That was for the DT990s.

I don't get the "ear-cup" thing that Amazon lists. They have DT880s for $229.99 but the 'Pro' is $299.

Oh, and I dunno about modding a $200 set of headphones. I know they're cheap in the overall scheme of things but I definitely don't want to break these. ;)

[edit] Another thing I'm worried about is powering these from an iPod. goodcans says "You might be best staying away from a full sized, "Open" headphone if you've got a mp3 player?" So maybe a smaller (supraaurual) headphone? I'm not sure if I'd like those though.. They don't look comfortable but I suppose they'd be lightweight enough that it wouldn't matter...
 
Sorry to post so much but I'm on a mission to buy these things. Stupid of me to jump into it like this but 1) anything is an improvement over these Sony's I've been using for years, and 2) that's the way I roll. :D

Amazon doesn't list impedance!!! :mad: I think this alone (250 ohms impedance?) will kill the DT880s for me--I can't afford an amp right now.

Actually, before I say that--I'm a newbie but I'm thinking higher impedance = harder to drive and therefore not good with a portable device. Right? Not sure what an iPod can push.

So I think I'm down to these:

Denon AH-D1000S
Sennheiser HD595
Grado SR225
ATH-A900

The Denons are the darkhorse candidate. People seem to like them but they say "not quite enough bass" and "tight around the ears". I have a 7 3/4 hat size so tight = bad.
 
Big Head = AT or RP-21

in light of your other requirements the ATH-AD900 or 700. Made for all head sizes lol.

grado, denon, 595 are all tight to very tight.
 
Went with the denon, and bonus Creative earbuds for working out. Thanks for the help, I'm sure I'll be happy. Now I'll need to start looking at lossless compression which means redoing a couple hundred CDs. Now is the payoff for being anal about keeping them in their cases and not scratching them.
 
added more thoughts on the RP-21. Not a great gaming can but brilliant for bass heavy tunes. I like it better than the Beyer 770/80ohm stock.
 
Well, still no reply as of yet from Mister X. It seems like he quit posting after he got into some argument with Pinipig about NOS tube availability or some such nonsense (for what seems like no reason, but I digress).

So, I think I'll give these Headroom amps a shot. The Micro looks attractive enough, and, assumably, these things are made right in the heart of Montana. Seems like a win-win.

I absolutely can't wait ;)
 
So you don't think the RP-21's are good for gaming? Is it worth the money to get some Koss SB's specifically for gaming over the equations? And 45's recommended over the 40's?
 
acameron_56 said:
So you don't think the RP-21's are good for gaming? Is it worth the money to get some Koss SB's specifically for gaming over the equations? And 45's recommended over the 40's?
Click to expand...

Kinda.

The RP-21s are not good gaming cans b/c they have very little soundstage. Gaming needs more soundstage so that it can sound big room, small room, inside, outside. The RP-21 is like only jearing what is right next to you. They DO really good for music though.

THe SB40 is my favorite Koss atm. It's mic is not the greatest but I like the sound. Plus it is black.
 
I REALLY like the sound of the RP-21 though. I lower the eq a bit here, and raise it a bit there, for smooth results. Very fun bass response and overall nice sound. Not as much music detail as the AD-700 but more fun and bouncy.
 
Ya, I wouldn't dream of getting rid of my RP-21's for music, they are just so enjoyable to listen to. *sigh*, yet another I need to get :(...they'll probly have to wait tho since I want to get a new motherboard first...which will probly won't be soon because I need 50 posts first.
 
Just got the Denons... they're beautiful, I literally have tears in my eyes. I've never had this much clarity.

The Creative earbuds... not so much. They'll be good for mowing the lawn and they sound fine with more acoustical stuff (like Pink Floyd) but they barely push the bass. The stock iPod headphones would be better for working out music (upbeat, heavy stuff like Pantera, Primus and the like.)

Now for my Christmas wish list, how 'bout an amp? How do those work I wonder?

heads off to do some reading

Thanks for the effort spaceman. :cool:
 
Just thought I should mention that I have received my AKG 81dj's today and I am very impressed. I find them perfectly comfortable, though my ears do get hot after some 30 mins of use. I'll post back once they've burnt-in.
 
acameron_56 said:
Just thought I should mention that I have received my AKG 81dj's today and I am very impressed. I find them perfectly comfortable, though my ears do get hot after some 30 mins of use. I'll post back once they've burnt-in.
Click to expand...

How long's the cable on those?
 
Dug around a bit on that Citizen. He published some summaries of his 'studies', but nothing more than that. Frankly, it just seems like marketing.
 
I figured as much. I was waiting to see what someone would reply with on that forum, but it's been almost a day and no one has yet, haha. It's most likely true that many of the headphones used were designed with music/movies in mind, but that doesn't mean that some of them aren't great with sound stage and imaging. I really can't wait to get my X-Fi to really unleash my SB45's :D
 
Citizen86 said:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/best-soundstage-headphones-gaming-300289/index5.html#post3901889

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

my experiences- big open cans are better for gaming. much less fatiguing for your ears over those marathon online matches. my current fave are sennheiser hd565 - described as 'the perfect headphone' by headphonesguru. these are no longer available tho so i would point u toward hd 555 or hd595. (if u find a hd545 or hd565 on ebay i say go for it-they are easily worth the 50-60$ these ebay for) i have also had audio technica ath-ad500 and after a long burn-in they were also fantastic for gaming
closed cans generally drive me nuts for gaming- making my ears feel plugged after a while! that said- the beyerdynamic dt770 with its velour pads is a great gaming headphone and the least fatiguing closed can i have tried
 
hmmm fatigue is not really an issue with the Koss. They image so well that volume can be kept low. I agree that open is optimal in terms of sound stage and comfort(let the ears breathe lol)

However, under $100 the SB40 is the best headphone for gaming that I have tried. Yes I have tried all Senns including their gaming headsets, the 555, 485, 595, 600 and 650.

Now the open AT700 and 900 are great but the best sound stage is the AKG 601 or 701 for dynamic cans and the Stax Lambda series owns everything under the Omega 2 or the 60.
 
I just wish the AD700 padding wasnt whatever they used to make it, because alot of times they annoy my ears. and those things alone makes my ear hot.The thick padding part of it.
 
How are the beyer DT770's for sound stage? I like that everyone says they have so much boom. Does that get in the way of pinpoint sound?
 
I think I've read that the bass can kind of obscure the audio w/ the DT770's (haven't heard them personally though). If you want pinpoint positional then go for some AKG K501 or K701.
 
CountChoculaBot said:
I think I've read that the bass can kind of obscure the audio w/ the DT770's (haven't heard them personally though). If you want pinpoint positional then go for some AKG K501 or K701.
Click to expand...

or 601s really. akg is the best in sound stage.

Stax is better but that is rare and hard to get under $500 nowadays.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top