2012-06-23, 23:58 | Link #121 |
ゴリゴリ!
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
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Hey everyone, so I'd like your experienced opinions here. My AKG K701s were really nice and I loved the sound on them, but the build quality was not fantastic. As such, a small crack appeared in the protection around the wires, and even though I tried to tape it shut, the wires inside have been damaged. Not only that, but the little plastic bits holding together the elastics are broken as well. I don't mistreat my stuff, and this all happened through standard use, so I'm a little disappointed (especially considering how expensive these were!).
So after my upcoming trip I'm planning to get a new pair and would like your opinions on something great around that price range of around $250-300. The music I listen to is a mix of classic rock and J-pop/J-Rock, so having something like "Beats" with emphasis on bass is not something for me (I've tried a pair myself, didn't prefer it). What I'd really like to look into is a pair of Sennheiser over-the-ear headphones for that price. Personally, I would prefer a pair that doesn't leak sound everywhere like the AKGs did, but if the tradeoff for better sound is that it does, then I have no problem with it. Naturally, I'd like something that's comfortable for elongated use, with the best sound possible. Oh, and one other thing. I'd like something that's dedicated to "at home use" as opposed to "studio use". Basically at the least, I'd like the cable to end in an 1/8 3.5mm plug for standard use in a laptop. The AKGs had a big fat adapter that stuck out so far that I actually bumped my leg into it standing up and wrecked my last laptop's audio port. Also, the adapters are flimsy and once they're bent, they're useless. I'd prefer to not use them at all. Thanks for your input. P.S. My guitar amp has a headphone out (1/8 3.5mm out), so a pair that balances sounds for that alongside a standard player would be nice.
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2012-06-24, 00:42 | Link #122 |
Hiding Under Your Bed
Join Date: May 2008
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Ultimately, you need to try a pair of headphones if you're going to spend that kind of money on them, which means you go see what Sennheisers fall into that price range and then either find them at your local retail store to try out, or order through a retailer that lets you return opened items. Maybe Amazon?
That said, there's really only one pair of Sennheisers that falls in your price range worth looking at (the rest are more esoteric models for more niche usage), imo: The HD 598. An excellent pair of headphones, but they definitely have sound leakage, which is something you can't get away from by their very design. It also will require you to use an adapter. If that's a no-go, you're going to have trouble finding a pair of Sennheisers close to your price range. On a possibly unrelated note, I personally dislike the look, but can't deny the sound. Lastly, if you're going to spend a couple hundred dollars on a pair of headphones, I'd suggest buying/using an amp.
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2012-06-24, 03:09 | Link #123 | |
ゴリゴリ!
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
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Quote:
Aside from that, I'll look into a headphone amp (it's about time I got a proper one) and those headphones. Thanks for the tip.
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2012-06-25, 15:27 | Link #125 | |
reading #hikaributts
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Quote:
I have both the akg k701 and sennheiser hd600 at home and they have a very different sound signatures. After having owned a few sennheiser headphones and IEM's i can say that they tend to sound darker and more bassy than most akg headphones. Personally i like the hd600 better though, because it sounds more analytical but it seemed you like the more "fun" akg k701. As for your question about closed or open headphones: what are you going to do with them? Indoor or outdoor usage, studio or just casually in home usage etc. |
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2012-06-25, 19:21 | Link #127 |
reading #hikaributts
Join Date: Feb 2009
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I find the hd600 slightly more analytical because it has a more neutral sound signature and it can present the mids and highs very well (eventhough it has more bass than the akg k701 which little bass, so i can understand why people say that the k701 is more analytical)
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2012-06-26, 21:52 | Link #128 |
ゴリゴリ!
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
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Thanks for the suggestions. Let's say I theoretically had about $400 to work with, what would a good headphone amp+stereo headphone combination be?
Since we're talking theoretically, you could negate all of the things I mentioned before.
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2012-06-30, 17:29 | Link #129 |
Senior Member
Artist
Join Date: Mar 2010
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well if you need a headphone amp, it also depends on what kind of headphone amp you want
check this out http://www.head-fi.org/products/cate...one-amplifiers |
2012-07-06, 13:36 | Link #130 |
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Finland
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I'm using Grado SR-80 with Asus Xonar Essence STX. This combination suppose to be unmatched with high frequency sounds (mostly rock music) until you start to spend like 500 euros or more for audio playback setup. This impression I have got when browsing some audio forums. Those headphones are not designed for comfort, if you use bowl pads because those pads have sound quality priority.
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2012-07-06, 13:53 | Link #131 | |
Senior Member
Artist
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Quote:
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2012-07-18, 14:21 | Link #132 |
ゴリゴリ!
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
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My Sennheiser HD598s arrived in the mail today, and I have to say that it's quite a piece of work. Unlike the K701s that required a good number of hours to break in, these sound top-notch right out of the box. I'd definitely respect that it can get better than this as it goes on as well.
They leak sound sure, but it's about the same as my K701s, which never caused a big problem. These also feel a lot more comfortable than the K701s, in my opinion. They sure as hell don't dig large grooves into my scalp if I wear them for like an hour. I also like how it has a detachable cable, so if what happened to my K701s occurs here, it's a simple matter of getting a new cable- an inexpensive fix. While I'm already very satisfied with the well-rounded sounds, I believe I'll search for a decent headphone amp once my wallet bulks back up a bit. For now, these headphones sound fantastic enough on full volume.
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2012-08-16, 03:51 | Link #133 |
ゴリゴリ!
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
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Finally got a nice Fiio E10 to properly power my new Senns. It certainly powers them heavily, and I can't really handle them on full volume for long. Still, it's nice to have a dial so I can finally have some proper backbone to my songs.
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