Looking for best headphones under 200.

[TheNFactor]

So I'm looking for some entry level audiophile grade headphones. I've been looking at the beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 250 ohm's and the monoprice m565 but I know that this community has many audio enthusiasts. I would like to know what other good options there are out there.

 

 

[AmpedUpDad]

14 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

So I'm looking for some entry level audiophile grade headphones. I've been looking at the beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 250 ohm's and the monoprice m565 but I know that this community has many audio enthusiasts. I would like to know what other good options there are out there.

 

 

I am not particularly an "audiophile," but I did want to get myself some "good" headphones after using crappy gaming headsets for the past 15+ years.

 

I opted for the dt 990s and they are AWESOME. Sure, you don't get the whole "noise cancellation" thing, but the sound is great. If it were up to me, I'd get those, but I have never tried the m565s.

[TheNFactor]

4 minutes ago, AmpedUpDad said:

I am not particularly an "audiophile," but I did want to get myself some "good" headphones after using crappy gaming headsets for the past 15+ years.

 

I opted for the dt 990s and they are AWESOME. Sure, you don't get the whole "noise cancellation" thing, but the sound is great. If it were up to me, I'd get those, but I have never tried the m565s.

Yeah those were my top pick going into this. Other sources said the m565 sound better but they are supposedly hot to wear so idk. 

[TVwazhere]

I'd like to throw in the Sennheiser HD6xx and AKG K7XX headphones as well. I haven't owned the K7XX but my HD6XX's are amazing. 

[rice guru]

1 hour ago, TheNFactor said:

So I'm looking for some entry level audiophile grade headphones. I've been looking at the beyerdynamic dt 990 pro 250 ohm's and the monoprice m565 but I know that this community has many audio enthusiasts. I would like to know what other good options there are out there.

 

 

The m565 are apparently not very good and require some modding to be acceptable. 

Some good planar under $200 are the Monolith m560 (benefit from a pad change) , dekoni blue , he 4xx.

For closed backs take a look at the meze 99 noir or the DT 770

 Open backs. HD 58x, and akg k7xx , DT 990 are all very good.

[rice guru]

52 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

I'd like to throw in the Sennheiser HD6xx and AKG K7XX headphones as well. I haven't owned the K7XX but my HD6XX's are amazing. 

The 6xx now cost $220 unfortunately and also basically require a nice amp

[TVwazhere]

3 minutes ago, rice guru said:

The 6xx now cost $220 unfortunately

That's really sad  

[rice guru]

26 minutes ago, Mr. horse said:

If you don't mind rather old headphones and have a good amp I would get the AKG k240 sextett and pair it up with a good equalizer like the Equalizer APO.

They can be had for around 100-150 and top most modem 200$ sets.

I would argue this statement. While the sextetts sound great and are very unique. In a world where fostex t50 mods , massdrop, and Monoprice exist that statement is outdated. But I wouldn't rule out the sextetts if this guy wasn't a beginner and beginners typically don't have a really powerful headphone amp.

[TheNFactor]

46 minutes ago, rice guru said:

The m565 are apparently not very good and require some modding to be acceptable. 

Some good planar under $200 are the Monolith m560 (benefit from a pad change) , dekoni blue , he 4xx.

For closed backs take a look at the meze 99 noir or the DT 770

 Open backs. HD 58x, and akg k7xx , DT 990 are all very good.

Thanks for the advice! 

[TheNFactor]

38 minutes ago, rice guru said:

I would argue this statement. While the sextetts sound great and are very unique. In a world where fostex t50 mods , massdrop, and Monoprice exist that statement is outdated. But I wouldn't rule out the sextetts if this guy wasn't a beginner and beginners typically don't have a really powerful headphone amp.

I'm using the Soundblaster audigy fx soundcard. Will this be a problem? It supposedly can power 600 ohm cans. 

[rice guru]

3 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

I'm using the Soundblaster audigy fx soundcard. Will this be a problem? It supposedly can power 600 ohm cans. 

Impedance doesn't matter my 55 ohm k240 are harder to power than my 150 ohm 58x. The sextetts are notorious for being hard to power and basically require a amp so powerful that your basically powering a small speaker. 

[rice guru]

7 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

Thanks for the advice! 

I also forgot to mention dt880 they are also excellent. Has a much smoother sound signature than the 990

[TheNFactor]

7 hours ago, rice guru said:

I also forgot to mention dt880 they are also excellent. Has a much smoother sound signature than the 990

Yes I've heard this. 

 

 

I was wondering one other thing, what is the difference between the DT 990 pros and premiums? 

[rice guru]

57 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

Yes I've heard this. 

 

 

I was wondering one other thing, what is the difference between the DT 990 pros and premiums? 

The premiums look worse , are more comfortable, and some claim to sound better. 

[TheNFactor]

On 5/2/2019 at 7:34 PM, rice guru said:

The premiums look worse , are more comfortable, and some claim to sound better. 

Thanks for the info! what do you think of the Phillips X2HR and AKG K7xx?

[rice guru]

16 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

Thanks for the info! what do you think of the Phillips X2HR and AKG K7xx?

I like both prefer the phillips for music prefer the 7xx for gaming.

[TheNFactor]

5 minutes ago, rice guru said:

I like both prefer the phillips for music prefer the 7xx for gaming.

and how do they compare to the dt990 pro's?

[rice guru]

10 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

and how do they compare to the dt990 pro's?

the 990 pro have about the same amount of sound stage just the same amount as the 7xx , the phillips are a little less than the other 2. the 7xx and phillips are less sharp and both are a bit more neutral. he 7xx is the most neutral out of he 3, the fidelios I find to be the best to listen to in terms of musicality it's just a really fun headphone. the 990 is a cold, sharp, clinical detail oriented headphone with the best imaging out of the 3, the 7xx is a nice neutral headphone with a nice precise low end, the fidelio is simallar to the 990 in sound signature but rather than clinical and sharp it's smooth and a fun listen. makes hem weaker in gaming but superior in music. if you are considering the 7xx consider the 58x's great starter pair of headphones very smooth I prefer them over the 7xx  for both gaming and music. 

[TheNFactor]

23 hours ago, rice guru said:

the 990 pro have about the same amount of sound stage just the same amount as the 7xx , the phillips are a little less than the other 2. the 7xx and phillips are less sharp and both are a bit more neutral. he 7xx is the most neutral out of he 3, the fidelios I find to be the best to listen to in terms of musicality it's just a really fun headphone. the 990 is a cold, sharp, clinical detail oriented headphone with the best imaging out of the 3, the 7xx is a nice neutral headphone with a nice precise low end, the fidelio is simallar to the 990 in sound signature but rather than clinical and sharp it's smooth and a fun listen. makes hem weaker in gaming but superior in music. if you are considering the 7xx consider the 58x's great starter pair of headphones very smooth I prefer them over the 7xx  for both gaming and music. 

Thanks for that, those all seem like really good options. I think that this will be my last question (no guarantees tho sorry). What do you think of the Sennheiser hd599's? How do they compare to the ones you just talked about?

[rice guru]

45 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

Thanks for that, those all seem like really good options. I think that this will be my last question (no guarantees tho sorry). What do you think of the Sennheiser hd599's? How do they compare to the ones you just talked about?

I think the 599's are pretty good but are a slight  step down in sound quality. but sound si subjective  so you might think they are better.  what I mean to say is if you can afford the 599 grab the 58x or 6xx instead if you want sennheiser cans. to me they sound like a better 598 . I personally am not the biggest fan of the 598 as to me it's a boring set of headphones. 

[zrmaxwell]

Will you be using it with a headphone amplfier / DAC at your computer/laptop? Or are you looking for a portable headphone to use with your smartphone? Do you want a bluetooth headphone or a wired option? On ear, over ear, or in ear?

[rice guru]

1 minute ago, zrmaxwell said:

Will you be using it with a headphone amplfier / DAC at your computer/laptop? Or are you looking for a portable headphone to use with your smartphone? Do you want a bluetooth headphone or a wired option? On ear, over ear, or in ear?

Try reading the rest of the thread it goes over his wants needs and interests in his  headphone upgrade

[TheNFactor]

On 5/6/2019 at 2:42 PM, rice guru said:

 

Pardon my hiatus. What about the hifiman he 4xx. They look a lot different from the he-400i's that I didn't like. What are your thoughts on them? Comparison to the 58x and dt 990 pros? 

[rice guru]

17 minutes ago, TheNFactor said:

Pardon my hiatus. What about the hifiman he 4xx. They look a lot different from the he-400i's that I didn't like. What are your thoughts on them? Comparison to the 58x and dt 990 pros? 

Really good value good been it's a planar for it's price point. Nice deep bass good.mods but the highs are not as detailed as the other 2 in general not as detailed but a fun headphone to listen to

[TheNFactor]

On 5/16/2019 at 8:46 AM, rice guru said:

 

So I've been thinking about getting an amp and dac instead of a sound card. Would the sound blaster e1 be a good entry level one. I was also thinking about getting the fiio ubtr for Bluetooth. Thoughts/suggestions?