headphones Best 170$ Headphones Good With High Frequencies?

[jippa_lippa]

Hello everyone.
This thread is a bit long only to give you as many details as possible to help me; thanks for the patience.

 

I always used rather cheap headphones in my life, specially in the 30-50$ range, but in the recent years i started to get most of my tracks from CDS (so higher quality than mp3s) and bought flacs (like from the hdtracks shop).
I have started developing a taste for decent audio files and my favourite music genres have become progressive rock and classic synthwave music from the 70s.
These genres, unlike pop-dance-club-metal etc, rely more on the dynamic, detail and richness of the sound rather than power and bass (i'm no musician, sorry for using such basic words).

Note that I also started to pretty easily hear the difference between mp3 320 files and better quality ones (such as m4a, flac or Wav).

A month ago i decided to evolve a little and purchase a 100$ headphones.
Unfortunately i don't have any audiophile friends and i wanted to purchase something i could find in stores (for warranty reasons) so i ended up purchasing the "Sennheiser HD 4.30", not professional grade headphones by any means but surely better than super-cheap phones.

 

The phones were a step up from my cheap old ones, both in sound quality and build construction, and i was pleasantly surprised by the bass response; simply put all of my music sounded better.
However most of my music, as described before, has quite rich dynamics and the high frequencies still "crackled" a very little (however much less than with any other phones i used).

For a bit i was satisfied, but with time i noticed the headphones started crackling more and more on the high frequencies, after just a month of use, and the whole thing felt quite strange.
The sound didn't have any inconsistencies in the glitches (like a speaker dropping in and out) typical of a broken cord; it literally feels like they degraded because of the high frequencies i played through them.
I'll give you an example.

This is "The Private Psychedelic Reel", one of my favourite tracks which i usually play each day (mind the fact the youtube video is compressed, my files are flacs).

 

 

The section of the song which starts at 07:25 always crackled a bit with every pair of headphones i have ever owned, but with the latest sennheiser hd 4.30 it worryingly started crackling more and more and more with time (notice i didn't drop the headphones or anything); it literally feels like the phones couldn't handle high frequencies, which show up constantly in the type of music i love, and started degrading a little.

I'm feeling a little bit frustrated by the fact i can't hear high frequencies as good as i want.

 

Considering i live in denmark, where everything is expensive, it would still cost me around 40$ to buy a new decent cord, contact sennheiser and ship the phones for a warranty claim which might not even solve my issue.

So i'm asking the community to help me find a decent 170$ budget headphones which are good with high frequencies; please only suggest models which you know for sure are good in that regard.

To help you help me i'll state the things i need in a pair of headphones and my favourite bands, so that you can make an educated suggestion. (i also listen to to other music, just less frequently).

 

Features:
- Decent sturdiness (doesn't have to be premium materials, as long as the construction is sturdy)
- Decent general response to all the frequencies (while i want to concentrate on high frequencies performance, id' still like some at least decent basses)
- GOOD high frequencies response
- (Optional but much appreciated) Detachable cable for easy replacing.

 

Favourite Music:
- Tangerine Dream (classic 70s Synth)
- Jean Michel Jarre (classic 70s Synth)
- Classic Pink Floyd (1967-1975) (Progressive Rock)
- King Crimson (Progressive Rock)
- Jethro Tull (Progressive Rock)
- The Chemical Brothers (Big Beat - Electro)
- Justice (French Touch - Electro)

 

(The top 4 have the biggest priority).

 

Please suggest me something that can be found easily online, preferably on amazon.de
Budget is still a concern, so if something would be in discount these days the better for me (but not strictly necessary).

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Feel free to ask me for additional details.

 

Btw small off topic:
Could the crackling of the sennheiser hd 4.30 be because of the cable?
Seems very strange, because when a cable is bad the issues are different (usually).
I'm asking before buying because a decent jack cable + adapter would easily cost me about 25$ here.

[Ordinarily_Greater]

HyperX Cloud Stinger

[jippa_lippa]

Just now, Ordinarily_Greater said:

HyperX Cloud Stinger

Thanks.

Care to motivate your decision?

 

Much appreciated

[Ordinarily_Greater]

2 minutes ago, jippa_lippa said:

Thanks.

Care to motivate your decision?

 

Much appreciated

Logitech are good, but I don't know if they make headphones

[Microsoft Master]

Bose qc15 if you can find them unopened.

[Spuriae]

18 minutes ago, jippa_lippa said:

The section of the song which starts at 07:25 always crackled a bit with every pair of headphones i have ever owned, but with the latest sennheiser hd 4.30 it worryingly started crackling more and more and more with time (notice i didn't drop the headphones or anything);it literally feels like the phones couldnt handle high frequencies, which show up constantly in the type of music i love, and started degrading a little.

What if the crackling is actually part of the song and better playback devices are more easily able to reproduce it? I don't have access to an amp right now so I'm not able to test as much as I'd like to tell for sure.

 

If you like high frequencies, take a look at Beyerdynamic; their stuff usually isn't recommended because the highs are too pronounced for most people. DT990's are probably the most treble-cannon-ey headphones you're going to get around $150. Great build quality and comfort, very good bass as well for open-backed headphones.

[shafirpl]

All the headphones i will post here as suggestion is owned by me, except one or two, in that case i will leave a note/

 

I would say stay away from headsets or gaming headphones.

 

If gaming is not a high priority, I would say go for ath m50 or m50x. They are closed back so its not that good for competitive gaming, but a very good overall headphone.

 

Also senheiseir hd 595 or 598 is very good as well, but they are open back so will leak sound a bit.

 

Also take a look at these options

 

Beyerdaynamic dt 990 pro 250 ohms

AKG k7xx mass drop edition

AKG k182 massdrop edition(I donot own them)

Samson sr 850 or equivalent 

 

[elira]

None of my headphones was capable of playing that sound properly, but my speakers can. Maybe the problem is with my amp. I can test it tomorrow with my work setup which has a better amp and better headphones.

 

What I have at home is:

• DAC: Bifrost multibit.
• AMP: Corda Jazz-ff
• HEADPHONES:
  •  Sennheiser HD 6XX
  • Grado sr325is
  • GermanMAESTRO GMP 8.35

[nicobombai]

Denmark? Let me summon a friendly neighbor for you. @Dackzy

He should be able to help you out.

 

Btw, if there are any headphone store where you can try the headphones before purchasing, i would like suggest try K612 pro first, see where it goes from there.

[Dackzy]

OP you could try and find a pair of AKG K550MKII, they are pretty damn good for a closed pair of headphones with good solid highs and a very well controlled bass, but the cups are a bit big so it might be hard for you to get a good seal with them which you need to have to get the good bass response.

If you want something open, then I would look towards the K612's, they don't have a lot of bass, but the bass they have is well controlled and tight.

[jippa_lippa]

Hey thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I'll check the models you suggested.

I'd like to specify that, even though i still play, gaming is not the focus.

 

1 hour ago, Dackzy said:

OP you could try and find a pair of AKG K550MKII, they are pretty damn good for a closed pair of headphones with good solid highs and a very well controlled bass, but the cups are a bit big so it might be hard for you to get a good seal with them which you need to have to get the good bass response.

If you want something open, then I would look towards the K612's, they don't have a lot of bass, but the bass they have is well controlled and tight.

Hey thanks Dackzy.

Do you know any type of store here in denmark which might have some of those models on display?

I know i can buy online, but i'd also like to test the headphones if i can.

Big stores such as "Elgiganten" only have overpriced popular brands like "Beats by Dr.Dre" or cheap philips/sony ones.

Thanks.
 

[jippa_lippa]

28 minutes ago, lw88 said:

Sounds like you're about ready to join mid-fi and buy a pair of sennheisers/akgs/beyerdynamics, but your budget is still on the very low end.

 

Either get a bit more money together, or settle for the fact that what sounds like ambiance on high end headphones will sound like distortion and malfunction on lower end headphones.

I know what you mean but i really can't afford that.

I live alone, struggling with my job and i constantly have to spend for it (mostly software expenses).

I always had cheap headphones so a 150$ model would be (very) good for now; also consider i still don't have a dedicated sound card or specific hardware.

If my job will go decently well i'll consider something in the 300$ mark in the future, alongside a decent sound card.

I'm also planning on going around with my 150$ headphones while i wouldn't feel comfortable going around with a 300$ pair.

[jippa_lippa]

34 minutes ago, lw88 said:

Save to 200eu and get the beyerdynamic dt 880 from amazon.de

 

If you want closed for use at work or some such then the dt 770 are under 150eu.

 

Beyerdynamic have great highs if you're a treble head, which it seems you are. Both will have great highs but if you want a closed pair that is more balanced the dt 150 is more neutral with the typical closed bass bump but ugly as sin.

The DT770 seem quite interesting (despite being treble focused , as i want them, are the bass still ok?)

I see there are different "ohm" models mentioned in the reviews (specifically from 16 to 250 ohms, and i'm ashamed to not know what that means exactly).

Which one would you suggest?

I'd only use them for listening to high quality music files; i'm no sound editor.

Thanks.

 

Although i'm still waiting for additional suggestions.

[zOlid]

8 hours ago, elira said:

None of my headphones was capable of playing that sound properly, but my speakers can. Maybe the problem is with my amp. I can test it tomorrow with my work setup which has a better amp and better headphones.

 

What I have at home is:

• DAC: Bifrost multibit.
• AMP: Corda Jazz-ff
• HEADPHONES:
  •  Sennheiser HD 6XX
  • Grado sr325is
  • GermanMAESTRO GMP 8.35

Had no problem at all to play that properly on my Philips Fidelio x2.

 

I can also recommend them for you if you can go open back.

They are sturdy, have a detachable cable, are comfy as hell, and have a great response all over.

In Sweden atm, you can find them for 120eur on Mediamarkt atm. Not sure what they go for in Denmark.

I like them a lot!

 

[NewBieDavid]

Whatever everyone suggests you can go by it ,

But don't do what the first reply said
HyperX cloud stinger are a gaming headset and has nothing to do with the Headphones your looking for

[Guest]

Tried that song on apple earpods connected to Fiio K1... no problem lol.

Will try it also on HD558 at home connected to SBX G5 and will see..

You have weird taste in music btw, I wouldn't be able to listen to such songs.

[spwath]

4 minutes ago, xH4wK said:

Tried that song on apple earpods connected to Fiio K1... no problem lol.

Will try it also on HD558 at home connected to SBX G5 and will see..

You have weird taste in music btw, I wouldn't be able to listen to such songs.

 weird taste? How is King Crimson, pink Floyd, and Jethro tull weird?

 it's some  of the best (Imo) music

[Guest]

I was refering to the song in the video... of course.

[jippa_lippa]

1 hour ago, zOlid said:

Had no problem at all to play that properly on my Philips Fidelio x2.

 

I can also recommend them for you if you can go open back.

They are sturdy, have a detachable cable, are comfy as hell, and have a great response all over.

In Sweden atm, you can find them for 120eur on Mediamarkt atm. Not sure what they go for in Denmark.

I like them a lot!

 

 

These are available at a tech store here in denmark. I'll surely try them. thanks.

 

49 minutes ago, NewBieDavid said:

Whatever everyone suggests you can go by it ,

But don't do what the first reply said
HyperX cloud stinger are a gaming headset and has nothing to do with the Headphones your looking for

 

I'm not interested in gaming.

I'd game with the headphones i'm buying, but it's not the priority.

 

42 minutes ago, xH4wK said:

Tried that song on apple earpods connected to Fiio K1... no problem lol.

Will try it also on HD558 at home connected to SBX G5 and will see..

You have weird taste in music btw, I wouldn't be able to listen to such songs.

 

Well, diversity of taste is what makes humans interesting

 

35 minutes ago, spwath said:

 weird taste? How is King Crimson, pink Floyd, and Jethro tull weird?

 it's some  of the best (Imo) music

 

We're not here to judge music tastes

 

32 minutes ago, xH4wK said:

I was refering to the song in the video... of course.

 

No problem.

[xtroria]

13 hours ago, jippa_lippa said:

Note that I also started to pretty easily hear the difference between mp3 320 files and better quality ones (such as m4a, flac or Wav).

Okay let's stop there. You either downloaded terrible 320 mp3 files, or it's pure placebo.

 

How much do you care about bass? Are you gonna wear the headphone all the time or just to listen to music? Grado is typically the good brand for a treble rape-fest. A lot of people buy them for rock and classical music.

 

Another option would be DT880. I bought one recently because I need a pair of comfortable headphone despite having HE-400i and it's just nice to listen to such a clean sounding music. The bass goes pretty deep and treble is one of the headphone's strong points

[jippa_lippa]

8 minutes ago, xtroria said:

You either downloaded terrible 320 mp3

That is possible.

[jippa_lippa]

16 minutes ago, xtroria said:

Okay let's stop there. You either downloaded terrible 320 mp3 files, or it's pure placebo.

 

How much do you care about bass? Are you wonna wear the headphone all the time or just to listen to music? Grado is typically the good brand for a treble rape-fest. A lot of people buy them for rock and classical music.

 

Another option would be DT880. I bought one recently because I need a pair of comfortable headphone despite having HE-400i and it's just nice to listen to such a clean sounding music. The bass goes pretty deep and treble is one of the headphone's strong points

I care decently about bass but i'm more focused on treble.

I'd wear the headphones all the time 70% of the time at home and 30% outside.

Main focus: music (i specified the type of music i like in the main post).

 

Hope i answered in enough detail

[zOlid]

15 minutes ago, jippa_lippa said:

I care decently about bass but i'm more focus on treble.

I'd wear the headphones all the time 70% of the time at home and 30% outside.

Main focus: music (i specified the type of music i like in the main post).

 

Hope i answered in enough detail

Philips Fidelio x2 are a bit big for outside use for many. But its personal i guess. 

Its worth to try them at least. Watch the review i posted, and try them. They guy that reviews them have tried A LOT of headphones and he loves em, just like i do.

[Dackzy]

6 hours ago, jippa_lippa said:

Hey thanks Dackzy.

Do you know any type of store here in denmark which might have some of those models on display?

I know i can buy online, but i'd also like to test the headphones if i can.

Big stores such as "Elgiganten" only have overpriced popular brands like "Beats by Dr.Dre" or cheap philips/sony ones.

Thanks.
 

7

well we have 4sound, tapeconnection, hifiklubben, lydspecialisten, ktradio,lydbutik.dk, av-connection and probably many more, but it is rarely that any of them have all of their headphones on display.

20 minutes ago, jippa_lippa said:

I care decently about bass but i'm more focused on treble.

I'd wear the headphones all the time 70% of the time at home and 30% outside.

Main focus: music (i specified the type of music i like in the main post).

 

Hope i answered in enough detail

AKG K550MKII are prob you best bet then

[Dackzy]

5 minutes ago, zOlid said:

Philips Fidelio x2 are a bit big for outside use for many. But its personal i guess. 

Its worth to try them at least. Watch the review i posted, and try them. They guy that reviews them have tried A LOT of headphones and he loves em, just like i do.

he is also a deaf guy that doesn't know what he is talking about. He calls headphones with a 12dB bass boost for neutral and boring. That alone should be all the reason to stop listening to him