Open Back Headphones to try

[C0stanza]

Sorry, I know this is retreading ground here, but I'm looking for a rec on what would be my first pair of open back headphones. I'm working from home a whole lot more now and it looks like I will be for a long time. Currently I spend my whole day wearing Sennheiser HD598cs (no DAC) and honestly I think they sound pretty great. I'm probably always gonna use them when other people are around me but since I'm working by myself so much I figured I'd check out a nice pair of open backs and see what its like to have a nice soundstage.

 

I'm not an audiophile so I don't know if I can adequately describe the sound I'm looking for but I know I'm not a basshead and I have very much enjoyed what my 598cs bring. I don't have an amp but I do have a Scarlett 2i2 (don't know if that can be used as a good amp/dac but I figured I'd mention). Comfort is important to me as I plan to wear these things for 10ish hours or more regularly. My budget is probably around $300 but I'm flexible in either direction. I really just want to get a pair I can use for a long long time without ever thinking of changing. I currently listen to a lot of lofi while I'm working, rock, and some metal. I'm gonna use these headphones for music and gaming on my pc.

 

On my own I was looking at the Drop 6xx (though I think I'd need an amp), Grado sr80e, and the open back 598s that would probably have a lot in common with my current headphones. I wish I could go to a guitar center and just listen to a bunch but that isn't an option cause of corona.

 

Any suggestions or obvious crap I'm missing?

[Tigerleon]

1 minute ago, endyc said:

Sorry, I know this is retreading ground here, but I'm looking for a rec on what would be my first pair of open back headphones. I'm working from home a whole lot more now and it looks like I will be for a long time. Currently I spend my whole day wearing Sennheiser HD598cs (no DAC) and honestly I think they sound pretty great. I'm probably always gonna use them when other people are around me but since I'm working by myself so much I figured I'd check out a nice pair of open backs and see what its like to have a nice soundstage.

 

I'm not an audiophile so I don't know if I can adequately describe the sound I'm looking for but I know I'm not a basshead and I have very much enjoyed what my 598cs bring. I don't have an amp but I do have a Scarlett 2i2 (don't know if that can be used as a good amp/dac but I figured I'd mention). Comfort is important to me as I plan to wear these things for 10ish hours or more regularly. My budget is probably around $300 but I'm flexible in either direction. I really just want to get a pair I can use for a long long time without ever thinking of changing. I currently listen to a lot of lofi while I'm working, rock, and some metal. I'm gonna use these headphones for music and gaming on my pc.

 

On my own I was looking at the Drop 6xx (though I think I'd need an amp), Grado sr80e, and the open back 598s that would probably have a lot in common with my current headphones. I wish I could go to a guitar center and just listen to a bunch but that isn't an option cause of corona.

 

Any suggestions or obvious crap I'm missing?

For gaming, I've heard @rice guru recommending the 58X's instead. Don't exactly know why. They are cheaper too. DT 990 pros are good for gaming. Not sure if you will like them for music because of the treble peaks.

[BobVonBob]

Philips SHP9500, either S or non-S. Most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, and they sound great. Cheap too.

 

Philips also just released the SHP9600 headphones a few weeks ago, but I can't vouch for those.

[geo3]

The AKG K712 are right around your budget and are super comfortable. Of the headphone's I own or have owned those are the ones I can wear the longest by far.

 

I don't have any to compare to but I've heard people say they sound similar to Sennheiser offerings with the exception of a mid range peek. 

[C0stanza]

thanks for the quick responses! Do any of those headphones (58x, K712, SHP9500) require gear I don't currently have? Is the 2i2 alright as an amp for whichever of these has a higher impedance? And is the 58x simililar to the 6xx?

[Tigerleon]

13 minutes ago, endyc said:

thanks for the quick responses! Do any of those headphones (58x, K712, SHP9500) require gear I don't currently have? Is the 2i2 alright as an amp for whichever of these has a higher impedance? And is the 58x simililar to the 6xx?

Yes it will be enough. Maybe you could upgrade in the future.

[rice guru]

59 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

For gaming, I've heard @rice guru recommending the 58X's instead. Don't exactly know why. They are cheaper too. DT 990 pros are good for gaming. Not sure if you will like them for music because of the treble peaks.

The 58x have awesome imaging it's more consistently circular than a 990 which I find to be pretty egg shapeddue to the wider soundstage around the sides. But the 990 is more precise. The 58x is also super easy to drive and yeas much more pleasant generally to listen to. But since the release of the tygrs is generally reccomend those for gaming due to how easy they are to drive and how similar gaming performance is with the 880 and 990

[C0stanza]

9 minutes ago, rice guru said:

The 58x have awesome imaging it's more consistently circular than a 990 which I find to be pretty egg shapeddue to the wider soundstage around the sides. But the 990 is more precise. The 58x is also super easy to drive and yeas much more pleasant generally to listen to. But since the release of the tygrs is generally reccomend those for gaming due to how easy they are to drive and how similar gaming performance is with the 880 and 990

Thanks for taking the time to help! A couple quick questions if you don't mind. Gaming is really secondary to me, I care a lot more about how they'll be just listening throughout the day for long periods of time. Are the 58x still better than the 6xx in those circumstance? Is the force of the 58x clamp gonna be a problem (saw it was about 3X the amount of clamping pressure of my current 598cs)?

[Tigerleon]

51 minutes ago, endyc said:

Thanks for taking the time to help! A couple quick questions if you don't mind. Gaming is really secondary to me, I care a lot more about how they'll be just listening throughout the day for long periods of time. Are the 58x still better than the 6xx in those circumstance? Is the force of the 58x clamp gonna be a problem (saw it was about 3X the amount of clamping pressure of my current 598cs)?

If it is a problem just bend them out a little by like putting the headphones on something larger than your head. 

[C0stanza]

46 minutes ago, Tigerleon said:

If it is a problem just bend them out a little by like putting the headphones on something larger than your head. 

That would definitely work, thanks lol. I'll remember that

[rice guru]

2 hours ago, endyc said:

Thanks for taking the time to help! A couple quick questions if you don't mind. Gaming is really secondary to me, I care a lot more about how they'll be just listening throughout the day for long periods of time. Are the 58x still better than the 6xx in those circumstance? Is the force of the 58x clamp gonna be a problem (saw it was about 3X the amount of clamping pressure of my current 598cs)?

Depends on your future upgrade plans when it comes to your signal chain and the kind of music you listen to. If your into rock,jazz and classical the 6xx is the better headphone and it also scales better with amps and does awesome with tube amps. The 58x on the other hand is easy to drive and due to the treble having more extension and having more bass it does better with more modern music I like it for hip hop particularly more old school -pre 2013 kinda stuff. And r and b. The 58x is actually also good for gaming the 6xx is just kinda meh as it has less soundstage u less ran through a nice set of tubes. But if you were looking for something that scales well I personally prefer the dt880 600ohm to the 6xx cause it has much better detail retention much wider sounding and I like how it sounds a little better over time. I also want to point out the existence of the beyerdynamic tygrs pretty pleasant for most music easy to drive as well.

[C0stanza]

Thanks everyone, after looking at everything I settled on the 58X!