How to enter high end audio market?

[Phinbar]

So I have a £160 ($300) budget and I want to improve my sound setup. I currently use an onboard sound chip and Asus orion headphones (typical gaming headphones, I apologise) so there is a lot of room for improvement! Now would I be wiser buying the objective2 odac (dacs and amps are scarce in the UK) or some new headphones such as the sennheiser hd558, audio technica ath-ad900x and HiFiMAN HE-300? Please leave your opinions below and thanks for bearing with another question from me :-)

[MrSuperb]

gead headphones first

[ShadowCaptain]

So I have a £160 ($300) budget and I want to improve my sound setup. I currently use an onboard sound chip and Asus orion headphones (typical gaming headphones, I apologise) so there is a lot of room for improvement! Now would I be wiser buying the objective2 odac (dacs and amps are scarce in the UK) or some new headphones such as the sennheiser hd558, audio technica ath-ad900x and HiFiMAN HE-300? Please leave your opinions below and thanks for bearing with another question from me :-)

 

NO point buying an amp when you do not have good headphones or speakers to drive!

 

Get some new headphones, I personally am happy with my Sennheiser Momentum on ears, as I use them for music in the house, out the house and for gaming, and with my iPhone. 

 

I am sure somebody has better recommendations as far as specific headphones go, but definately spend your money on headphones. An amp/dac really only make sense if you are powering headphones that need an amp. You should not be spending more on an amp compared the actual sound device

[Toxic Tom]

Get some ATH-M50s, they will sound great with your onboard audio

[JAKEBAB]

God thank you for not saying your going to get a sound card!!!

 

and what the others said get headphones first and headphones depends on what u like and listen to personally i like closed headphones but some people like open its up to you really.

[SSL]

You need to determine what kind of sound you want first. This is generally best informed by your preferences in music, which you should share with us.

[Snazzy]

first get headphones:

 

-decide what kind of sound you want out of your headphones.

  ~~bright, warm, dark, euphoric, open, transparent, bassy, etc.

 

-open or closed?

-look for the types of headphones that have "your sound".

-read stuff about them on Head-Fi, preferably.

-look for local Hifi stores because you'll want to try out some headphones.

 

you're welcome.

[Lays]

If you can find a place near you that has a good return policy, or lending policy, or even a store near you with HiFi headphones try some different headphones until you find what you like most.  That's probably the easiest way to get into audio, "try-before-you-buy" is a good thing.

 

If you find something you like, try and find what kind of "sound signature" it has, that will help you in the future, if you already know you like a "warm sound" it can be easier to find other headphones with similar sound signatures.

[creatip123]

In all honesty, your budget, and all the things you listed, are not really considered 'high-end audio market'.

 

These are some examples of 'high-end audio market' products:

 

- https://www.theaudioworks.co.uk/store/latest-products/manufacturer/dcs/

- http://www.amazon.com/STAX-SR-009-Electrostatic-Earspeakers-Japan/dp/B004W1S0BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401989935&sr=1-1

 

Just trying to broaden your horizon.

 

Having said that, echoing the others, go with a good headphone first. Headphone upgrades offer biggest difference margin in term of sound quality. 

 

I've read that HE-300, being its dynamic driver line, doesn't offer very good bang for bucks. It kinda flop in the market, that they bundle it with their good quality braided cable, even with their amp combo (http://www.head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=194). Hifiman is better known for their planar products. If you wanna go with Hifiman, go with the HE-400, especially if you like warm, darker sounds (dubsteps sound exceptional with this). It's on sale on Amazon, with only $100 more than the HE-300. 

 

Other good things I've tried in that price range:

- Sony MDR-1R, tend to be brighter, and a wide soundstage for a closed back

- Sony XB500/XB700, if you like comfort+big bass

- V-moda M100, kinda like XB500 above, but with less comfort

- HD600, if you can add another $100

[SSL]

first get headphones:

 

-decide what kind of sound you want out of your headphones.

  ~~bright, warm, dark, euphoric, open, transparent, bassy, etc.

 

-open or closed?

-look for the types of headphones that have "your sound".

-read stuff about them on Head-Fi, preferably.

-look for local Hifi stores because you'll want to try out some headphones.

 

you're welcome.

 

How 'bout we leave head-fi out of this.

[Snazzy]

How 'bout we leave head-fi out of this.

what do you have against head-fi?

it's a big commune of audiophiles, a great place to learn lots of stuff about headphones and tech related to headphones.

 

how is it a bad recommendation to read articles from there?

[Phinbar]

wow that's a lot of responses in such a short time!

NO point buying an amp when you do not have good headphones or speakers to drive!

 

Get some new headphones, I personally am happy with my Sennheiser Momentum on ears, as I use them for music in the house, out the house and for gaming, and with my iPhone. 

 

I am sure somebody has better recommendations as far as specific headphones go, but definately spend your money on headphones. An amp/dac really only make sense if you are powering headphones that need an amp. You should not be spending more on an amp compared the actual sound device

OK this is very informative thanks. I was almost dead cert on taking the amp route.

 

first get headphones:

 

-decide what kind of sound you want out of your headphones.

  ~~bright, warm, dark, euphoric, open, transparent, bassy, etc.

 

-open or closed?

-look for the types of headphones that have "your sound".

-read stuff about them on Head-Fi, preferably.

-look for local Hifi stores because you'll want to try out some headphones.

 

you're welcome.

I've been doing my research and looked at Head-Fi a lot. I've never tried open headphones but I could as I am in my own room and don't mind sacrificing some bass. I doubt there are any Head-Fi stores in UK but will look, thanks.

 

In all honesty, your budget, and all the things you listed, are not really considered 'high-end audio market'.

 

These are some examples of 'high-end audio market' products:

 

- https://www.theaudioworks.co.uk/store/latest-products/manufacturer/dcs/

- http://www.amazon.com/STAX-SR-009-Electrostatic-Earspeakers-Japan/dp/B004W1S0BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401989935&sr=1-1

 

Just trying to broaden your horizon.

 

Having said that, echoing the others, go with a good headphone first. Headphone upgrades offer biggest difference margin in term of sound quality. 

 

I've read that HE-300, being its dynamic driver line, doesn't offer very good bang for bucks. It kinda flop in the market, that they bundle it with their good quality braided cable, even with their amp combo (http://www.head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=194). Hifiman is better known for their planar products. If you wanna go with Hifiman, go with the HE-400, especially if you like warm, darker sounds (dubsteps sound exceptional with this). It's on sale on Amazon, with only $100 more than the HE-300. 

 

Other good things I've tried in that price range:

- Sony MDR-1R, tend to be brighter, and a wide soundstage for a closed back

- Sony XB500/XB700, if you like comfort+big bass

- V-moda M100, kinda like XB500 above, but with less comfort

- HD600, if you can add another $100

OK fair enough about the high end thing   . I just meant 'headphones that aren't about gimmicky features/fashion and are from manufacturers that know what they're doing'. The HE-400s sound like my kind of headphones but are out of my budget unfortunately along with the HD600. I will look into the Sony headphones deeper as I had seen them before due to the iconic ear cushions but never knew they had decent audio.

 

 

Thanks for the advice.

[BoredErica]

Are you going to buy used/open box? That really opens up those options for you, and Amazon is pretty good with used sales.

[Phinbar]

yeah I have no problems with used items as long as there are no scratches or anything

[Phinbar]

oh wow nice point, the HE-400s are £180 used

[Phinbar]

Are you going to buy used/open box? That really opens up those options for you, and Amazon is pretty good with used sales.

 

oh wow nice point, the HE-400s are £180 used

[SSL]

what do you have against head-fi?

it's a big commune of audiophiles, a great place to learn lots of stuff about headphones and tech related to headphones.

 

how is it a bad recommendation to read articles from there?

 

Cause I don't like audiophiles, and it's very difficult to separate what little good information there is there from the reams of drivel. Especially for someone new to audio.

[EmoRarity]

Cause I don't like audiophiles, and it's very difficult to separate what little good information there is there from the reams of drivel. Especially for someone new to audio.

but they have to know what they are talking about because they spent lots of money on their set ups.

[ShearMe]

It's okay to read things on Head-Fi as long as you have a big cup of salt by your side.

[BoredErica]

Headfi is still a useful resource. Just need to apply a bit of critical thinking and skepticism. It's one resource among others. But if you know nothing about audio at all, only using Headfi can be a problem.

 

I think the HE400s are a fine deal used. Don't forget Creatip was talking about HE300s not being that great. These are the planar magnetic HE400s. Stepping up your game! 

[creatip123]

 

wow that's a lot of responses in such a short time!

OK this is very informative thanks. I was almost dead cert on taking the amp route.

 

I've been doing my research and looked at Head-Fi a lot. I've never tried open headphones but I could as I am in my own room and don't mind sacrificing some bass. I doubt there are any Head-Fi stores in UK but will look, thanks.

 

OK fair enough about the high end thing   . I just meant 'headphones that aren't about gimmicky features/fashion and are from manufacturers that know what they're doing'. The HE-400s sound like my kind of headphones but are out of my budget unfortunately along with the HD600. I will look into the Sony headphones deeper as I had seen them before due to the iconic ear cushions but never knew they had decent audio.

 

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Ah you're shopping on amazon.co.uk. In amazon.com, HE400 is $299. Mine was originally a store's demo unit, so yeah, got it cheap

 

 

It's okay to read things on Head-Fi as long as you have a big cup of salt by your side.

 

Ummmm....exorcism?

 

Hard to blame head-fi though, because they do got big database of reviews (apart from content quality, etc), and google searches on headphone reviews yields a lot from head-fi. I'm sure there are some gems in the chaos over there?

[BoredErica]

Headfi isn't THAT BAD, lol. Just make sure you step away from the cable section of the forum though. 

[mr moose]

Headfi... Huh,,  if I wanted to read a whole heap of crap from people blinded by their own agendas I would read the transcripts from a sitting of government or the latest Ipcc report.

[BoredErica]

Headfi... Huh,,  if I wanted to read a whole heap of crap from people blinded by their own agendas I would read the transcripts from a sitting of government or the latest Ipcc report.

.......................

 

 

 

No.

[Stefky]

All this Head Fi bashing is absurd - it's a forum with massive daily traffic and has no one unified POV. You'll find people with every point of view on every audio issue there. If you are interested at all in headphone audio, it's one of the forums you should be reading.