So if I were to go from Beats, where to?

[SpatialRender]

A Bit of Background

 

I started out with Sennheisers and used them for about a year and a half. I liked them thoroughly, but my father had gone on this little Beats trip where he was buying a set for nearly every member of the family. I noticed his pattern and advised him not to buy me a pair because I wanted something with versatility. Fast-forward to Christmas and there I am with a set of 2013 studios. Conveniently enough, I accidentally broke my Sennheiser pair. It fell on the floor without me noticing and it was covered by a bed sheet, so I couldn't see it and ended up stepping on it.

 

Main Topic

 

I think my father bought me those Beats anyway because I listened to a lot of rap, but I've been heavily deviating from that for about four years, mainly listening to orchestral music, VGM, Jazz, and other genres that are heavy on live instruments. I really enjoyed my time with the Sennheisers, but instead of buying the same pair from before, I was thinking of getting the HD 598. Would that be suitable for what I listen to or would you suggest something else? I am willing to spend up to $375, but at the same time, I really want a quick getaway from these Beats with its annoying internal battery. I have an appreciation for modest bass and hate it when it overpowers the sounds from other ranges. I'd just like something that allows for sounds to assimilate naturally without giving too much favor toward any one range. I prefer over-ear headphones, but I do not care about whether they're open-back or not. Suggestions?

[Hidden Orange]

Go old school.

 

You could go with a pair of Superlux HD 668B. They're like 35 bucks a pop.

 

I don't know about higher end headphones.

[Sauron]

You could go with a pair of Superlux HD 668B. 

 

Are they actually good? do you have a pair?

 

 

 HD 598. 

 

For what i know those are very good headphones, go for it.

[connorpiper]

Sony Premium Hi-Res Headphones $300 http://store.sony.com/premium-hi-res-stereo-headphones-zid27-MDR1R/cat-27-catid-All-Over-Head-Headphones?_t=pfm%3Dcategory With 4-80,000 Hz frequency response (HD 598 only go from 12-38,500 Hz) Higher than any Sennheiser product and most premium headphones They can even beat the HD 800 at $1200 cheaper!!

 

And thats from the Sony front, I really can't go into Sennheiser models. Just one suggestion, may not be the best. I do though know that this has very high rated feedback. 

They have wireless and noise canceling versions of the Hi-Res model. But the price goes up.

[Lays]

For $375 you have a lot of options.

 

You could get HD650's off ebay or head-fi's classifieds, for around $300 in really really good condition.

One thing about used headphones, usually the more expensive headphones are taken really well care of, and besides maybe paint chips, that's the only noticeable thing wrong with them.  Headbands+ earpads are easily replaced on a lot of more expensive headphones if you're worried about someone else's "cooties"

 

Other options, he-400, maybe used HE-500, SRH 1540 used maybe DT990s, HD600's (or 598), nad viso Hp50. Maybeee AKG k712, although I've heard someone that tried them said they didn't sound any different than k702.

 

 

Do you have a separate budget for an amp+dac? Or is that included in the $375?

[Hidden Orange]

Are they actually good? do you have a pair?

I keep hearing people say it's good especially from Head-Fi. I never owned one since my $20 Sony headphones refuse to die. Seriously, what the hell is this stupid thing made out of? If it dies and my Koss UR-30 conveniently "malfunctions" too, then I could say something. Otherwise, I'll have to repeat what these guys say on the Superlux HD-668B. One thread. Reviews. Head-Fi member review. And something - probably an article - from Headfonia.

[Lays]

q

 

Human hearing only goes from 20-20,000 hz so..................... yeah i'll just leave that there

[ShearMe]

I'd vote for an AKG for the genres OP listed.

 

 

With 4-80,000 Hz frequency response (HD 598 only go from 12-38,500 Hz) Higher than any Sennheiser product and most premium headphones

 

The overall frequency response is what matters, not frequency range.

 

 

I keep hearing people say it's good especially from Head-Fi. I never owned one since my $20 Sony headphones refuse to die. Seriously, what the hell is this stupid thing made out of? If it dies and my Koss UR-30 conveniently "malfunctions" too, then I could say something. Otherwise, I'll have to repeat what these guys say on the Superlux HD-668B. One thread. Reviews. Head-Fi member review. And something - probably an article - from Headfonia.

 

They're good for budget cans, but with OP's budget of $375 he can easily surpass a superlux.

[SpatialRender]

Do you have a separate budget for an amp+dac? Or is that included in the $375?

The budget only covers the headphones. As of now, I'm taking everyone's suggestions of into consideration and will do a ton of research on them in the weeks that follow. I have yet to do any research on a dac, but an amp is out of the question. I can't make room for one.

[Lyons]

Sony Premium Hi-Res Headphones $300 http://store.sony.com/premium-hi-res-stereo-headphones-zid27-MDR1R/cat-27-catid-All-Over-Head-Headphones?_t=pfm%3Dcategory With 4-80,000 Hz frequency response (HD 598 only go from 12-38,500 Hz) Higher than any Sennheiser product and most premium headphones They can even beat the HD 800 at $1200 cheaper!!

0/10

[Andy Rooney]

Hello. First post on the forums.  Pretty baller headphones with that budget.

 

Here's an extensive table of outstanding headphones from Head-Fi.

 

Myself, I enjoy the AKG K701.  I drive it straight out of my Xonar DG.  I've tried various headphone amps in my years: Creek, cmoy, Antique Sound Labs, Singlepower, Lavry -  but I am quite satisfied with my no amp setup, given the soundcard tuning options. 

 

The AKGs are great value, and are strong performers that qualify under your 'open back: OK' criterion.  Most crucially with these phones, the audio on the WAN Show is fine (except for the wonky dynamic range peaks during laughter) while everyone else bitches about how quiet the program is.

 

The tone favours vocals, so is not bass heavy.  The treble is sweet - for better or worse.  Clarity is excellent after the muddy first days break-in. 

 

As always, have a demo if you can, to see what you fancy. Mine are running strong after 5 years.

[Sauron]

-

 

I think he's taking the price into consideration too though, considering the op has almost 400$ of budget there's no real reason to get cheap headphones unless they sound as good as more expensive ones, which these don't seem to. They do look very good for the price though.

[Hidden Orange]

I think he's taking the price into consideration too though, considering the op has almost 400$ of budget there's no real reason to get cheap headphones unless they sound as good as more expensive ones, which these don't seem to. They do look very good for the price though.

I'd rather spend $40 on a set like these and the rest on a GPU, but that's me.

[Lays]

I'd rather spend $40 on a set like these and the rest on a GPU, but that's me.

 

 

Tbh I use my headphones probably more than anything in my setup besides my monitor maybe, so I prefer to splurge most on the items I use most   I don't game as much as I used to when I first built my rig

 

but hey, everybody is different

[NannerBeans]

I don't think the OP should be spending $400 on headphones for his first big jump into it. Maybe go AKG K612 or Beyerdynamic DT770?

[SpatialRender]

I do have a GPU already; no sweat there. After glancing at dacs for a few minutes (where I learned that I do have room for an amp lol), I guess I would set a budget for $250. It's not too high of a priority right now though. I still need to buy other components before the build is completed, and sound would likely be the very first thing I tend to after the build is up and running. Realistically, this would happen about three months from now, so I figured I would get the research portion out of the way ahead of time.

 

There is one more thing that I should have mentioned: I would also prefer the material of the headphones to allow a bit of airflow. I live in southern California and it's hot down here to put it mildly. We've even got a massive drought going on right now on top of the heat.

[Whit3Rav3n]

Sony Premium Hi-Res Headphones $300 http://store.sony.com/premium-hi-res-stereo-headphones-zid27-MDR1R/cat-27-catid-All-Over-Head-Headphones?_t=pfm%3Dcategory With 4-80,000 Hz frequency response (HD 598 only go from 12-38,500 Hz) Higher than any Sennheiser product and most premium headphones They can even beat the HD 800 at $1200 cheaper!!

 

And thats from the Sony front, I really can't go into Sennheiser models. Just one suggestion, may not be the best. I do though know that this has very high rated feedback. 

They have wireless and noise canceling versions of the Hi-Res model. But the price goes up.

It is one thing that frequency range in general is really not a very important spec (frequency response graph is much more important) but sony did not even gave any information about how much -db derivation was allowed. Without this information they can write almost any frequency response range they want. So you can be pretty sure that the sony hi-res won´t beat the hd 800 in overall measurements.

[creatip123]

Sony Premium Hi-Res Headphones $300 http://store.sony.com/premium-hi-res-stereo-headphones-zid27-MDR1R/cat-27-catid-All-Over-Head-Headphones?_t=pfm%3Dcategory With 4-80,000 Hz frequency response (HD 598 only go from 12-38,500 Hz) Higher than any Sennheiser product and most premium headphones They can even beat the HD 800 at $1200 cheaper!!

 

And thats from the Sony front, I really can't go into Sennheiser models. Just one suggestion, may not be the best. I do though know that this has very high rated feedback. 

They have wireless and noise canceling versions of the Hi-Res model. But the price goes up.

 

You do realize those are just quantitative numbers, and says nothing about qualitative/quality right? 

 

It's like the dimension measurement of how big a cake is. Says nothing about how it really tastes. You can have a cake as big as a table, but tastes like crap, then what good will it do?

 

Have you actually tried both of them, the MDR-1R pitted against the HD800? I have. Sounds is a subjective taste, but if you have pitted them against each other, and still think the MDR-1R sounds better than the HD800, then you got a pair of the strangest ears in the planet....

 

MDR-1R sounds good, and I often recommend it for those looking for closed headphones in $300 range. But it got a loooonggggg way to get to the HD800.

[Whit3Rav3n]

Actual measurements of both headphones:

 

Sony MDR-1R

Sennheiser HD 800

Overall no surprises, the HD 800 wins every measurement.

[NannerBeans]

You do realize those are just quantitative numbers, and says nothing about qualitative/quality right? 

 

It's like the dimension measurement of how big a cake is. Says nothing about how it really tastes. You can have a cake as big as a table, but tastes like crap, then what good will it do?

 

Have you actually tried both of them, the MDR-1R pitted against the HD800? I have. Sounds is a subjective taste, but if you have pitted them against each other, and still think the MDR-1R sounds better than the HD800, then you got a pair of the strangest ears in the planet....

 

MDR-1R sounds good, and I often recommend it for those looking for closed headphones in $300 range. But it got a loooonggggg way to get to the HD800.

But moar cakeeeeee!! I'll take the bigger cake

[Jacona]

With that budget you can get the HiFiMan HE-400.

http://www.amazon.com/HiFiMAN-HE400-HiFiMan-HE-400-Headphones/dp/B007ZG32I4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1403913870&sr=1-1

 

A more reasonable choice I guess would be the ATH-M50x or something along that line. 

[ZacDaMan72]

The 598 doesn't have as much bass and IMO doesn't feel as 'punchy' as the 558. The highs are brighter (though not fatiguing) than the 558, though it's still excellent. I do like a punchy, but not overpowering bass. If you want better highs and mids and and able to sacrifice a tad of bass (still more than the 598) you can do the foam mod which you can google.

 

558

- Bassier but not overpowering

- Better looking

- Cheaper

 

598

- Brighter though not fatiguing 

- Tad more comfortable

[SSL]

 

The 598 doesn't have as much bass and IMO doesn't feel as 'punchy' as the 558. The highs are brighter (though not fatiguing) than the 558, though it's still excellent. I do like a punchy, but not overpowering bass. If you want better highs and mids and and able to sacrifice a tad of bass (still more than the 598) you can do the foam mod which you can google.

 

558

- Bassier but not overpowering

- Better looking

- Cheaper

 

598

- Brighter though not fatiguing 

- Tad more comfortable

 

 

wat dus punchy mien

[ZacDaMan72]

wat dus punchy mien

Good, tight bass.

[SSL]

Good, tight bass.

 

what does tight mean

 

sorry 2 bother just trying 2 lern