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

[ZacDaMan72]

Controlled bass. Do you have speakers with a subwoofer?

 

what does tight mean

 

sorry 2 bother just trying 2 

[SSL]

Controlled bass. Do you have speakers with a subwoofer?

 

Nope, no sub.

[ZacDaMan72]

Oh, if you did, I'd tell you to put it on max, use very bassy EQs and play music at high volumes. That is NOT controlled bass.

[ZacDaMan72]

oh, WHISKERS

[SSL]

Oh, if you did, I'd tell you to put it on max, use very bassy EQs and play music at high volumes. That is NOT controlled bass.

 

So, are you saying that the 598 has loose, uncontrolled bass? Or just more so than the 558?

[ZacDaMan72]

No, I was describing bad bass. That's that Sennheisers don't have. Anyway, 558 has more of a punch, with the 598 lacking but the bass is a tad more controlled but there's less bass IMO.

[Sauron]

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

 

Me too, but the op wanted headphones so we should suggest him headphones ^^

[mr moose]

From beats with a budget of $400 I'd say:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtKADQnjQmc

[Valhallatier]

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.

only if you're a dolphin

[mr moose]

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 don't work for sony by any chance?  If so, go and ask the engineers what they propose is the benefit of the 60Khz above 20Khz is?

[creatip123]

You don't work for sony by any chance?  If so, go and ask the engineers what they propose is the benefit of the 60Khz above 20Khz is?

They're the perfect headphone for your beloved pet dogs, bats, and dolphins, of course....

[Lays]

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. 

 

http://www.razordogaudio.com/products/hifiman-he-400-planar-driver-over-the-ear-headphone-1

 

even cheaper

[flibberdipper]

I would start with something like Sennheiser HD 280's, then go from there.

[BenD]

i'm a sennheiser fanboy, so just buy the most expensive one you can afford and you probarly are safe. However if you are spending that much on a headphone, go to a store where they have a lot of them & you can actually test them, because it's a big risk and at that pricepoint they tend to have some specfic sounds signatures to it.

I'll say you are good with sennheiser, but test before you spend 400

[BoredErica]

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. I do though know that this has very high rated feedback. 

 

You judge headphones based on how high pitched and low pitched the sound can go outside of the hearing range? And then you say they "Beat HD800s" in one line with no further info? And then you say you don't really know much about Sennheiser phones, yet you're willing to say these are "better" than HD800s? Since when were Amazon or Sony reviews reliable? Have you even tried the HD800s? Do you even know anything about it?

 

What are you smoking?

[creatip123]

 

 

What are you smoking?

 

Wrong line. If it were me, I'd have said, 'whatever you're smoking, I want some....'

[BoredErica]

 

Wrong line. If it were me, I'd have said, 'whatever you're smoking, I want some....' 

 

I don't smoke, soo...  :unsure:

[Valhallatier]

You judge headphones based on how high pitched and low pitched the sound can go outside of the hearing range? And then you say they "Beat HD800s" in one line with no further info? And then you say you don't really know much about Sennheiser phones, yet you're willing to say these are "better" than HD800s? Since when were Amazon or Sony reviews reliable? Have you even tried the HD800s? Do you even know anything about it?

 

What are you smoking?

no need for rustling jimmies

 

[SpatialRender]

Alright, so I let this topic sit for a bit and looked around as the suggestions came in. Thus far, I have these in my sights:

 

HD 600

 

- Really love the looks.

- I like the deep ear cups and the material they're made out of. I could use these for hours even during the hot days I have in So.Cal.

- From the way that the sound signature was described, it sounds like exactly what I would want for the genres I mainly listen to.

 

HE-400

 

- I like the looks, and especially the color choice.

- Again, the ear cups aren't made of pleather or the like, so I could easily wear them for hours.

- From the way the sound signature was described, this is also a good fit for what I listen to.

- They're priced at a pretty nice sweet spot at the moment, considering the budget.

 

AKG K701 (or K702)

 

- Not sure on how to feel about the headband, but just about anything will be a step up from how the Beats fit on me.

- Scores points for material used for the ear pads.

- Sound signature looks to also be a match, especially considering that the violin is one of my favorite instruments.

 

HD 598 (or 558)

 

- Not a big fan of the color scheme, but it's not a big deal, plus it uses material that I like.

- Price point is at a nice sweet spot.

- According to the sound quality's description in this thread and other sources, they seem as if they would be spot-on with my preferences.

 

HD 650

 

- Pretty much in the same boat as the HD 600.

 

Beyerdynamic DT770

 

- I like the rigidity of the build, color, and choice of material.

- Pretty awesome price at the moment.

- Based on the sound's description, I suspect that the bass will be more prominent than I prefer, but it's not like I've heard it for myself. This one is still very high on my priorities list.

- The cord is way too long for my normal listening setting and purpose, but that's nothing a twist tie can't fix.

 

 

 

They're not listed in order of importance, but these are what I will be looking at. I can only think of one or two music stores nearby that might have something for me to demo for myself. And by nearby, I mean 30 minutes away. I'll make an effort in the future to try testing these before I buy, otherwise I'll probably stick with Sennheiser since I trust them with my ears. If not, I will buy one of the cheaper sets listed and invest the rest in a dac. Thank you guys for the recommendations, and I'll still hang around here in case more mentions come up later.