$200-$300 Excellent Soundstage Headphone Suggestions

[Artemiis]

Title pretty much sums it up, I'm looking for some suggestions for either an open or closed headphone around $200-300. I've read the sticky "The Audio Board's Recommended Gear" but the small descriptions aren't very much to go on and honestly there's a lot of suggestions there and I've started to go through them but trying to get a good sample size (10-15+) of reviews for 50+ headphones is a bit overwhelming with so many contradicting reviews out there and with everyone with their own tastes. I don't have a ton of experience and definitely wouldn't call myself an "audiophile"  more like a tech-enthusiast who appreciates good audio, so I'm hoping some more experienced audio-enthusiasts can help guide me towards some of their favorite suggestions from their own experiences.

 

Here's some info to go on for starts though; First off I'm not sure if I want open or closed back headphones, I live in a bachelor with my partner and I don't want to bother her too much while I'm on my computer so I'm wondering how loud open headphones are as I've never actually owned a pair? Does it sound as if I'm just playing music/games/media on speakers to others in the room? Because if its going to sound that loud I probably can't go with something like that and might as well play it on my speakers to begin with.. Also if I play games on open headphones will people I'm talking to on my mic hear the background noise from my open headphones? Because I'll be using these headphones mostly for casual music listening and gaming (I have an Antlion mod mic already so no worries there). I'd prefer neutral to warm headphones and more lush and rich sounding rather than bright although I don't want basshead headphones muddying up things, I'd also rather not sacrifice mids as my current daily drivers, audio-technica ath-m50x's, are V-shaped not to mention have absolutely no soundstage.. So basically I'm asking for suggestions in finding something that sounds lush and full of body with good soundstage and imaging.

 

 

[MJ...]

Open back headphones aren't that loud but still canannoy people around you...You will also hear all the stuff going on around you so I would definetlt reccomend closed back headphones if you are not living alone. I will come back to you later with some suggestions

[astrosheen]

Going with the 1000x would put you around $300. I know this video is for the 900x but things will only get better

Your partner would not hear you playing music etc in another room unless you have full volume and they were intentionally listening for it.

But in the same room yes they will hear what you hear only quiter

Mic pickup will depend on the mic I use a mod mic and at full volume I have never had it picked up by my mic

 

EDIT: oh and btw thing things are the most comfortable headphones I've ever tried (you may need to do the hair tie mod depending on your head size)

[MJ...]

I also don't know what you are gaming but if you are an online player that likes csgo and other fps's you really want a surround headphone instead of a classic music headphone. The sound is shitty on surround headphones but it will give you some advantages you will never want to give up again

[Dackzy]

2 minutes ago, MJ... said:

I also don't know what you are gaming but if you are an online player that likes csgo and other fps's you really want a surround headphone instead of a classic music headphone. The sound is shitty on surround headphones but it will give you some advantages you will never want to give up again

NO it will not, a big soundstage is way way way better than shitty fake surround sound you can get and the few real ones are not synced up perfectly and the drivers are way to close to each other to give real surround.

 

OP some closed headphones with a good soundstage would be the K553, some open headphones with a insane soundstage would be the K612, K712 and the AD series

[astrosheen]

3 minutes ago, MJ... said:

I also don't know what you are gaming but if you are an online player that likes csgo and other fps's you really want a surround headphone instead of a classic music headphone. The sound is shitty on surround headphones but it will give you some advantages you will never want to give up again

IMO surround sound headsets are a gimmick. If a game has a half decent sound engine then almost any headphones will be able to reproduce sound in a way that helps you determine where it is coming from. Open back headphones will do a better job than closed back though.   

[MJ...]

4 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

NO it will not, a big soundstage is way way way better than shitty fake surround sound you can get and the few real ones are not synced up perfectly and the drivers are way to close to each other to give real surround.

 

OP some closed headphones with a good soundstage would be the K553, some open headphones with a insane soundstage would be the K612, K712 and the AD series

Was going to propose the k712pro's too haha! They are at 270$ on amazon right now!

I have used a lot of headphones for csgo and I am sorry to say this but I never met a classic headphone that told me where the enemy was coming from as good as the surround headphones from logitech or tritton did. The sound is shitty af but at least they manage to give you info no other headphone can

[Artemiis]

4 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

 

OP some closed headphones with a good soundstage would be the K553, some open headphones with a insane soundstage would be the K612, K712 and the AD series

Would you suggest the Massdrop x AKG K7XX? According to this guys review "http://www.head-fi.org/t/752994/my-akg-comparison-k7xx-k712-65th-annies-and-the-rest-to-stop-this-confusion" he compares the K7XX to the 65th Annie Edition.

 

10 minutes ago, astrosheen said:

Going with the 1000x would put you around $300. I know this video is for the 900x but things will only get better

Your partner would not hear you playing music etc in another room unless you have full volume and they were intentionally listening for it.

But in the same room yes they will hear what you hear only quiter

Mic pickup will depend on the mic I use a mod mic and at full volume I have never had it picked up by my mic

 

EDIT: oh and btw thing things are the most comfortable headphones I've ever tried (you may need to do the hair tie mod depending on your head size)

I looked at these but unfortunately I do live in a bachelor/studio suite and also I have a pretty small head so I have a feeling those wouldn't stay on me..

12 minutes ago, MJ... said:

 

I also don't know what you are gaming but if you are an online player that likes csgo and other fps's you really want a surround headphone instead of a classic music headphone. The sound is shitty on surround headphones but it will give you some advantages you will never want to give up again

 

I tried the whole gimmicky "gamer-style 7.1 surround sound" headphones and absolutely hated them, had the Razer Tiamat 7.1's.. waste of $300 CAD is you ask me -.-'

[astrosheen]

2 minutes ago, Artemiis said:

also I have a pretty small head so I have a feeling those wouldn't stay on me..

this is where the hair tie mod comes in 

[MJ...]

4 minutes ago, Artemiis said:

Would you suggest the Massdrop x AKG K7XX? According to this guys review "http://www.head-fi.org/t/752994/my-akg-comparison-k7xx-k712-65th-annies-and-the-rest-to-stop-this-confusion" he compares the K7XX to the 65th Annie Edition.

 

I looked at these but unfortunately I do live in a bachelor/studio suite and also I have a pretty small head so I have a feeling those wouldn't stay on me..

I tried the whole gimmicky "gamer-style 7.1 surround sound" headphones and absolutely hated them, had the Razer Tiamat 7.1's.. waste of $300 CAD is you ask me -.-'

The akg k7xx sure are great neutral headphones but nothing compared to the k712 (but the price isnt comparable too haha)

Of course if you go razer for sound you will get shit hahaha

[Artemiis]

5 minutes ago, astrosheen said:

this is where the hair tie mod comes in 

Yea I saw that on another review too, I think I'd have to try to find a pair at a local store first to make a decision. I'd be too worried about them possibly not working out without trying them. Also I think I may be leaning more towards closed back as I do live in a bachelor/studio with my partner, but I appreciate the suggestion thank you =)

I have also been eyeing the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro and Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus or Custom Studio, have any of you had any personal experience with this? The  AKG K553 Pro is also on my short-list for now so thank you for that suggestion Dackzy!

[Dackzy]

1 hour ago, Artemiis said:

Would you suggest the Massdrop x AKG K7XX? According to this guys review "http://www.head-fi.org/t/752994/my-akg-comparison-k7xx-k712-65th-annies-and-the-rest-to-stop-this-confusion" he compares the K7XX to the 65th Annie Edition.

 

Yes I would, they have a bit more bass than the k712.

 

1 hour ago, MJ... said:

The akg k7xx sure are great neutral headphones but nothing compared to the k712 (but the price isnt comparable too haha)

Of course if you go razer for sound you will get shit hahaha

the k7xx is a higher model since they are made out from the 65th special edition. You might just like the sound of the 712 more.

 

1 hour ago, MJ... said:

Was going to propose the k712pro's too haha! They are at 270$ on amazon right now!

I have used a lot of headphones for csgo and I am sorry to say this but I never met a classic headphone that told me where the enemy was coming from as good as the surround headphones from logitech or tritton did. The sound is shitty af but at least they manage to give you info no other headphone can

you have not tried the k612 then.

[SSL]

6 hours ago, MJ... said:

The akg k7xx sure are great neutral headphones but nothing compared to the k712 (but the price isnt comparable too haha)

 

They're basically the same headphone with slightly different tuning. The K7XX is an advancement, if anything.

 

Price doesn't equal performance. Don't fall into that trap or I'll be annoyed.

[Artemiis]

I was leaning more towards closed-back but now think I'm leaning more towards open-backed.. so hard to make a decision, so many reviews to sort through. There's good reviews for every headphone you guys/gals have mentioned so its hard to choose. I was looking at the akg k533 and the k7xx  but I'm worried about being disappointed with not enough bass as I enjoy many genres of edm.. I don't want a muddied up bass head headphone but from most of the reviews I've read the AKG headphones are light on bass and kind of bright when I think I'd rather something a bit warmer and luscious with full extended body to it.

 

If I went with one of those though would I need as DAC/AMP combo? How much would you suggest spending on one? I can't spend anymore than $300-400 total. If I get open-backed do you guys think it would be too loud in an apartment? I live in a bachelor/studio and usually stay up late so it can't be so loud as if I'm playing music/games on speakers, also wondering if it would soiund just as loud as what I hear to another person in the room? Also I know I asked before but does anybody else have any experience using open-back headphones with a mod mic? I want to know if I'm gaming if the noise from my headphones will be picked up by the mod mic? Thanks guys for helping me with this!

[Dackzy]

1 hour ago, Artemiis said:

I was leaning more towards closed-back but now think I'm leaning more towards open-backed.. so hard to make a decision, so many reviews to sort through. There's good reviews for every headphone you guys/gals have mentioned so its hard to choose. I was looking at the akg k533 and the k7xx  but I'm worried about being disappointed with not enough bass as I enjoy many genres of edm.. I don't want a muddied up bass head headphone but from most of the reviews I've read the AKG headphones are light on bass and kind of bright when I think I'd rather something a bit warmer and luscious with full extended body to it.

 

If I went with one of those though would I need as DAC/AMP combo? How much would you suggest spending on one? I can't spend anymore than $300-400 total. If I get open-backed do you guys think it would be too loud in an apartment? I live in a bachelor/studio and usually stay up late so it can't be so loud as if I'm playing music/games on speakers, also wondering if it would soiund just as loud as what I hear to another person in the room? Also I know I asked before but does anybody else have any experience using open-back headphones with a mod mic? I want to know if I'm gaming if the noise from my headphones will be picked up by the mod mic? Thanks guys for helping me with this!

there ia a difference between muddy bass and light bass, I can tell you that the bass in the k553 is really really tight, like most AKG headphones.I personally love the AKG sound, but I also kinda hate edm. For edm I have seen a lot of people say that the dt990 are really good, the Vmoda m100 with xl pads might also be good, they are basshead headphones, but still have pretty good detail(for what they are). The HIFIMAN HE 400s could also be an option and they are really open, the sound around you get maybe dampen by 1%. You can safely use a modmic with open headphones, as long as you don't have turned them really high up. Read the post in my signature about amps and dacs.

[gilang01]

Sennheiser HD 600 or Audio Technica R70x. They are both comparable in price and sound quality. I have the R70x myself, and they are phenomenal for their price.

[Artemiis]

6 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

there ia a difference between muddy bass and light bass, I can tell you that the bass in the k553 is really really tight, like most AKG headphones.I personally love the AKG sound, but I also kinda hate edm. For edm I have seen a lot of people say that the dt990 are really good, the Vmoda m100 with xl pads might also be good, they are basshead headphones, but still have pretty good detail(for what they are). The HIFIMAN HE 400s could also be an option and they are really open, the sound around you get maybe dampen by 1%. You can safely use a modmic with open headphones, as long as you don't have turned them really high up. Read the post in my signature about amps and dacs.

I think I'm stuck between the AKG K553's or the Massdrop AKG K7XX's .. It's good to hear that they have good bass response and detail though, that alleviates one of my last worries that's holding back my trigger finger. The fact that you say sound is only dampened by about 1% worries me about the K7XX's though because I have super anal neighbors who freak at any noise and I don't live alone either so I don't want to annoy the hell out of my partner.. If I go with the K553's do you think it I will hugely miss out on the sound stage of an open-back? I've seen reviews where people have called the K553 an "open closed-back" because of how expansive the sound stage is in them that it compares to an open-back headphone. The K7XX's cost about $260 CAD + shipping (about $200 USD) wherease the AKG K553's are quite a bit more at $415 CAD ($320 USD). Do you think the price difference is worth it? Also how does the AKG K553 compare to the AKG K550? The K550 is almost $100 less but I can't find a lot of info on the differences when I assume they upgraded it to the K553

[Dackzy]

9 minutes ago, Artemiis said:

I think I'm stuck between the AKG K553's or the Massdrop AKG K7XX's .. It's good to hear that they have good bass response and detail though, that alleviates one of my last worries that's holding back my trigger finger. The fact that you say sound is only dampened by about 1% worries me about the K7XX's though because I have super anal neighbors who freak at any noise and I don't live alone either so I don't want to annoy the hell out of my partner.. If I go with the K553's do you think it I will hugely miss out on the sound stage of an open-back? I've seen reviews where people have called the K553 an "open closed-back" because of how expansive the sound stage is in them that it compares to an open-back headphone. The K7XX's cost about $260 CAD + shipping (about $200 USD) wherease the AKG K553's are quite a bit more at $415 CAD ($320 USD). Do you think the price difference is worth it? Also how does the AKG K553 compare to the AKG K550? The K550 is almost $100 less but I can't find a lot of info on the differences when I assume they upgraded it to the K553

oh it is the he400s with that 1%, the k6xx and k7xx is more about 5-8%. I can go into physics with sound over distance, since that is what my physics exam is about, but let me say it quickly the volume you hear when you have them on and are maybe 5mm away from the driver, is much louder than if you where 1m away from the headphones. If we say the headphones are playing at 70dB, then 1m away if I had to guess without calculating it, I would say that it would be around 35dB maybe less. Well the k553 has a huge soundstage for closed headphones, so they have the same soundstage as some open headphones with a smaller soundstage. The k550 and k553 sound a bit different, but yeah the k553 is kinda a updated and maybe a little upgraded k550. The k7xx is what I like to call warm neutral headphones, because they are neutral'ish, but they are a bit on the warm side.

 

 

 

 

[Artemiis]

34 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

oh it is the he400s with that 1%, the k6xx and k7xx is more about 5-8%. I can go into physics with sound over distance, since that is what my physics exam is about, but let me say it quickly the volume you hear when you have them on and are maybe 5mm away from the driver, is much louder than if you where 1m away from the headphones. If we say the headphones are playing at 70dB, then 1m away if I had to guess without calculating it, I would say that it would be around 35dB maybe less. Well the k553 has a huge soundstage for closed headphones, so they have the same soundstage as some open headphones with a smaller soundstage. The k550 and k553 sound a bit different, but yeah the k553 is kinda a updated and maybe a little upgraded k550. The k7xx is what I like to call warm neutral headphones, because they are neutral'ish, but they are a bit on the warm side.

Ahhh okay, thank you for clarifying and explaining. Okay sorry but 1 more last set of questions; Would you say that the K7XX have a much larger soundstage than the K533's? What do they sound like comparing them to eachother? Which is warmer, more neutral, more bass, etc... ? And regardless of closed/open which would you suggest if you had to pick between just those 2? I only ask this because it is definitely between these 2 and the K7XX's are only on sale for 2 more days so I have to make a quick decision. I originally thought that if I was wearing open-backs that my partner and neighbors would hear the sound coming from them just as loudly as I was, since that's not the case the K7XX's may be a better choice and a lot cheaper right now. Sorry for so many questions by the way, I really do appreciate you taking the time to explain this all to me, I'm sure you'd rather be doing other things than explaining the details of these headphones with an audio-noob lol.

[Dackzy]

1 minute ago, Artemiis said:

Ahhh okay, thank you for clarifying and explaining. Okay sorry but 1 more last set of questions; Would you say that the K7XX have a much larger soundstage than the K533's? What do they sound like comparing them to eachother? Which is warmer, more neutral, more bass, etc... ? And regardless of closed/open which would you suggest if you had to pick between just those 2? I only ask this because it is definitely between these 2 and the K7XX's are only on sale for 2 more days so I have to make a quick decision. I originally thought that if I was wearing open-backs that my partner and neighbors would hear the sound coming from them just as loudly as I was, since that's not the case the K7XX's may be a better choice and a lot cheaper right now. Sorry for so many questions by the way, I really do appreciate you taking the time to explain this all to me, I'm sure you'd rather be doing other things than explaining the details of these headphones with an audio-noob lol.

the k7xx will have a bigger soundstage. From what I remembered from the time I tried them the k7xx is a bit more warm in the sound, bass uuhh that is hard to say from my memory, you can look up frequency response and then look at 500Hz and down and then see what headphones have to most boosted bas. I would get the k7xx, because I love open headphones and the big soundstage they have.

[Artemiis]

6 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

the k7xx will have a bigger soundstage. From what I remembered from the time I tried them the k7xx is a bit more warm in the sound, bass uuhh that is hard to say from my memory, you can look up frequency response and then look at 500Hz and down and then see what headphones have to most boosted bas. I would get the k7xx, because I love open headphones and the big soundstage they have.

Great, thank you so much! I will be going ahead with this purchase then, I'm now going to read your amp + dac recommendation thread. Thanks again for all the help!!