Which headphones and Amp/Dac would you recommend for a basshead?

[Lt.Speirs]

My brothers birthday is coming up so I'd like to surprise him with something special. He mostly listens to Rap and DnB (which is the complete opposite from my musical preferences). He's currently using a pair of vmoda's and a PC as the source. Ideally, I'd like to keep the budget to less than $1300 CAD for the headphones and an AMP/DAC. The headphones should have a pronounced bass but shouldn't skimp on detail/clarity (something he's complained about with his current cans).

 

No biased opinions please.

 

 

[rhyseyness]

 

[Lt.Speirs]

1 minute ago, rhyseyness said:

 

I've seen it, thanks. Still want more opinions though.

[rhyseyness]

Just now, Lt.Speirs said:

I've seen it, thanks. Still want more opinions though.

Ah sorry, wasn't sure if you'd have seen it.

I'm no expert in high end headphones, so afraid I can't help you any more than that

Best of luck.

[seduce_me]

Maybe a used LCD-2 and a Schiit stack if you can stretch it. If not, maybe a TH-X00 and whatever DAC/Amp you prefer.

[Lt.Speirs]

16 minutes ago, seduce_me said:

Maybe a used LCD-2 and a Schiit stack if you can stretch it. If not, maybe a TH-X00 and whatever DAC/Amp you prefer.

I was thinking of going that route but was afraid giving Audeze's QC. It seem their drivers fail quite often from what I gather. It's that or the HD 650's (bass might be lacking?) along with a jot + modi 2 unless someone knows of something better.

Edited June 8, 2017 by Lt.Speirs
typos - way too sleep deprived

[seduce_me]

5 minutes ago, Lt.Speirs said:

I was thinking of going that route but was afraid giving Audeze's QC. It seem their drivers fail quite often from what I gather. It's that or the HD 650's (bass might be lacking?) along with a jot + modi 2 unless someone knows of something better.

HD650 bass is quite prominent and far from lacking.

[Dackzy]

if he is really a basshead then get him a pair of Fostex TH x00 or if you are lucky enough to be able to find some Fostex T50/40/20 mk2 Argon modded then those would also be great for a basshead.

[spwath]

51 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

if he is really a basshead then get him a pair of Fostex TH x00 or if you are lucky enough to be able to find some Fostex T50/40/20 mk2 Argon modded then those would also be great for a basshead.

TH-X00 are quite nice, and bassy. I have a pair at my house right now that I'm about to buy

[Dackzy]

2 minutes ago, spwath said:

TH-X00 are quite nice, and bassy. I have a pair at my house right now that I'm about to buy

yeah I kinda want a pair as my fun headphones and later put the TH 900 drivers in them

[SSL]

57 minutes ago, seduce_me said:

HD650 bass is quite prominent and far from lacking.

 

The HD 650 is more mid to upper bass focused. They also have too much distortion down low. I was listening to the Tron: Legacy soundtrack with them the other day and their bass performance on some tracks is almost comical.

 

I would check out the ZMF Atticus. At $999 US these come in just slightly over your budget, which would not be including an amp and DAC. By all accounts, these have better bass quality and more sub-bass than the TH-X00.

 

The caveat is that you'll want to make sure that these are the right headphone to get because they are built to order. So, no returns and a hefty price tag. All else being equal I believe they probably have less bass than something like a Vmoda or Beats. If your brother is not an audiophile, it may be better to try tracking down true bass monsters like the Sony XB500.

[Lt.Speirs]

Thanks for the informative responses, gents.

 

Take care!