What's a good headphone/Amp/DAC combo for a budget audiophile?

[ramencupofjoy]

Current setup:

Bose QuietComfort35s, plugged directly into front panel (I'll still probably use these headphones elsewhere)

ModMic 4 Uni-directional, plugged into back of motherboard. Hopefully I'll still be able to use it.

 

My budget is hopefully at/under $300. I produce music in FL Studio and generally enjoy all kinds of music.

What I'm looking for in a pair of headphones:

Comfortable, and over-the-ear. I can use earbuds, but they screw with my horrid ear canals when I have them in for a long time.

Rich, clear bass. I don't like overpowering bass, but most of the headphones I use seem to not have enough of it.

Good mids. I play around with vocal synthesis.

I don't care much for the highs. As long as they sound good enough I'm ok.

[GER_T4IGA]

What is your environment like? Noisy or quiet?

Do you travel with them?

I like Beyerdynamics. DT 770s could work here but they are a fair bit sibilant on the high end. (personally have 880s)

[ramencupofjoy]

2 minutes ago, GER_T4IGA said:

What is your environment like? Noisy or quiet?

Do you travel with them?

I like Beyerdynamics. DT 770s could work here but they are a fair bit sibilant on the high end. (personally have 880s)

It's pretty quiet, though sometimes I have a window fan on.

I won't be travelling around with this set of cans.

[3 Minute Reviewer]

1 hour ago, ramencupofjoy said:

It's pretty quiet, though sometimes I have a window fan on.

I won't be travelling around with this set of cans.

Schiit Fulla 2 and HD6xx or HD600 - that would be in the $350 to $400 range but that's probably the best all-around "budget" set up you can do.

[ramencupofjoy]

35 minutes ago, kmathieu2220 said:

Schiit Fulla 2 and HD6xx or HD600 - that would be in the $350 to $400 range but that's probably the best all-around "budget" set up you can do.

Thanks!

Also, out of curiosity, what’s the difference between the 6XX and the 600?

[xtroria]

Would go for DT880 over HD600 but I just prefer a bit of analytical sound so it all depends on your preference

[ramencupofjoy]

4 hours ago, xtroria said:

Would go for DT880 over HD600 but I just prefer a bit of analytical sound so it all depends on your preference

In terms of sound and comfort, what are the main differences between the DT880 and HD650s?

[light-v]

13 hours ago, ramencupofjoy said:

Thanks!

Also, out of curiosity, what’s the difference between the 6XX and the 600?

I believe the 6XX is a revised 650 (which I own) the 650 is a bit warmer than the 600. The 6XX is also a bit more travel friendly as it comes with a shorter cable and a 3.5mm jack and I think it is slightly easier to drive (the 650 requires quite a bit of power compared to my DT990 for example) 

[ramencupofjoy]

10 minutes ago, light-v said:

I believe the 6XX is a revised 650 (which I own) the 650 is a bit warmer than the 600. The 6XX is also a bit more travel friendly as it comes with a shorter cable and a 3.5mm jack and I think it is slightly easier to drive (the 650 requires quite a bit of power compared to my DT990 for example) 

Thanks! Also, should I wait for the 660S? They look pretty nice, but I'm not sure if they'll be as budget-friendly as the 6XX.

[light-v]

15 minutes ago, ramencupofjoy said:

Thanks! Also, should I wait for the 660S? They look pretty nice, but I'm not sure if they'll be as budget-friendly as the 6XX.

They are very expensive and I have a feeling that they will sound somewhat similar to the HD 700 which isn't a bad thing but at that price I would probably get planars like the Hifiman HE 400i

[Nimrodor]

HD650/HD6XX (practically the same thing) has the best mids you can get at any price, but the lower bass isn't very clean and extension isn't great. Not sure if the conventional midrange is really what you're looking for with vocaloids; they're quite a bit brighter than real vocals.

 

What headphones have you used that you felt didn't have enough bass?

 

 

[ramencupofjoy]

16 minutes ago, Nimrodor said:

HD650/HD6XX (practically the same thing) has the best mids you can get at any price, but the lower bass isn't very clean and extension isn't great. Not sure if the conventional midrange is really what you're looking for with vocaloids; they're quite a bit brighter than real vocals.

 

What headphones have you used that you felt didn't have enough bass?

 

 

Bose QuietComfort 35, in wired mode.

[xtroria]

1 hour ago, ramencupofjoy said:

Bose QuietComfort 35, in wired mode.

Did you turn on the headphone first? Because that headphone is meant to be used with the power turned on and ANC on.

[ramencupofjoy]

6 minutes ago, xtroria said:

Did you turn on the headphone first? Because that headphone is meant to be used with the power turned on and ANC on.

I know. But even turned on it's a little lacking.

[light-v]

1 hour ago, ramencupofjoy said:

Bose QuietComfort 35, in wired mode.

They are pretty mediocre in passive mode. They have software tuning that make them sound actually okay but they need to be powered on (active noise cancelling)

 

Edit: but even then they are not that great for the price, you pay for the ANC mostly