Spec Me New Headphones

[Dicehunter]

I'm on the look out for a set of new cans.

So far I have -

-Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 Ohm's powered by external AMP/DAC

-Corsair Void 7.1 Wireless

Both serve their purpose, The Void for gaming and the Beyers for music, I was actually very surprised to hear how similar the Voids are to the Beyers for gaming but obviously the Beyers blow the Voids out of the water for music and movies.

I'm looking for something new that will be better than both so I can stop switching between headphones/sets and something that actually has a bit more bass, Max budget is £200.

 

[iBeInspire]

Bass you say.

Fidellio x2.

 

[Dicehunter]

Just watched and read a review and it sounds like a good one.

I'll keep looking but that is definitely on my watch list thanks bud

 

[Excalabur50]

What about Sennheiser 598's and above I don't know how much they cost over there but if you start from, I'm sure you can find something great

 

[Dicehunter]

I shall have a look although a friend of mine just messaged me on Facebook asking if I'd want to buy his Phillips Fidelio X1's for £150 which have been worn for less than a day.

I'll have to do some research on both the Sennheiser 598's and the X1's

 

[Dark NighT]

Got me Astro A40 stereo headset a while ago, expensive yes, but i love it.

 

[Dicehunter]

Gonna have to hold off on new headphones for a while, Just got some news which puts me financially in a little pickle ^_^

 

[Wraith]

Honestly dude, I'd stick with the DT990s and the DAC for everything, I know I'll never be going back to "gaming" headsets no matter how well presented they are or tempting they may look. You have a cracking set up and I honestly see no reason to change anything.

 

[Tolemac]

Dice you haven't got 3 pairs of ears buddy, or have you?

 

[AlienALX]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00Y2EOI94/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My fave cans atm. I've got them on a two stage set up. I'm using a Little Dot MKII for the pre amp (four valves) and a Graham Slee Novo for the amplification because the ohm load for them did not sit well with the MKII (being all valve based it lacks power).

Absolutely the best set of cans I've yet used for bass heavy music. They're planar magnetic, which I would swear makes a difference to how the bass drops. Normally if I wanted lots of bass on another set of cans I get this issue where when the bass hits the volume drops.

Any way, I initially had them with a Little Dot MK1 (valve + trans) and for the money (about £320) it was the best set up I have ever heard.

I still have my Grado RS2E and B&O H6 up on the desk too. I use the Hifiman for anything beat/bass driven (I'm a sucker for an SPL bass test CD ) my Grado for anything live and the H6 for gaming and listening to when my lady is in the room (the others are all open back).

But yeah, Beyer ETC are not what I would call elite tier really. They make some nice cans, but Hifiman are pure headfi. The He400S are a plastic version of a far more expensive set of cans and it shows IMO.

I also believe that (so far) I have not heard one set of headphones that can perfectly nail every kind of music. My Grados are the best set of cans I have ever heard for live recordings and some rock music, but lack any sort of rumble or thump that you need for bass driven music IMO. The B&O H6 are somewhere in the middle, ideal for fast BPM driven music and fast paced techno and the Hifiman are for when I want the bass to really drop but their clarity whilst they do that is something I have never experienced before.

I shall have a look although a friend of mine just messaged me on Facebook asking if I'd want to buy his Phillips Fidelio X1's for £150 which have been worn for less than a day.

I'll have to do some research on both the Sennheiser 598's and the X1's

Unless you listen to a lot of classical music I would be quite careful with the Fidelos. They're very much akin to Grado and whilst they are unmatched at that sort of music I have duly noted that you usually have large cans.

If you want the best hifi experience of your life? get the Fidelos. If they are even half as good as my RS2E then they will be an experience. The soundstage on my Grados is just haunting. However, they're not a jack of all trades and thus when I want to listen to something a bit more chav (born and raised in Brixton, take the boy out etc) or bass driven they don't cut the mustard at all.

Give the Hifiman a go dude. Pair them up with a Little Dot MK1 and you'll have a right laugh.

 

[Dicehunter]

Thanks for the info bud but got some news yesterday that ensures money shall be a little tight for the next few months.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Another vote for the 598's. The best headphones I have ever used. A lot of people say the open backs lack some bass, but I don't notice it with these cans. If you want to go a little cheaper, go with the 518's.

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-518-Headphones-Black/dp/B0042A68R8

They have a little more built in bass punch for gaming, but almost the same great feel of the 598's.

 

[AlienALX]

I've never really liked Sens. The only set I ever bought were a set of wireless RFs about eight years ago and they were awful. The worst cans I've ever had.

However, they are also the only ones I don't have so I might pick a pair of the 600 series up at some point and give them a good audition

 

[Wraith]

I've never really liked Sens. The only set I ever bought were a set of wireless RFs about eight years ago and they were awful. The worst cans I've ever had.

However, they are also the only ones I don't have so I might pick a pair of the 600 series up at some point and give them a good audition

I have the HD518 cans and can honestly say they are the most comfortable I've ever had the pleasure of using 10/10 would recommend, the soft cups and head band, they are light, fit nicely over my bulbous head and remain comfortable for hours. The sound quality is epic but only via DAC, if used through onboard sound they come over as over saturated (too much all at once with no balance).

 

[AlienALX]

I've got a plethora of amps to choose from now, so I should be able to find the perfect combo !

I was poking around on the net the other day and figured I would love to have all three sets on my desk all amped up. I have plenty of sound sources (XFI Tit HD, D2X, U1, Recon3D ETC) but not enough amps. Any way, if you like a bit of fun check this thing out.



You can get it here for a mere thirty pounds delivered via DPD.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/amplifiers-receivers/btech/bt928/bte-techbt928

OK then you take it apart and remove the tone control and a couple of other parts.



Which makes it completely neutral. You can then upgrade it all.

http://forums.techgage.com/showthread.php?t=11909

I have made a new face plate for mine.



And have ordered a few Nichicon gold caps. I still need a couple more so I won't bother until I have them all ready to swap out. Should cost no more than £20 on top of the amp cost so you get a wicked little amp for £50.



Going back to cans? my Grados are hands down the most comfy pair of cans I own (and I own about twenty pairs :O ) They sucked for the first three weeks on the standard cups. The inside metal grill was touching my ears and hurting like feck. I believe it's referred to as "Grado pain". Any way, against all advice I bought these from China for £6. Grado want $50 for them.



I was told they would reduce bass impact, blah blah blah. They didn't of course, and they added extra depth and presence to the sound. They look like this now.



Pretty ridiculous but omg they are comfy. It's down to them being made from mahogany, which weighs absolutely nothing.

 

[iBeInspire]

I shall have a look although a friend of mine just messaged me on Facebook asking if I'd want to buy his Phillips Fidelio X1's for £150 which have been worn for less than a day.

I'll have to do some research on both the Sennheiser 598's and the X1's

The x1's sound very similar to the x2's, that's a good price if they're in good condition.

Be careful with the 598's if bass is what you want, they're a little bass light.

The HE400S's are also great, I've got a set. They really need a pad change to sound good though, the Brainwavz HM5 angled pleather pads work great. But even with those, the bass isn't like basshead levels and the treble/upper midrange on those cans is quite forward so they sound a little bright. Personally I'm a clarity freak so I love them but if you're a basshead you might not enjoy them.