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In Reply to: RE: Looking for New Headphones posted by livinghigh@bellsouth.net on December 06, 2015 at 06:29:09
In general, I would look to classics that are in the "high end" but not necessarily so high priced. My Sennheiser HD600s have beat many supposedly "better" phones here, including the HD800. I'd suggest AKG701, Beyer DT-880, Grado SR325i, etc. Also note that it is very easy to apply digital EQ before processing, if you are using a computer digital setup which is common now. So, you can tweak that easily. Far too much commentary these days is about relatively minor variances in frequency response, which are easily correctable, and little about the characteristics of a headphone which I find are vastly more important. Mostly, I look for a sense of clarity and ease. By "clarity" I don't mean a tipped up treble, or "detail," but a sense of non-confusion in the midrange. "Ease" is a range of related factors which don't really "sound" like anything perceivable, but are experienced as a relaxation and trust. You don't have to fight the sound. Along with both of these factors, I like a lot of tone density, a sense of saturation instead of anything bleached or blanched.
I wish I could say that headphones are actually rather easy to make, and any decent company, like a Beyerdynamic or a Sennheiser, can make a good one for under $400. I wish I could say that there really isn't much meaningful difference beyond this point, except maybe blingy build quality, and some minor differences which are really just differences, not necessarily improvements.Unfortunately, I find that I really do prefer some headphones much more than others, due to certain inherent qualities, not just some FR characteristics that I personally enjoy. Also, I find that others' reviews of headphones are almost worthless. Also, I find that, beyond $300 or so, you don't necessarily get anything better for a higher price. The fact that I like my HD600s (after nearly fifteen years) more than even the HD800s from the same company, by a large margin, and also better than some other options I've had around, makes me think that maybe there is another headphone which I could prefer to the HD600, by a similar margin.
Edits: 01/01/16Follow Ups:
Some good points, thanks. The HE-400S cans came in, and after over 100 hours of breakin they are sounding pretty good - certainly less congested in the midrange than my HD-580's. I did insert a dbx EQ into the headphone loop, and ended up increasing the low end between 2 and 3 db to get them sounding like I'd like them to. With that in mind, I'm now very pleased with these cans, and do plan on ordering the focus earpads next week which might allow me to eliminate the EQ.
Also, as was suggested earlier in this thread, I've ordered a Schiit Audio Valhalla headphone amp to replace my Alpha.
More to come later....
Al
The K-701, HD-600/650, and Grado SR-325 remain (to my ears at least) as some of the best bargains in headphones. When noise isolation is desired, the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 is very listenable and is my choice in "budget hi-end" closed-back headphones. The new HiFiMan HE-400s should probably be included in the budget hi-end category as well, according to many reports.I own recabled K-701, HD-650, and RS-1i headphones, and I consider them to be the indispensable trio for my tastes and listening habits. To my ears, each different pair has a personality that is well-tuned or suited to certain musical genres and/or types of recordings. I use K-701 mostly for jazz, HD-650 mostly for classical, and RS-1i mostly for rock and similar styles. The combined MSRP cost for all three headphones (including Cardas recabling) would be bit over $2000 - about the same amount as a single pair of *upper high-end* headphones. But, I feel that I am truly getting the most for my money this way.
Other people will disagree with the above assessments, of course. And YMMV as well. But this is where it's at, at least for me.
Edits: 01/01/16
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