Headphone Suggestions please! $600 Budget!

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swizznasty89

Audiophyte
Hello All ,
I am newer to these forums and seeking some advice from an experienced audio head. I currently own 2 pairs of headphones the Senheiser HD 280's which were my first budget pair and the DT-770 pro's which I believe I've blown out the left driver. I use a Mayflower 02 Dac/Amp with my current setup. I am not a video/sound editor nor do I mix anything as a profession. I've been seriously into music for as long as I can remember with my family being musicians and me owning a receiver and a JBL speaker set up in the early 2000's. I listen for pure enjoyment but also prefer very detailed listening. I listen to mainly 70's blues rock such as , Zep, Rush, Yes, but also heavily listen to grunge, Alice in chains, STP, punk rock, acoustic indie, to 90's Rap. I am not looking for an over bearing amount of bass but want it to be firm and as accurate to what was intended. Now living in Fairfield county CT I can''t seem to find a place that has an assorted selection of headphones set up to listen. My current budget is around $600 USD more or less. I've been back and forth between the Beyerdynamic DT 1990's and the Sen HD 660's. I know those are very popular suggestions and does not have to be either. My current questions are, Is my Mayflower O2 Dac/amp suffice? And knowing the wide range of music I currently listen to what would be some headphone suggestions and why?
Thank you so much for anyone who took the time to read this and I appreciate any responses!
Thanks,
Ross
 
Truthslayer

Truthslayer

Full Audioholic
Sorry man I wish I could help, but im just not into headphones. Just cant ever get used to having them on my head. But I like your taste in music.
 
Kvn_Walker

Kvn_Walker

Audioholic Field Marshall
I'm not really into headphones anymore either, but, I just recently sold my Sennheiser HD600's (open) and I use a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M50x (closed) for walking. So I do have a little experience.

Your Senns and Beyerdamics were both closed-back so if you like that extra bass punch and isolation, my first advice is don't buy open-back headphones. Every speaker, even the ones you put on your head, has trade-offs. The 600's were so clear it was like plugging the cable directly into my brain... but bass lacked impact, and unless you're alone you get the dreaded "can you turn that down?" :mad: since everyone around you can hear what you're hearing.

The M50x's let me play as loud or as low as I please. They still sound good, but not Sennheiser good. If they ever die I'm going to try a pair of AT's ATH-WS1100iS headphones. Not that the 50's lack for bass, but I like trying new things when the need arises.

They aren't the best sounding cans in the world, but Koss PRO-4AA are loud, powerful, and indestructible. back in the late 90's I had a pair and I abused them in ways you wouldn't believe (had them connected to the SPEAKER terminals of my receiver... apartment neighbors and people outside the window could hear the music when they weren't on my head). They would not die.

Those are a few suggestions based on personal experience. I don't think you need to spend anywhere near $300 to be happy with headphones, much less double that. For me personally, that's the diminishing returns point, where spending more is either for specific features or for incremental SQ increases you may or may not hear. My top piece of advice is buy from somewhere that offers hassle free returns so you can buy-and-try. Amazon's partnership with Kohl's kicks ass for me because I live less than 3 miles from a Kohl's and can return anything hassle-free, 7 days a week.

And also... prepare to spend a huge chunk of your life on r/headphones if you want a million opinions from a million people. :D

As far as your amp goes, well... if that's what blew your other headphones it's safe to say it's up to the task. :oops:
 
MR.MAGOO

MR.MAGOO

Audioholic Field Marshall
I have nearly 20 headphones, and between my AKG-K712Pro (Austria) and my HD-600, it's an easy win for HD-600.
Going higher than that, these are likely good choice:https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-koss-esp-95x-electrostatic-system
At Max budget at $600: https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-hifiman-edition-xx-headphones

My suggestion to get Sennheiser HD600 and put the rest into an index fund :)
Just buy only 11 more and you can listen to a different pair each day of the month! :D
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
People compared 600 and 650 and found 600 more accurate, 650 sounds very well but has it's own sound signature, something I personally rather avoid.
rtings.com scores 650 and 600 same on "Neutral Listening" (ie Critical listening), but scores 660S lower.
DT1990 are better phones and you get two pads for different sound tuning. most reviewers preferred A (analytical) pads for more accurate sound. But how much better it depends.
My suggestion to you is to get both DT1990 and 600 and return the one you like less. DT1990 btw scored higher for comfort, but bear in mind that HD600 comfort will improve as they will break-in with time. I guarantee that.

More reading:


TL;DR: Senn HD 600/650 or DT1990 - you can't go wrong with either of these. It just comes down to what you like more. rtings scores my AGK K712Pro bit higher than HD600, but I disagree with that, but then again my hearing isn't what it used to be before going to rock concerts :)
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
People compared 600 and 650 and found 600 more accurate, 650 sounds very well but has it's own sound signature, something I personally rather avoid.
rtings.com scores 650 and 600 same on "Neutral Listening" (ie Critical listening), but scores 660S lower.
DT1990 are better phones and you get two pads for different sound tuning. most reviewers preferred A (analytical) pads for more accurate sound. But how much better it depends.
My suggestion to you is to get both DT1990 and 600 and return the one you like less. DT1990 btw scored higher for comfort, but bear in mind that HD600 comfort will improve as they will break-in with time. I guarantee that.

More reading:


TL;DR: Senn HD 600/650 or DT1990 - you can't go wrong with either of these. It just comes down to what you like more. rtings scores my AGK K712Pro bit higher than HD600, but I disagree with that, but then again my hearing isn't what it used to be before going to rock concerts :)
Inner Fidelity used to be THE review site for headphone reviews. Then they cut out the measurements, and now they are worthless. That was such a shame. Accurate headphone measurements are very hard to do. Basically you need a head and torso dummy rig, and each headphone type has to be measured differently. Those dummy rigs are very expensive, like five figures. We were looking into doing it, but gave up when we realized that there was no way to get consistently good measurements with anything less then buying a dummy rig.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
Inner Fidelity used to be THE review site for headphone reviews. Then they cut out the measurements, and now they are worthless. That was such a shame. Accurate headphone measurements are very hard to do. Basically you need a head and torso dummy rig, and each headphone type has to be measured differently. Those dummy rigs are very expensive, like five figures. We were looking into doing it, but gave up when we realized that there was no way to get consistently good measurements with anything less then buying a dummy rig.
At least buy one that is good looking for that price!

LOL!
 
John Parks

John Parks

Audioholic Samurai
Sure, "testing headphones"...

A total budget of $600 opens up a realm of possibilities, way too many to go into here. For a while, I was REALLY into headphones and bought at least 20 pair, none coming too near to the $600 mark (maybe $400 at the most). My personal favorite of my (now much smaller) collection is the Philips Fidelio X1 (the X2 is supposed to be even better, but I have not tried it). It is the one I keep going back to and one I will never sell.

All of the 'phones mentioned above are viable and awesome alternatives - it just depends on the user's preferences. For instance, I had the AKG 7xx (Massdrop model) and even though they did sound very nice, they were a little too lean for my tastes and I later sold them. Since @swizznasty89 already has a great DAC/amp in the O2 (this is the NwAvGuy design, I believe) I would suggest, as some have previously, lots and lots of auditions, concentrating on headphone options, and not worrying too much on amplification at this point. I personally do not subscribe to the buy/return model of auditioning and try to do as much as possible at brick 'n mortar establishments (and buy locally if I can!). In any case, this is all about listening pleasure so... Have fun!
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
One key detail on headphone shopping--Long-term comfort is one of the most important factors, and every head is different.

The best headphones in the world become a moot point when you can't stand to wear them for more than 30 minutes!
 
John Parks

John Parks

Audioholic Samurai
Inner Fidelity used to be THE review site for headphone reviews. Then they cut out the measurements, and now they are worthless. That was such a shame. Accurate headphone measurements are very hard to do. Basically you need a head and torso dummy rig, and each headphone type has to be measured differently. Those dummy rigs are very expensive, like five figures. We were looking into doing it, but gave up when we realized that there was no way to get consistently good measurements with anything less then buying a dummy rig.
I agree about IF - it used to be super informative and I really liked Tyll's style. One can see just by the amount of comments (or lack thereof) just how far IF has sunk. Same for AudioStream.
 
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