is it correct that of this ones, the sony is the only open headphone?:
Sennheiser HD580 practically same sound as HD600, just a cheaper
looks/feel
Sennheiser HD600
Beyer Dynamic DT250 (80ohm/250ohm, the former is easier to drive without a
proper headphone amp and is the model i went for to be driven by ipods and
the like)
Sony SA5000 (or their cheaper siblings the SA1000, SA3000)
Beyer Dynamic DT770 80ohm
is any of your reviewd hp other than the sony a open hp?
thanks
rb
On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 21:36:48 +0100, rb <rb@c67.org> wrote:
quoted 9 lines hi
>
> hi
> im about to invest in some headphones.
> which can you recommend best for a super clear autechre sound, they
> also should be extremly comfortable and if possible open.
> im willing to pay maximum 400 euro, better 300 or less.
>
> thanks
> rb
Quite simply you must hang out at www.headfi.org and find out more about
headphones, possibly even get a good deal on a 2nd hand pair..
The other suggestions by everyone are all fair.. I'm a bit of a headphone
nut so i'll list all mine that i currently own
Sennheiser HD600:
My original hifi headphone, and still in use 4 years later.. similar
to the 580.. its been superseeded by the 650 which i've not heard but a lot
of people like.. the 650 is a lot more money though and the 580/600s are a
bargain compared. Its a very very comfortable headphone, and sounds great
with electronica. You really want to get it amped semi-decently to get a
nice powerful bass.
Beyer Dynamic DT250 (80 ohm, or 250 ohm models)
These are quite simply the perfect headphone for use at work..
they're pro spec so can be rebuilt from available parts, but importantly are
built to survive anything. They're isolating headphones, and are a bit dark
sounding.. this is nice as you get an inky backdrop for your music to
present to you.. consider the noise of your environment, isolating cans are
a real bonus.. open cans do sound nice, but you will hear your computer fans
over the top of the music all the time, it masks tiny details, or forces you
to go louder - damaging your ears long term.
Etymotic ER-4P/S
In ear monitors from the states.. i dont use these much at the
moment..
if you do any long haul flights these or similar models by shure etc would
be a godsend. These are very very detailed and natural headphones.. they
offer mid 20db isolation which means music again appears from silent
depths.. Their soundstage is really in the head.. sometimes it works nice,
sometimes not compared to the bigger soundstages of the others in this
selection. Their bass is arkward to find, and though tuneful and correct it
always seems to sound slight compared with what you're used to.
Electronica loves the bass, so its sometimes not the best can for the job.
Sony SA5000
These are indeed wonderful headphones.. very very detailed.. this
can
sometimes be a curse though.. they're bright.. a lot of energy in the
higher frequencies.. they can sometimes set ceilings on your listening
volumes in a lot of tracks cause its literally too painful to go any
louder.. I loved them for a while, but have not listened to them a lot of
late as i've brought newer models.. They certainly have an affinity with
electronica with their details.. their bass whilst slightly slight
relative to the bloomyness of some, is tuneful and right down to fairly
low frequencies. Comfort is good, but still not as good as Sennheiser
HD600s or similar.. also all their parts are non-replacable, compared to
the Sennheisers allowing you to replace the leads etc when they get
damaged (i've had to do this 2-3 times over 4 years, but they have been my
main phone that gets a lot of abuse with casual listening)
AKG K1000
These are the most unique kind of headphone you'll find.. they are
actually ear speakers and they pivot away from the ear by amounts set by
the listener.. with this you get binuaral feedback where your left ear
hears the right channels signal and vice versa.. this leads them to have a
great out of head soundstage that just blows your mind with electronica..
They require driving from speaker outputs of an amp, and they make you
look a bit of a fool, but they are really special cans.. ones that i've
neglected recently as i've had newer cans take up my time, but a recent
relisten proves that they are one of the best headphones for electronica,
and so will always stay in my collection. THe only real negative is from
their unique design their bass rolls off at about 35hz or so... i expected
to hear bass-lightness when i first heard them, but nothing but.. they are
a flat line can response in all the frequency range they provide, their
bass is excellent.. better than the SA5000 for the frequencies they
handle.. also being powered by muscular speaker amps you have a palpable
feeling of the sound as the diaphragms really move air.
I've got some pictures of these headphones here
http://jimtreats.com/k1000/
Sennheiser HE60
These are known as the baby orpheus headphone and are Sennheisers
top of
the range electrostatic headphone next to their £10,000 signature Orpheus
system they released. Now discontinued, so hard to find.. but they have a
wonderful sound.. I've not been listening to them for the last week or so,
but i should be getting an adapter to be able to listen again with my new
amp any day now.. They are light as anything, electrostatic design helps
on that.. no magnet.. Headband and comfort like a HD600 but their pads are
much thicker so they rest off your ear more.. one of the most comfortable
headphones you can wear.. their sound is superb.. electrostatics are just
natural.. its a funny thing, but they are just so easily listened to..
really excellent details.. above SA5000 even, without being as shouty at
the top end.. these kind of cans really drink in natural details and so
its in voices, and live recorded instruments where you really start to
hear these things like they are in the room with you.. violins and string
instruments in particular (Max Richter for example) sound out of this
world!!! Electrostatics bass isn't as forceful as dynamic cans, but the
bass on the HE60s is really really good. perfectly tuneful and natural,
and going deep... I'll be interested to compare them to my most recent
can, as soon as the adapter arrives
Stax Omega II
These are the current top of the line Stax electrostatic headphone..
I
had the opportunity to get them at a good price saving over their normal
£1700 price tag, and had to do it.. Stax have just gone to town with this
can, and for one targetted bass response of electrostats.. the Omega IIs
go down to 5hz and up to 40khz, in a near straight line fashion.. they are
sometimes described as a bit dark, with a bias to the bass end.. but then
again so are HD600s and its a sound that i love, and know works with
electronica well.. I've not really discerned that as a problem, but as
hoped they really are great cans (as they should be for their ridiculous
price) .. they'll play with anything.. details above the HE60 perhaps
(will get chance to try and compare when i can drive them simultaneously
off the same amp), great bass, amazing depth to soundstage.. tracks i'd
listened to for ages with all these cans all of a sudden had a layering
going away from the head like i'd never heard before.. at the same time,
the soundstage isn't THAT big, it stays close to the head but in a really
detailed way.. panning from left to right doesn't exhibit any of the left,
centre, right blobs that headphone listening can sometimes do.. its a
smooth path from side to side.. they're also really fast so glitch is just
etched out with razor sharpness.. all in a package that has that
effortless electrostatic listenability that none of the other dynamic cans
i've heard have when offering high amounts of detail across the frequency
range.
Pics of these are available here, with their energiser to power them.
http://jimtreats.com/omegaII/new/
Beyer Dynamic DT770 (modded into Darth Beyers)
These are the most recent headphone i've brought that i've still not
recieved.. yes i'm insane, and have too many of the damn things but after
a few pairs it becomes quite addictive, and they don't take up too much
room!! :) ANyways all the other cans mentioned apart from my work ones and
those Etymotic ones are open.. background sounds are a real issue, such
that i usually turn off all PCs and listen in silence.. these DT770s are
closed like their DT250 brothers i describe above.. they are supposed to
have the most bass of any headphone.. apart from perhaps the grado PS1s,
limited edition £2000 from Germany only.. anyways i had to give them a
go.. bass being such a driving force in some electronica, i'm hopeful that
they'll be a great can for some situations.. one being able to listen over
air conditioning in peace. I also watch dvds with headphones and again
they'll be ideal for that with bass to be like a sub for explosions, and
isolation remove the noise of fans etc.
I've gone and got myself a modded pair though whose cups have been
rebuilt in wood.. at the same time a recabling is done to make them longer
and different leads, which is supposed to balance them out a bit, and
perhaps enhance bass that last step.
These DT770's could be a possible solution for you.
Anyways enough.. i'd seriously recommend spending some money on a pair of
headphones and enjoying the unique perspective they give you on music..
its something very rewarding for a lot of electronica, letting you really
zoom in and move between the layers..
In your budget I'd suggest you consider
Sennheiser HD580 practically same sound as HD600, just a cheaper
looks/feel
Sennheiser HD600
Beyer Dynamic DT250 (80ohm/250ohm, the former is easier to drive without a
proper headphone amp and is the model i went for to be driven by ipods and
the like)
Sony SA5000 (or their cheaper siblings the SA1000, SA3000)
Beyer Dynamic DT770 80ohm
Grado's are options.. that's the last manufacturer i've got to look at..
the thing with grado's is that they dont really have a soundstage so to
speak, they're rock phones designed to get you sat next to the singer at
his mic, rather than cans with soundstage that portray it as if you are
sitting in the audience however many rows back (depending on their style
of soundstage) ... for electronica don't discount soundstage it plays a
BIG role in what i enjoy about it.. in your budget the HD580/600 are
probably the ones to go for.. after i've heard my new DT770s i may be able
to suggest them as well (they're supposed to have a good soundstage,
making them excellent gaming headphones as well)
Good luck, do check out headfi its a great community and there is lots to
learn.
I'm going to go and listen to something tonight before sleeping, what to
choose tho :)
Regards
Jim
ps. once you've got some headphones, be sure to check out some binaural
recordings.. I've got a load of mine online here
http://binaural.jimtreats.com/ listen to them with headphones and be
amazed at their 3d qualities, whatever the headphone.. its an effect that
improves with quality of cans, but still works really well.. even with in
ear buds (in fact they're almost ideal as the ear wont effect the sound
any further which is crucial in making the effect as realistic as possible)
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