Choosing a closed back headphones, mid range price

[Gug]

Hello,

I come for your help and advices
I read some post here, some review around the web, mostly here, on diyaudioheaven and youtube headphone show.

So well I'm searching a closed back headphones for music listening and games on my PC, under 1000€, and mostly under 500€.

I mostly listen rocks musics, some jazz, some pop relax musics, some electro.
I appreaciate headphones with good sub and basses but not warmth or dull and with impacts but not too much brillant trebble.
Yes a complicated tradeoff I suppose : how to get drum impact without so much trebble ?

For now I have a sound blaster ZxR as audio device.
I could be ok to buy an external DAC with an intégrantes headphone amplifier around 200€ (with micro inputs for speaker mesurement, something liké Scarlett i2)

For now I have in my list :
- AKG K 371
- DT 700 pro X
- DT 1770
- Austrian Audio HI X60
- (Focal celestee : mittaged return about it here, but good return on other forum/youtube)
- (aeon closed X or aeon noire : price for both .... but I'm very curious about them)
- (lcd 2 classic closed : price, weight, dedicated amp)

Hum did you have any experience, comparaison between DT 1770 and the HI X60 ? How they compare to aeon close ? Any advice / recommendation ?

I could do some equalisation (with APO) but I would prefere that sound ok out of the box.

I have already listen and test :
meze 99 : too much bass, they cover everything and there is no impact
shure srh 1540 : not enough impact I found. Lake something in middle, not a huge fan.
fostex th x00 : not bad, lake some sub bass I found, and moreover cups/earpads are too small for my ears ... unconfortable

Thank you in advance

Regards,

 

[Dunring]

The k371 is good for the price and easy to drive, but the Bluetooth version doesn't sound as good (tuned for batter life).
The DT1770 is too soft sounding, the DT770 250ohm has great bass extension and much better value. The DT700 is really nice, easy to drive and comfortable after you wear them a week and the pads break in a little.
Personally I'm taking a break from closed backs. I got a pair of Seeaudio Yume II IEMs and with the large tips. I'm really happy and plenty of noise isolation.
Also if you don't have an amplifier on eBay you can sometimes get great prices on the Hyper Cloud Orbit, which is planar magnetic and sounds good in stereo mode. The Drop DT17XX is also fun, but only if you get a good discount off retail.

 

[djtetei]

What I usually seek on any pair of headphones is a very sturdy construction, replaceable earpads, replaceable headband, detachable cable and 50 mm drivers.
The sound signature is a subjective matter, so I refrain to give recommendation on this issue.
With that being said, I can only suggest you to give the Pioneer HDJ-X10 a chance to speak to you.
My suggestion is based on robustness, reliability, multi-purpose use and your remarks regarding the sound signature.

 

[Klonatans]

Denon AH-D7200 would be my first recommendation (bought them 7 years ago and I'm still as excited as on the first day). EMU-Teak are also higly enjoyable closed cans, sound signature very similar to the aforementioned Denon, just with slightly more pronounced HF. You can read Amir's review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e-mu-teak-review-headphone.24824/

 

[Gug]

Hello,

Thank you for your advices and time taken !

The k371 is good for the price and easy to drive, but the Bluetooth version doesn't sound as good (tuned for batter life).
The DT1770 is too soft sounding, the DT770 250ohm has great bass extension and much better value. The DT700 is really nice, easy to drive and comfortable after you wear them a week and the pads break in a little.
Personally I'm taking a break from closed backs. I got a pair of Seeaudio Yume II IEMs and with the large tips. I'm really happy and plenty of noise isolation.
Also if you don't have an amplifier on eBay you can sometimes get great prices on the Hyper Cloud Orbit, which is planar magnetic and sounds good in stereo mode. The Drop DT17XX is also fun, but only if you get a good discount off retail.

Noted for the k371. Well I'm pretty sure that the pads in PU and the fact the headphones seems to move a bit when move the head, will be a breaker But why not. I must test.
Noted for the DTD700, perhaps a little bit on the "soft and relax side" ?

For the DT1770, I'm a bit surprise by your return about "soft sounding". My reads is more oriented about impacts and so on, not really "soft sounding".

About IEM, I'm not huge fan, and I only use them for specific case. At home I prefer a headphone.

What I usually seek on any pair of headphones is a very sturdy construction, replaceable earpads, replaceable headband, detachable cable and 50 mm drivers.
The sound signature is a subjective matter, so I refrain to give recommendation on this issue.
With that being said, I can only suggest you to give the Pioneer HDJ-X10 a chance to speak to you.
My suggestion is based on robustness, reliability, multi-purpose use and your remarks regarding the sound signature.

Replacement earpads is a must have, for sure ! Headband a good thing. About the cable, a good thing, but not mandatory depending the manufacturer : I have an old old DT990, no cable problem. I don't need a tanky headphone, I will mostly use it at home, at my desk, in a controlled environment. So I'm ok with lighweight construction

Denon AH-D7200 would be my first recommendation (bought them 7 years ago and I'm still as excited as on the first day). EMU-Teak are also higly enjoyable closed cans, sound signature very similar to the aforementioned Denon, just with slightly more pronounced HF. You can read Amir's review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e-mu-teak-review-headphone.24824/

I wiil check Denon AH-D7200, but a bit pricy for sure
I i remember correctly EMU-Teak share the same cups forms and earpads forms with fostex thx00 ... and my ears touch them, unconfortable for me, really.


Nobody have test Austrian Audio HI X60 / DT 1770 / DT 700 with and without EQ ?

And well I read a lot about DCA aecon closed ... really hard to get a trend ... sometimes lake of dynamics, lake of impacts, sometimes really punchy and with lots of slam ... perception is different for evrybody

Thank you again

 

[djtetei]

I'm ok with lighweight construction

At the start of the thread, you mentioned that you want a closed back design.
I suppose the reason for this is to ensure good sound isolation.
Lightweight construction don't go well with good sound isolation.

 

[Gug]

Hello,

Yes, indeed, a good, at least decent sound isolation.
From what I read, the AKG K371 could be enough for the isolation part. And I'm sure for the construction it will be ok (because at home, on a desk)

 

[djtetei]

The Akg k371 seems to be a good choice for versatility from the start.
If you have the opportunity, try both Akg k371 and Pioneer HDJ-X10 headphones, before you decide to buy.
One thing I can tell you about the HDJ-X10 headphones: they are all metal and for the same nominal impedance, they are more sensitive than Akg k371 and their power capacity (3500 mW) is higher than Akg k371. Furthermore, you can buy all original accessories and parts, like cables, earpads, headband and protective box, directly from Pioneer.

 

[Gug]

Hello,

Thank you. Noted for the k371

Globally I'm starting to aksing myself, at the point I am in the selection, if the only remaining option is to test each headphones ...
Because now, I'm not advancing by reading articles and forum ... Evry one seems to have some slightly differents opinions or impressions. So ...

By the way, Focal Celestee get back in competition because of price drop

Regards,

 

[djtetei]

the only remaining option is to test each headphones

Like I mentioned already, choosing a pair of headphones is, ultimately, a subjective matter, because only the final user has to decide what satisfies him in terms of construction, fit, finish and, especially, in terms of acoustic pleasure.
The most one can do from a distance is to make suggestions that, hopefully, will guide the final user through this journey and help him make an educated decision.
Having a good electronic equipment store close by is a bliss, but, nowadays, most of us have to shop around on-line, with all the hasles included.

 

[rostek6]

Think about Ollo Audio S4R. I have them. I think that they may be consistent with what you demand and do not need a lot of power.

They do not imose their character - I mean, that bass quantity is rather recording dependend. If there is a lot of bass on the recording. In example - today, I was listening to some song. There was bass, but on normal level, maybe even it was a little bass-shy (acording to modern standards of emphasising lows). At one moment I heard something strange. A plane on low level maybe? But. WTF - above big city center? So I've taken Ollos imediately, looked through the window... Nothing. Everything was normal, ordinary city sounds. Eureka! It was just more bass on the recording And after second or two - it was bass shy again.

Never heard any sibilance on them.

You may read the (great) review at diyaudioheaven. My pair has rather straight frequency response in low end maybe even a 1-2 db up in far left end on the frequency scale (Ollo attaches measurements of each pair with headphones).

But there is serious tradeoff - the cups are small and it is annoying in distance of hours. I need to do some break in listening after hour or two, becauose of ears-ache. In example on my second pair (HD600) sometimes I fell asleep forgeting that I'm wearing them.

 

[Gug]

Hello,

Thank you

Yes I read lots on great review at diyaudioheaven. I was really tempting by this one, but I read about the earpad small size ... a deal breaker for me sadly.
Already done with fostex thx00 and it's my first point of inconfort, before clamping or fake leather.

I have see a new version, S4R 1.2, with probably a little more roomer earpads (not so much) but a totally new drivers also (50mm against 45mm) ... Hard to find some measurement about this new one : https://olloaudio.com/fr/products/s4r-recording-headphones

I will contact son-video.com to have some information, they are listed on the 1.2 product page.

 

[Pe8er]

If you can try before buying, or if you have the ability to return with realitve ease, I encourage you to try LCD-2 and Celestee. The latter we already discussed in another thread, so regarding Audeze - if you like bass, if you listen to rock...you might like them a lot.

Just one big difference between these two - Audeze are rather unwieldy, they do feel big and heavy, whereas Celestee just "snap" onto your head and disappear.

 

[Gug]

Hello,

Thank you.

i will see if I can test/listen both

I think i will try the celestee, in France, goes down this years, so .... ! And easy to find in lots of online store.

Indeed the sound signature of the LCD closed could match my taste, from what I read. Moreover with eq (good response to EQ, low distorstion, plenty of room with amp).
Well sadly the price and the weigh are really high Perhaps if i cross a good "second hand" opportunity ...

By the way, in Audeze familly there is the Maxwell that you could be really interesting : planar, good HK target (with embeded dsp I presume), not heavier than LCD and so much lighter on money side.

 

[Gug]

Hello,

Ok I manage to have some listening of three headphones : AKG K371, Beyer DT 700 pro X, Beyer DT 1770 pro

I'm really interested by you opinions, your advice on my impression !

So I mainly listen some modern rocks, rocks, electro-rocks and "classic rocks of old days".

Please keep in mind : my english is pretty limited in emotion vocabulary and sound restitution )

My first impression about them :
AKG K371 :
* well good balanced, for me, through all the spectrum, from bass to treble. For me the better of the three on this point.
* Perhaps a point of harshness in the treble. Good extension in the bass and sub bass. Middle seems ok, not "eated / masked" by the bass.
* Downsides :
- in the bass region, drums and thing like this, seems to fall shortly, they "stop" a too quickly.
- When thing get "complicated, aka lots of density", the message get a little ... hum scramble ? melted ? messy ? and not recognizable. Well I lost tracks of what happens.

With EQ : A slide improvement. Good news, they sound balanced for me without out.

DT 700 Pro :
* Globally good balanced, at least not so bad. Treble are not harsh, present for sure, perhaps a little too much, but not ear piercing.
* Without EQ missing something at the low mid but not critical.
* Spacial positioning is not his best part ...
* lake a little bit of slam and impact. With EQ, a little better,but still missing something I found.
* In detail and precision, better than the K371. It doesn't loose the track in complicated passages, but well, some times it append that i have the impression to a mixed thing and like it jump over to the next passage.

With EQ : A slide improvement. Good news, they sound globally balanced for me without out.

DT 1770 pro :
* shocked, in the bad sense : out of the boxe, a cave, bass over-present, mid are absent, and ear piercing treble. Really dark, and like in a cave O_O
My first though was : what a pieace of craps. Really disappointed

... oratory1990 and equalizerAPO could be my friend, I have use the settings proposed by oratory1990 but with a little less trebble on the shelfs and -1db at 8k :
Wooh a totally different headphones, really enjoyable and fun listening !

A word about comfort :
AKG K371 : lightwey, no pressure, but needs to have a precise position and it move easily not so much root inside the earpad, and the fake leather is very uncomfortable for me.
DT 700 : pads are like pillow, very comfortable. A hard-point under the headband.
DT 1770 : headband is really good, pads are more firmer (a little more clamping pressure do to the pads)


Well for now :
- First thing, I like the Harman curve, perhaps with some modification : a little more sub bass (below 100 Hz) and a little less trebble around the 4/8k regions. So a in trebble and indical shape but with 1 / 1.5 dB less.

- The EQ DT1770 is really enjoyable, a striking machine. But without EQ it's a peace of craps, a shame.
- The DT700 is good out of the box, a little better EQ. Not as fun or laser strike as the DT 1770. Less impact too.
- AK K371 has great balance, great price but lost his tracks in "charged" rocks, and fell shorts in bass region, impacts (drums are ... dunno missing something)

Well at home, with EQ I prefer the DT1770 over the three. But the DT700 is closed (little less slam / impact) and don't need EQ to work for half the price !
AKG K371 is very good considering their price range (and provides with some appreciable stuff)


Please really appreciate your pinion about all of this.

Regards,

 

[sharock]

Is using EQ all the time really a downside? I suppose if you don't have access to PEQ on all your sources.

At home on PC I use EqualizerAPO. On the go, either Qudelix 5K or Wavelet on Android.

I have an AKG K371 that I used with EQ. Trying to sell it now as, unfortunately, it is too position-sensitive for me to maintain a constant seal meaning the bass response is inconsistent. To enjoy it I'd have to never move or hold the cups with my hands to keep the seal.

For now, I've settled on these closed headphones: EQ'd Shure SRH440 (Gen1) for office use and EQ'd LCD-XC at home. I was concerned about the weight of the Audeze and took a risk ordering it. As it happens, it's pretty comfortable for me despite being weighty.

 

[Gug]

Thank you.

Yes same subject with the K371 (and the fake leather). I will return it.

I suppose it's not a probleme to use EQ all time at home. Perhaps at work/office, but not sure I will go with my high end headphone

Ahaha another EQ LCD-XC user ! Hum ... Hope i cross an opportunity

 

[b7676]

Exciting basshead development is in IEM's now. Kiwiears (edit: see quintet) is a hot brand presently (but are tuned for more treble lift), Simgot sets lift the bass more. Very nice response curves, no EQ required. Bassier tuned sets seem to be the lower end with single drivers. More drivers means carrying more teble. The truthear Zero Blue might be your thing, is dual driver. New BLON are cool too.

 

[Gug]

Snif :'( Don't like IEM at home, preference for headphone when need isolation or no speaker usage.

Hum by the way, what is the "good" reference at kiwiears ?

 

[Gug]

By the way, any advice / opinion about the Audeze Maxwell regarding the sound ?
(Heavy, indeed, but well priced with lots of stuff emeded)