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Headphone buying advice

TosicBob

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Goodmorning everyone!
I would like to buy headphones and a dac / amp (if needed) for a total budget of € 300, maximum € 350.
I would use them mainly for playing games and listening to music.
Both open and closed back are fine, as long as they are comfortable, especially with glasses.
I tried the DT 990s and found them pretty comfortable, but buying them it remains a budget of 200€, that is the twice that i would spend on headphones, that seems to me a little bit too overkill, so something comfortable as them, but better (?)
I would buy from Amazon.it
Thanks to everyone!
 

ADU

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It looks like the Euro is worth only slightly more than the US dollar at the moment, around $1.14. So I guess your total budget would be around $350 US. If you are open to buying something used, that would potentially also increase your options.

If you have the ability to use some EQ, then you can also fix minor issues with frequency response, and tune the headphones more to your preference.
 
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ADU

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These might stretch your budget a bit, but have you looked at some of the newer Beyers, like the DT 700 and DT 900 Pro X?

There might also be some good open-back options from Sennheiser, and HifFiMan (if you want to try a planar-magnetic headphone) within that $350 price range. And maybe also AudioTechnica and AKG.

I've been fairly happy with my closed 250-ohm Beyer DT-770's, with a $100 amp and some EQ applied, both in terms of their comfort and sound quality. But there may be some open headphones nearer to the top of your price bracket that would deliver better sound quality. Especially if you can make do without an amp.

I have personally tended to lean more towards the closed-backs at the lower end of the price scale, btw, because I like their better extension into the sub-bass frequencies. They are not as open-sounding though. And there are almost always a few compromises with any kind of headphone that you purchase. And I dislike the single-sided cables on most lower-cost headphones in my price range.
 
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staticV3

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I'd take a look at the Hifiman HE400se, Sennheiser HD560S, or AKG K612 Pro.
I have the DT 990 Pro 250Ω and DT 770 Pro 80Ω and I really don't like them.
The new DT 700 and 900 also don't seem to be worth their asking price imo, though I have yet to listen to them.

If you're ok with buying used, then I'd also keep an eye out for a used Sennheiser HD600.
 
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TosicBob

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It looks like the Euro is worth only slightly more than the US dollar at the moment, around $1.14. So I guess your total budget would be around $350 US. If you are open to buying something used, that would potentially also increase your options.

If you have the ability to use some EQ, then you can also fix minor issues with frequency response, and tune the headphones more to your preference.
I actually would prefer to buy something from amazon (for the return policy), and if it's available, used wouldn't be a problem.
What would be the used options?
If there are significant upgrade and it's worth, it isn't a problem to reach 400 euros (so around 440usd)
 
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TosicBob

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These might stretch your budget a bit, but have you looked at some of the newer Beyers, like the DT 700 and DT 900 Pro X?
Actually no, are they good? Wouldn't be better for that budget buying a planar pair of headphones?
 
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TosicBob

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I'd take a look at the Hifiman HE400se, Sennheiser HD560S, or AKG K612 Pro.
I have the DT 990 Pro 250Ω and DT 770 Pro 80Ω and I really don't like them.
The new DT 700 and 900 also don't seem to be worth their asking price imo, though I have yet to listen to them.

If you're ok with buying used, then I'd also keep an eye out for a used Sennheiser HD600.
I could reach even 400 euros of budget (combined with amp if it's needed), so what would be my options for that?
Since from what i saw all the options you proposed here are around 150usd.
Thanks in advance!
 

threni

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I could reach even 400 euros of budget (combined with amp if it's needed), so what would be my options for that?
Since from what i saw all the options you proposed here are around 150usd.
Thanks in advance!
I can recommend the HD 660S. No idea about the Euro price but they're sometimes on sale at Amazon UK for £340 or so. I don't have any similarly priced headphones to compare them against, but with a touch of EQ they're absolutely amazing.
 

ADU

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Actually no, are they good? Wouldn't be better for that budget buying a planar pair of headphones?

Not sure. I listened to a couple YT reviews, and it seems like these may be aimed more at people who want to author their own audio content. The DT 900 Pro X seems well-extended in the bass for an open/semi-open dynamic headphone. But the front damping on the drivers on both of the new Beyers seems to blunt their clarity a bit, according to the reviews. So not sure if they'd be a good fit for your uses.

Here is Resolve's (of Headphonesdotcom) take on them fwiw.

 
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jae

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HD6XX + whatever dac/amp you can buy with the remainder. Topping DX3 Pro+ is in that range but you will be going over $400 probably.
 

TimA

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If you really want to save money . . . I recently needed a new headphone amp to fill in while Topping send me a replacement for my L30 (as the last person in the world to hear about the problem with early models). On ebay I found a new Canford Headphone amp for £23 including postage after seller offer - less than a quarter list price. There are others on sale. It is only 3.5mm lead in, and I don't know about the specs, but the sound is very decent (it was developed for the BBC apparently) and it drives my Takstars very nicely.


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