I am a noob, please help me choose some headphones (<500€/$)

[jdias]

Hello everyone!

Long time lurker of this forum, but first time poster. I know this is probably one of the most usual (and probably boring, for most) topics around here, but it would be invaluable if you could help me decide on some headphones (plural) to buy. I have read extensively most of the threads in this forum (and other websites also) and I have narrowed down my choices (I am still open to suggestions, though), but I still can't decide between these final contenders. I have merged both the selection of a pair of headphone for the office and another for home as to avoid creating two mostly duplicated threads in this forum. I'll try to be brief, but I'd happy to elaborate further later, if you wish for more details. Sorry if my writing is not very technical or precise, but I'll try my best.

Experience: Despite having considerable experience with pro audio equipment (radio broadcast), I've only tried a few IEMs - Etymotic, Chuu (I own both) -, headphones - ATH M40x, DT770, K240 (just tried all of them once) - and monitors - low end KRKs, Yamaha MSP3 (quite a lot of time spent working on audio design with the MSP3), so I don't really know what to expect from higher end headphones and, unfortunately, where I live I don't really have the possiblity to try most of the models. I also bought the Momentum 4 a while ago, but I ended up returning them because I didn't require bluetooth headphones and I didn't really think the price justified the audio quality they provided.

Typical use/Genres: I use headphones mostly for listening to music while working (both at home and in the office) and some media consumption - Youtube, Netflix, etc. (although I use mostly speakers for this). I also ocasionally play some games (FPS mostly) but this is not critical to me. I listen to quite a few genres - R&B, Jazz (contemporary and classic), Punk, HipHop, Neo Soul, Alternative/Progressive/Indie Rock, etc. etc.. This is probably a wide range of genres, but despite of that I believe I always appreciate mostly the same characteristics in my headphones: non-exaggerated but detailed bass (just the right "hmphh" when the recording/mixing/mastering was done with that purpose), considerable sound stage and spatial information, and significant detail and separation between every sound in the mid/highs.

Current setup (home): Sennheiser HD599 + Topping DX7 Pro+
The HD599 are what I consider the first decent headphone I've ever bought when I was student with little money. I find them quite comfortable and light, and I can use them for several hours without a problem. I quite enjoy the large (at least for me) soundstage compared to some IEMs and other headphones I've used, but I don't know how they compare to some higher end headphones. I find the bass not very pronounced, but I really enjoy that it feels somewhat detailed.
The Topping was bought more recently. It may be overkill curently, but I bought it considering a future headphone upgrade. So far, I have no complaints whatsoever, but in compressed audio I haven't noticed much improvement from my previous DAC (Sonata HD Pro) with the HD599.

My plan now:
My main goal now is to upgrade my HD599 for home use and possibly buy a new set for the office.


For home, I am planning on spending around 400 euro in open-backs, although, if there really is a significant difference, I could increase the budget. I would like to retain the characteristics I find valuable in the HD599 (soundstage, bass detail, comfort), but possibly improve the overall detail. Since in the near future I may be doing some more audio work and critical listening at home, a somewhat flat/critical sound signature would probably be preferred, although the focus still is on everyday use. Comfort is paramount. If possible, I would prefer not have to use (software) EQ for these, since I'll be switching between several laptops and other devices. Some of the options I have considered:
- Sennheiser HD660S2 (400 euro)
- Sennheiser HD560S ( 160 euro)
- Hifiman Sundara (315 euro new, 245 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Hifiman Ananda (400 euro new, 350 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Hifiman HE400se (90 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Audio-Technica R70X (310 euro new, 225 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Shure SRH1840 (360 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
I am now leaning towards the HD660S2.
My worries: 1) Some might not be worth the upgrade vs. HD599; 2) Is it worth it the extra price between some (e.g. HD660S2 vs HD560 or Sundara vs HE400se); 3) Comfort
Other options I have considered but now discarded: HD600/HD650 - more difficult to get here, price not much different than HD660S2, probably HD660S2 more suited to my liking; DT1990 - not very well regarded?; AKG K702/K712 - I don't enjoy their suspension system and the seal around the ears; Fidelio X2HR - any reason to go for these instead of the above?; Massdrop variants (e.g. HD6xx) - difficult to get where I live, but I'm stil looking into that; among other models.


For the office, I can use IEMs or the HD599 once I get new headphones for home use, but I would like to eventually buy a closed-back set. The price would ideally be lower (~250 euro) but, once again, I can increase the budget if it is worth it. I can use the Sonata HD Pro for these, but, regardless, something easy to drive (without a DAC/AMP) would stil be preferable. Again, comfort is paramount and I would like to retain the sound characteristics I have described previously, though I am aware that with closed-backs the soundstage will probably take a good hit. Some of the options I have considered:
- AKG K371 (160 euro new, 110 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X (240 euro new)
- Austrian Audio Hi-X60 (320 euro new, 235 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Focal Elegia (450 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
I was leaning towards K371 due to the positive reviews and low price, but I am now leaning towards the Beyers since I am hoping they are more comfortable and of higher build quality. I don't have any strong opinion about the Austrian Audio's, though I feel (subjectively) that the first two are safer options? The Focal is over budget and from what I've seen they may require heavy EQ, so unless they really are considerably better than the others, I probably won't be choosing these.
Other options I have considered but now discarded: Audio-Technica ATH-M70x - hard to get here; Shure SRH840A - doesn't seem to be a better option than those i stated above; Rode NTH-100 - same reason as the previous; Sundara closed - I don't like the wood (not a dealbreaker though), but it doesn't seem to be as well regarded as the other options; DT770 - no reason to get them over the K371 or DT 700 Pro X; among others.
My worries for these are similar to the above, although a bit more on the construction quality, since these will be moved around more, and comfort, since I will probably use these for even longer stretches of time than the home ones.

Sorry for the long, long post and thank you in advance for your help.
Best,
JA

 

[doalt]

Since in the near future I may be doing some more audio work and critical listening at home, a somewhat flat/critical sound signature would probably be preferred, although the focus still is on everyday use. Comfort is paramount.

From what I understand, HD560S should have a good flat/critical sound signature, but comfort is not great. Some say HD 490 PRO is upgraded HD560S, and it's often praised for its comfort. So you can consider this one too.

 

[jdias]

From what I understand, HD560S should have a good flat/critical sound signature, but comfort is not great. Some say HD 490 PRO is upgraded HD560S, and it's often praised for its comfort. So you can consider this one too.

Thank you for your suggestion! Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing the HD 490 Pro a while ago, but since then I've completely forgotten all about them. Now looking at several reviews, they do seem to match what you are describing. Their supposedly superb comfort really interests me, but it still makes me hard to accept the more than double price tag (I can get them here for 400 euro) compared to the HD560s (around 160 euro). Maybe if they get discounted 50 to 100 euros they would make more sense. I'll still consider these and try to narrow it down to about 2 or 3 model which I can buy and A/B test.

I am also looking into the DT1990 now.

 

[ahofer]

Will you be using EQ? See, for instance, the end of this review (and I also recommend some EQ with the HE400 from personal experience)

Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire Review

This is a review, listening test and measurements of the Dan Clark Audio (DCA) AEON 2 Noire Planar Magnetic closed back headphone. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $850. As soon as you touch and attempt to pick up the headphone, it immediately conveys a feeling of luxury with...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Misguided]

For closed consider the Sennheiser hd620 or once there are a few more reviews the new Fiio FT1 may be good.

I own some hd560 and find them comfortable, they are lightweight and you don’t need an amp to drive them but I think they sound a lot better with some Eq. I prefer my Sundaras (open back) to the 560s, the sound is smoother and really detailed, they aren’t that bassy. There are often offers on Hifiman Headphones so if you hunt around you could probably get a good deal.

 

[Jolted]

For closed-back my favorites are Beyers DT 700 Pro X. I have swapped the drivers cover fleece pads for those of the original lineup (770 Pro) to let them breath a bit and I find them perfect now. Stock they seemed a bit dark for my taste although very neutral. This is the headphone with the best bass imo. Probably due to the perfect seal. So obviously they also isolate extremely well.
For open back I would go with HD 490 Pro or ATH R70x. Less bass on the latter but better technicalities imo. I'd probsbly have a look at Neumann ndh 30s if I had deeper pockets. Cheers,

 

[617]

The top-of-the-line noise cancelling headphones are worth trying. They are amazing devices and great for working.

 

[Roland68]

Hello everyone!

Long time lurker of this forum, but first time poster. I know this is probably one of the most usual (and probably boring, for most) topics around here, but it would be invaluable if you could help me decide on some headphones (plural) to buy. I have read extensively most of the threads in this forum (and other websites also) and I have narrowed down my choices (I am still open to suggestions, though), but I still can't decide between these final contenders. I have merged both the selection of a pair of headphone for the office and another for home as to avoid creating two mostly duplicated threads in this forum. I'll try to be brief, but I'd happy to elaborate further later, if you wish for more details. Sorry if my writing is not very technical or precise, but I'll try my best.

Experience: Despite having considerable experience with pro audio equipment (radio broadcast), I've only tried a few IEMs - Etymotic, Chuu (I own both) -, headphones - ATH M40x, DT770, K240 (just tried all of them once) - and monitors - low end KRKs, Yamaha MSP3 (quite a lot of time spent working on audio design with the MSP3), so I don't really know what to expect from higher end headphones and, unfortunately, where I live I don't really have the possiblity to try most of the models. I also bought the Momentum 4 a while ago, but I ended up returning them because I didn't require bluetooth headphones and I didn't really think the price justified the audio quality they provided.

Typical use/Genres: I use headphones mostly for listening to music while working (both at home and in the office) and some media consumption - Youtube, Netflix, etc. (although I use mostly speakers for this). I also ocasionally play some games (FPS mostly) but this is not critical to me. I listen to quite a few genres - R&B, Jazz (contemporary and classic), Punk, HipHop, Neo Soul, Alternative/Progressive/Indie Rock, etc. etc.. This is probably a wide range of genres, but despite of that I believe I always appreciate mostly the same characteristics in my headphones: non-exaggerated but detailed bass (just the right "hmphh" when the recording/mixing/mastering was done with that purpose), considerable sound stage and spatial information, and significant detail and separation between every sound in the mid/highs.

Current setup (home): Sennheiser HD599 + Topping DX7 Pro+
The HD599 are what I consider the first decent headphone I've ever bought when I was student with little money. I find them quite comfortable and light, and I can use them for several hours without a problem. I quite enjoy the large (at least for me) soundstage compared to some IEMs and other headphones I've used, but I don't know how they compare to some higher end headphones. I find the bass not very pronounced, but I really enjoy that it feels somewhat detailed.
The Topping was bought more recently. It may be overkill curently, but I bought it considering a future headphone upgrade. So far, I have no complaints whatsoever, but in compressed audio I haven't noticed much improvement from my previous DAC (Sonata HD Pro) with the HD599.

My plan now:
My main goal now is to upgrade my HD599 for home use and possibly buy a new set for the office.


For home, I am planning on spending around 400 euro in open-backs, although, if there really is a significant difference, I could increase the budget. I would like to retain the characteristics I find valuable in the HD599 (soundstage, bass detail, comfort), but possibly improve the overall detail. Since in the near future I may be doing some more audio work and critical listening at home, a somewhat flat/critical sound signature would probably be preferred, although the focus still is on everyday use. Comfort is paramount. If possible, I would prefer not have to use (software) EQ for these, since I'll be switching between several laptops and other devices. Some of the options I have considered:
- Sennheiser HD660S2 (400 euro)
- Sennheiser HD560S ( 160 euro)
- Hifiman Sundara (315 euro new, 245 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Hifiman Ananda (400 euro new, 350 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Hifiman HE400se (90 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Audio-Technica R70X (310 euro new, 225 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Shure SRH1840 (360 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
I am now leaning towards the HD660S2.
My worries: 1) Some might not be worth the upgrade vs. HD599; 2) Is it worth it the extra price between some (e.g. HD660S2 vs HD560 or Sundara vs HE400se); 3) Comfort
Other options I have considered but now discarded: HD600/HD650 - more difficult to get here, price not much different than HD660S2, probably HD660S2 more suited to my liking; DT1990 - not very well regarded?; AKG K702/K712 - I don't enjoy their suspension system and the seal around the ears; Fidelio X2HR - any reason to go for these instead of the above?; Massdrop variants (e.g. HD6xx) - difficult to get where I live, but I'm stil looking into that; among other models.


For the office, I can use IEMs or the HD599 once I get new headphones for home use, but I would like to eventually buy a closed-back set. The price would ideally be lower (~250 euro) but, once again, I can increase the budget if it is worth it. I can use the Sonata HD Pro for these, but, regardless, something easy to drive (without a DAC/AMP) would stil be preferable. Again, comfort is paramount and I would like to retain the sound characteristics I have described previously, though I am aware that with closed-backs the soundstage will probably take a good hit. Some of the options I have considered:
- AKG K371 (160 euro new, 110 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X (240 euro new)
- Austrian Audio Hi-X60 (320 euro new, 235 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
- Focal Elegia (450 euro Amazon Warehouse Deal)
I was leaning towards K371 due to the positive reviews and low price, but I am now leaning towards the Beyers since I am hoping they are more comfortable and of higher build quality. I don't have any strong opinion about the Austrian Audio's, though I feel (subjectively) that the first two are safer options? The Focal is over budget and from what I've seen they may require heavy EQ, so unless they really are considerably better than the others, I probably won't be choosing these.
Other options I have considered but now discarded: Audio-Technica ATH-M70x - hard to get here; Shure SRH840A - doesn't seem to be a better option than those i stated above; Rode NTH-100 - same reason as the previous; Sundara closed - I don't like the wood (not a dealbreaker though), but it doesn't seem to be as well regarded as the other options; DT770 - no reason to get them over the K371 or DT 700 Pro X; among others.
My worries for these are similar to the above, although a bit more on the construction quality, since these will be moved around more, and comfort, since I will probably use these for even longer stretches of time than the home ones.

Sorry for the long, long post and thank you in advance for your help.
Best,
JA

In this price range I would opt for Hifiman Sundara or Edition XS. In some circumstances, even an HS6se could be an option.
Look for offers on the Hifiman site, if something is not available in your country send them an email. If something is out of stock, be patient and then be quick.

 

[earik]

When I was shopping for mine, I read a ton of reviews, visited forums to hear owner experiences, and thought that all that effort would result in a risk-free purchase. I ended up with a set of phones that (to me) felt like someone trying to stab me in the ear with an icepick. I was able to sell them at a slight loss, did the whole thing again, and ended up with something else that I hated a second time! ASR is a little different than other forums because folks here care about measurements and being objective, but if I were you, I'd really focus on finding a vendor that will let you return stuff without getting hit with fees so you can listen. Then just be prepared to try stuff out. When you find the right pair, you'll know it right away, but it might take a few attempts.

In my case, I went through a bunch until I found the Focal Clear, which was the one for me, and which I've been using for a couple years now. Amir didn't like it in his review, but I had it side-by-side with the $4k (at the time) Utopia, and it still came out ahead. But I wouldn't have been able to find it had I not been willing to buy and selll/return a whole bunch of others to get there.

Does Crutchfield ship to where you're at? They'll let you try something for 60 days, with a no-questions return policy.