Good set of good headphone for hfi home use

voxpop

Im looking for a good set of headphones to connect to my arcam amp - Im currently using Sennheiser HD 490s but there too bassy and not that comfortable.

Im thinking of the Sennheiser HD 595 or 555 but only really because I can have a listen in Peats. Another option is the Alessandro MS-1 or MS-2. These seem to get rave reviews but I dont think anywhere in Dublin I can try them out.

Any recommendations ?

padi89

Had a pair of 595s (only sold a few days ago) and an MS1.Both are really nice headphones and you certainly wont be finding too much bass in either, its punchy and tight not bloated or boomy.MS1 to my ears is brighter than the 595 so i was happier with the 595, which are supposed to be pretty close to the 555.
555 will set you back in the region of 90 euro.MS1 are bought direct from Allasandro themselves and cost around 75 euro, thats persuming you dont get charged tax importing from the states.You could have a look over at headfi.org in the for sale section and see if there is anything there or post a WTB(Europe) and you could pick up something much nicer for roughly the same amount of cash.

Kali

Budget might help.. otherwise Sennheiser HD650, HD600 (absolute steal on ebay these days), HD595 or for ultimate comfort Beyerdynamic DT880.

I wouldn't see the point in the MS-1s if they're going to be permanently connected to a decent amp, if you want that sort of bright Grado sound then go for the 225 or upwards..

voxpop

My budget is around 150/200 euro, so the hd650 are out of my range at the mo. I would consider waiting a month or two and then bumping up the budget if you guys think its worth it - I think the MS-2s are around the same price range as hd650.

The hd600 and 595 are the front runners at the mo - I have no idea where to get the DT880 or their price - would the 600s be worth the extra, then again would the 595s be worth the extra over the 555s ?

My reasoning for the Sennheisers is that I can have a listen before I buy, Is this as important as it is with other hifi components?

@padi89
Im a bit iffy about second hand headphones - maybe I shouldnt be - just seems a little bit mankey. BTW what is WTB ?

parliament

have you had a look at www.headphone.com? They have info on almost every can available, you can even do a performance comparison between cans at http://www.headphone.com/technical/product-measurements/build-a-graph/

voxpop

parliament wrote:

have you had a look at www.headphone.com? They have info on almost every can available, you can even do a performance comparison between cans at http://www.headphone.com/technical/product-measurements/build-a-graph/

havnt looked at headphone.com, been looking around head-fi.org. These sites can tell you whats generally good - but music listening is fairly subjective. I would like to at least have a listen and at best listen on my own system before I part with any cash. Maybe thats a bit overkill for headphones in this range....

Kali

My reasoning for the Sennheisers is that I can have a listen before I buy, Is this as important as it is with other hifi components?

I think the HD600 or 595 are pretty much a safe bet... personally I've HD580s, bought them with no audition and was just amazed the first listen I got, and as a result went and spent money on an upgraded cd player and amp (Arcam CD72T->MF X-Can v2). They're just breathtaking at times.
There aren't very many music genres that it won't impress on... I've recently picked up a pair of Sony 7506s for closed listening (and because I was curious) and while they're stunningly accurate, they sap every bit of life out of the music.

The 600/580s are very comfortable for extended listening, but be warned they are very open and will really annoy anyone else in the room.

My next purchase will either be Grado 325s or the DT880s.. both on a financial/audiophile par with the HD650, but from what I've read very different in their own way and both at their best at specific genres of music.

@padi89
Im a bit iffy about second hand headphones - maybe I shouldnt be - just seems a little bit mankey. BTW what is WTB ?

WTB = want to buy.. second-hand phones could be great for trying before splashing out on a new-pair, (especially in Ireland with non-existent facilities for auditioning)... with a quick resell, all you should ever really lose is the delivery cost at most.

padi89

voxpop wrote:

My budget is around 150/200 euro, so the hd650 are out of my range at the mo. I would consider waiting a month or two and then bumping up the budget if you guys think its worth it - I think the MS-2s are around the same price range as hd650.

The hd600 and 595 are the front runners at the mo - I have no idea where to get the DT880 or their price - would the 600s be worth the extra, then again would the 595s be worth the extra over the 555s ?

@padi89
Im a bit iffy about second hand headphones - maybe I shouldnt be - just seems a little bit mankey. BTW what is WTB ?

Seriously buying 2nd had headphones is not manky at all,especially if you buy over at headfi.People selling their headphones etc there baby their gear and give detailed descriptions and pics on condition, hours of use etc.I have sold lots of headphones and all have been as good as the day i got them, they were bargins for the people that bought them.For 200 euro i reckon you could get a 2nd hand pair of HD650 over at headfi if you put up a Want to Buy(Europe) post in the for sale section.MS2 will work out at $299 but be wary of import duty ,you could get rightly stung.
If you want to buy brand Sennheisers new, use these guys
http://search.ebay.ie/_W0QQsassZelectromonsterQQhtZ-1
Excellent prices and fantastic service.
Beyerdynamic 880s here , email for best price,might get a few euro off
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/

Havent heard the HD600 but i can tell you the HD650 is miles ahead of the 595.A/B testing them the 595 sounds very muddy in comparison and to me is a big stepdown.Go with what you can afford and if needs be brake your budget, saves you the enevitable upgrade in the future.Mind you once you get into HD600/HD650 territory a headphone amp is your next likely purchase.

voxpop

Havent heard the HD600 but i can tell you the HD650 is miles ahead of the 595.A/B testing them the 595 sounds very muddy in comparison and to me is a big stepdown.Go with what you can afford and if needs be brake your budget, saves you the enevitable upgrade in the future.Mind you once you get into HD600/HD650 territory a headphone amp is your next likely purchase.

The DT-880 are €225 on that site you provided which is only a few quid above the HD600 - are they definitely the better headphone? I think the hd650s are out of my range, unless maybe second hand as you suggest....

Will I really need a specific headphone amp as opposed to my current hifi amp - i would have though the hfif amp would have enough clout to power any headphone ?

Dr_Teeth

Lads, I'm in the market for a good pair of headphones, up to €200ish. They have to be wireless and they have to be *strong*!

These would be to replace a pair of very pricey wireless Sennheisers that were pretty poorly designed - the joint between each ear-cup and the headband was a tiny piece of plastic that snapped easily.

What headphones would you recommend, and where in Dublin could I buy them over the counter? As they're for Christmas I want to avoid getting into ordering online in case they don't arrive in time.

Cheers!

padi89

voxpop wrote:

The BT-880 are €225 on that site you provided which is only a few quid above the HD600 - are they definitely the better headphone? I think the hd650s are out of my range, unless maybe second hand as you suggest....

Will I really need a specific headphone amp as opposed to my current hifi amp - i would have though the hfif amp would have enough clout to power any headphone ?

Cant say one is better than the other because its all up to the individual,whats good for me may not be for you.I havent heard either the Beyer 880 or the Senn hD600 so i cant comment on how they sound.

Without a headphone amp the headphones mentioned will sound really good, but for them to be at their best they really need an amp to be honest.The Beyers on that website meieraudio come in 250ohm and 32ohm, you definitely wont need a headphone amp if you go for the 32ohm version.

voxpop

padi89 wrote:

The Beyers on that website meieraudio come in 250ohm and 32ohm, you definitely wont need a headphone amp if you go for the 32ohm version.

Is there any particular advantage to getting the 250ohm version ? Will my hifi be able to reasonably drive the 250ohm headphones ?

btw my amp is an archam alpah 8r - if that makes a difference

padi89

voxpop wrote:

Is there any particular advantage to getting the 250ohm version ? Will my hifi be able to reasonably drive the 250ohm headphones ?

btw my amp is an archam alpah 8r - if that makes a difference

Sound wise i cannot imagine their being much of difference if any at all.If you had a dedicated headphone amp the 250ohm would be best but seeing as you dont the 32ohm is the one to go for as its alot easier to drive.You can use it off any portable device or soundcard from your pc.

mossym

amm...250 ohm would be easier to drive than 32 ohm...

voxpop

mossym wrote:

amm...250 ohm would be easier to drive than 32 ohm...

hows that ? surely if the resistance is 250 ohms you need to drive alot more power through the phones ?

mossym

speakers are 4-8 ohms...which do you thiink is easier to drive, headphones or speakers.

the lower the resistance the more current the amplifier has to drive..

padi89

mossym wrote:

amm...250 ohm would be easier to drive than 32 ohm...

Your completley wrong there mate, it doesnt work that way with headphones.Google "headphone impendance".

voxpop

padi89 wrote:

If you had a dedicated headphone amp the 250ohm would be best but seeing as you dont the 32ohm is the one to go for as its alot easier to drive.You can use it off any portable device or soundcard from your pc.

So even with a normal hifi amp (which I think outputs at 100ohms) the 32ohm 880s would be the better choice - I guess the 32ohm will sound better with no amp or lower outputs than 250ohm 880s but both will be improved with their own dedicated headphone amp ? As I said earlier - these headphones will mainly be used with my hifi system not portable or computer or any such source.

mossym

from a search

This shows that the advantage of high impedance headphones is that they can be used with almost any amplifier output without any risk of being damaged by overload, and you can connect up to 10 or more pairs to the same output. However, they may be not loud enough with some portable recording devices.

so i'll agree to disagree..you may be able to get more volume out of lower impedance...but the fact that you can hook up more than one pair of high impedance to the same amplifier would make it appear to me at least that higher impedance is easier to drive...hook up two low impedance sets to the one amplifier and it will die...

but for practical use i'll take your point

padi89

mossym wrote:

from a search

This shows that the advantage of high impedance headphones is that they can be used with almost any amplifier output without any risk of being damaged by overload, and you can connect up to 10 or more pairs to the same output. However, they may be not loud enough with some portable recording devices.

so i'll agree to disagree..you may be able to get more volume out of lower impedance...but the fact that you can hook up more than one pair of high impedance to the same amplifier would make it appear to me at least that higher impedance is easier to drive...hook up two low impedance sets to the one amplifier and it will die...

but for practical use i'll take your point

The fact that you get higher volume out of a lower impendance phone is the exact reason they are easier to drive.Here have a read;

http://headwize.com/tech/dbohn1_tech.htm

http://www.headwize.com/faqs.htm

voxpop

Guys, emailed MEIER-AUDIO and they suggest the higher impedance headphones when connected to my home hifi amp would suit best - i was virtually sure I was going for the 32ohm version, now Im not sure....

padi89

voxpop wrote:

Guys, emailed MEIER-AUDIO and they suggest the higher impedance headphones when connected to my home hifi amp would suit best - i was virtually sure I was going for the 32ohm version, now Im not sure....

I take it it was Jahn that emailed you back.If he suggests you go with the 250ohm version then go for what he suggests,afterall he is the expert.Maybe its because it can be difficult to control the volume on the lower impendance headphones when using a stereo amp.

voxpop

Yeah it was Jan - he suggests that the higher impedance headphones go better with the normally high output impedance of a hifi amps headphone jack.

I guess I wont know definitively until I buy something and listen to it myself - thanks for all the help btw

tring

voxpop wrote:

Im looking for a good set of headphones to connect to my arcam amp - Im currently using Sennheiser HD 490s but there too bassy and not that comfortable.

Im thinking of the Sennheiser HD 595 or 555 but only really because I can have a listen in Peats. Another option is the Alessandro MS-1 or MS-2. These seem to get rave reviews but I dont think anywhere in Dublin I can try them out.

Any recommendations ?

I'm a big headphone fan but not too keen on spending a fortune. I've listened to most of the Sennheisers mentioned and never been particularly impressed by them (the best phones I ever heard were a pair of Stax electrostatics but these are beyond most of use mere mortals). The phones I particularly like at the moment are Sony MDR v700. These are actually better than the more expensive MDR v1000. The v700s cost about Eur140 and have a very neutral sound (they can even sound a little dull on initial hearing but that is better than the fatigue you get with something that sounds a bit exciting the first time you hear them). Their bass is very neutral and beats the 595 and 555 without any great effort. It also extends well into the lower octaves and can handle most music types with ease.

Slaphead07

I'm a fan of Grado headphones, I don't know anywhere in Ireland doing them but I'm sure they're here somewhere. the site below is a good source for this sort of stuff.
http://www.ornec.com/product/EU/100021/