Good headphones - Audiophiles come here!
 

I'm looking to buy a pair of headphones, I have JVC HA-RX700's but they lack bass and the sound actually hurts my ears afterawhile.

I'm wondering what specs I should be looking for in buying quality headphones?

Are headphones that take batteries better ? or does a headphone amp take care of that?

I'm new to all of this and am trying to learn as much as possible.

What source are you listening to? Do you usually listen to it at a loud volume?

And if it's MP3, what bitrate?

What sort of music do you listen to?

What is it for?

Music? Gaming? Both? In home listening? On the go listening?

What kind of music do you listen to?

Whats good to one person might not be good to another. Comes down to music tastes. Bassheads tend to like things like those Dr.Dre headphones. Audiophiles that listen to things like classic or jazz would like something like Sennheiser.

AKG 702. awesome headphones.. but may lack bass if you listen to hiphop and rap a lot.

good questions, needed to clarify.

Listening to Lossless WAV or FLAC. I usually listen, mid - higher volume.
Music type: hip-hop/rap


I just want these purely for listening to music at home, maybe take them flights. Mostly what I'm after is a good bass, these JVC's make my ears feel like I've listen to a little kid scream for 10 minutes straight.


To give you an Idea of the bass + quality, I have some Turtle Beach Px21 gaming headsets, and they sound OK when listening to music, have decent bass, but tend to sound murky. I was looking for something a little more crisp with good bass. The JVC's have less bass than my in-earphones, and the in earphones never hurt my ears even after prolonged use.

If you're taking them on flights, and may not have access to a headphone amp, you'll want something with lower impedance (<64 Ohms) and higher sensitivity(~100 dB), although these numbers are not strict rules and certain headphones will respond better to amping than others regardless of spec.

Based on your criteria (i.e. bass, no amp required), here are some suggestions, all of which I have personally listened to: Ultrasone HFI-580, Ultrasone DJ1, Ultrasone DJ1 Pro, Shure SRH750DJ, Denon D1000, Denon D2000, Sennheiser HD25/HD25-II

You will want to give them a listen before you buy, however, as our ears are all different and only you will know what you want. Comfort may also be a factor, my head may not be shaped like yours. There are a few stores around the Lower Mainland that will let you demo headphones.

Go to Tom Lee and long and mcquade and go listen. Take a MP3 player with you that has songs you know.

ATH-M50, and the D2000 (which i own) and HD25 like woob said.

circumaural headphones are definitely the most comfortable, but they may be too large for using on the go. i gotta say though... these cans may sound good with your sound card or ipod, but they sound a lot better with an amp/dac and a LOD (depending on the player). i'm sure the stores can explain all that to you and let you hear the difference. deals are all to be had online though.

D2000, or something from Audio Technica like the M50's. I had the D2000 and moved to the M50 cause of the shape of the band. You should try them out before you buy.

If you're looking for AUDIOPHILE is one thing. Audiophile stuff focuses more on making everything sound balanced and natural.

If youre looking for more like DJ style to shit kick and rock out with your cock out, then try those Beats by Dre headphones and see if you like em. Pricey though.

^

Agreed, if you simply want something to deliver relentless punch from r&b, trance via your iphone and pc mobo's sound card then Beats pro are the way to go. Its overpriced but nothing delivers punches like they do.

They do only fair so-so for classical, new age, vocals etc. thou. For a reasonable balance you can also try Crossfades from v-moda, the bass is almost as hard hitting as the beats but they still fair decent when you listen to other genres.

If you want a nothing-but-bass headphone, why spend $300 on the Beats Pro when you could pick up a Sony XB700 for $80? It too has nothing going for it but bass. I think the entire Beats line is overpriced to shit.

Having listened to both, I think the Ultrasone HFI-580 is an easy step above the Beats Pro, offering head-shaking bass while offering better clarity in the upper frequencies. It is going to be my next headphone purchase for sure. It is also more portable than the Beats, with a lower-profile earcup, and it costs almost ~$150 less.

That being said, if you enjoy the Beats Pros, then buy them and never listen to one of the headphones I listed again, else your headphone interest could become very very expensive ;) .

Also, do some research at http://www.head-fi.org . It's the biggest source of info for headphones online.

Only poser DJ's use Beats by Dre.

Grado SR60 or SR80....used them for 6 months to listen to bass heavy beats and havn't found something that matches the quality yet.

^ too bright for hiphop w/ not enough bass IMO (I have only listened to the SR-60) and I find them insanely uncomfortable for extended use. Which pads do you use?

Klipsche S4's are good :)

ATH-M50 will give you the bass you need for hip hop. Keep in mind that your source needs to be good too. If you are listening songs from your computer, invest in a USB DAC. Hotaudio.com makes great affordable DACs.

Just bought these active noise cancelling earbuds. Best part, only $80!

They are AMAZING!

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23
http://www.digitaltrends.com/headpho...-anc23-review/

You guys are too fancy, I'll just stick to my portapros :p

headphonebar has the Fiio E10 in stock, they are non-portable usb-dac/amp for $80. raving reviews. deciding between this(+E11 later), or E7/E9 combo. nice that we have a local store that's not expensive at all to test out some of this stuff.

Hah I had a pair of those a few months ago. I used them as my portable set which was extremely stupid because they have ZERO isolation. These days, I'm rocking the Ultrasone DJ1. A little bulkier but ddaaaayum do they sound great.

You're planning on buying the E11 for home use? What's the point if the E10 already has a DAC built in?

ive had the sr80s for a long time, on my 2nd pair of pads. im not sure if i would say they're good for bass heavy music at all. they sound pretty good listening to other kinds of music tho

I really like my sennheiser IE8's, pair those with some comply foam tips and I cant hear what someone right next to me is saying. The bass can be quite heavy but you can also dial it down a bit or turn it up more.

The only gripe I have with these headphones is its hard to get a good fit at first

EDIT: Only read this if you're looking for earbuds

no, i wanted both home and portable use. the e10 for home use for now which i just picked up this afternoon. i'm still driving a lot so no hurry for portable uses. in the world of portable amps, something newer or better will have come out in 6 months. initially and ideally, the plan was just to get something decent and forget about it.

I listen to lot of electric + house and i have no regrets buying the Sennheiser HD 25-1 II. Many famous DJs use them and IMO it's also more portable than other DJ headphones so its no problem for listening on the go. Every part is detachable and replaceable if needed but its quite durable. However, if you want to impress your friends and such, its not as 'fashionable' as other headphones but it packs a good punch.