What woud be your choice and why?I have the hd600 for home and momentums for outdoors but now i have the itch to try dt990s for the v shape, and i heard the may be better for gaming and movies?Am I in sidestep/downstep hell?whats is your buy right once and forget about it for good choice?
What do you consider the best buy for headphones taking in to account diminishing returns?
- Thread starter db2431
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Which do you prefer for movies?the akg k7 series I always get the impression has great clarity and soundstage, but falls short everywhere else.Do you think q701 used at around £100 is good value?A lot of places seem to suggest the k7 series are all much the same and just buy the cheapest, aka k701.What do you like better on the k701 for gaming over the hd600?
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For movies and gaming I prefer the AKG K702s as they have a far larger sound stage and more detailed imaging. For music though the HD 650s are far better and just sound RIGHT, it's hard to describe but they are simply more musical.
The K702, K701 and Q701 use the same drivers but the K701 doesn't have a removable cable. Another difference was that the K702 had a smooth headband while the K701 and Q701 incorporated torture bumps, which made them practically un-wearable for those without a thick layer of hair on top of their heads. If the bumps are likely to be an issue I would check first before buying.
I've modded my K702s by removing a couple of sticky pads inside the ear cup, which adds an extra 5db of bass below 100Hz. This comes in handy when you want some rumble from explosions as the AKGs normally have a very neutral bass (some would say bass light) and while it does go very low, the quantity can be lacking. The same mod can be done on the Q701 and probably the K701 too, although I'm not totally sure.
A better bet may be the AKG K712 pro, which while being more expensive, does have more bass and a warmer signature.
The K702, K701 and Q701 use the same drivers but the K701 doesn't have a removable cable. Another difference was that the K702 had a smooth headband while the K701 and Q701 incorporated torture bumps, which made them practically un-wearable for those without a thick layer of hair on top of their heads. If the bumps are likely to be an issue I would check first before buying.
I've modded my K702s by removing a couple of sticky pads inside the ear cup, which adds an extra 5db of bass below 100Hz. This comes in handy when you want some rumble from explosions as the AKGs normally have a very neutral bass (some would say bass light) and while it does go very low, the quantity can be lacking. The same mod can be done on the Q701 and probably the K701 too, although I'm not totally sure.
A better bet may be the AKG K712 pro, which while being more expensive, does have more bass and a warmer signature.
Caporegime
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best buys as follows:
closed: DT770's
gaming: akg (anything that uses the same drivers as Q701's)
music: HD600's or HD650's
portable: any sennheiser/akg portable
anything lower down isn't as good and anything higher up is ridiculously overpriced in comparison.
I own hd600's and tbh every review out there 50% say the HD600 is better and the other 50% say HD650 is better.
then you also have the same reviewers saying the HD700 isn't as good as them either. basically either will do no point having both.
Best buys at the moment are the fostex trp50 mark 3 if you have a good headphone amp also the audio technica msr7 getting good reviews seems decently priced.
Some people don't like akgs too trebly not enough bass and beyers some people say too much treble as well.
The hd600 are midrange detailed cans the 650 are the same as 600's but add more bass and roll off the treble a tad.
Don't think I could ever go back to closed cans though after having a decent set of opens I enjoy the soundstage of opens more.
Diminishing return level is probably something like the sennheiser hd700 audeze and hifiman range.
You can get new in box sennheiser momentum 1.0's for £60-£75 in a certain high street computer exchange shop which I think is an absolute steal they are very musical and lush sounding if lacking in soundstage a bit.
Some people don't like akgs too trebly not enough bass and beyers some people say too much treble as well.
The hd600 are midrange detailed cans the 650 are the same as 600's but add more bass and roll off the treble a tad.
Don't think I could ever go back to closed cans though after having a decent set of opens I enjoy the soundstage of opens more.
Diminishing return level is probably something like the sennheiser hd700 audeze and hifiman range.
You can get new in box sennheiser momentum 1.0's for £60-£75 in a certain high street computer exchange shop which I think is an absolute steal they are very musical and lush sounding if lacking in soundstage a bit.
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well diminishing returns puts the onus on you as the user and how you value things. one mans poop is another mans gold so to speak. Most would say spending £1000 won't get you 4 x the performance of a £250 headphone and they are probably right. If you get 4 X the enjoyment out of them then who is to say.
Any side step is financially not worth it. Mid fi purgatory as the audiophiles on r/headphones and discord chat would refer to it. But if you enjoy your hobby and you can afford it enjoy yourself there are much worse things to spend money on.
You see so many people with flare on r/headphones of 4 or 5 different £200-£300 headphones I rather cynically find myself thinking you could have just gone straight to the end ofc it's their money, their hobby and their journey, they can do as they please.
I would say that buying second hand through the MM or headfi or r/avexchange is the most cost effective way to enjoy this hobby. Especially if you're on this lovely island where we get mugged off very badly on headphone prices. With amazon just flipping the $ to a £ quite often.
650's K712 he 400i all should be the same price sadly the market doesn't work like that and the 650's offer superior value for money but they are selling for over £100 below their msrp thanks to a certain rainforest. You won't find many people in England willing to spend £100+ extra on 400i over the 650's and K712's
Any side step is financially not worth it. Mid fi purgatory as the audiophiles on r/headphones and discord chat would refer to it. But if you enjoy your hobby and you can afford it enjoy yourself there are much worse things to spend money on.
You see so many people with flare on r/headphones of 4 or 5 different £200-£300 headphones I rather cynically find myself thinking you could have just gone straight to the end ofc it's their money, their hobby and their journey, they can do as they please.I would say that buying second hand through the MM or headfi or r/avexchange is the most cost effective way to enjoy this hobby. Especially if you're on this lovely island where we get mugged off very badly on headphone prices. With amazon just flipping the $ to a £ quite often.
650's K712 he 400i all should be the same price sadly the market doesn't work like that and the 650's offer superior value for money but they are selling for over £100 below their msrp thanks to a certain rainforest. You won't find many people in England willing to spend £100+ extra on 400i over the 650's and K712's
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Amazon don't make it easy for the little guy.
I think the Amazon price is far more realistic though as there is only £100 between the msrp of the HD650 and the HD700 and that's after Sennheiser dropped the price.
I think the Amazon price is far more realistic though as there is only £100 between the msrp of the HD650 and the HD700 and that's after Sennheiser dropped the price.
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I have Fidelio X1's hooked up to a Xonar Essence STX at the moment, and while I want to upgrade my amp, I feel no real need to upgrade my headphones. I may buy some AKG's again though, but as an as-well-as rather than an instead-of, just because they are much more detailed.
The X1's I find is great for comfortable music listening, movies and games, but they don't really have enough top end clarity for some music.
I think I'd struggle to enjoy headphones which cost more than about £150 - £200. I've had Fidelio X1's, AKG Q701's, and AKG K7XX's.
The X1's I find is great for comfortable music listening, movies and games, but they don't really have enough top end clarity for some music.
I think I'd struggle to enjoy headphones which cost more than about £150 - £200. I've had Fidelio X1's, AKG Q701's, and AKG K7XX's.
well yeah but it does sadly enforce a false value on other headphones
when 650's are down as low as 220 it's hard to say the X2 are worth 200. It's incredibly hard to see the 400i price tag of £350 as value for money against a £220 HD 650.
but that is the way it is.
Soldato
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I have the X1 and STX as well, and while as a whole it is pretty good, but I got pretty much the same impression as you that it is slightly lacking clarity.I have Fidelio X1's hooked up to a Xonar Essence STX at the moment, and while I want to upgrade my amp, I feel no real need to upgrade my headphones. I may buy some AKG's again though, but as an as-well-as rather than an instead-of, just because they are much more detailed.
The X1's I find is great for comfortable music listening, movies and games, but they don't really have enough top end clarity for some music.
I think I'd struggle to enjoy headphones which cost more than about £150 - £200. I've had Fidelio X1's, AKG Q701's, and AKG K7XX's.
The thing is although the X1 is suppose to be work fine without the need of an amp, however having a good dedicated headphone amp actually DOES make it sound better. I have tried my X1 with my Schiit Lyr2 headphone amp, and comparing to using it on the STX, it clearly improve in the aspect of tightening the bass, and improving the clarity and definition noticeably...it is almost like I have rediscovered my X1 as in what it can actually do!
I really think it is definitely worth people investing on a good headphone amp first. Have I had my Lyr2 when I first got my X1, I'd probably be happy enough without the need to getting more headphones because of the feeling of not getting the full satisfaction and always have that itch. But even if getting more headphones, the headphone amp would still serve and a solid foundation in ensure the headphones are being utilized to their (close to) full potential.
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I'm so stuck finding a pair of closed back. I wasn't impressed with the DT770 but appreciate they are fairly 'cheap'. I have the HA-SZ 2000 on order but I don't treat them as an every day set. I wish BD did a closed back with the comfort of the 990 Premium.