£150 price range for headphones

medley · 8 Jan 2015 at 14:20

I made a thread back in 2012 similar to this looking for some guide and was recommended the Creative Aurvana's. They were a very good purchase at the time: great value for the money, subtle but attractive looks and sturdy build quality all for £50. My only issue was the thinness of the wiring at the time. I just got the impression I could roll over them with my computer chair and they would break. Well the extension cord that came with the headphones did just that about a year back but luckily i had a spare extension cable. However, without any warning the sound just disappeared in one of the ear cups last night which was a shock to me and I'm about as handy with tools as a dog is playing CS:GO.

I've been looking for a pair to upgrade to in the recent months without willing to spend the money but I've kind of had my hand forced now and might as well start looking properly for a new pair.

My main uses are music, tv/movies and gaming. All of which is done in the house and I don't intend to be using them outdoors or with an smartphone on the go. I've had a brief look round and found some decent recommendations for AKG K702 and Audio-technica ATH-M50X (these are mentioned everywhere). I've had a quick look at the Sennheiser range and like the look of a lot of their products but the price range for the highly reviewed headphones (HD 600 and Momentums over ear for example) seem to be just a little too expensive for me really.

I borrowed my brothers audio-technica-ATH-A900s and liked the sound of them but I think they may have been discontinued for the 900x. I haven't been able to pin down a price range for these as I'm getting £90 all the way up to £200?? Anyway the A900s are a lot larger than I'm used to (comparison pic here http://i1.someimage.com/2Qy8tRc.png) and leak sound a tad more than I'm used to but they are side annoyances that are surpassed by sound quality and comfort which trumps all in my eyes (ears

). Oh and they also have a lovely braided, thick long cable which is perfect for me based on my previous issues with the Aurvana.

Any name suggestions or personal recommendations thrown at me would be good to delve deep into around the net.

Cookeh · 8 Jan 2015 at 14:34

K612 Pro and Beyer DT770s are two very common and good recommendations at this budget

M50Xs are mediocre at best... Still have too much bass bloat.

rids57 · 8 Jan 2015 at 15:01

You don't say what you're using to drive the headphones - AKG and higher impedance Beyers will need a lot more power than the Aurvanas

medley · 8 Jan 2015 at 15:13

rids57 said:
You don't say what you're using to drive the headphones - AKG and higher impedance Beyers will need a lot more power than the Aurvanas

Xonar Essence STX coming next week. Currently using DG

rids57 · 8 Jan 2015 at 15:20

Righty ho, that will drive almost anything, so no problem there.

If you jump quick there is a used (usually means returned) Philips Fidelio X1 on the rain forest for a very good price

medley · 8 Jan 2015 at 15:41

Cookeh said:
K612 Pro and Beyer DT770s are two very common and good recommendations at this budget

M50Xs are mediocre at best... Still have too much bass bloat.

Are the K612 pro pretty much the same as the k702s? Actually I just quickly read this:

Bottom line – both headphones are very good – and preference will depend on individual tastes. If you like a slightly more expansive stage – with a crisper detail oriented signature – the K702 will be better for you. If you like a more natural overall presentation, with a touch more warmth – then the K612 is really very good.

rids57 said:
Righty ho, that will drive almost anything, so no problem there.

If you jump quick there is a used (usually means returned) Philips Fidelio X1 on the rain forest for a very good price

Hmm that does seem like a big price difference. I wonder if it's just been opened then repacked rather than used then sent back to them.

Ryanr1987 · 8 Jan 2015 at 15:43

The M50x is not worth it unless you just want a portable headphone that sounds half decent straight out of an ipod.

Options

K702 - top heavy, grainy and wide and spacious with little bass unless you mod them. Mids are dry, vocals from singers like Amy Lee sound good. Best soundstage you can get outside of the K501, K701(These are a tiny bit more extended making them endless) and HD800.

Q701(Used or sale) Smoother, more bass than the 702 and better mids, less spacious and has a more defined soundstage(differences are subtle but still noticeable to the point the Q is a better headphone in areas but there's trade offs)

X1 - strong bass although loose, slightly V shaped(mids neutral while the treble and bass is boosted) soundstage is decent, if AKG's are A level the X1 is a B

DT770 - Syrpy sounding but have a bit of brightness to them. Good bass for the price, spacious with good image, V shaped.

K612 - Most balanced out the bunch, Good mids, slightly grainy but extended treble, good soundstage a shade behind the Q701.

medley · 8 Jan 2015 at 15:48

Ye i'll drop the M50x interest. Looking into these options posted so far and all seem intriguing

Looking into the AKG range at the mo and they seem to be calling me. However the hard part is picking one model. The 701 seem to be slightly suited for me but pricing is the stumbling block. You say in your guide Ryan that the 702 is great for games and good for some music genres but not all. Could you tell me what genres it falls short on?

612 seems like a good choice from what I've read so far and the pricing is a huge plus (£102!). I just wish they had the removable cable but may be I should put trust in the cable that it comes with and not worry about that

Ryanr1987 · 8 Jan 2015 at 16:44

Sure,

It doesn't have any weight and nothing can really improve this. Music that requires a weighty low end just doesn't doesn't sound good. When you are mean to to hear a thump and a good beat that' powerful and forceful you don't get that with the K702.

Because it's treble oriented and thin it's suitable for classical music that have a big scale. Acoustic music goes well with the K702 if you prefer that sound. The cold, thin and dry tone allow it to be detailed and voices come across detailed. The trade off is if you like to be seduced and relaxed and enjoy a nice warm acoustic performance the K702 isn't going to be great.

I think the K702 is more of an open world, gaming headphone rather than an all rounder.

People have been modding their K702 but to be honest it's not just the bass that's the problem, it's the whole tuning you still get thin, dry mids and just more bass.

In short and IMO

Good

- Accoutic(with singers with a colder tone to their voice and people who want to hear every pluck)
- Certain classical(Open pieces, opera, some OST.
- Detail whoring everything
- Certain vocals as long as they are not warm voices.

Bad

- EDM
- POP
- Some rock
- Warmer pieces

I think what they do well they do 10/10 It' just there's so many different voices, preferences and so on and they K702 doesn't do them all well.

Hope this helps!

rids57 · 8 Jan 2015 at 16:51

I have bass port modded K702s and agree with everything Ryan says, they do have more bass but the mids are thin and the highs are quite brash. I use mine exclusively for gaming, for which they are incredible.

For music I use my Sennheiser HD650s which are in a totally different world to the AKGs but they are nowhere near as good for gaming.

medley · 8 Jan 2015 at 17:07

Cheers dudes. I think i'm gonna go with the 612s. They seem so good for that price range whilst covering most of the aspects I'm looking for. The cable isn't removable but you say AKG produce good quality cables so there's that. Whilst not as good performer in the gaming category compared to the other models I'm sure I won't be disappointed as I'm coming from a lower price bracket headphones anyway. Comfort is key and I've read in a couple places now people prefer the feeling of the 612s to the later models so that's also a huge plus. People keep mentioning Sennheisers in high regard for the higher end market and might be something I'll look into at a later stage if I've got some money to splash.

rids57 · 8 Jan 2015 at 17:11

Yeah, the 612 is a good all rounder and amazing value at just over a ton.

Westie · 8 Jan 2015 at 21:50

558's

RavenXXX2 · 8 Jan 2015 at 22:11

Bag them Q701s in the members market for £115.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18647769

medley · 8 Jan 2015 at 22:43

RavenXXX2 said:
Bag them Q701s in the members market for £115.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18647769

Cheers for heads up mate. Not sold on the colour and think I'm set on the 612's now

rids57 · 9 Jan 2015 at 00:21

the 612 doesn't have torture bumps on the headband so will be a lot more comfortable

Cookeh · 9 Jan 2015 at 09:21

'Torture' bands..? Really? Bit dramatic

rids57 · 9 Jan 2015 at 10:51

depends how much padding you have up top - in my case, not so much

Chimp Paradox · 10 Jan 2015 at 17:39

beyer 770 or similar are hard to beat. its what i use. i like akg 701 a lot - less bass, more detail, but then are open and therefore leak sound, unlike the 770, which might be important to you

rids57 · 10 Jan 2015 at 17:43

You could always save a little more and go for Sennheiser HD600 / HD650 or Philips Fidelio X2 and probably not have the urge to upgrade again for many years.