£150 price range for headphones
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those sennhesiers have no detail, are too dark and bassy. i really dont rate them at all. however, yuse this thread as a short list to trial them for yourself, your tastes may vary 
Soldato
When I first got the HD650 I felt the same way, dark and muffled compared with my AKG K702s but after a couple of hours my brain adjusted to the different sound signature and they opened right up. Now I can't listen to music with my K702s, they sound way too brash and tinny while with the HD650 I can hear tons of detail but instead of it being "in your face" it's much more relaxed, musical and above all else, smooth.
Surely you don't mean the 600/650? The 650 is really detailed it just isn't artificially enhanced. Vocal detail is phenomenal and the treble while dark is still detailed. The 600 is brighter, a bit more shouty with similar detail. The only time they sound less detailed is with amps that add warmth or do not drive it correctly.
Coming from thinner colder headphones they can sound sultry but no detail is really lost just different.
Coming from thinner colder headphones they can sound sultry but no detail is really lost just different.
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Interesting thoughts guys. Maybe it was my headamp match? WHo knows
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I for one would love to try the top end senhesiers. just looking at them makes them look really comfy
Just a quick post here. I decided to cancel the STX soundcard for the time being a few hours after I set my mind on the AKGs last week. Now I've been looking into the Amp/DAC combo instead and was wondering if anyone had any experience with AKGs and specific AMP/DACs to tell me about them. I have no clue about this as this is the first time I've even looked into these before. I'm a bit worried about the price range of these products as I've read recommendations on different threads hitting the £200 price mark. The Audioengine D1 and look like one of those products that everyone recommends but I'm sure there are other less known products that need mentioning. I've seen a few people list the FiiO E10K as well. I love the aesthetic and the digital interface of the Denon DA-300USB Audio DAC but as a technical standpoint I'm out of my depth and they could have an average headphone AMP inside for all i know (plus they are £200!). Would a pair of AKG 612s run perfectly fine on a sub £100 amp/dac combo or are you just paying for added features and usability on the more expensive models? Anything should sound better than on my current Xonar DG though guys, am I right?
Soldato
[medley] you really need to go away and think for a couple of days, do a lot of research and decide what you really want because you are basically back at square one again now 
Soldato
[medley] you really need to go away and think for a couple of days, do a lot of research and decide what you really want because you are basically back at square one again now
I knew i shouldn't have gone down this rabbit hole! I'll give back my brothers audio-technicas and buy a pair of £20 headphones I think for the time being
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Soldato
Once you start reading in depth about audio gear, actually picking out what you want becomes extremely difficult because there is always something better (and more expensive) unless you're buying right at the very top. We've all been there and done that (and for the most part are still doing it ).
The headphones are responsible for 90% of the sound signature, so that is where you need to spend the most money, the DAC & amp make up the rest but more often than not actually sound quite similar. Obviously, as you move up the price scale the sound becomes more refined but the differences can be surprisingly small. With so much good quality, cheap electronics coming out of the far east these days, it means that very good sound can be had for very reasonable prices.
The first thing you need to decide on is your budget with an absolute maximum and go from there.
).The headphones are responsible for 90% of the sound signature, so that is where you need to spend the most money, the DAC & amp make up the rest but more often than not actually sound quite similar. Obviously, as you move up the price scale the sound becomes more refined but the differences can be surprisingly small. With so much good quality, cheap electronics coming out of the far east these days, it means that very good sound can be had for very reasonable prices.
The first thing you need to decide on is your budget with an absolute maximum and go from there.
Soldato
Get some PortaPros if you want some cheap stop-gaps. excellent headphones.
Once you start reading in depth about audio gear, actually picking out what you want becomes extremely difficult because there is always something better (and more expensive) unless you're buying right at the very top. We've all been there and done that (and for the most part are still doing it
The headphones are responsible for 90% of the sound signature, so that is where you need to spend the most money, the DAC & amp make up the rest but more often than not actually sound quite similar. Obviously, as you move up the price scale the sound becomes more refined but the differences can be surprisingly small. With so much good quality, cheap electronics coming out of the far east these days, it means that very good sound can be had for very reasonable prices.
The first thing you need to decide on is your budget with an absolute maximum and go from there.
I spent about 4 hrs last night looking into amp/dacs alone. I think I came to the conclusion I would probably need to be spending at least £200+ on a pair of headphones to notice or get the best out of an expensive amp/dac. Might be wrong but is that a correct observation? I got thinking about the soundcard being a good solid performer but its quite expensive and if I could get a similar experience but for £60-70 cheaper then may be I should looking into that. Music listening is a big part of my usage but no where near as much time is spent on it as much as in the past so I told myself, can I really justify paying nearly £300 for new equipment? I haven't had my mind changed since I looked into the AKGs so that's the main thing.
I even starting thinking about getting a headset or sub £50 headphones and sticking the mod mic v4.0 on them and then having the AKG's for non-gaming activities after one of my friends started to comment on my £7 clip on mic starting to sound muffled.
I don't think I will though. First world problems!
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Q701s for £115! How do you get access to the members market?
Soldato
post more - you need over 1000 posts
I see, 913 posts to go then.
A little hard on the ears! That's understatement of the year. Grados make me rethink this hobby! 
I am so sensitive to peaks and brightness they were an absolute nightmare! so much energy though, the lively nature makes for a good rocking out session.
I am so sensitive to peaks and brightness they were an absolute nightmare! so much energy though, the lively nature makes for a good rocking out session.
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I need to find somewhere to try some Grados, I don't know why but I really fancy trying them.
It's on my to do in 2015 list....... As are many things
It's on my to do in 2015 list....... As are many things