Please spec me closed-back headphones

grumpybeard

grumpybeard

grumpybeard

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Hey fellas,

Going to be "working" in the same room as my missus for a few months - her studying her uni stuff, Im going to be coding for a while.

To keep me going and motivated, to get the code rattled off I often listen to tunes, mostly rock/indie/hard pop stuff.

In order to prevent a whack on the head from the missus telling me to "turn it down" can anyone recommend me a quality set of closed-back headphones, which I'll also team up with a zalman clip-on mic for gaming too.

Been a few years since I was into the "hi-fi" scene, my time was when mission cycrus 3 amps and series 7 speakers where the ones to have!

Budget is 150 quid.

Thanks a lot!! :)
 
£150 headphones on a crappy soundcard and iphone? May I suggest buying a Xonar for about £50 and spending £100 on headphones instead.

Or even the Goldring NS1000 for £50 and £100 on a soundcard
 
You may Guest2. Thanks, opinion appreciated. The sound card on the ASUS RIIE seems fairly good, its a plug-in PCI affair.

However I may consider a better soundcard, which will come later (perhaps even a headphone amp for the iPhone). Just love my music so looking for quality cans as a starting point with any additional stuff to follow.

Cheers mate!
 
You can have quality cans but theres no point playing bad quality through them! Not saying your ASUS is bad, what format are you playing?
 
Isn't that card a reworked X-Fi? Baffled me when I saw an X-Fi add on card with an Asus board. :confused: That's nearly as surprising as if Lamborghini went and used a Ferarri engine! :eek:

If it was plain old onboard, then any decent sound card and some phones that work great unamped would be the order of the day. As what you have is better than bog standard onboard, you will have to spend a bit on a sound card to make it worthwhile getting. Pay £100 for a sound card to get some £50 phones, don't see the logic in that.
Pay £50 for sound card, then grab some phones for upto £100 sounds more like it, but even that is somewhat pointless as the card you have is not crap.

I would say get the Goldring NS1000 for £50, then grab at a later date an Asus Xonar STX/ST which has a built in amp, meaning the NS1000 will work great with the NC turned off. With the NC on, they will work fine with the iPhone. As the phones didn't cost the earth, you could sometime later maybe consider even better ones, and as you would have an amp with the STX/ST you can choose some phones that might benefit from an amp giving more choice.
 
Hey guys,

Yes I believe the Asus RIIE is a reworked XFi.

Looks like the Goldring NS1000 set is an absolute steal at 50 quid, thanks for the tip these are top of the list at the mo.

Thanks again!
 
grumpybeard said:
Hey guys,

Yes I believe the Asus RIIE is a reworked XFi.

Looks like the Goldring NS1000 set is an absolute steal at 50 quid, thanks for the tip these are top of the list at the mo.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Make sure to get a headphone extension cable if you do get them. £4.06 delivered from the rainforrest store
 
I'd like to come in with my opinion...

I had the NS1000's and sold them on due to not getting along with the creaking sound that came from the plastic frame when I was listening to stuff on the move.

I recently got some Audio Technika ATH-ES7's to replace the Goldrings and I love them to bits, however they are around the £100 mark and have a short cable.
 
Must admit I've always hankered after a pair of Audio Technicas, like the look of the ATH A700's and W1000's (dream on at that price but drop-dead gorgeous in the cherry wood!).

Thanks Fubsy for making life difficult again ;)
 
Hello.

For what you listen to, I wouldn't recommend either the ATH-AD700s or the HD555s (which are the most recommended headphones on a another forum I'm a member of) for two reasons: They're open back and they're not suited to rock; classical is their area.

For rock, Grados are pretty much THE best, in my opinion, I love their raw, harsh midrange (perfect for guitars); but they don't sound good to everyone. Perhaps the JVC RX900s - which are pretty good for gaming too - would be decently suited to your needs, since they are closed back, and are decently performing for the genres you listen to, but they mainly shine in bass-heavy music, RNB, etc.

For a soundcard, I'd recommend the ASUS Xonar D1/DX. If you've got a PCI slot free, then get the D1, the DX needs a floppy power connector, and that's not very pleasant on the eyes.
 
Goldring NS1000's are nice, Sennheiser HD-25 are within budget also, I own both of these and I'd be tempted to go for the Goldrings.
 
meticadpa said:
For a soundcard, I'd recommend the ASUS Xonar D1/DX. If you've got a PCI slot free, then get the D1, the DX needs a floppy power connector, and that's not very pleasant on the eyes.
Click to expand...

The power connector is not pleasant on the eyes? I prefer to look at the monitor, rather than gaze into the case thinking how ugly that extra power connector looks. As long as the cabling is tidy, is it worth worrying about?
 
Slightly OT I know, but you guys got me thinking! - liking the look of the beresford and dacmagic DACs in place of any additional soundcard, to drive speakers and cans....hmmmm
 
Well, the power connector is a hassle for cable management, which, for me is a must.

The PCI slot will also give a slightly lower latency than the PCI-E x1 (or any PCI-E slot), for what it's worth, but the difference is pretty unnoticable.
 
Doh, I just gone and bought a Beresford Caiman DAC, how the hell did that happen?!

So, PC optical or USB to the DAC, what closed-back headphones budget 100 quid?
 
lol. I do the same. I was supposed to look for a replacement amp for about £50 because mine was going silent sometimes. I ended up spending £220 and mine is working fine now the monitor isnt covering the vents...heres to a new NAD c252 thats arriving friday. Personally id save £50 and buy the NS1000 whilst they are cheap, if you dont get on with them sell them for the same or more. With the other £50 but toslink/coaxial cables that are needed
 
Goldrings ordered to go with the Beresford. Those cans seem a bargain for 50 quid, thanks for the tips guys, cant way to try them!

A sonically beautiful Merry Chrimbo to you all! :)
 
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