Worthwhile step up from Goldring NS1000?

db2431 · 22 Mar 2014 at 03:31

Bought Goldrings about 5 years ago and have enjoyed the sound but am now looking to see if there is anything substantially better around the £150 price bracket, can go a bit higher.I use them at home plugged in to an Onkyo 515 amp, would like something comfortable, open or closed as noise leakage isn't an issue.Im aware of diminishing returns, is the Goldring at the point where the massive increases in sound quality end and its just a case of slightly tighter bass etc?

Cookeh · 23 Mar 2014 at 11:26

AD700s
CAL/CAL2s.
DT770s.
HD598s.
SR80is.

NS1000s are a good budget can, but there are substantially better out there. All of the above, and others, would be a big increase in performance, soundstage, control and separation.

C64 · 23 Mar 2014 at 18:58

No the goalposts have changed now that manufacturers are more competitive there are decent headphones for £100-£130 before the gap was bigger you'd have to pay £200 + depends how much you want to spend personally I'd get the beyer dynamic dt770 limited edition 30 ohm version or get the dt770 80ohm if you want velour earpads and the amp headphone out is good.

No it's not diminishing returns it was because year or so ago maybe 2 something like beyer dt 770 was not £113, to me the ns1000 are what I'd personally call a warm darkish headphone and I like that kind of sound some people don't like the dt 770 dt 990 pro sharp treble but I read that's been tamed a bit on the new 30ohm version but they come with pleather pads.If were me i'd probably plump for the dt770 80ohm version with the velour pads because they can be had for £113.

£50-£60
creative a live 1/2 would be a sidegrade

£99
akg k550
audio technica m50 slight upgrades will get better details and mids and soundstage and bass

£113-£150 ish

definite upgrade

dt770
dt990 pro
akg k612
soundmagic hp100

The philips fidelio x1 might be worth stretching to got mine for £165 they are going up and down in price wouldn't pay over £175 for them because then you are approaching beyer dt880 akg k702 territory.

db2431 · 24 Mar 2014 at 02:15

2 very good posts, would probably stretch to the £200 mark if needed, which is around the x1, dt880 and akg 701 as noted above.I got the impression the current popular opinion that the x1 was the best sounding headphone of the 3?

Cookeh · 24 Mar 2014 at 11:10

I personally rate the DT880 higher, but they can be harder to drive and tend to be a bit more polarizing than the X1s which appear to be more widely liked. ATH-AD900s are also worth a look in - AD range are ridiculously comfy cans.

lltfdaniel · 10 Apr 2014 at 07:16

I vouch for the german maestro 8.35d if your after a studio headphone thats balanced overall and has decent deep tight bass plus easy to drive and way more harder to break them as well as being easy to drive and they cost around £150-160.

Uriel · 10 Apr 2014 at 07:45

CAL actually a downgrade. I've owned both.

I would also argue the HD598 are very different but not actually any better.

db2431 · 10 Apr 2014 at 16:46

Uriel said:
CAL actually a downgrade. I've owned both.

I would also argue the HD598 are very different but not actually any better.

I ended up buying and sending my X1 back, to my ears the ns1000 were a league above them.I may try some dt770s in the future but again I suspect I'd just be side stepping.Im starting to wonder how much of the headphone scene isn't just fanboyism and being blinded by the cost and the name on the side of the phones.