Headphones - Whats your Pick?

[avaserfi]

Until I have finished my speaker build all of my critical listening has been relegated to my two pair of headphones- Sony MDR-7506 and a brand new (to me) pair of Beyerdynamic DT880s 2003 model with a slight acoustic modification. Both pairs are extremely linear with the DT880s having an ultra clean waterfall with near zero resonance although it has a small bump in the trebel response, but I use an EQ to take care of that for listening.

I was wondering what everyones favorite sets of cans/in ears are. Post pics if you will. I willt ry to get some pics of my pairs up soon.

I use a Xynex 802 to power the headphones at home as it actually works as a great headphone amp and the DT880s are harder to drive.

[slwiser]

I am using two pair of headphones today in my systems. The Ultrasone Edition 9 is the better of the two. The Audio-Technica AT-ESW9 is my portable. The ESW9 has displaced my AT-ANC7 in my use. One would say that I am a hard-core headphone user. I have dedicated amps and sources just for them.

Other headphones that have come and gone but which I have enjoyed are:

AT-W5000 with it's matching amp the AT-HA5000;
AT-W1000;
AT-A900LTD;
AT-EW9;
Beyer DT880;
Ultrasone Proline 2500;
Ultrasone iCan;

My sources are the Lavry DA10 and a Beresford TC-7510 Mk6/v3 digital analog converters.
My amps are the Berning micro-ZOTL and Yamamoto HA-02 (SEP).
Cables are Bettercables Silver Serpert and Virtual Dynamic Nite with Carda XLR-RCA Rhodium adapters for the Lavry DA10's XLR input.

I am using computer files in the FLAC format. These are being converted from USB to S/PDIF using either my M-Audio USB Audiophile or the Hagtech.com's HagUSB-XLR devices. I also stream my files from my computer over to my easy chair to a Squeezebox 3 into the Beresford feeding the micro-ZOTL.

For my portable I use the custom modified iPod 5.5g into a Portable amp from Xin called the Reference. Or I use this as a fixed unit using a dock on my table next to my easy chair from ALO. This dock uses Auricap's since the internal iPod coupling caps have been bypassed. For my iPod I use Apple Lossless format for all my music.

Yamamoto HA-02 headphone amp:


Berning micro-ZOTL:


Lavry DA10;


Ultrasone Edition 9 headphone on my ear:


Audio-Technica AT-ESW9:


Modified iPod in custom Dock from ALO located at my computer before moving it over to my easy chair area:


Atlantis Reference 3 Audio Rack beside my easy chair. This is a PR picture from manufacturer:

[daniel]

I used to have stax headphone. I wouldn't go for anything less.

[warpdrive]

I'm highly intrigued by the newest Denon models. I've tried all the AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Grado models and I'm still searching for a headphone I consider balanced (jack of all trades).

[avaserfi]

warpdrive wrote:

I'm highly intrigued by the newest Denon models. I've tried all the AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Grado models and I'm still searching for a headphone I consider balanced (jack of all trades).

From what I have been told the Sony MDR-CD900ST is a almost perfectly tonally balanced headphone with the proper treble roll off [if not a tad aggressive] as called for by nearly all credible research in the area. While I am not sure if this is for you it might be a pair you would want to check out. From my understanding it is also not too hard to drive.

[daniel]

Stay away from Sony. they give you cheap ( lesser quality) expensive ( you pay to much) product. Grado and Sennheiser are better product.

Buying a Sony is like buying a bose system. Using a car analogy, would be paying a Toyota price tag for a lada.

[slwiser]

Check out the Ultrasone models. You may find them interesting. I enjoyed my Proline 2500 (open model). They have a HFI-780 which is closed and seems to have some good reviews. The closed Proline 750 may or may not be what you want.

My favorite of the Ultrasone's is the Edition 9 of course.

[avaserfi]

daniel wrote:

Stay away from Sony. they give you cheap ( lesser quality) expensive ( you pay to much) product. Grado and Sennheiser are better product.

Buying a Sony is like buying a bose system. Using a car analogy, would be paying a Toyota price tag for a lada.

I don't know where you are getting your information, but as far as headphones go Sony makes some great products. I am not only speaking of build quality which happens to be superb on my MDR-7506, but also on sound quality as shown through actual credible measurements.

Disliking a company just because of their name makes no sense it is one of the reasons so many audiophools have a hatred for Behringer - sheer nonsense.

[daniel]

Plenty of companies do better product. Jecklin float, AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Grado and stax are among those companies. Sorry If I have offended you. You're free to be a sony's fan.

[avaserfi]

daniel wrote:

Plenty of companies do better product. Jecklin float, AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Grado and stax are among those companies. Sorry If I have offended you. You're free to be a sony's fan.

Blind faith or hate in a company gets one no where. My point was simply do not discount a company because of its name. I don't happen to like Sony - I like quality and what works the way it is supposed to. Sony happens to have some headphones that fit the bill and so does Beyerdynamic thats why I own products from both.

I should point out when it comes to sound quality my choices are made by objective not subjective analysis so there is no question that the Sony headphones recommended/used perform well.

You are more than welcome to your opinion I am just asking what it is based off of as you have yet to offer anything but conjecture.

[daniel]

For headphone you could try headfi. org.
For sony" "honesty", Theres a nice article in Uhfmag.com
If you google sony such, you 'll find many other that feel like I do.
But as I said you're free to disagree. And if you enjoy what you have, enjoy!

[daniel]

p.s. I'm more a Stax fan than anything else regarding headphone, but there's one of there product that doesn't interest me at all, in ears headset.

[Funkmonkey]

I second the recommendation for visiting Headfi.org Lots of info there.
For IEM's I really like the qJAY's,
Full size cans: Denon AH-D2000 hits the sweet spot for me (great all around head phone)

[drf]

daniel wrote:

For headphone you could try headfi. org.
For sony" "honesty", Theres a nice article in Uhfmag.com
If you google sony such, you 'll find many other that feel like I do.
But as I said you're free to disagree. And if you enjoy what you have, enjoy!

Don't believe everything you read, and question what you do believe.
E.G Sennheiser get awesome reviews for their wireless headphones, yet I measured a pair just last week and they could not reproduce above 7Khz. A simple FR test, I bet if I grabed a cheap set (A$50) of sony wired headphones they would reproduce at least to 18Khz.

A lot of the reviews on the net are written by people who know what they like but don't like what is not fasionable.

Food for thought anyway.

[warpdrive]

I agree with the others.....saying "stay away from Sony" headphones is just based on unfounded bias.

Have any of you guys heard the Sony R-10 headphones? They are discontinued now but they were $4500 headphones, and may headphone audiophiles say it's one of the best headphones ever made.

[daniel]

Lot's of product from many companies, are not for sale in every countries. I've seen ( on paper ( well on computer screen) some Japanese products that look incredible and maybe could compete with krell, levinson... But they are not sold where I live.

Sometimes, I have no idea what's the product is ( I even have never heard of the company), sometimes one product is a best buy in my country, but far more expensive overseas, where it's become a waste of time to try to sell those product there. It works both ways.

[warpdrive]

Headphones are easy to import. Thanks to the Internet, we are aware of many headphones not sold here now through sites like Head-Fi.org. Lots of people import Audio Technica headphones which are very popular among audiophiles.

[JCD]

I've actually listed to these at a local headphone meet:

Sennheiser Orpheus -- $15,000! Are they nice? Absolutely. Are they worth $15K -- I don't think I could justify that cost even if I were Bill Gates.

In real life, I have two sets of cans I use:

AKG K701 -- these just sound awesome to me. Someday I'll finish my headphone amp and really be able to take advantage of them, but still, they sound great to me. I've seen them online for $250 delivered.

Sennheiser HD280 Pro -- these are the cans I use when I want to block out the world. They're not as good or as comfortable as the 701's, but they're not bad. I think you can find these for ~$70 now.

JCD

[mazersteven]

I'm just kicking back listening to some tune right now with my AKG 701's.

[WmAx]

avaserfi wrote:

I was wondering what everyones favorite sets of cans/in ears are.

Here are my preferences for different applications(note that monetary amount is not relevant - units suggested are my favorite for each application - I have tried most high end headphones that exist under thorough sound tests compared to a reference, using the same test tracks at all times).

Classical/Jazz/Acoustic Music: Sony MDR-CD900ST

Rock/Pop Music: Sony MDR-CD3000 (modified with a cotton cloth over driver to reduce treble slightly)

Neutral Reference Device: Beyer DT880 - 2003 Edition (modified with an acoustical foam donut inside to correct for comb filtering and resonance problems in the treble that exist otherwise)

Audio Feed Monitoring: Sony MDR-7506

-Chris

[DRB]

I've long been a fan of headphone listening. I'm currently using Sennheiser HD600 and AKG 701 phones. The AKG's are my preference, but both are good.

[Sheep]

Sennheiser HD500 Fuzion for HT/before bed.
BeyerDynamic DT100 for Monitoring (though I don't have any monitoring equipment nor a headphone source capable of powering these things).
Shure E2C In ears I bought for the gym, but I really don't like them.... yeah... wasted my monies. The Altec lansin IM7** or something are very nice. My friend has them and they blew away my Shures.
Plantronics headset for Gaming. Cheap, boom and sizzle, just what I like for TF2 and CS:S!

SheepStar

I'm shopping around for some headphones myself. I plan to buy a couple of pairs at a time from Amazon and use their 30 day return policy to send back the ones I don't like. If I keep any over 30 days, I'll just sell them on HeadFi.

Headfi is definitely the place to look for info and reviews. I take a lot of the reviews with a good measure of salt since there seems to be a few 'questionable' reviews there. The 'For Sale' forum will let you get a few sets for lower cost and you can resell/trade as you go through your choices.

Good Luck!

[bdbuss]

For the past few years, I've been listening to a pair of Etymotic ER-4P's. They took a bit of getting used in the beginning, because you feel very isolated. Almost creepily so. Also, you have to be prepared to push those puppies in as far as they'll go. Don't worry if they almost touch in the middle -- it happens to me all the time . It's essential for good bass. Once you relax and begin to "listen" to them, you'll be speechless. You will hear things at a level of detail you never thought possible, all at surprisingly low volumes. My cans prior were AKGs; from the upper part of their product range. I have to admit the 4P's create a much more open, but paradoxically intimate experience...... right in the middle of your brain!

But I'm also smart enough to realize that hearing is subjective...... by its very definition. (Go Sony Guy, Go!) Of course, this is just my opinion. Everybody's got one, and they usually.......

[DRB]

Brad, I also own a pair of Etymotic 4P's. (Yes, I realize I have a problem...). I use them with a large classic Creative MP3 player and a HeadRoom portable amp for airline travel. Good isolation, good sound! I find the amp is a must.

BTW, I use them at home when my wife insists that the leakage from the regular cans is too much. Excellent. The original in-ear monitors.