Best Audiophile headphones?

deezyboa

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May 17, 2015
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Hey guys, I've been wanting to get new Headphones lately and I've decided i'll just get one now since I have the money. I would like some recommendations for some Audiophile headphones (Closeback or Open back, doesn't really matter). I don't want to spend more than 300 USD so anything under would be nice

Right now, the 3 Headphones i have in mind are the Sennheiser HD 598, Audio Technica ATH-M50x's and the Beyerdynamic DT 770. I would like to get people's opinion on which of these 3 are the best, and if possible, I would also like some more recommendations I could look at
 
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perhaps i can offer insight here..

while knockoff brands can sometimes be good, be careful as well. for every good one there are 10 bad ones and not dealing with a well known brand can be problematic for warranty issues. takstar and superlux are decently known but i cant say how warranties are as i havent dealt with them myself.

the takstar pro 80 is the same as the hyper x cloud headset frame. its been copied around under other names as well such as gemini hsr-100. its a decent budget level headphone but its only a budget level headphone. too much hype. certainly a good choice worth noting but if you have a higher budget its worth looking around before settling upon it for its price.

i dont know the 681evo but superlux is also...

wickreD

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Jan 29, 2011
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I can't tell you which one is best here , but you might want to go for a chinese brand ,
My friend owns the ATH-M50x and when compared to my 40$ Superlux 681 evo the sound is nearly identical, from what i read , the Takstar Pro80 should even sound better and they cost around 80$,if i were you i would look into that .
From my experience with the ATH-M50x , they sound great, very good build quality and has some nice features (it can fold , has a locking mechanism for the detachable cable and folds nicely into a carrying bag which you get aswell) that being said , I wouldn't really recommend them as i feel they don't worth the extra cash over headphones such as the 681 Evo .
Hope that helps.
 
perhaps i can offer insight here..

while knockoff brands can sometimes be good, be careful as well. for every good one there are 10 bad ones and not dealing with a well known brand can be problematic for warranty issues. takstar and superlux are decently known but i cant say how warranties are as i havent dealt with them myself.

the takstar pro 80 is the same as the hyper x cloud headset frame. its been copied around under other names as well such as gemini hsr-100. its a decent budget level headphone but its only a budget level headphone. too much hype. certainly a good choice worth noting but if you have a higher budget its worth looking around before settling upon it for its price.

i dont know the 681evo but superlux is also generally a good brand but again, is often overhyped such as the well known 668b. i cant add too much more

the m50 is also overhyped but in the $100-120 range its very good if you dont mind a few drawbacks. i personally own one. its benefits are a folding design, very tough build quality, nice v-shaped signature with good deep bass (capable of low level sub bass as well) while still having crisp highs. its drawbacks are small earcups, a very tiny soundstage and that they get hot like many other closed cans with pleather pads do. the m50x is decent as well if you can keep the price to a reasonable level.

the dt770 is what the m50 is and more. overall the better headphone with crisper highs and larger more comfortable earcups. if you want deep bass, a v-shaped signature and an actually fairly decent soundstage for a closed can its a good choice. be aware it will definitely be noticeably v-shaped and will have somewhat bright treble. custom one pro is similar and easier to drive but lacks a bit as well.

the hd598 is more mellow and laid back. it doesnt have the bass, nor sharp treble nor detail but is more flat and easy listening. this means they arent as fatiguing as well but may also not sound as exciting. the hd600/hd650 improves upon this with some more bass and quality while retaining the laid back nature. generally people who like the hd598/hd600 dislike the dt770/dt990 and vice versa.

the dt990 is a v-shaped open headphone similar to the dt770 but without as much bass although still decently heavy for an open can. bright treble, good detail, decent soundstage and great comfort. again, fatiguing for some like most cans with detail and treble. the dt880 is similar but a bit more flat without the harsher treble or bass edge.

not listed are options like the audiotechnica ad-series (if you want advantage for gaming for example), akg k7xx/k701/q701 which are bass light to neutral in signature, fidelo x2, amongst others

dont forget you may need a decent amplifier to power some of these so your budget may in fact be more like $100 amp + $200 headphones. i suggest the schiit magni if you do need one

i think the most imporant things are for you to consider what kind of sound you want and how you will drive them.

bass light? flat? bass heavy? v-shaped?
 
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