Decent headphones for music (and optionally a sound card ?)

wjtk4444 · Apr 14, 2015

Hi guys

I'm not sure if placed this thread in appropriate category, so correct me if I did wrong.

I am looking for some decent pair of headphones and maybe a sound card.
For gaming and voice chat purposes I own Logitech G35 headset, and It's awesome...
...but if you ever tried to listen music on gaming headphones - you know why I need another pair.

So, my MB is ASUS Z97-A (with integrated sound card, that's why I mentioned it) and I have no idea if I need separate sound card. I like good quality of sound but I'm not an audiophile (mp3's in 320kb/s and music from youtube in HD satisfies me well).
My budget is... elastic. If you think that 50$ heads will be enough, I'm gonna buy it. If you'll say that 150$ heads + 150$ sound card are worth their price for somebody like me - I'm gonna consider this option as well.

Melodic power metal is the most enjoyable music for me, but I also do like another genres and listen to them sometimes.
I'm using Sound Magic E10 with my phone and I'd rate them 9/10 (10/10 for price/quality ratio and 8/10 for sound quality) if this gives you some more view at situation.
Mentioned G35's are the first headphones that feels really comfortable for me, so propably the bigger ones are for me.

PS. Excuse my english, I'm still learnig

Christiaan Lourens · Apr 14, 2015

You sound like you are very chilled about this so I will not suggest any soundcard...yet. You don't need it at this point.

I am going to post a couple of links for you my first suggestion being this one:

http

/www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016077&sr=1-1&keywords=headphones

Just because of the immense steal it is going for right now.

Some more suggestions:

http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-518-Headphones-Black/dp/B0042A68R8
http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0042A8CW2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016077&sr=1-3&keywords=headphones
http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016077&sr=1-7&keywords=headphones
http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB

http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-Black-Headphone/dp/B00AZZNXOK/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016077&sr=1-6&keywords=headphones

I have a DJ friend who uses the last ones ^

lastly these ones:

http

/www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-990-Pro-250-Professional-Acoustically-Applications/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016077&sr=1-17&keywords=headphones

Even these:
http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-RS-170-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B002TLT10I/ref=sr_1_46?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016241&sr=1-46&keywords=headphones

Note the last ones will never truly be able to use a sound card's potential fully.

Now those are all headphones for music, so no mic for gaming but that's not an issue you can always buy a cheap mic later if you need it.

Those are all expensive suggestions though so now let's move on to more affordable ones

you can always buy expensive later.

Best deal is probably these ones by far:

I RECOMMEND THESE:

http

/www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-On-Ear-Headphone-Black/dp/B00DKPXU9A/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016462&sr=1-9&keywords=headphones

^ that one for sure

http

/www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M30x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUQW8/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429016462&sr=1-4&keywords=headphones

Affordable sound card:

http

/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132020 ( note it's only 5.1 )

this will be the 7.1

http

/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006

( note the massive price difference, do you really need more than 5.1 for music? up to you, I'd say nope)

wjtk4444 · Apr 14, 2015

Christiaan Lourens :

Both Audio-Technicas looks cool and what matters comfortable, so does Sennheiser HD-280 PRO and Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-250. Beyerdynamics are noticeably more expensive than rest in my country (no idea why), so we have M50x, M30x and HD-280. Prices here are like M50x is 2 times more than 30x, and HD-280 is about 1.5 of 30x's price. All of them are in my range; I'll propably go to some shop and check how do they play if there will be option to do it, and then decide how much I want to spend.

About sound cards, they aren't actually this expensive. Even Xonar DX is cheaper than M30x (and only slighty more expensive than DG version) Also, DX looks better than DG (yeah, I know that it isn't reasonable argument but 30$ (price diffrence in here) is an amount I can spend to have both better look and quality). But yeah, back to the topic - I'll propably go with headphones first, and then maybe some sound card.

Thanks for your answer, if You would have any other ideas - I'm gonna keep this thread open until I decide on something and make a pucharse

Christiaan Lourens · Apr 15, 2015

Other ideas would be wishlist a couple of things on your local online store and see if a sale pops up on any of them before you make a purchase, or check audio warehouse type shops for sales. Note, don't hold off your purchase for a sale since audio equipment aren't nearly on sale as much as we would hope. Hope you make the right choice, that's exactly what I suggested, don't get the sound card just yet

ssddx · Apr 15, 2015

what country?

also, what kind of sound profile do you enjoy most?
-neutral (most accurate but sometimes considered boring
-v-shaped (more bass, treble, reduced mids also called the fun shape)
-treble/mid focused (lacking bass)
-mid/bass focused (lacking good treble)

do you want open or closed headphones?

if the dt770 is cheaper or the same price as a m50x, ignore the m50x. the dt770 is better overall.

the hd558/598 are good for people who want a more neutral sound without needing an amp

the dt990 needs an amp but is good for people who want a v-shaped profile.

not listed above, the creative aurvana live! headset is rather cheap and will have comparable quality to the earbuds you already use (not really much of an upgrade in SQ, but they are over-ears not in-ears). they arent as nice as some of the other choices above.

on a fairly low budget the hd518 or hd558 are a pretty good overall choice. not best in class but definitely nice.

i'd suggest reading some of my previous posts (search forum for "ssddx headphone headset" or google for "tomshardware ssddx headphone headset" and read some of my past responses for lots more info)

wjtk4444 · Apr 15, 2015

ssddx :

Country is Poland. And about sound profile... treble/mid I'd say. I don't think that I have some solid preferences, maybe it was about headphones I used. Definitelty not bass focused, but this isn't supposed to mean I don't like good bass; just mid and high tones are a bit more important to me

Also, I'm gonna keep in mind those models You've listed and check them out later today/tomorrow.

ssddx · Apr 15, 2015

if you want as much treble/mid presence as possible without having much of any bass presence the audiotechnica ad500x, ad700x, ad900x series does this. the akg cans like the akg k701 and similar will follow the same sort of sound profile but will be a bit more sibilant (think lispy piercing highs) than the audio technicas. while mid-bass is fine they have absolutely no low end to them.

the hd598 being a neutral can is always a good starter set of headphones. basically the midground as far as headphones are concerned. you'll have some bass which is punchy but not alot (some consider them a little light on bass) while you'll have good treble and mids without the treble being to sibilant or piercing. they also do not need an amp, though run well with one.

wjtk4444 · Apr 21, 2015

O'kay. I've done some reseach, and sadly none of them are available here. (I mean available to test; I can still order them though)

Anyways, here are my thoughts:
-For the price: M30x is much cheaper then rest, HD 280 is mid-range, and DT770, M50X are in similar price (about 2 times more expensive than 280's)
-I DO NOT want headphones with a sound profile like bass or treble, neutral ones would be the best... ...but I guess there are no really neutral ones, so I do prefer treble over bass and mid-tones. (but just a little!)
-Also, I'd like them to be big, comfortable and made of leather / synthetic leater (I really dislike feeling of cloth/textile ones)

I'll propably ask friends if they have some headphones, test them and then decide. If they don't... well, M30/50x does look great for me, maybe I'll go with them. If You have any thoughts - thread is still open

ssddx · Apr 21, 2015

i know of the ath-m30 since i gifted one a few years back. while not terrible sounding build quality and comfort are a FAR cry from the m50. enough for me to say that they arent worthwhile and the m50 is a much better deal despite any pricing differences. they have a similar bassier sound that the m50's do but with somewhat less quality and vastly reduced size and build quality. its sounding like you wont like either of them since they are rather warm/bassy.

the hd280 if i recall correctly is rather heavy on bass unlike the other sennheisers. again, i dont think you will want these.

out of the dt770 vs m50x the dt770 is a much better option but i dont think this would fit yourneeds for a neutral can.

--

if you want neutral or somewhat neutral sound then i'd suggest the sennheiser hd518/hd558/hd598 lineup. the further up the chain you go the more neutral the sound while the lower you go the more bassy the sound although even the hd518 is nowhere near as bassy as the hd280 is.

wjtk4444 · Apr 21, 2015

ssddx :

I'd propably go with dt770 / hd558 / hd598 just now, but... Honestly: they are ugly, and they have textile finish.
M50 are looking great and have syntetic leather finish, but You have said that 770 is much better.
I know that this shouldn't be any condition while looking for good quality hardware, but still...

I will have an opportunity to test how does Philips SHP8900/00 (ikr, they're kinda old model and not in same price range, but those are ones I can test for now) sound with and without Asus Xonar DG, so I'll give you my feedback soon. And then I'll order one of mentioned above, maybe with sound card

ssddx · Apr 21, 2015

well, the dt770 are certainly better in terms of audio quality. they are a bit more refined and have a wider soundstage. they also have bigger earcups. the one thing the m50 is better at is that they are easy to drive without an amp or good soundcard. you can easily drive m50s from portable devices such as smartphones or mp3 players while the dt770 32 or 80 you'd want an amp (though the dg soundcard will drive them). ignore the 250ohm version since that definitely needs a decent amp to sound great.

be aware that the m50/dt770 have a v-shaped profile (accented treble and bass with recessed mids) and are bassy cans. not ear-cannons (bass-cannons) like some but they are midway between neutral and bass-cannon (hence "bassy"... good bass without sacrificing audio quality elsewhere).

you can buy replacement pads in leather/pleather or cloth/velour for most headphones if you do not care for the originals they come with. this can change the sound signature a little (leather tends to be a bit more bassy sounding than cloth) but not by a huge degree typically.

personally i'd worry more about sound quality than looks since you arent likely to be seen with them on (unless you record video). your choice though but be aware that typically overly gaudy or fancy headphones are also typically gimmicky.

wjtk4444 · Apr 21, 2015

ssddx :

Yeah, I'm keeping this in mind. I usually go out with in-ear headphones and I don't record video, but there are (not many but still) exceptions, so it would be nice if they could work well with phone / mp3 player, but it's not 100% necessary.
Also, I didn't know about replacement pads, thanks for the info.
Btw, it might take a few days to test mentioned Philips and Xonar, cause cable is broken and the new one didn't arrived yet : /

ssddx · Apr 21, 2015

the hd558/hd598/m50 should all work with phones & mp3 players.

wjtk4444 · May 3, 2015

I'm pretty much sure than I'll go with HD558/M50X's. I will have a chance to test sennheisers in a few days, so if there's something I should focus on while testing - you can tell me

Sadly, I'm going to test them with just an mp3 player / smartphone, but still - better than nothing.
Should I use some preset in equalizer, or just make a test with 'flat' one ?

More neutral - 558; V-shaped - M50X. Am I right?

After making a pucharse I'll be able to test them on pc with and without a sound card (Xonar DG), and then I'll choose If I want to spend some extra bucks.

ssddx · May 3, 2015

the hd558 is more neutral but with a slight kick on the bass end. they will have a much larger soundstage than the m50x but have alot less bass. they will leak sound in and out. will sound more akin to listening to a band in an open-air concert in the local park (more airy).

the m50x is v-shaped in sound profile. they will have a really small soundstage (small even for closed can standards) but be fairly sound isolating with good sub-bass output without having terribly distorted output in other areas. will sound more akin to listening to a band inside your local pub (more direct).

i would start with a flat eq for testing then play around with the eq a bit afterwards to get a feel for how they perform.

in short: m50x = lots of bass, lots of isolation. hd558 = neutral, large soundstage.

Christiaan Lourens · May 4, 2015

Try and use an iPhone instead of say a Samsung or Sony phone merely because the sound will be louder, clearer via aux cable. Apple have more advanced amp technology due to years of iPods.

wjtk4444 · May 6, 2015

I checked almost every headphones in shop, and DEFINITELY HD518 and 558 were the best. Nothing was even close, and I checked a lot. So, as neutral as possible it is. Sadly 598 were sold out at the moment, so I couldn't compare them. 518 and 558 sounded pretty similar, with just a very very little difference (I can't say which ones were better), but that might be because of kinda poor player (I could hear how the player just couldn't deal with some stages of some songs). Sorry for description that poor, but even in my language I couldn't do it much better.

Summing up - As neutral as possible + would be fine if I can use them with phone/mp3 player.

I'd go with HD 518 because of their price and because they sounded pretty much same as 558, but I'd like to ask at first: Is there some difference between 518/58/98 with a decent sound card? I don't care if I spend some more money if there's a noticeable difference, but if there's not I'm gonna buy HD 518.

ssddx · May 6, 2015

generally the hd518, 558 and 598 are fairly similar. iirc they use the same drivers but the difference in sound is due to construction of the headphone cups. yes there are differences, but not night and day, just noticible slight differences.

there are also people who do mods to their hd518 to make them sound more like the higher end models though its never really the same (but better than stock).

in general hd518 -> hd558 -> hd598
along that path they follow the below trends:
more bassy -> more neutral
smaller soundstage -> larger soundstage
average build quality -> better build quality
okay comfort -> better comfort

--

in short: the hd518 is your best buy for good sound on the cheap, however the higher end models are built a little better with more comfortable pads. the hd558 is about midway between them so i'd suggest going that route.

you could mod the grills on the 518 to sound similar to the 558 and 598 (there are guides) but its extra work and can make your headphones ugly.

--

sounds like the neutral sound is what you like.

on a good source, you'll definitely notice improvement on any of those headphones. good headphones really make bad sources sound bad. i remember when i used to listen to internet radio stations with high compression rates and thought they sounded acceptable until i upgraded to a pair of m50s... after that if it wasnt at least 128-192kbps quality i could not stand to listen to it because i could hear every single distorted part.

as far as if a soundcard is needed, generally not unless you hear buzzing or other distortion although a good soundcard can certainly sound better than onboard (it just is not strictly required unless you dont like how your onboard sounds). a xonar dg, dx or creative z are good budget options.

wjtk4444 · May 6, 2015

ssddx :

So 598 it is. Mainly because they're about only 15% more expensive then 558 (between 518->558 price difference is waaaaaaaay higher), so there's no point in buying lower model for almost same money.

After they arrive I'll test them with and without sound card and decide if I want a card also. (And then, I'll finally close this thread

)

wjtk4444 · May 30, 2015

UPDATE: It's been a while. I own HD598 and Xonar DX for about 2-3 weeks. What can I say, both are great. Xonar has way more clear sound than integrated card (but yeah, it's noticeable only on highest quality records), sennheisers sounds just great.

a little summary:
Xonar DX:
+ better quality of sound
- but the sound has to be in good quality to hear it
- costs 2x more but sounds similiar to DG (at least with just headphones)

7.5 out of 10 -> it's good but not really worth 2x more than DG

Sennheiser HD598:
+ GREAT sound
+ VERY high build qualiy
+ SUPER comfortable
- they don't need amp, but the sound is significantly worse and less loud on mobile players
+ but it's still good, at least in comparison to other headsets I had
- there is only one ~3m cable; As far as it's detachable and those are not 5$ headphones in my opinion there should be at least 2 cables
+ but you can buy them separately
- but it costs extra

9 out of 10 -> -1 point for poor accessories

For now I'm more than happy with this choice, and I would buy it again. (but Xonar DX just because it matches my MB look, otherwise I would go with DG I guess)

Thanks for all your answers, they really help me decide. I'm choosing ssdx's answer to close thread because he was more active

Decent headphones for music (and optionally a sound card ?)

Honorable

Honorable

Honorable

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Honorable

Glorious

Honorable

Honorable

Similar threads

Share this page