<$300 headphones for female vocals?

Hello, im looking for can recommendations that have great mids, or are mids focused, mainly for enjoying music with female vocals, guitar, piano and violin. Would go above $300 if worth it, but id prefer cheaper alternatives.

I have no access to massdrop and use a magnius amp. Thanks a lot.

Mid focused sounds like AKG. AKG K-612 Pro comes to mind, maybe Sony MDR-7506.

From my collection, I prefer my AudioTechnica ATH-AD500x (comfort is hit and miss) and AKG K-712 Pro for instrumental works.

Will second the K712 for instrumental music, Rodrigo y Gabriela sounds amazing on them. But I wouldn’t recommend the for vocal, they are fine but soundstage can get a little weird.

For vocals I have the HD58X and they are 100% worth it. But since you don’t have access to drop, maybe look for the HD650/600? Especially used you can probably get them bellow $300.

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Will third the recommendations here for AKG and Sennheiser… K-712 and 58x Jubilee are amazing for mids and instrumentals. Edit: noticed you have no access to drop… can buy third party… HD 598 is a good alternative or step up to 600 series it just loses some soundstage but gains sound quality so something like HD650 or 600 would work beautifully

thanks guys, I’ve never tried akg before but look good, the 712 pro is too expensive, @MazeFrame do you think the 612 would cut it?

I cant get massdrop but maybe I would pick the hd600 if discounted, seems too expensive compared to the drops :confused:

The 612 have a focus on anything that is not bass. The 712 are mostly the same, except they got the bass added on.

Should add: I have not heared the 612. I am flying semi-blind here.

heard both, not completely accurate in that case. K612 has more in common with K702 as it’s rather bright… k712 is a bit more on the balanced side and does indeed have the bass more involved it’s a bit more on the “warm” side of things like k702 / k612 are more on the brighter bass lean side of things.

also, pricepoints on akg are stupid… shop around… you can get them a hell of a lot cheaper than they appear

The reviews of 612 dont seem like what I want, maybe id go better with a sennheiser, they fit my head perfectly, i had the 598 and liked it a lot but it was too unaccurate. also how good are the Audio technicas adx series for vocals?

good but depends on which one you get… the further up adx you go the brighter it seems to get… I liked the AD700x more than 500x but just my own preferences… build quality is on the cheaper side, cable is rather thin, and headband is definitely a huge hit or miss on comfort/overall head fitting. Other than that, works just fine and is a healthy alternative to the AKG

hmm, shot in the dark but maybe also DT 880 could be a contender here as it’s also a little more on the mid centric side and sounds good for female vocals just that you mention inaccuracies which beyers are quite nice for being accurate… granted I don’t think as fantastic as say Sennheiser for vocals… but a food for thought on that one. Oh and I should add HD 560s would be probably good here as well… its new

Thanks. I dont like that hit or miss factor from the adx.

The HD560s will be cheaper for me to get than de dt880 they are on stock. But maybe they would be too similar to the sundaras from what ive read. Im between those and the hd600 for now… normally how much should a hd600 cost in the us?

also looking at the m60x, i tend to like on ears a lot

I’ve had my AD900x for about 3 years now, no issues. I was not thrilled by how flimsy it felt back then but… well… I’m a fan of Koss products now so what’s there to complain? :stuck_out_tongue: If anything, it’s very comfortable as long as you don’t run into issues with the circular earcups.

Sound-wise, I think my AD900x is pretty nice. Midrange forwardness, a very de-emphasized 4-5khz range which looks ugly on paper but in practice is nice for the lack of sibilance, and emphasized treble extension. The sound signature is far from flat, but I do like them for soprano, denpa, and other higher-pitched signing. Some people do find the AD line a bit too shouty, but I really do prefer such forwardness. Tuning does make sound seem pretty clear. Bass is tight, treble is sparkly, etc. It’s not clarity like an 95X does through technicality, but still enjoyable.

Tonality overall - 1=recessed 2=natural 3=emphasized
bass extension=1
mid-upper bass=2
mids and lower treble=3
treble extension=3

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thanks for the insight, id really like to test that headband before buying lol

My experience early on was the wings felt really loose compared to a normal headband. Like sagging off my head loose. They didn’t actually sag much, but that was the feeling they gave.

So what I did was the rubber band mod to increase tension across the wings:
https://www.overclock.net/media/no-title.3997390/full

Overtime, the rubber band stretched until it eventually snapped from being weakened too much.
By then, I got used tot he reduced headband tension and was perfectly fine without the rubber band in place. If you can afford to audition or buy/return an AD-series, do try because they do have a peculiar sound signature. If you come from warm cans, they will sound very shrill and tinny at first. If you go from them to warm cans, the warm will sound more like mud haha.

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I would want to use something that could run balanced easily to utilize your Magnius best. That and your sound preference desired, I’m not sure how I would vote against Sennheiser HD 6__ series. I understand that the normal Drop recommendations are not available to you, and I am not sure what those headphones would run new. I’m a cheapskate, and I’ve bought 58X, 6xx (new) and HD 600 (bad cable, cans perfect) for a grand total of $240. There’s a way. And given how simple but stable their build is, how much support there is… seems an easy choice to me if there’s any access.

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lmao, dat mod. Yeah, ill try to find some for audition, dont wanna risk it.

Thats a steal price, id prefer to buy a new pair of hd600 than import. Do you think they are better in the vocals than the xx’s?

Haven’t heard the senns, but from what people say I’m totally fine recommending the HD600, only it’s smack $299.99 on Amazon, USA. IDK how the 650/6XX do with vocals.

If my wallet was limitless, I really would like to try the 560S and all the 600 series Sennheisers.

Im finding it hard not to pull the trigger on the 600 for $330, they seem to fit my wants perfectly. Ill think it over just some more. maybe hunt for a lower price or used…

Those units are all close, but my favorite of the lot has been the 600s. The presentation seemed more natural, and a bit airier to me. The tiny differences between these sub-models are vastly over-stated btw, very similar. I like the four bloop padding more than the two bloop, and the old blue speckled finish. I haven’t listened to any of them in a quick minute because when I’m anxious the intensely narrow staging and head-injected sound is invasive for me. However the things that you mentioned, articulated and forward mids are their absolute forte. Alright, you just got me to strap them on! Amber Rubarth right now. Yes yes yes. Do it. When you want vocals on the forefront, they’re the daddies.

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If you can power them, I think the HD600 may be worth the stretch. May want to do more research, of course, but that should be easy enough with how much material on them there is. The 600s are long loved by the audiophile community.