So I’m new to the audiophile scene. I’ve recently been looking up videos and reviews of so many headphones and things. I love music, so I want to take my listening experience to a higher level. I was planning on buying the Sennheiser HD6xx from Massdrop for 220$, but, I’m not sure if those are the best, considering they are hard to drive and I would need more money for an amp. So I came here to ask what are some good recommendations to help me direct my research
thank you
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try out the 58x cheaper and easy to drive .
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are they the best option though?
I wanna make a good purchase with my money you know
What are you going to plug it directly into? Phone, PC, or an Amplifier (amp)? If you plug directly to a “device” the 6XX will be low volume, and you may not be happy with the sound. If you have an Amp, it will sound incredibly better as well as be louder with the volume. (Good amps start around 100)
The 58X has great sound, and will play connected to a phone, computer, which is otherwise “easy to drive”.
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im planning on buying an amp as well but that was gonna be a whole other thread because I wanted people to respond. but I am planning on buying an amp but I don’t have one now. I’ve been looking at 100 dollar amps but idk how to tell if they can output 300 ohms for the 6xx or not
The “best” headphone will change per person. I listen to a lot of EDM so the sennheiser HD series isn’t a good match but it might be the perfect set for you. It would help to hear what you expect to get out of the set: neutrality, bass, treble, “all-round”, etc. Music choice will make recommendations easier for us!
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I listen to almost everything! which is hard to find headphones that make everything sound good. I listen to everything from edm to jazz to rap to movie soundtracks and orchestral arrangements. I didn’t include what I listen to because honestly I don’t think it’ll help
I see your point in that then. A few things that come to mind are the AT M40x and Fostex t50rp(very amp dependent). People seem to like the M40xs and I loved my t50s with the 1540 pads for everything. AudioQuest NightOwls are worth looking at also, supremely comfortable, sound great, and not very amp dependent but do benefit from one in the future. Used they should be within your $200 range
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t50’s are really hard to drive unless you get a $100 amp like the monoprice liquid spark. actually I remember z running them from a atom though so that should be fine too. but massdrop iis realeasing their own t50 mod soon.
if you do want something more well rounded and are getting a $100 amp to me makes most music sound good because of the nature of planar the he 4xx might be a great option great for rock,rap , rand b, and basically anything but you wont get as much detail as if you were using something more analytical like a 6xx or a 58x or a 990. another option is the dt 880 it has the classic beyer highs but not as harsh as the 990 without losing too much of the mids and has decent bass great for jazz and rock.
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so then ate the Sennheisers more for like classical then? since you aren’t really expecting any bass or anything like that, mostly the detail from the instruments?
Having used both HD650 and 58x for edm it wasn’t impressive and I quickly sold my sets
okay so I’ll do some research on the he4xx, the m40x, the t50s, and the DT 880s
hopefully I find something promising
I own multiple sets of headphones for this reason the 58x are great.not the best of edm or electronic but with songs that are mids heavy so voices and singing they shine a lot of old school , rap, or my early lo fi rap like tupac, jdilla, nujabes , biggie, and even artists like kali uchis, regina spektor they are great. but if you are looking for big bass I would look elsewhere.
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not necessarily big bass, but nice bass
the 58x has nice bass its not a lot but it’s punchy and present. but if you want something with more body consider the he 4xx and the dt 880 instead.
Mezze Noir. senn’s, while pretty good bargains, have the clamp of death issue. He 400 are good, but imo have lackluster lows. good for most genres, but not all. The meze however are 32ohm impedence and rated at 50mw max…perfect for no amp scenarios.
Sivga sv 00series are all pretty good bargains. They are all less then 100$ on amazon. the sv006 Z has very glowing reviews on…for 90ish$.
monoprice retros + brainwaves xl pads. 58$ total and a very fun and engaging setup.
a few other options off of the top of my head. I’ll think of more.
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Sennheiser tend to be very mid-focused headphones. They have a narrow soundstage and not much bass, but the mids are beautiful. They also have a veil in their sound signature, which not everyone likes.
Hifiman HE4xx are a very good entry-level planar. It’s a pretty neutral headphone, which sounds like what you will be looking for. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Planar bass is also niiiiiiiiiice! Note: Hifiman QC is a big issue.
AKG K7xx are another very neutral sounding headphone. They have a massive soundstage and have great detail and imaging. Bass can be lacking.
Beydynamic DT 770 is a great closed headphone. It has a V-shaped signature. Beyer is one of the most reliable companies out there.
Are you interested in used headphones? If so, your choices just increased by a lot.
The only amp you should buy for a $100 budget is the JDS Labs Atom. It’s objectively one of the best measuring amps at ANY price point. It has plenty of power for almost any headphone. It’s neutral and very clean and American made!
If I were you, I would check out the K7xx or the HE4xx. They handle almost all music well. Not perfect, but good enough. They are also great to game on.
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if you can find a used fidelio x2 that would be almost perfect.
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the thing is
I have a friend who owns the 6XXs and he says once you swap out the stock pads for Velour pads they become so much better with bass, and they become much easier on the ears for more modern music (which I mostly listen to)
so now it becomes a decision between getting and modding the 6XXs, or getting something that’s not as good but don’t have to mod
I’m another big 58x fan. They do benefit slightly from an amp but not a requirement. I actually modded mine to chill out the highs a bit.
You can also get a lot of great headphones for under $200 in the used market as well. I got my Shure SRH840’s for $55. I’ve seen HD 600 go for as low as $130 in good condition. I fyou’re looking at value, buying used will be your best option.
Lot’s of great options these days and I would use the https://hifiguides.com/ to narrow your search. Almost all the ones listed under $200 are excellent.
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