Greeting to all fellow enthusiasts.
I come with a very humble request to you all in the hopes that your experience or knowledge might help me choose the right headphones. Unfortunately i do not have the resources or the services to try multiple hi-fi headphones and choose the ones that fit me the most. I am saving somewhere around 500 $ for headphones i want to you to tell me your opinion based on my favourite genre to listen which is BLUES and other subcategories of blues (Gary Clark Jr. , for instance)
Where do you plan on using them? At home? Are there other people around? Will the room be noisy when you’re using them? Will you use them in multiple situations like on a bus and at the office or will they stay in one place?
Do you have an amp? If so, what model?
What headphones have you already worn that you like/dislike and why?
3 Likes
With a $500 budget I could cover all my bases reasonably well. I like having both an open and closed back set for home, and I like to have a travel pair. I have some similar musical tastes to you.
My current portable go to - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SD9JC1I/ref=twister_B00SFIQVV6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
My current at home open back - https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16826138361?Description=phillips%20fidelio&cm_re=phillips_fidelio--26-138-361--Product - I use these for almost everything, gaming, music, watching film on the PC, They are at my PC at all times but they do leak a ton of sound so if you have others in the room you want another set to fallback on from time to time, so…
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-569-Closed-Headphone/dp/B01L1IIF1A/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=HD569&qid=1558320439&s=gateway&sr=8-1 - This is my current closed back set, I don’t use them unless the situation calls for it, but when I want to be considerate of others around me I put these on.
So for $500 you don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to a single headphone. I’d encourage you to buy three and cover all your usage scenarios.
1 Like
I plan on using them only at home in peace and quiet…especially because im looking for an open back headphone…i will buy an amp ( i was thinking jds labs for start) …
I haven’t owned hi-fi headphones yet …that’s why sound quality is a must …i want something with a warm sound,neutral, detail and some low end because blues and other genres i listened to have some bass …
After watching reviews from z reviews i was thinking Sennheisser hd660s?! I don’t know if they are the ones i should buy because i can’t tell if they have enough low end to support blues genre…or if i can compensate by boosting the bass from the amp…
thank you for your suggestion Clifford_Forster, but as i ve told you i want something special this time…that’s why i ve been saving for some time. There is a reason why hi fi headphones sound so good and are so expensive…For me music is like a drug! I want to come home after work and get myself a beer and put on the headphones with an amp so that they can deliver me great experience…im tired of cheap headphones that have fake sound and boost bass and are fatiguing!
I understand. I enjoy slightly more dynamic V shaped headphones and speakers. I think it’s because I’m aging a little and my hearing isn’t quite as sharp as it was so what you might find grating on the highs, I may find fairly pleasant. Since you are in a private situation I’d definitely suggest open backs because those will breathe and generally be more relaxed for longer sessions. I have not tried a ton of cans at that price range. I understand this is basically a $500 headphone for a deep discount. I’ve heard the 580 Jubilee but never touched this 660. I head the signature is close to the same though, very warm midrange - https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx - That leaves you money to pair it with a nice little headphone amp. The Aune X1S Anniversary is my daily driver. At about half power you should be able to drive these to painful levels despite the 300 ohm load. Most importantly it’s a clean sounding DAC and it’s really nicely built. - https://mall.auneaudio.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=52
1 Like
Given what you’ve stated you’re looking for, the Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee is closer to what you want than the 660 S. You get the neutral with the 660s, but the low end just isn’t accentuated. The bass on the 58X is fantastic by comparison, and you do get more of a sense of warmth than with the 660s without much loss of detail or neutrality through the mids and highs.
Blues isn’t one of my genres, so I’m by no means a connoisseur. I pulled up some Gary Clark Jr on Tidal, and sampled “This Land” through seven sets of headphones. I definitely preferred to hear it with more bass response. The 660 S didn’t make the top five: Audiofly AF-180, Fostex TH-X00 Ebony, Koss KSC75, Audeze EL-8 C, Sennheiser HD 559, the 660 S, and then the Monoprice Retro (with Brainwavz XL pads). That’s the order from most enjoyable to least enjoyable for this song for me. I don’t have my 58X or 650 here to test. If you need a thump in your blues, I don’t think the 660 S is the pick for you. But, remember, we all hear things differently and you might think they’re perfect.
2 Likes
I can’t thank you enough for your time to express your opinion! And my god i feel bad that you’ve recommended the 58x Jubilees because I can’t buy them…
At their price is worth the risk of buying them to see how they are but I live in Europe …and that sucks because Massdrop haven’t made significant progress moving to Europe or come up with a good shipping method!
Thank you again for your recommendation…you have my blessing
Thank you so much for your recommendation! But unfortunately I can’t seek to be able to buy the Sennheiser 58x Jubilee because I’m from Europe and Massdrop haven’t open a warehouse yet…or a good shipping method…I will have to find something else unfortunately…
I got my 58x shipped to germany without any problems.
With taxes you come at around 180 Euro
I often bought at (Mass-)Drop - never had any problems.
1 Like
Thanks for the info man!!! I ll take a shot and see if i can
1 Like
I find the bass on the 660s to be definitely boosted above flatline. I also find detail to be much more apparent on the 660s but each to their own.