Best headphones available?

[gameover]

Hi,
I am looking to get some decent headphones (as in the type that go over your head, like djs, not little in ear ear-bud types). Just going to be using them for listening to music late at night.
Whats the best ones for around £200ish?

I've got some shure ear bud things, which are very good, was thinking of getting some shure headphones, but i've seen a few sennheiser headphones get good reviews.

Preferable ones with a long curly (like telephones so it doesn't get tangled up) cable, and a removable cable would be handy (incase it breaks).

Also, i am thinking of getting some kind of exnension wire, so i don't have to go round the back of my pc to switch it. Can you just buy any extension wire or does it make a difference depending on the wire?

 

[Col_M]

I've not kept up to date on headphones so probably won't be able to advise on exact models but can help later posters with a few questions...

What types of music do you like?
What would you say would be a good characteristic in the headphones, good bass, clear reproduction, etc?
Closed or open?
What are you using for amplification?

That should give people a better idea of what to suggest

 

[gameover]

I've not kept up to date on headphones so probably won't be able to advise on exact models but can help later posters with a few questions...

What types of music do you like?
What would you say would be a good characteristic in the headphones, good bass, clear reproduction, etc?
Closed or open?
What are you using for amplification?

That should give people a better idea of what to suggest

What types of music do you like?
Drum and bass, dubstep

What would you say would be a good characteristic in the headphones, good bass, clear reproduction, etc?
Umm. Both of those mentioned I guess.

Closed or open?
What does this mean? I had something like these before - http://www.google.com/images?q=tech...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1920&bih=911 - is that what you mean by open? (so you can have one ear on, one ear flipped back? Because i hated that. It was so uncumfy.

What are you using for amplification?
it'll be straight from soundcard in my pc


thanks

 

[Uriel]

Open basically means vented earcups. Open headphones tend to have higher sound quality for the money but they don't block out much noise and another person in the same room would be able to hear something from them unless you're listening at very low volume.

Closed means closed back earcups. These passively attenuate more noise and others generally won't hear much of what you're listening to. You tend to have to pay a little more for a decent sounding pair.

 

[gameover]

Probably prefer closed ones then I guess

 

[rexehuk]

For the type of music you listen to I would recommend a pair of Sony MDR-XB700.

If you want "bass response" these are probably the best set you can get... they will literally make you feel like your head is inside a subwoofer, the standard range reproduction isn't too bad either.

I'd say go into Sony and give them a try, make sure you bring a decent audio source with you though... iPod wont cut it, need something like a Cowon or iRiver

Only quarrel I have about them is that the cable is short, easily fixed with a 3.5mm extender cord though.

 

[Uriel]

"Head in a sub"? That doesn't sound entirely appealing.

There's a comparative review someone did on Head-Fi here: head-fi.org/forum/thread/469502/review-denon-d2000-vs-beyer-dt770-pro-80-vs-sony-mdr-xb700

I would have thought you'd be looking at something like the Beyerdynamic DT770 pro or Audio-Technica ATH M50 for your budget.

If we're competing on price with the xb700s, I'll mention the Goldring NS1000 which I've tried to upgrade several times with more expensive closed headphones and always ended up keeping the Goldrings. They do need an amp for passive mode but the affordable FiiO E5 does a fine job with them.

 

[DarkWhisper]

You can get the sennheiser hd600 for 180. rrp 330

 

[Uriel]

You can get the sennheiser hd600 for 180. rrp 330

...which are excellent but open.

 

[Rroff]

Possibly the Sennheiser PC 333D - I haven't tried them but if the PC163Ds I just picked up are anything to go by they should be excellent.

Might be just they are getting on a bit but these PC163D seem to be giving my old HD600s a good run if not better - I was quite suprised - granted almost £100 headphones especially with sennheiser on them should be good but I wasn't expecting as good SQ from headphones marketted as "gamer" headphones.

These (the 163s) are open headphones and seem really comfortable so far - the 333s are closed but they seem to have mixed reception comfort wise with some people claiming them to be really comfortable and others that they get a bit painful after prolonged use.

 

[Marsman]

I do not see how anyone can recommend a headset, especially a gaming headset for music. Your HD600's must be broken Rroff, if you think the PC163D's might sound better. Either that, or you are using them with an unsuitable amp. There was a thread not long back, where the OP bought some PC360's to replace his ageing, cracking HD555's. He was disappointed the PC360's, despite costing 2x what the HD555's cost, didn't sound as good. So you are telling me, audiophile headphones don't sound as good as a headset aimed at gamers?

 

[Raikiri]

HD600s really need a proper amp in order to get the best out of them.

I'd get some BeyerDynamic DT770 PRO with an AUNE MkII DAC/AMP. About £230 all in.

 

[Rroff]

They are targeted at music, gaming and voip btw... baring in mind my 600s are almost 7 years old IIRC they might not be the best example of high end headphones any more but they still sound good to me.

That said I'm a little blown away by these 163s - just thrown them through Elk Hunt with the amp maxed and the are completely flawless not a single hint of distortion, very nice natural balanced sound with proper vibrant bass you feel as much as hear (tho I'd have preferred an artificial crunchier bass for gaming) perfectly defined mid-range and only maybe slightly less crisp high end compared to proper "audiophile" cans and even thats a hard call.

 

[Uriel]

As I've said before, there is no reason why someone shouldn't make great sounding gaming headset. Having said that can you clarify a few things Rroff?

The PC163d are a Dolby headphone set. Are your comments based on having Dolby Headphone on? Are you comparing the HD600s like for like also with Dolby Headphone on or off? Are the HD600s adequately amplified because they do scale ridiculously well with high end amps?

Dolby Headphone makes such a profound difference to the soundstage when listening with headphones for me that I would rather use Goldring DR50s with Dolby Headphone than HD600s with plain stereo. The DR50s are merely competent (and have been as little as £10 new) and the HD600s are great but that's the sort of difference it can make if the generic DH HRTF is close to your own. If it's not that close it won't have such an effect. Of course, using DH with HD600s is much better.

Dolby Headphone isn't such a good match for everyone. Marsman, given your previous comments comparing CMSS-3D and Dolby Headphone, it seems clear that DH isn't such a good match for you. I wonder if it is for Rroff and that's why he's so keen on the PC163ds?

edit: I'm mainly talking for non-unmixed stereo music listening via Dolby Headphone here but my comments also apply to gaming and movies. Do you still use an X-Fi Rroff and is it possible for the PC163Ds to work with a soundcard or are they USB only?

 

[Rroff]

The 163Ds have an analogue connection on the headset and a USB breakout box thats a soundcard and dolby processor. For all music listening I've had them connected to my X-Fi - no CMSS or DH.

I have a middle of the road sony amp - I know they have a bit of a mixed reception in audiophile circles maybe I'd have a different opinion with a 2 grand Beyerdynamic/m-audio setup - I suspect not however.

I gave the DH unit a whirl in Mass Effect 2, Modern Warfare 2 and Eve and I was fairly impressed there too - best implementation of DH I've heard so far. It doesn't have the clean sharp sound of CMSS-3D and not great vertical placement but panned sounds were atleast as well positioned around my head as my CMSS-3D setup with a noticeably better sense of depth to the position - however the processing to give it that better sense of depth also seems to induce a muddier effect to the soundscape compared to CMSS-3D.

Back to music listening - I've thrown a bunch of Randy Edelman, James Horner, etc. at them and they will handle the highest setting on the amp before the amp itself starts distorting - only very good headphones out of what I've tried so far manage that (I nearly blew my plantronics trying that ) listening to orchestral soundtracks I'm yet to be able to fault the reproduction.

Maybe the 333s aren't as good - I was hoping they'd be the closed version of these 163s - looking around they seem to have a mixed reception.


EDIT: Oh and comparison wise its completely like for like... tho the 163s don't really need an amp to sound good, straight off a decent soundcard they put up credible volume.

 

[Marsman]

Rroff, what do you think the USB sound unit is like for music compared to your X-Fi?

 

[Rroff]

Its ok, bass lacks punch without an external amp tho and theres a noticeable hiss at higher volume levels.

 

[Marsman]

Hmm, this is my gripe with such headsets. Good for music, yes, if you have a good sound card, otherwise no, it would seem. I find it quite funny these are marketed for music as well as gaming. If someone has a sound card, say a Xonar DX, getting the 163D's is pointless. If someone buys these, they need a sound card to make them sound good with music. For gaming/film use, they sound like they are decent, for someone looking for something equally good for music, I don't see the point in such headsets.

That's looking at from a desktop PC point of view. For someone with a laptop, wanting a headset for gaming/film/music, they look like a good buy.

 

[Rroff]

Would be interesting to know if these have the same drivers as the 166, etc. as they sound different and better to me but I've never owned a pair to test under my setup.

I bought them over the other sennheiser gaming headsets because I thought I might as well use the DH unit on my laptop for movies (beats the POS realtek on there) - I doubt I'd be using it for my main music or gaming use, tho I'm kinda sitting on the fence with the gaming side it has some advantages over CMSS-3D but still has the muddier/muffled soundscape I've always disliked about DH.

Anyhow back on topic tho if these had been closed I'd have reccomened them to the OP but unfortunatly they are very much open headphone and if the 333s are like the 360s then they are probably best avoided.