What headphones help

jai1611

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Folks,

I am looking for a pair of full sized headphones for home use. These will be driven off either the headphone out of a Marantz PM7001 or off a dedicated headphone amp.

The traits I am looking for are:
- fairly neutral sound signature (similar to dynaudio speakers)
- bass should be detailed but not pumped up (similar to a bookshelf)
- excellent soundstage (this probably implies that I'll need to stick to open headphones)
- price: anything upto Rs.10k

The problem is that availability of quality headphones in India (with the exception of Sennheiser, which I dont like) seems to be very poor. Suggestions on headphones
that are available in India and fit the above criteria would be most appreciated. In case people think availability in India is too bad, please suggest headphones in the $120 range that I can procure from overseas (would work out to nearly 10k incl shipping and customs).

Thanks
Jaibir
 
Definitely consider the Audio Technica AD700. Available for about 5000 odd bucks on 20north.com (and don't forget to use the HIFIVISION discount code)...link below. If soundstage was not a priority for you I would have recommended the Grados. I heard an SR125i recently and the sound was lovely, except that it didn't have a soundstage at all. The AD700 I have not heard personally but I own Audio Technica's noise cancelling headphones, and the sound is exactly as you described, and these noise cancelling headphones handily beat many of the audiophile Sennheisers.

Shop in the US from India @ 20North - Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with 53mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnet Systems : Electronics

Folks,

I am looking for a pair of full sized headphones for home use. These will be driven off either the headphone out of a Marantz PM7001 or off a dedicated headphone amp.

The traits I am looking for are:
- fairly neutral sound signature (similar to dynaudio speakers)
- bass should be detailed but not pumped up (similar to a bookshelf)
- excellent soundstage (this probably implies that I'll need to stick to open headphones)
- price: anything upto Rs.10k

The problem is that availability of quality headphones in India (with the exception of Sennheiser, which I dont like) seems to be very poor. Suggestions on headphones
that are available in India and fit the above criteria would be most appreciated. In case people think availability in India is too bad, please suggest headphones in the $120 range that I can procure from overseas (would work out to nearly 10k incl shipping and customs).

Thanks
Jaibir
 
Sennheiser HD600 are probably the most neutral headphones out there. They are used regularly by sound mastering engineers.

They have a somewhat large impedance....about 300 Ohms if I'm not mistaken. Buy it used and it should fall into your price range.

Down the line, look into a headphone amplifier. The Sennheisers react wonderfully to being balanced instead of single ended.

I use the Sennheiser HD600, HD-650, Audio Technica W1000, Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro and Shure E530. I had other headphones which I've since sold....Audio Technica L3000, Grado GS1000, Ultrasone Edition 9, Denon D5000 and a few more I can't remember.
 
am not up to date on the headphones scene..but the sony MDR-7506 (or V6) is considered pretty neutral....should be much cheaper than your budget as well...you will have to check reviews on bass and soundstage though
 
I just got a philips 8900, sound ok to me. I haven't yet A/Bed them with better senns.
In Delhi, I am not able to find a place where I can demo a senn 555, 595, 600 or 650. In nehru place, rates are better, but then you have to order first.
I am hoping to get one from the US - looking forward to demo senn, koss AT etc but seems I will have to go by the reviews.

regards
 
thanks for all the inputs guys

Definitely consider the Audio Technica AD700. Available for about 5000 odd bucks on 20north.com (and don't forget to use the HIFIVISION discount code)...link below. If soundstage was not a priority for you I would have recommended the Grados. I heard an SR125i recently and the sound was lovely, except that it didn't have a soundstage at all. The AD700 I have not heard personally but I own Audio Technica's noise cancelling headphones, and the sound is exactly as you described, and these noise cancelling headphones handily beat many of the audiophile Sennheisers.

Shop in the US from India @ 20North - Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with 53mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnet Systems : Electronics

I had been considering this. glad to get some inputs on the sound signature

Sennheiser HD600 are probably the most neutral headphones out there. They are used regularly by sound mastering engineers.

They have a somewhat large impedance....about 300 Ohms if I'm not mistaken. Buy it used and it should fall into your price range.

Down the line, look into a headphone amplifier. The Sennheisers react wonderfully to being balanced instead of single ended.

I use the Sennheiser HD600, HD-650, Audio Technica W1000, Ultimate Ears UE11 Pro and Shure E530. I had other headphones which I've since sold....Audio Technica L3000, Grado GS1000, Ultrasone Edition 9, Denon D5000 and a few more I can't remember.

The HD600 are well out of the budget range. Unfortunately, the 595/555 offerings arent really in the same league. Am already thinking of a tube based headphone amp. Maybe one of the cheap chinese ones with some bit of modding.

am not up to date on the headphones scene..but the sony MDR-7506 (or V6) is considered pretty neutral....should be much cheaper than your budget as well...you will have to check reviews on bass and soundstage though

I've heard these. Nicely detailed and neutral sound but almost no soundstage.

I just got a philips 8900, sound ok to me. I haven't yet A/Bed them with better senns.
In Delhi, I am not able to find a place where I can demo a senn 555, 595, 600 or 650. In nehru place, rates are better, but then you have to order first.
I am hoping to get one from the US - looking forward to demo senn, koss AT etc but seems I will have to go by the reviews.

regards

Same problem as me. I was able to briefly demo the lower Senns at a pro AV thing in Mumbai last year. less than ideal conditions so not sure how useful the impressions were. to me the phones seemed to have a bass bump - something I find particularly annoying

I guess I'll have to go with the Audio Technica's. No chance to demo them though. Dont think they are available in India
 
i am pretty confident you won't regret this decision at all. Audio-Technica tends to offer superb value for money.

And Jith77, my ATs are not bright. They're superbly detailed without being harsh. The mids and highs are beautifully detailed, the bass is lean and tight, exactly like a standmount, but the LFE beats pretty much any standmount i've heard. A 40hz test tone is clearly audible. A 31.5 hz test tone is audible, a 25 hz test tone is somewhat audible and even a 20 hz test tone is audible, but probably not usefully so :)

It doesn't have the 'thump' of the sennheisers though, but that thump feels a tiny bit artificial to me.

I guess I'll have to go with the Audio Technica's. No chance to demo them though. Dont think they are available in India
 
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I have been using Grado SR60 for a while now and find them very comfortable for long listenings. They are not bright as someone pointed out here but I would agree that the soundstage is not very expansive. The SQ is very good and true. I would recommend these any day.

Another pair of cans you can think of is Alessandro MS1 which is a more refined cousin of Grado's SR series. I have not heard them but heard good things about them from ppl who own one...
 
i am pretty confident you won't regret this decision at all. Audio-Technica tends to offer superb value for money.

And Jith77, my ATs are not bright. They're superbly detailed without being harsh. The mids and highs are beautifully detailed, the bass is lean and tight, exactly like a standmount, but the LFE beats pretty much any standmount i've heard. A 40hz test tone is clearly audible. A 31.5 hz test tone is audible, a 25 hz test tone is somewhat audible and even a 20 hz test tone is audible, but probably not usefully so :)

It doesn't have the 'thump' of the sennheisers though, but that thump feels a tiny bit artificial to me.

didnt expect the AT to be harsh...seems i read to much into the neutral thing and have no idea what the dynaudio sounds like :)
 
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