Help to narrow it down, please.

wyceeric

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Looking to make my first headphone upgrade and could use your collective wisdom. Started out with Goldring DR 150, which I still really like a lot. When I got these some 10 or so years back, I also listened to an AKG 240 of some sort and Senn. 595. The 150's sounded as good as the Senn., even though the 595 were just shy of twice the price. The 240's struck me as flat and lifeless at the time. The 150 sounds neutral in terms of EQ but full. I think the comfort and performance are well worth the $150 I paid at the time. These were the only things available for audition in my area, which is Grand Rapids, MI area.

Fast forward to now. Plug in ear cup of 'phones broke, and while I have the parts to fix them easily, maybe it is time for an additional pair. If I'm going to get an additional pair, perhaps an upgrade would be in order. They will be used both at home and in the studio, but studio work will be their most important job. At home they will be driven by a receiver or integrated amp, and sometimes a two year old MacBook Pro laptop. In the studio they will be plugged into one of the station's elderly but still very functional boards, (power unknown) for broadcasting/monitoring and production/editing. No mixing/mastering. Budget is 300-ish, but I don't feel obligated to spend all of that. I would go to 400 for the right thing, and might be able to be convinced to do 500 for a truly exceptional performer. I think 300 is reasonable for what I need.

Non-negotiables:

open or semi-open -I cue through the 'phones, and need to hear the monitors at the same time

flat EQ -for obvious reasons

comfortable -generally worn for about 5-6 hours, sometimes as many as 8 at a stretch

circumaural -same as above


Negotiables:

prefer removable/replaceable cord -hard wired phones may be considered, but will be modded for removable cord immediately upon expiration of warranty

prefer single sided cable -that is what I have now and find it easy to manage/keep out of the way in studio; two sided seems like an unnecessary complication more for home use. Any reason to reconsider that opinion?


The only things I've listened to this time, so far that I would actually consider are the BeyerDynamic DT 990 (250 ohm?), liked them quite a lot, but they are not substantially better than what I've got. If I had heard these last time around I might have had a harder time choosing.

Listened to several things I won't be getting, just to get a basis for comparison:

AKG 240 (55 ohm) sounded very good for $80, but not as good as what I already have
Beyer DT 770 closed back and sounded like it, no thanks
Yamaha HPH MT7 closed back but very nice
V-Moda Crossfade LP 2 closed back, okay
V-Moda Crossfade M-100 closed back, pretty good
Senn. HD 280 closed back, not good, not even a deal at $80, utterly lifeless
Grado RS1 truly awesome, but $700 is a bit much



Below are what I'm hoping y'all can help me chose between. Are there things not on this list that are worth considering, given my criteria? There is no chance of hearing these without buying them first. No one here carries them in an actual store. If someone lives around here and will let me audition something, I'll bring beer.

Senn. HD600 or 650, or 598/599- leaning toward the 600 based on what I've read and having spent 5 minutes with them once

HiFiMan HE 400I or maybe 400S- leaning toward the I based on what I've read

Philips Fidelio X2- many enthusiastic reviews

AKG 701/702/712- classic sound, classic look

That's everything I've got. All feedback on the above is welcome, especially with regard to things I've missed and should be considering. Thanks very much in advance everyone, I genuinely appreciate the help.
 
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I will say that I have been thoroughly enjoying my Senn HD600. From time to time I plug them directly into my laptop (a three year old Lenova) and they sound decent enough. I do prefer going through my headphone amp though. They are crisp and I have no problem wearing them for several hours at a time.

Unfortunately, I cannot give much insight on the others. I did briefly did a comparison with the HD650s when my dad ordered them and wanted to do a side by side test. Whether 'burn in' is a thing or not, I felt that the 600s were a little clearer, but I was not hearing a significant difference (as opposed to my dad's older HD545s, which sounded muddy in comparison).
 
Thanks judsonw, that's what I figured based my reading. I think it looks like the 600s are the way to go among the Sennheiser cans. Only thing is, I'm not too hip on the idea of needing a separate amp and/or DAC for them. I have so many amps/recievers around here to use them with, I need to be paring down the collection, not adding to it. Hmm... that gives me an idea for another question for another thread. Thanks!

Would it complicate things to add Shure SRH1440 to the list of candidates? I was just reading about these. Thanks again, folks.
 
Figured it was a sure bet so I said (in the immortal words of Guy Clark) piss on it, and got the HD600. Didn't have time to listen to them before leaving for the station, as they arrived while I was at work and I only spent enough time at home to shower and change before heading over there. Their maiden voyage was while I was doing the show that evening. Trial by fire, if I do say so.

They seemed to respond well to being plugged into the board, as far as power requirement is concerned. Sound was a little tight and restrained right out of the box, as might be expected, especially the top and bottom ends. They seemed to have loosened up some after few hours of monitoring, and will continue to do so with use, I expect. The DR 150's stopped improving in the 80-100 hour range, when I just plugged them in and mostly left them alone, checking them periodically. Now I need to test the HD600's with everything in the house and give them the same break in treatment. I admit that I wonder how much of that improvement is in my head, though.

Only problem so far is that I can't get the left side plug out of the socket. I'd prefer to remove the cord for transport, even though I carry my "station stuff"* in a decent shoulder bag and it should be pretty safe. Don't want to take any chances I don't have to. I'll keep working on it, but don't want to wreck the cord. If it comes down to it, maybe contact the company.

Anyway, thanks judsonw, I appreciate the input.

*station stuff: headphones, cords, right angle adapter so cord lays flat against the board, CD's, note pads, pens, station stickers to give away, ibuprofen/decongestant, phone charger, ponytail holder, bandana, hip flask and a pink plastic heart shaped bracelet from my daughter
 
No problem. I hope they loosen up to your liking. I also hope that they work well in the station. I admit I will hopefully be soon volunteering a local volunteered power radio station as well (volunteers meeting is Tuesday).
 
I will hopefully be soon volunteering a local volunteered power radio station as well

I'm sure they have their own training program, but if you feel like you'd like a different perspective or have questions about broadcasting or community radio in general, I've been doing this for 25 years and have picked up a thing or two in that time, so feel free to PM me.

It looks like your format is very different from ours, based on the little I'm able to tell from the pages I can find. Our format is music-centric, with no block programming except the Sunday evening specialty shows, and 5:30-7:00 am. Our only syndicated show is Acoustic Cafe (from here in Michigan, other side of the state). All other programming is produced in-house and we avoid politics like the plague. Even our only non music show, a half hour weekly public affairs interview show, is more about who is doing what in the community and how to learn more about it.

Anyway, get in touch if you'd like, I'd be happy to help.
 
They seemed to respond well to being plugged into the board, as far as power requirement is concerned. Sound was a little tight and restrained right out of the box, as might be expected, especially the top and bottom ends. They seemed to have loosened up some after few hours of monitoring, and will continue to do so with use, I expect. The DR 150's stopped improving in the 80-100 hour range, when I just plugged them in and mostly left them alone, checking them periodically. Now I need to test the HD600's with everything in the house and give them the same break in treatment. I admit that I wonder how much of that improvement is in my head, though.

emphasis mine

I believe your ears, my HE-400i required a lot of break-in, especially for the low end. I think all good headphones take at least some break-in.
 
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