Overclock.net banner

OCN's Most Recommended Audio Products

507K views 5K replies 690 participants last post by  Sami-FIN 
#1 ·
XgoeFhR.png


This is probably the third revision of this thread now, but the first time for me. Personally I think the original was wordy, so we'll try and keep this a bit more concise.

There's a ton of options that exist to the point that this can be a pretty overwhelming decision to make. We're here to help ease this decision. We are going to go based on a few factors:

  • What budget you have.
  • What type of listener you are. (i.e. primarily music, gaming, etc.)
  • What features you need or desire. ( ie. open back closed back)

We are going to break this up into sections of Headphones, IEMs, Headsets, DACs, Sound cards, Amps, (etc/placeholder). Items will be listed in ascending order based on price and each headphone recommendation will also come with a short and to-the-point description of what the headphone offers or at least does best.

Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x - $149.00 (Closed, Portable, All-Rounder)
This headphone is known for being a great first foray into audio for most people. The headphone is bassy, though not over-exaggerated or bloated. These remain neutral through the midrange and treble which isn't common with a lot of headphones in this price bracket (DT770). Overall, the headphones are fairly comfy, though they won't rival the likes of the DT770. Aftermarket pads are popular for these including a velour option that sweeten the deal.

Massdrop x Fostex T-X0 - $149.99 (Massdrop edition of the T50RP MKII, *pending sound test*)
Just basing this off of the FQ graph -- bassier version with more tame mids, with a leather headband and velour/protein leather hybrid earpads.

Fostex T50RP MKIII - $159.99 (Semi-Open, Planar Magnetic (RIP), mid-happy, punchy)
THE DIY headphone that has created a cult of modding enthusiast who strive to get every last drop of performance from these inexpensive headphones. With proper mods, these headphones can punch way above their price point.
To boot; punchy bass, forward mids and an open sound. Decent soundstage that is better than closed back headphones, but not as good as fully open headphones.

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80ohm, 250ohm - $166.02, $160.01 (v-shaped sound signature with recessed mids, sparkly highs, exaggerated bass and a narrow soundstage)
Great headphone for EDM, rap and pop music, but not much else. The lack of midrange doesn't give confidence in other types of music such as rock, etc. Super comfortable, and built like a tank. Not so ideal for gaming due to the lack of soundstage.

Fostex TH-X00 Mahoganny, Purpleheart, Ebony - $399.00, $449.00, 499.00 (closed-back, mid-happy and bass-centric, surprisingly open sounding for closed back headphones)
Fostex' vision of what a successor to the famous Denon AH-D5000. There are three versions of this headphone that come with different wooden cups. The cups impart their own sonic characteristics to the overall tone. In ascending order of price, we have Mahoganny, Purpleheart, and Ebony editions.

  • Mahoganny - Middle of the pack for bass, forward midrange and recessed treble
  • Purpleheart - Most bass of the trio, more v-shaped sound with more present mids and highs than the other two
  • Ebony - Least bass of the trio, but only slightly and has a more linear sound signature that should be more pleasing to those who are sensitive to midrange

AKG K7XX - $199.99 (Massdrop's version of the Q701)
Shares many of the same sound characteristics that the Q701 has with a slightly better bass and a more pleasing sound to most that would generally find the Q701 fatiguing or even grating. Beware that some QC issues have been reported with the elastic strings of the headband. This is possibly fixed by now, though).

Sennheiser HD6XX - $199.99 (Massdrop's version of the HD650; open-back, relaxed sound with a good bass response and extension, good soundstage)

Massdrop's version of the classic icon. This is the same headphone offered at a lower price of $200. If you are able to get them at this price, there's no reason to choose the HD650 over these unless you just really dislike the dark/navy blue colorway. These headphones are still made in the same factory as the HD650, so quality issues outside of the normal occurance should not exist. See the HD650 description for info on the sound of these.

Beyerdynamic DT880 250, 600 - $219.00 (Great soundstage and very open sound with a fairly neutral sound -- errs on the side of being 'bright' or 'sparkly')
Another great headphone for gaming and those looking for a fairly neutral headphone. This headphones 'suffers' from the normal sparkly treble that the Beyer line is known for. Bass is punchy, but mids do take a backseat to the highs by nature. Great for gaming as they have a wide soundstage. Rock, metal, and hardcore (and just about every one of its' subgenres) benefit the greatest from this headphone. Be warned, the treble will bother those that are sensitive to it.

- Sennheiser HD600

AKG Q701 - $249.91 (Bright and forward highs, open sound stage, a little bass light but still has enough to make most people content, forward and clear mids)
Awesome headphones for people who are looking for headphones that offer a mix of gaming performance and sound quality for music. The bumps on the headband can potentially cause some people discomfort after an extended period of time. These headphones have a tendency to sound harsh when paired with a bright sounding amp. A slight eq or a warmer sounding amp such as a tube amp would pair very well with these headphones.

Sennheiser HD600 - $286.12 (open-back, neutral sound with a tight bass response; very popular for it's smooth yet unoffending midrange)

Great headphone for those looking for a neutral headphone that can do just about everything well that isn't bass-heavy. The bass errs on the side of being punchy, though a bit light for some (certain amplification can affect this). This headphone shines in the midrange where it remains slightly forward, yet smooth enough that it doesn't become fatiguing. Pair that with the neutral highs that are pleasing, if not perfect for those that don't care much for the DT880 or Q701.

Sennheiser HD650 - $375.14 (open-back, relaxed sound with a good bass response and extension, good soundstage)

These headphones were always classified as dark in a world where the DT880, 990 and the K701 were their main competitors. You have tame highs, present mids without being overly forward and a very decent bass slam and extension. These scale nearly infinitely with better amplification, but they do great on entry level stuff as well.

Headsets

**Under construction**

Amps

**Under construction**

DACs

**Under construction**

Sound Cards

**Under construction*
 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
Looks good, but you neglected the home theater HD. If you want loss-less surround sound, EAX, and the ability to use the higher quality DACs in a nice receiver, it's your only option. Sure it's a niche product, but it deserves a mention.

Otherwise, great job man!
 
#4 ·
nice one mate
Although i have a small point
In the comparision between the STX and th ST you did'nt mention the daughter chip (the H6)
I dont know ,but i think some people might care about such thing
And again really great work

EDIT small numbering issue
Its (4- audiophiles) wirtten 3 again
Thats all
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Varjo;13493488
Looks good, but you neglected the home theater HD. If you want loss-less surround sound, EAX, and the ability to use the higher quality DACs in a nice receiver, it's your only option. Sure it's a niche product, but it deserves a mention.

Otherwise, great job man!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crag;13493521
nice one mate
Although i have a small point
In the comparision between the STX and th ST you did'nt mention the daughter chip (the H6)
I dont know ,but i think some people might care about such thing
And again really great work
Yes, please continue to give me suggestions on what to add to the list. This is exactly what I'm looking for. I will most definitely add these things. I'm currently writing up the headphone section first though, so please give me a few hours to get to it, but I will most definitely get to it.

I was also reminded by SavageBunny that it wasn't so apparent that if someone doesn't have a PCI-E slot they should go for the Xonar D1 which is the PCI version. I will also add that very soon.
 
#6 ·
One more note, I can personalty attest to the quality of the Zero DAC. It's pretty fantastic for such a cheep pricepoint. I use one to drive a set of HD650s and it does a great job.

Edit:

Since you're writing a headphone section I figured I'd weigh on on a few I have played with.

I really like Scheinhizers for their musicality. They aren't the correct choice (generally) for heavy beat driven songs, but they are musical, accurate, have a wide soundstage, and have a nice, clear, "laid back" sound that is the Sennheiser signature.

Also, if you're doing a headphone and soundcard section, make sure you mention the huge advantage that having a card with either Dolby Headphone or CMSS-3D brings to the table for movies. It really is a much more pleasant experience listening to dialogue with either of those two enabled. It keeps the voices from all sounding like they are in your head.

The hd555s are a great place to start, and have nice positional accuracy for videogames, though are a tad base light. I would caution people against the hd595s, I find them to be an odd headphone. The sound doesn't match most of the other Sennheisers, it is a heavier sound.... I really wasn't a fan.

Obviously, for the higher end, the 650s are amazing. With an amp driving them they can literally do it all, one of the most amazing and versatile headphones I have ever listened to, they rival my ascend 340SEs for clarity and sound-stage.

For a more base heavy experiance at right arround 100 bucks, I liked the ATH-A700s, though not as accurate as the 555s, the base is larger and the sound is still nice.

I was less of a fan of the open backed ATH-AD700 version, I found it to be slightly upstaged by the hd555s.

Anyway, just figured I'd weigh in.
 
#7 ·
I'd like to mention the Sennheiser HD201 for the $30 price point. I used to be a hater of headsets/headphones, with my experience of such not that favorable with the headphones/headsets I'd use as either bulky, uncomfortable, heavy on the head and wears out my earlobes after half an hour of use.

These Sennheisers, they're awesome. That's the only word for it. Albeit an entry level set of Headphones, they've got great bass, noise cancellation, very pronounced mid-tones and in closing I have been turned and actually prefer them over my large speakers these days. Mainly because I've somewhat gotten conscious about having my volume up too high in the wee hours of the morning.. =P
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildEast;13493975
"Creative XtremeGamer/Music"
Is that the same as Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio?
No it's not.

The XtremeAudio is actually a rebranded Audigy SE. The XtremeGamer and XtremeMusic have an actual X-Fi chip and not software emulated like the XtremeAudio.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZHoob2004;13493719
might want to mention a few of the diy options as far as dacs such as the grubdac or others.

other than that it's looking nice so far.
Excellent point. Will add that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceman23;13493906
How are you planning on separating the headphones? Obviously price and gaming/music but beyond that there are great headphones that sound completely different - maybe based on general music genres?
So far I've put them into the following categories: Strictly Gaming, Compromised Gaming, Bassy, Rock/Metal, Classical & Jazz

After that, I'll simply have to stop and allow people to post if they have interest in any other genres/types. Can't post them all.
tongue.gif
Good question.

After that, I can no lo
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkrist;13493937
Nice thread. I plan on buying a sound card soon so this is great. Thanks!

Will you be adding speaker recommendations as well?
Yes, I will, but only up to a certain point. There are many many speakers you could honestly buy and I won't at all get most of them, but according to the thread, I will recommend the most recommended.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildEast;13493975
"Creative XtremeGamer/Music"
Is that the same as Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio?
No, it's not. I would not recommend the Xtreme Audio.
 
#18 ·
Added the Headphone/Headset and Speakers Section to the second post. I am in the process of adding/making all the changes you have brought up and I've agreed are a necessary point to this thread.

I've pretty much been doing nothing but typing this up for all these hours. Only took a 20 minute break for dinner.
smile.gif
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by wupah;13495411
Nice work; I love these compilations.

It might be worth adding some DAC and or amp recommendations ?
I did throw in some DAC/AMP combos, but perhaps I could toss in some stand alone amp suggestions, still, these cost a lot of money and I think people would honestly be better off researching this in more depth than a simple "highly recommended" thread can offer.

Some people like cheap amps. IMO, I wouldn't pay for a stand alone amp unless I dropped 600 dollars on one. See what I mean?
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simca;13495560
I did throw in some DAC/AMP combos, but perhaps I could toss in some stand alone amp suggestions, still, these cost a lot of money and I think people would honestly be better off researching this in more depth than a simple "highly recommended" thread can offer.

Some people like cheap amps. IMO, I wouldn't pay for a stand alone amp unless I dropped 600 dollars on one. See what I mean?
Absolutely, I was just thinking that you might have some insight on which standalone amps are good value. Took me a while and a lot of forum reading before I purchased mine. And I paid more than 600$
eek.gif


In the end it most likely comes down to personal preference.

either way I like this list, nice work!
 
#23 ·
Awesome guide, but the Ultrasone Pro 550s you mentioned as being 150 are mostly found around 200, and more common at 180. So you may want to change that.
tongue.gif
 
#24 ·
Just need a few corrections to make it more accurate:

*the MMX300 is a DT770 32ohm.

Quote of the slight differences sound wise between the different impedance models:

from http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more#post_6938759
Quote:
- 32Ohm
The 32Ohm model of the DT770 is closer sounding to the 250Ohm and 600Ohm models than it is to the 80Ohm model. The most striking difference is that they have far less bass than the 80Ohm model, but also are fuller sounding. The bass on the 32Ohm's is tight and controlled but rather light on impact. If I had to rate it's impact I would say it's like the DT880/250, but even less than those. The high while quite extended and detailed but has a slight edge to them, but not grating or strident sounding. All of the DT line (DT770-DT990) has a treble oriented sound, so the DT770 will emphasize this. Now the mids, while fuller than the 250Ohm and 80Ohm models, are there but still recessed to a degree. The mids are clear, detailed, and possess decent transparency. Now the soundstage is smaller than the 80Ohm and 250Ohm and has an "in your head" sound to it. The dynamics of this model seem slightly lower compared to the 250Ohm version, but it's hard to tell.
*Also I'd put the Ultrasone PRO550's in the 'compromising gamer' section udner the $150 section, as the S-Logic works much better in the Pro(line) series than the HFI series.

* A great 'rock/metal' headphone for $300 is the Alessandro MS2 as well, which is of course liek the MS1, a Grado OEM.

* The Alienware Ozma 5 is not the same as the PRO550. The Alienware Ozma 5 is an OEM'ed HFI-580. The HFI series is noticeably different than the PRO series.

* Also maybe passive setups for speakers?
 
#26 ·
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top