[Xyxyll]

My Pioneer VSX-819H-K will soon be moving from my living room to my computer, and I'm planning to drive a set of cans for trance and gaming (more trance than gaming). I'd like them to be comfortable for long periods of use. Never tried open-back headphones, but I'm willing to give them a try if they're worth it. Specifically I'm looking at the ATH-AD700s, Sennheiser HD558s, AKG K272HDs, and the Sennheiser HD598s (increasing in price).

Are any of these sets particularly better than others for my needs? Should I avoid any of these sets for my needs? I suspect anything is going to be better than my unbalanced Logitechs or $2 earbuds, but I want something that I'm going to be happy with for a long time.

Thanks!

 

[Simca]

Out of all the headphones you've listed I would take the AD700s.

The 598s cannot be justified price wise and is very similar to the AD700s anyway.

That said, there are different types of Trance I've learned. Some bassless trance and some bassy trance. Almost all of these headphones will NOT give you bass. They're extremely light on bass and are meant for gaming. If you're looking for bassy headphones and are staying in the 100 dollar vicinity, I would recommend Equation Audio RP-21s or Ultrasone HFI-550s.

So what type of Trance do you listen to? Which of these would fit your needs?

 

[Xyxyll]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simca Out of all the headphones you've listed I would take the AD700s. The 598s cannot be justified price wise and is very similar to the AD700s anyway. That said, there are different types of Trance I've learned. Some bassless trance and some bassy trance. Almost all of these headphones will NOT give you bass. They're extremely light on bass and are meant for gaming. If you're looking for bassy headphones and are staying in the 100 dollar vicinity, I would recommend Equation Audio RP-21s or Ultrasone HFI-550s. So what type of Trance do you listen to? Which of these would fit your needs?

Thanks for the insight!

According to Pandora, I like trance with multiple layers of melody and harmony, female vocals, and dancing "four-to-the-floor" beats. Bass is not a very integral part to the music I listen to. The artists I enjoy are Above & Beyond, Armin Van Buuren, and OceanLab among many others. If it helps to listen to the general style, here are a few songs that recently popped up on my station.

FYI, if it affects your suggestions, I can get the listed headphones at a discounted rate, so the HD598s would be about $70 more than the AD700s. These will be my first quality set of headphones, but I'm willing to spend upwards of $200 for the right set.

You Tube

 

[Xyxyll]

Also, I noticed the HD555 and HD595 are dirt cheap on Amazon. Would either of these prove better than the listed headphones?

 

[Simca]

TBH, The 558s and 555's are very similar. Obviously the 558s are "slightly" better. and the 595s are basically 555's modified (but slightly better). That said, the AD700s after listening to your music choice sound marvelous.

I don't think the 555 warm sound will be enjoyable for you personally. I think that there is still some bass that those songs offer and because you're not an avid gamer per se, perhaps you should look at Audio Technica A700s rather than AD700s as those will provide you more bass than the ADs. Still, I do quite enjoy the AD700s despite it's severe lack in bass. Female vocals, mids and highs alike are all shining points for the AD700s.

 

[ablearcher]

Or the ATH-M50s, low end studio monitors with a heavy bass emphasis...

 

[Xyxyll]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simca TBH, The 558s and 555's are very similar. Obviously the 558s are "slightly" better. and the 595s are basically 555's modified (but slightly better). That said, the AD700s after listening to your music choice sound marvelous. I don't think the 555 warm sound will be enjoyable for you personally. I think that there is still some bass that those songs offer and because you're not an avid gamer per se, perhaps you should look at Audio Technica A700s rather than AD700s as those will provide you more bass than the ADs. Still, I do quite enjoy the AD700s despite it's severe lack in bass. Female vocals, mids and highs alike are all shining points for the AD700s.

Sounds like a match made in heaven. I just read on head-fi.org that the A700s tend to offer less bass than the AD700s. That along with the great reviews and great pricing has me pretty sold on the AD700s. Plus it'll work great for BC2.

 

[chinesekiwi]

are you going to use it on anything apart from the receiver? You can afford much better than the A700.

 

[Iceman23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xyxyll Sounds like a match made in heaven. I just read on head-fi.org that the A700s tend to offer less bass than the AD700s. That along with the great reviews and great pricing has me pretty sold on the AD700s. Plus it'll work great for BC2.

It said AD700 had more bass than A700?

 

[Xyxyll]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi;13095326
are you going to use it on anything apart from the receiver? You can afford much better than the A700.

For the time being, the headphones will not leave my workstation. I don't own an ipod, and I already have a nice audio system downstairs and in the car.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceman23;13095909
It said AD700 had more bass than A700?

Perhaps I read the thread a bit hastely but they do mention that the A700 will have a more closed-in bass as opposed to the AD700's tighter faster bass.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/149712/a700-vs-ad700-vs-a900