[Kevin L.]

Hello everyone! I just joined, and this is my first post, so bear with me. Also, brevity is not my strong suit, so be warned that this may be a bit lengthy, though I feel it's necessary here.

I've had the Sennheiser HD 280 PRO for about eight years, and I'm looking to replace it. The headphones will primarily be for music, with some gaming, movies, and general computer usage included as well. My primary musicians include Porcupine Tree, Astral Projection, Tool, Solarstone, Howard Shore (particularly his LOTR soundtrack), and Karnivool. I'd say a good reference song is "Anesthetize" by Porcupine Tree (I know I'm not supposed to post copyrighted material, so you can find it).

I have a few "musts" for the headphones: they must be circumaural; they must be closed-back; they must always be comfortable; and they must be fine direct-to-source, meaning I won't need any extra equipment and can plug directly into cell phone, computer, et cetera. Budget, I'm not sure, but there's no way I'll need to spend 4+ figures, right?

My cell phone is a Samsung Galaxy S5 Active. I've been unable to find any audio information on this model, but, for reference, it struggles to drive my current headphones, rated at 64 ohms. My desktop should be of no concern, if this info http://techreport.com/review/29637/asus-rog-maximus-viii-impact-motherboard-reviewed/2 about my motherboard is accurate (sorry, I don't know how to format URLs).

From my research, I've found 11 well-reviewed headphones that may match my criteria (not including my current headphones):

- Audio-Technica ATH-M50X

- Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7BK

- Focal Listen

- OPPO PM-3

- beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro

- Samson Z55

- Bowers & Wilkins P7

- V-MODA Crossfade M-100

- V-MODA Crossfade LP2

- Sennheiser HD 598 (CLOSED version)

- Sennheiser HD 380 PRO

I can't find any place near me (Naperville, Illinois) that has these, so I may just have to buy online, in which case a solid return policy is necessary.

I know this is lengthy, and I may still have missing info. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks everybody! Thoughts?

 

[Kevin L.]

*bump*

 

[Kevin L.]

*bump*

(Sorry, I'm not sure if consecutive bumps are allowed.)

 

[serman005]

I would add the NAD HP50, SoundMAGIC HP150, and the ATH-M40X, which is more neutral than the M50X and in my opinion, better. Of those you list, I really like the B&W P7 pretty well. It is detailed with nice bass extension. Really good. You might read about these added cans and see what you think. It's possible one could work for you.

 

[Kevin L.]

Thanks!

 

[buke9]

The M50x's had way too bloated bass for me as it covered up the mids too much. The M100's I put in basshead territory fun for a bit but that gets old quick for me. The Oppo's very nice headphones on the neutral side but also a little boring to me. I think I've heard the 770's but can't recall and the others have not heard. I had a problem with the HP50 fitting me but they did sound pretty good though. I've only heard a pair of modded HP 150's and they are quite good also. The Meze 99 Classics are another one the is also pretty good.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Try the Focal Spirit Classic, it's on sale on Amazon right now.

 

[Kevin L.]

Try the Focal Spirit Classic, it's on sale on Amazon right now.

Thanks for the tip! I'm not familiar with Focal's headphones, but our home theatre setup has had the same JMLab speakers for 15 years, and they're still phenomenal!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks for the tip! I'm not familiar with Focal's headphones, but our home theatre setup has had the same JMLab speakers for 15 years, and they're still phenomenal!

Just note that if you're expecting the same kind of sound as the Polyglass and Kevlar drivers, these aren't exactly like those. Like, think of the Kevlars with less bite on guitars, or the line below the Polyglass models (Access in car audio; Chorus entry level line in home audio uses Polyglass) with a lot smoother treble (vs some of the tweeters that they've paired some of the Polyglass drivers with) but a lot less "slam" on the percussion. That last bit can be helped by an amp and listening a bit louder though (ie since it has a lot to do with the higher efficiency of those drivers; they'll sound fine out of a smartphone, but not if you really crank them up).

 

[Kevin L.]

Just note that if you're expecting the same kind of sound as the Polyglass and Kevlar drivers, these aren't exactly like those. Like, think of the Kevlars with less bite on guitars, or the line below the Polyglass models (Access in car audio; Chorus entry level line in home audio uses Polyglass) with a lot smoother treble (vs some of the tweeters that they've paired some of the Polyglass drivers with) but a lot less "slam" on the percussion. That last bit can be helped by an amp and listening a bit louder though (ie since it has a lot to do with the higher efficiency of those drivers; they'll sound fine out of a smartphone, but not if you really crank them up).

Thanks a bunch! I was a kid when we got our home theatre setup, and I wasn't involved in the process. To be fair, I don't know what the speakers are, other than they're JMLab and they sound amazing.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks a bunch! I was a kid when we got our home theatre setup, and I wasn't involved in the process. To be fair, I don't know what the speakers are, other than they're JMLab and they sound amazing.

If the speaker cones are grey they might be Polyglass drivers (note that isn't the actual name of the material, just the marketing name for the driver series) or if yellow, maybe Polykevlar (it's kind of like the Polyglass, except they use kevlar with polycarbonate as opposed to polycarbonate/"glass fiber" and paper). Likely the earlier versions of those if so.

 

[Kevin L.]

If the speaker cones are grey they might be Polyglass drivers (note that isn't the actual name of the material, just the marketing name for the driver series) or if yellow, maybe Polykevlar (it's kind of like the Polyglass, except they use kevlar with polycarbonate as opposed to polycarbonate/"glass fiber" and paper). Likely the earlier versions of those if so.

OK, cool. They're covered, so it's hard to tell, but the cones are definitely NOT yellow; I'd say they're grey/black. It's two tower speakers, a center speaker, and two large bookshelf speakers with floor-stands. All of them are black and rectangular-prism (as opposed to some oddly-shaped speakers like some Klipsch or Bang&Olufsen).

 

[ProtegeManiac]

OK, cool. They're covered, so it's hard to tell, but the cones are definitely NOT yellow; I'd say they're grey/black. It's two tower speakers, a center speaker, and two large bookshelf speakers with floor-stands. All of them are black and rectangular-prism (as opposed to some oddly-shaped speakers like some Klipsch or Bang&Olufsen).

If by that you mean the grills have some kind of triangular protrusion, that's likely the Chorus series or the one above it. If so that' the polyglass driver. Given the tweeters used in the home audio version the Spirit Classic headphones are kind of like that in tone, generally, provided you're using a good enough amp, except that the percussion wouldn't be as spectacular. If you're using some kind of midrange or entry level HT receiver with it, the Spirit Classic will likely be warmer and probably have more audible percussion.

 

[bored184]

The only experience I have with closed back is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X. They are a great sounding pair of headphones but the clamping force can be a bit much if you plan on listening to them for hours on end.

 

[Kevin L.]

If by that you mean the grills have some kind of triangular protrusion, that's likely the Chorus series or the one above it. If so that' the polyglass driver. Given the tweeters used in the home audio version the Spirit Classic headphones are kind of like that in tone, generally, provided you're using a good enough amp, except that the percussion wouldn't be as spectacular. If you're using some kind of midrange or entry level HT receiver with it, the Spirit Classic will likely be warmer and probably have more audible percussion.

Sweet. I meant it's a 3-D rectangle. The grill appears slightly curved outwards when viewed from above. I'll upload a picture. (EDIT: Picture won't upload. Sorry!)

Also, the receiver is a Denon AVR-1802.