Headphones

Dr.Brown

Dr.Brown

Member
So i was wondering if anybody here could help me.

I'm currently shopping for headphones and i am learning a lot about them. Like frequency, impedance, etc, etc...

My first question is: What is the major difference between a 60ish impedance and a 30ish impedance?

And second, what headphones would you recommend for a budget of 150 or less?

Please, do not say skullcandy. I'm actually looking at Sennheiser HD line, Shure SRH750DJ, maybe some Urbanears Platan, WeSC Oboe, and a pair of RCA HP350. That last one looks good, but don't know about it's performance...

Anyways, i appreciate the help.

 
The higher the impedance the quieter the headphone will be at the same volume setting.

For $150 I would recommend:

Audio Technica ATH-M50

or

Grado SR125i

The Audio Technicas are a closed headphone, so they block out sound and everyone around you can't hear what you're listening to. But the truth of the matter is, an open headphone will always sound better than a closed one. The grados will sound better but they make a lot of noise and they don't isolate any sound.
 
All right, awesome thanks guys. I think i'll stick with the list as made above, except for stiking out the Urbanears and WeSC... I'll have a look at the RCA ones and the Shure SRH750dj in store. After that, i'll check the audio technica.

I guess my best bet is to try the headphones before buying them.

And what about frequencies? what should i be looking for (as of range)?

 
The frequency thing is kinda debatable. A perfect human ear in perfect conditions can only hear 12hz to 20 000khz, but that range is only discernible using a child's ear in a lab. In reality the range is more of a penis measuring game for headphone manufacturers than an important specification.

You should go with a headphone that sounds good over a headphone that can make frequencies that your ipod doesn't support, your music compression format crops out, and your ear can't hear.
 
Oh! one more thing.

I heard stories of headphones making you're head explode, is that true? nah just kidding... my real question is why do some people say you need an amp for some headphones?

Like i read that the Shure SRH750DJ are better with an amp because it is made for high output somethingsomethingwhateversomething, please elaborate and clarify this for me BigJew.
 
I always posted this when people asked about cans, these threads of course kept on coming so I stopped.

Go for some open back Grados in the $200 range, and you definitely won't be disappointed. AKG has some good stuff in the $80 range too.
 
Everything is better with an amp. That's the truth.

But if a headphone has a really high impedance it pretty much requires an external amplifier. The amplifier built into your ipod just can't supply enough power to drive a high impedance headphone.
 
I have WESC Bongos ($120?) and they are great, the look good, sound good and keep your ears warm on a cold day. they cut sound out rather well, but if someone is talking to you its easy to hear their voice. I woould give them a solid 8/10 over all

8/10 sound

10/10 life time

9/10 looks

7/10 sound elimination (not sound canceling, just the removal of background noise.)

anyway, thats my 2 cents
 
I'm going to have to say that throughout my experience with headphones (mainly earbuds) Vmoda makes pretty quality ones. they are generally known for their incredibly powerful bass. even in their 30 dollar pair of earbuds it legitimatly feels like you have a subwoofer in there.
 
I have sennheiser cx300b's for skiing and well...headphones in general
I have the sennheiser hd465 headphones, which were around $70-80 when they came out a few years ago.
the bass response is awesome, and they are very detailed. Everyone who tries them thinks its like an ear-orgasm going on....
Im not sure what to say......
I've DJ'd with pioneer HDJ1000's ($170 headphones) and they are different, they are definitely a "dj headphone", becuase the mids kind of seem drowned out, while the highs are very detailed and you can hear the beat goin on.
I havent had a chance to listen to a lot of other brands, and I had many of the same questions you are having. You can find audiophiles who are all about headphones and go in to great detail.
getting amplified sources for your headphones and so on...they discuss it all, but they get expensive. i didnt wanna spend more than $100 for my earbuds ($20 from amazon, and they also sound awesome i must say, the cx300b's), and the $70-80 hd465's
 
First question: the exact meaning of impedance is quite complex and won't really tell you much about the headphones...(google it if you want to know more)
basically the impedance of a headphone is a measure for how much resistance is on the spool, so in other words, higher impedances require a more powerful output signal (ie. a mixer or amplifier instead of a simple mp3 player)
Now you might wonder why don't all headphones have low impedances ?
If you know how headphones/speakers work, you know theres an electric spool in there somewhere, basically an electric wire wrapped around several times...
if you're listening to high pitch sounds the spool needs to be able to vibrate very fast and be very responsive, if its wrapped with a heavy/thick copper wire to reduce the resistance, it's gonna be heavy and won't be able to vibrate very fast, thus high tones will generally sound a bit less sparkling...
however if it's wrapped with a thin wire, it's gonna be lighter and much more responsive, however since it's a thin diameter wire, it's gonna cause a lot of electrical resistance, so you're gonna need a stronger output signal...

so in short and general, higher impedance = a bit more sparkling sound but needs higher output signal (i personally found that 60ohm still works ok on an mp3 player) while lower impedance will work with anything but will have to give in a bit on the high notes...
(however, high impedance headphones will most likely work on your mp3 or iphone, they just won't be very loud, ie. my dad's dt770 with 250ohm still works on my phone but is very quiet)
So if you're planning to listen through an mp3 player or iphone, check that your impedance is max 80ohm i'd say...

Question 2:since you're planning to spend around 150$ i assume you're a bit of an audiophile and want to hear what a real set of headphones sounds like
me and my dad both love music, so i'll just let you know what we have..
i have a semi-open AKG 121, i love the sound, it's crystal clear, low impedance, but still ok on the high notes and not very expensive + it still looks kinda normal and stylish, so you can still use it on the bus or something....
my dad has 2 Beyer dynamics DT770 headphones, 1 pro with 80ohm impedance and 1 regular with 250ohm impedance, these are both closed headphones and have similar sound quality as my akg121..
however, since they're fully closed they sound about 10x more awesome!if you're listening through an amp i'd suggest the 250ohm, it's just orgasmic for the ears, if not, the 80ohm will sound almost exactly the same but will still work on your mp3
dT770 is around 180$ but can be found for 150 if you look around carefully....and the akg 121 is around 80$ but is semi-open so good for everyday use on the bus or at school, but is a bit less impressive since it doesnt completely block out surrounding sounds...

also, if you're buying in a store, be sure to try them on first, ie. my dad gets a headache from the headband on my akg 121s ..... (however for me they fit perfectly)akg:
image1224548fc8dbc90402.jpg
Beyer dynamics dt770 (mind if you're buying this one, the impedance varies 80 or 250ohm but the headphones look exactly the same on the outside !)
beyerdynamics-dt770-220x220.jpg


 
Awesome post. Thanks a lot. Actually, thanks for everyone who posted.

I like the akg121 look. And the price is awesome. I'll surely try my next headphones in store.
 
don't buy WESC, i broke mine within 3 weeks of having them and they wouldn't even respond to my emails on a warranty. biggest waste of a 100 bucks ive ever spent
 
yeah the akg121s are pretty awesome imho, only little downside is that it comes with a long cable, so for everyday use you'll need to use a little rubber band to retain the excess wire....
 
Oh alright thanks. Too bad it's not a coiled wire.

Any other audiophile headphone models anybody would suggest?
 
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