Audio Headphones suggestion for 5K

sriharsha_m

sriharsha_m

Adept
I'm looking for an upgrade to my existing Audio Technica ATH T500.
My usage would be in this priority : Movies>>Gaming>>Music.

A lot of headphones are going through my mind which is confusing me a lot. Also I'll be using it mostly with my laptop, so what do you suggest.

Should I go for usb gaming headphones with soundcards or a stand alone headphones or a Headphones+portable amp for my budget and for my usage pattern.

If the setup is worth it, I can extend the budget by a k or 2.
 
Its going to be difficult finding a worthy upgrade to the ATH-T500 under 5k . The M35 and T500 are probably one of the best sounding headphones in that price range.

You could consider the ATH-M50 if you like a little more bassy sound but that again will be about 8-9k-ish .

If you dont mind trying out open air headphones , do consider the ATH-AD700 . One of the most detailed headphones under 10k with a beautiful midrange and treble but little lacking in bass and a soundstage so wide, that is hard to come by even in some of the more expensive headphones. Preferred for gaming as well as music.

You can also look at some other models like Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro or the Brainwavz HM5 but even those will be above 7-8k for sure.
 
FaH33m said:
Its going to be difficult finding a worthy upgrade to the ATH-T500 under 5k . The M35 and T500 are probably one of the best sounding headphones in that price range.

You could consider the ATH-M50 if you like a little more bassy sound but that again will be about 8-9k-ish .

If you dont mind trying out open air headphones , do consider the ATH-AD700 . One of the most detailed headphones under 10k with a beautiful midrange and treble but little lacking in bass and a soundstage so wide, that is hard to come by even in some of the more expensive headphones. Preferred for gaming as well as music.

You can also look at some other models like Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro or the Brainwavz HM5 but even those will be above 7-8k for sure.
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Faheem, thanks for the reply :)
Actually the thing is, I have a setup at home and I carry another to my hostel, So I'll be keeping T500 at home and wanted to get a new one that I can use with my Laptop and other mobile sources.

As I mentioned earlier, I'll be using it mostly for movie watching and that's the reason for my confusion, all the aforementioned hp's are mostly music oriented right??

AD700 was in my mind, but it was out of my current budget, initially I planned to sell T500 and go for AD700. But brother wanted my T500, hence the change of plans.

Have heard of a few surround headphones and a few gaming virtual surround headsets, what do you think of them for movie watching?? Like the Roccat Kave, Steelseries 7H, V2 , Corsair HS1 etc

---------- Post added at 09:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------
titana said:
One can also consider Fostex T50RP. Its pretty good stock & even better when modded.
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Not into modding, I prefer stock ones, don't want to fiddle with them :p
 
allrounder799 said:
Also take a look at Sennheiser HD518, open air, really good for music and gaming
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Looks good, but at that price, AD700 feels like a better option to me.
titana said:
Even stock, one would be hard pressed for finding a better headphone under 5k IMHO.
You can also look into grado SR-60 & Alessandro MS1 for around that budget.
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Again, aren't these preferred much for music? I'm not sure but I have read about them a couple of times.

kris said:
Also consider the FA-011 from Fischer Audio
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Will have a look at that :)

FaH33m
I have a few queries about the AD700

  • I read that AD700 being an open ended cans, is audible from quite a distance! How significant is that? I watch movies mostly after midnight, so I don't want to disturb anyone at that hour.
  • What about using them with mobile sources? Like ....say a SGS II, iPhone 4 & iPod touch??
  • Should I invest on a portable amp? I mean considering the cost vs performance ratio. Or since I prefer movies & games more, should I go for something like this >> Steelseries Siberia USB Soundcard (Black) | Gaming Adapter | Flipkart.com
 
There are two problems with an open back HP:
1. Sound leak, which means others can hear you. But this is not going to disturb them per se, since the volume is just enough for them to make out what you are listening to, thats it.

2. Isolation (of course related to point 1), or the lack of it, can be annoying if you are in a noise environment, like there is a TV playing nearby. You miss a lot of detail and basically wouldn't be able to enjoy your HP to its true potential.

So unless you have a room to yourself, dont buy an open hp :p
 
@sriharsha_m :
1)If anyone is in your room , he can enjoy the music as well thats as loud as it can go at full volume.
2)Works good with the SGS II and is even better when you use a amp (used a E11)
3) Invest in a portable amp , the Steelseries sound card aint that great , maybe you can check out the the portable offering from Asus Xonar sound card.

If you would be interested in buying a 2nd hand AD700 1 year and a month old , then PM me.
 
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sriharsha_m said:
I read that AD700 being an open ended cans, is audible from quite a distance! How significant is that? I watch movies mostly after midnight, so I don't want to disturb anyone at that hour.
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While the AD700 do leak some sound, it's not enough to wake someone from sleep. You can have them at very loud volumes, where they can sound like tiny speakers from a mobile, but practically it would be too loud to be on your ears.

sriharsha_m said:
What about using them with mobile sources? Like ....say a SGS II, iPhone 4 & iPod touch?
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AD700 are very easy to drive. You shouldn't have any trouble driving them from portable sources. I have driven it from my Nokia N82, and Sansa Fuze during powercuts, and haven't faced any issues.

sriharsha_m said:
Should I invest on a portable amp? I mean considering the cost vs performance ratio. Or since I prefer movies & games more, should I go for something like this >> Steelseries Siberia USB Soundcard (Black) | Gaming Adapter | Flipkart.com
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I doubt that the AD-700 would benefit from an Amp as they have low impedance and are easy to drive. However a better DAC would be a very pleasant upgrade, especially from your typical onboard integrated soundcard.
 
sriharsha_m said:
Looks good, but at that price, AD700 feels like a better option to me.
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Ya of course many prefer AD700 here(in this price range), but I have heard them both, and bass in AD700 was little weak to my taste, though AD700 have a little upper hand when it comes to Treble and clarity, I got the HD518 because I love my sound on a tad heavier side, also adding to that I am a sennheiser fanboy:p
 
Sorry for the late reply but yeah I second what @kris and @fLUX replied regarding the isolation and sound leakage party :). AD700s are best enjoyed in a quiet environment or if your neighbour doesn't mind the slight sound leakage.
 
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FaH33m titana allrounder799 kris Gryph0n

Guys sorry for the delayed post :p
I bought Ad700 from fLUX last month, bass is very flat as warned earlier.
I'm fine with the bass in music, It is adequate for my taste, but in movies I miss the bass, it's too flat to my liking.
The bass boost on my X-Fi Surround USB is not helping either.

So I'm thinking of selling it off and going for a Fiio E7, How good is that? Any other alternatives?
 
Bass maybe flat but you will get used to it(and even like it if) as you use them, this was the same case with my previous Sennheiser in-ears, I think E7 might be little overkill for AD700, you can consider the E5, though as I dont have any worth experience in amps, I will leave it to other members, you should also consider a xonar range soundcard such as the DX which as built in headphone amp, because if you dont want portability, it might suffice you
 
I actually have a Xonar DG in my desktop. I don't find much difference, in fact the highs have become more sharp and uncomfortable with Xonar dg.

How about a E6 then? A friend of mine is selling his E6. Shall I go for it instead, considering that I have a Xfi already.
 
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