Audiophile Headphones & Desktop Amp+DAC (budget - 15k)

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nikhilthecupid

nikhilthecupid

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Hi Guys,

I require a Hi-end headphone & amp+dac combo for my desktop.
Requirement - Music
Budget - 15k

Currently i have finalized :
Sennheiser HD518 & Audinst HUD Mini
Can also go for Sennheiser HD518 & FiiO E17

Require a headphone with tight base & sweet highs, i don't like flat signature headphones. Currently i own Brainwavz M2 which are amazing for their price.

THanks,
NIkhil
 
15k is a great budget but id suggest going for the best headphones in that price range as u wont be upgrading headphones anytime soon then go for a dac/amp. e17 is about to be replaced by the e18.. so u might want to hold on.. audinst isnt that great, id recomend the c&c bh v2 over it ..
 
toxicdrift said:
15k is a great budget but id suggest going for the best headphones in that price range as u wont be upgrading headphones anytime soon then go for a dac/amp. e17 is about to be replaced by the e18.. so u might want to hold on.. audinst isnt that great, id recomend the c&c bh v2 over it ..
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I read reviews of Audinst on headffonia, they say that it beats E17 in all aspects except portability. Anyhow the AMP & DACs used in those are high end. I am frustrated as i cannot go anywhere in Delhi to try these as there is no place which offers it.

I am not sure about investing 15k on a headphone when i wont even be able to drive it with anything. For cans i can max push to 10k. What will you recommend?
 
what kind of music do u listen too?[DOUBLEPOST=1383158471][/DOUBLEPOST]m50 is flat signature aswell, but it would be my pick over the 518 .. hell even the 558. ..
 
toxicdrift said:
what kind of music do u listen too?[DOUBLEPOST=1383158471][/DOUBLEPOST]m50 is flat signature aswell, but it would be my pick over the 518 .. hell even the 558. ..
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All kinds of music i hear, Bollywood, sometimes hip hop, Alternative rock. Basically, but i prefer degraded mids, crisp highs & warm tight bass.

I currently own Philips SHP8500 & Brainwavz M2. M2 is bass heavy & warm, i can work with lesser bass. M2 gives nice mids & highs so works well.

What would you recommend? Have you heard the M50? Their reviews are mad !
 
if u like the m2, i think ull like the m50, its very easy to drive, an amp defenitely helps, my nephew uses them with a c&c bh and he loves the combo. try using them without the amp, if u think the bass is lacking in anyway, just get a amp and ull be set. you can also consider the vmoda m80.
 
toxicdrift said:
if u like the m2, i think ull like the m50, its very easy to drive, an amp defenitely helps, my nephew uses them with a c&c bh and he loves the combo. try using them without the amp, if u think the bass is lacking in anyway, just get a amp and ull be set. you can also consider the vmoda m80.
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ok, any idea from where can i get these M50? I am thinking of getting those now. Also, you are telling me portable amps, i need desktop ones. Please recommend some !!

FiiO E10?[DOUBLEPOST=1383161357][/DOUBLEPOST]Audio Technica ATH-AD700X Or M50 ?
 
nikhilthecupid said:
ok, any idea from where can i get these M50? I am thinking of getting those now. Also, you are telling me portable amps, i need desktop ones. Please recommend some !!

FiiO E10?[DOUBLEPOST=1383161357][/DOUBLEPOST]Audio Technica ATH-AD700X Or M50 ?
Click to expand...


The m50 right now sells between 10-11.5 k and honestly they aint worth that price. Black friday is around the corner, try to get a good deal shipped to you. At 15k i would try to get a denon d-2000 shipped from abroad or a used around 10.
Also as far as amps go, only the good ones make a big difference. the avg ones have almost no impact on the sound quality. I personally own a fiio e7 and i think its pretty okish..
Try contacting faheem from the forum, he had once given me a demo of a really small amp at a audio meet at Vashi. It was brilliant, around 8k. Unfortunately cant recollect the name. Will post here if i recollect.

At ur budget the shure 840/940, sennheiser 595/598(imported), beyer dynamics dt-880/770 32/250 ohms, ultrasone hfi-780 etc all come in play...
Choices galore bro.. choose wisely
cheers...
 
How are the Denon AH-D1100 ? I heard they have nice bass.
My biggest scare is if the headphones have a dead bass. I just dont like it.

Also, i am inclined more towards HD518, provided its reviews on Head-fi. Also Audio Technica M50 are not available in India anywhere.

Can you tell me the best headphone for 8-9k? Make sure you don't recommend flat sounding headphones.
 
is importing an option or that aint happening?

The 518 are good but the bass over powers pretty much everything else. Vocals r not the greatest either. They are a bit like my sennheiser hd-485's which are awesome for movies but not the best for all genres of music.
 
I have denon ah-d510.They are awesome.Average soundstage but lush mids not bassy but perfect for casual listening.I think d110 will be an upgrade.But according to me you should get take 5 mins and think over what you want.If you go with denons you dont need an amp.You will enjoy them for sometime but will get tired and upgrade again.I think to have fun with a headphone you need to get a mid/high grade headphone.A one-time investment like a hd650 and then mod it with different amps - ss or tube - change tubes/change cable etc.Then you will get a whole picture of what happens when you do something.If you don't want to do all this and just enjoy music get the denons.They are good. Btw dt880 is also kickass.Ultra neutral and epic soundstage and instrument separation.High comfort.Versatile genre.But will need a good quality amp-dac to make the most out of them.
Also music is all about trial and error.What we like you may not like.Just don't think too much.Do sufficient research and buy a pair.If you don't like it you can always sell it here.Take care.
 
Thanks guys for your recommendations, i today bought Sennheiser HD518 (INR 7500) & honestly saying its not that much awesome as i expected it to be, especially when its rated at a rank of 25 on best cans on head-fi. Its tone is similar to my 1200rs philips SHP8500.

Although it drives well for a 50ohm headphone with my Google nexus prime. It sounds SHIT with my desktop integrated audio card. (MSI H55M-P33) Lows are scooped, mids are ok & highs are very harsh, is it possible because its not burnt in properly?.
I am planning to buy Grado s60 or s80 after this.

Please suggest a good DAC + AMP for 5-7k ? :(
 
Well i tried soo many equilizer i just hate these HD518. There is no genre that i like, the sound is soo harsh & the bass hurts the head after a few hours.

I am selling it for 7500 if anyone is interested. Going for Denon AH-D1100
 
mate, did u read my posts above? You wont like the D1100 either, its a few levels below the 518. also u jsut got em, give them atleast 200 hrs of burn in.
If another impulse purchase is what ur after, get a ath-m50 or a ad-900/ath-900
 
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