Need Headphone ~ 15k!

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D.Vijay Nidhi

Beginner
Hi Guys,

Just continuing from my previous thread..

Let me give you a quick background. I am not an audiophile but I do appreciate good music and sound effects. When I first bought my first branded headphones*My bose OE* I was literally blown away..
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...I know I am gonna get some heat for loving a bose but I really do..
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Requirements:

However, I have been using it for a couple of years now I am in the lookout for something better.

Budget: 15k

Need to use it with my laptop and also with my ipod when I take it to my office. As such prefer to use it without any amp or atleast a portable amp like the E11 or E7

My music varies..somethings list to slow music like Adele..sometimes hip hop, sometimes soft rock like LP..so yeah, would definietely look for an allrounder. Plus I watch a lot of movies on my laptop!..I would also like some good bass on these cans!..

Options gone so far:

I have been researching on a couple of forums and these are some cans that keep appearing -

ATH M50(Cheaper all rounder/Best value for money),

beyer 770 &990(Not sure on whether they can be driven without an portable amp

Denon D2000 - Yeah had this locked on but could nt get a good price on these. Plus I was not able to demo it in Chennai. Plus some forum including someone here has stated that the treble is not that good.(dont know what that means exactly but It doesnt seem good..
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..again sorry for my naivete)

AKG 702 - Definitely need an amp. Pluse apparently the E7 is just no good for these babies. Costly.

Also before I buy something , I would prefer to demo it. So if you could suggest some place in Chenai where its possible it would be gr8.
 
You would definitely need a decent soundcard/dac to bring out the full potential of your headphones, with or without amp.You're better off buying an M50/AD700/A700 and buying a decent soundcard for your PC rather than buy a 15k headphone and use it with onboard soundcard, not to mention the 15k headphone probably requires an amp too to reach full potential.
 
Ignoring the part where you said your budget is just 15k, I think for your laptop usage you can get a Audinst Mx1. It works as an external sound card through a usb connection and takes power from your laptop if you don't have a power socket around. It is a highly recommended dac/amp and can power all the headphones you've mentioned above.

Above that you can go for a M50/DT880(600ohms version) or a D2000 depending on availability and budget. AKG K702 are analytical sounding and they lack bass so think twice before you consider them.

Man who can spend 15k, can also spend 20-25k
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lol
 
I totally agree with benny but

i have heard that Beyer 880 600 ohms & AKG K702 are hard to drive their is no portable amp able to bring out their true potential.

they need tube amping to really shine.

& the beyer are approx around 20000 Rs is their any place where i can find cheaper than 20000.
 
@Benny,,I am sure the audinst would greatly improve the sound output. However, I need something portable that I can carry with mp3 player and also my laptop. When I use my laptop it rarely is one place, moves from my bed to my living room to sometimes office. So I would really want something smaller and lighter. In the veins of E7.

However I hear that E7 may not be that gr8.

Do have any other amp/headphone combo suggestions?
 
@Above - Hows the sound quality of the HD 25 II..by the way i think they are two 25 SP II and 25 1 II..which one are you referring to?

How does it compare to say an M50 or a denon 1100 or 2000??
 
The 25's like the AKGs Benny mentioned are not so musically inclined, so that again depends on Vijay's tastes. Also, personally I feel the HD-25's need an amp......and I guess Benny would agree here as well. They are however portable, the stock steel cable on mine was shit and pretty long though. Not sure if all the 25's come with the same cable or if it was just the 25-13 II.

The coiled M50 cables are nicer if he's going to be using no amp and moving around. That said I think the Fischer FA-011 is a better, cheaper headphone, that does scale nicely with mid-range amps. They look great too, especially the newer light wood cups.
 
None of the headphones except the M50 can be driven straight outta a mp3 player/laptop. I think your asking for the wrong question here. Good headphones like the ones we're talking of here are not upto their full potential unless used with a proper dedicated desktop rig. No portable amp can compare to a desktop amp/dac half its price. So now the choice is yours.

If you want a truly portable solution, get something like a iPod 160gb -> CLAS -> RSA Protector -> Balanced cable -> DT880 600ohms(still will not go to really high volumes when you feel like it) and it still won't be as good as a desktop rig half its price. So now you decide, do you want portability, or you want sound quality. If its portability, then get a Fiio E17 -> Denon D2000 are your all set. Else, Audinst Mx1 -> M50/HD25 1 II, D2000, DT880(600ohms), FA-011, whatever.

And yes HD25 -1 II is better than the SP version. They do require an amp. Without an amp they sounds very weak. I'm still using them with the stock cable #[member='Ritvik'] . Do you think they improve with the HD600 / 650 cable. I have both lying around but haven't tried them since i'll have to unscrew the headphone.
 
Hi Guys,

I have an offer from a member within tech enclave for a pair of used Denon D2000 bought in 2010. They are partially MarkL modded (padded cups and new cables). The offer is 14.5k.

I also have the option of getting a new pair of the same cans without the mod from the US for ~250$. There is a slight possibity of getting caught in customs though.
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Which way do you think I should go?
 
I'd get it from the member, they're modded and with some burn in already and you probably won't get any international warranty that's valid in India in any case. 250 is a good price though, I thought its over 300 now.

@ Benny - They don't sound much better - slightly less sparkle in the highs, with more rounded mids if I remember right. People say the [font=verdana, geneva, lucida, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]sibilance with the steel cable goes away with burn in but I never experienced it. Any HD 600/650 cable would probably require you to invert the cups and they're much longer than the stock so portability becomes an issue. The new cables are nice and short though, soundstage is much much better and far more "wholesome" if that's a word that can be used! .....more to do with the protector than the cable I'm sure. [/font]
 
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