New Headphones/Headset recommendations?

So I'm in the market for some Mid-Fi earphones or headphones - below $350. In particular, I've been looking at Grado (SR325is), AKG (K701) and Denon (AH-D2000). As far as earphones, it has been strictly Shure/Kliptsch.

Now, my question related to these - or any other brand you deem pertinent - would revolve around a particular utilization. This particular use will be through an iPhone4, a laptop (no TOSLINK , basic 3.5mm jack), and a desktop PC with a SB audigy 5.1 sound card (3.5mm jack). While listening, I would want good isolation from ambient noise. I'm not sure about active noise-canceling cans, I have heard they get interference on airplanes? This comes to a concern, as these will be a purchase primarily for air travel, and my everyday commute (train, walking). The types of music I will be listening to range from Ludovico Einaudi to Eminem, basically every genre except for hard-core gangster rap and country.

Through some research, I've noticed some people raving about the K701 and a RAL cable, is this cable usable on a 3.5mm jack and will it improve quality over the standard cable without an amp?

Basically, I'm looking for a very well balanced type of Earphone/Headphone (it must have outstanding bass, I love bass, but not too much) where I could hook it up to an amp if I wanted to on my desktop, but do not necessarily have to, in order to obtain, at the very least, close to the optimum sound quality available from the phones, themselves. In addition, it is of utmost importance that I do not disturb others around me while listening (even at higher levels) and that ambient noise (trains, walking the city, planes, etc.) does not disturb me. I've done some research on the Grado, and apparently they lack mid-range?

Also, primary source of music will be FLAC, with some MP3 thrown into the mix. IE, flac from my PC through amp (amp necessary?), and MP3/FLAC from iPhone4. I'm no audio-genius, however, I am not a noob. So feel free to throw some technicalities at me.

Thank you all very much for your time, I look forward to some informed advice!

You might want to look into the Sennheiser HD600. They are great headphones. The 650's have a little more bass, and are a little nicer in appearance, but are also a little more. A good investment for your laptop and computer listening is a good usb DAC. It will allow you to take advantage of the FLAC files full potential. And if that doesn't work for you, a good sound card goes a long way towards improving sound. My outlook on cables for audio is that if they are reasonably well made, there will be very little change in the sound (especially for high end cables, that the money could be better spent on improving other more sound influencing components). As for using an Iphone or MP3 player for a source, I have to say that the quality will be marginal at best. High quality portable sound is 1 very difficult nut to crack, because so many factors are against you. I hope this helps you out some.
-Greg

Thank you very much, Greg.

A few questions, if you don't mind. The HD600, they are open-dynamic, which means my ear is not closed off from the outside world, which goes same for the speaker, right? If so, do you know whether or not the HD600 lets a lot of sound out or in?

As for a USB DAC, this would replace a sound card? ATM, on my desktop I have an SB Audigy SE, and as for my laptop, I have not bought it yet lol.

In terms of getting better quality out of my MP3s and iPhone, would a CMOS amp help with that at all? Or will I need a higher end amp?

Thank you very much for your time.

They do a very good job of isolating outside noise, and unless you are really cranking them don't produce much sound outside the headphones themselves. For the very little that you would loose while using them "on the road", you gain so much while using them at home.

The soundblaster audigy cards are great for the price (I use one myself), so you should be alright with that.

Having been an audio lover/ musician my entire life, and a high end system owner (Magnepan, Bryston, Audio Research, and more) gives me a bit of experience to speak from. Every link in the audio chain is important to the overall quality of the sound. You can have the greatest system in the world, but it your source (read CD player, MP3 player, sound card) is not of good quality the sound will suffer. The same goes for the source material, if you have a crappy recording there is nothing that you can do to improve it. Now you can add an amplifier that may make it sound "better", but all you are really doing is "coloring" the sound with the voicing of that particular amplifier. I am not saying that with an Iphone and an amp that you could not get decent sound, what I am saying is that you wont be able to realize the full potential of a FLAC recording without the associated electronics to take advantage of the higher sample rates that FLAC files afford you. Thus leaving you with MP3's that are stripped down, highly compressed remnants of the original file. And while MP3's may sound "really good" to the masses on their BOSE wave radio, when you have a truly revealing system (read high end) MP3's just wont cut it. Kind of a giant circle, but that is why I said that quality portable audio is one tough nut to crack.
-Greg

Thanks again, Greg.

So let's say I bought these headphones. Would I need an amp/DAC to hook up to my computer, and would it be worth it to buy an amp/DAC to use while listening to MP3/FLAC through my iPhone?

Sorry for the slow response, I meant to come back to you. Your sound card should be fine for these headphones. You can add the amp if you want, but it is not necessary. Some people like to add mini tube headphone amps for the warmth and color they add. I personally prefer as true to the original source as possible, with the least possible coloration. A USB DAC is a great option for laptops that only have built in sound. Many of the higher end USB DAC's are as good as or better than many of the mid to lower highend audio cards out there, and are cheaper by fair bit. I personally don't own an Iphone, so I can't tell you what will be the absolute best with it, but I doubt that it has a very high sample rate for digital audio. Which is why I said that it will not be able to take full advantage of FLAC files, but I would still use FLAC files to listen to, because they are much better quality to begin with. (on a side note you might want to see if the Iphone can output digital audio through its mini?/micro? usb port then you could use a DAC to use the FLAC files to their full potential)
You can use a mini tube amp with the Iphone, and that might help to liven up the music a bit, if it is or isn't worth the cost will be up to you. I know that you can get portable headphone tube amps, but good ones are gonna cost you. Here is a link to a few-

http://thegadgetssite.com/Amps/Amps.html

The selection is a lot wider for home use with much variation in price and performance. I hope this helps you out.

-Greg

gregmacknass said:

Sorry for the slow response, I meant to come back to you. Your sound card should be fine for these headphones. You can add the amp if you want, but it is not necessary. Some people like to add mini tube headphone amps for the warmth and color they add. I personally prefer as true to the original source as possible, with the least possible coloration. A USB DAC is a great option for laptops that only have built in sound. Many of the higher end USB DAC's are as good as or better than many of the mid to lower highend audio cards out there, and are cheaper by fair bit. I personally don't own an Iphone, so I can't tell you what will be the absolute best with it, but I doubt that it has a very high sample rate for digital audio. Which is why I said that it will not be able to take full advantage of FLAC files, but I would still use FLAC files to listen to, because they are much better quality to begin with. (on a side note you might want to see if the Iphone can output digital audio through its mini?/micro? usb port then you could use a DAC to use the FLAC files to their full potential)
You can use a mini tube amp with the Iphone, and that might help to liven up the music a bit, if it is or isn't worth the cost will be up to you. I know that you can get portable headphone tube amps, but good ones are gonna cost you. Here is a link to a few-

http://thegadgetssite.com/Amps/Amps.html

The selection is a lot wider for home use with much variation in price and performance. I hope this helps you out.

-Greg

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No sennheiser headphone over the midrange 5 series is really suitable for use without a headphone amp of some sort. The impedence just won't let you get a proper signal through and they'll sound like trash.

Theocnoob said:

No sennheiser headphone over the midrange 5 series is really suitable for use without a headphone amp of some sort. The impedence just won't let you get a proper signal through and they'll sound like trash.

Click to expand...

So I WOULD need an amp through my sound card?

As far as the iPhone goes: Clearly I would want an amp, maybe a DAC/AMP all in one. I did some reseach and found out that the iPhone can output audio through its USB. I just couldn't find out if I could use the iPhone charger cable as the cable to transport the audio so the DAC/amp would be the decoder and not the iPhone's onboard, anyone know if that would work?

Audio-Technica ATH-M50/M50s. The s model is the straight cable version. There isn't a difference in sound quality.

Thanks Hybrid, I actually was just at Guitar Center and the audio specialist recommended those to me and I'll be listening to them on Thursday to see if I like them.

I'm still in a bind rather or not semi-open or open are really what I'm looking for. I REALLY need the isolation and I really don't want this to disturb others. These are primarily going to be used for my iPhone with an Amp and as far as home use goes, the same amp or my sound card will be used if I need to where them, otherwise music and movie will be playing out of my home theater speakers. To even worsen this, the max I can spend is now $250, due to an unforeseeable financial issue that has sprung itself upon me. So that removes the 650/600 and would bring me down to the 598 (Which I am seriously considering, even though it is open or semi-open, I can't remember)

So, I'm really leaning towards closed back b/c of the isolation. Headphone.com rates open and semi-open 'phones with 0 isolation, and that is concern for me.

The ones I listened to at the store were the AKG K241, Shure SRH 840, Beyerdynamic DT 770, and Sennheiser HD 330 (I think). They guy said they all had been on the floor for at least 5 months, with constant music through them during the day, but I forgot to ask him the source of the audio, I'm assuming it was an MP3 CD off some home receiver or something of the sort.

My favorite of those would probably be the Shure (however, this was very close for me between all of those and still is, I'm really not sure), plus it is rated at higher isolation values, who knows, maybe I'll prefer the Audio-Technica come thursday.