A nice upgrade over Audio Technica ATH A700's?

As the title says... I have caught the audiophile bug and I am looking for a set of headphones that could be considered superior.

I want a set that LOOK better, have as good or even better sound isolation as it is very important, as well as deep and clean bass. I have been looking at the Sennheiser HD650's however they are open back headphones and I am worried about bass and sound isolation.

I am powering my headphones by a FiiO E7 and I have a $400 budget on headphones.

Thank you in advance for any feedback, gentlemen!

 

Ultrasone Pro 900. Closed and has punchier bass than Sennheiser.

 

Beyerdynamics DT770 (250ohm version). Theres also the PRO version for studio use, more rugged too i believe.

Your amp should be able to drive them.

 

I guess you might have to compromise on aesthetics. Since the DT770's for one are like having two coconut halves on your head, and anything AKG such as the K271 is basically 'Save Me, Obi-Wan'.

Mind you, to me it's a step forward from rosé headphones.

 

Vogelbung, you read my mind. I understand function over form but I'd like a set I wouldn't be embarrassed to walk around with. LOL

Great suggestions so far.. looking forward to more.

 

ATH-M50 if your something more foldable/portable & swivel cups. Has a bit of bass too.

 

He's willing to spend up to $400, he can get something slightly better although it might not be as good a value.

 

Once I got my Ultrasone Hfi 2400's I pretty much have not used my A700s except for sometimes for very long sessions since the A700 are more comfortable.

They are also pretty darn nice looking so wouldnt mind wearing them in public, and they fold up as well and come with a bag, or you can get the ultrasone pro hardcase for them.

 

I have the JH13s and they are absolutely stunning, but a bit out of your price range, the JH5s might fit the bill for you though (although you'd have to factor in the cost of getting ear molds taken).

JH5 Pro Custom In-Ear Monitor | JH Audio

 

The Sony MDR-7520 is $350 from Amazon. Depends on the size of your head but it's *fairly* socially acceptable. I also like the pared-down visuals, and yes - you can remove the 'Professional' labels. It's also very comfy and has reasonable isolation. One problem is that while it manages all frequencies well in terms of rendition, it does have a surprisingly prominent mid-bass for a monitoring phone. It's also not that "impressive-sounding" as it doesn't jack up the highs and recess the mids as e.g. the ATH-M50 does, but it does the opposite with a slight midrange spike (and this does make sense as a monitoring phone). However all things considered I would say it's certainly a $3-$400 class closed phone in terms of its overall capability.

If you want something portable and highly isolating headphone-wise, I still think the Sennheiser HD25-1 does the best job, if you don't mind the discomfort it can bring with it's on-ear fit. Because it's compact and lightweight you have more chance of being able to lug it around with you. It's also half your budget. Still the most isolation in a closed phone that you can readily carry around with you. Fairly clean sound overall, fairly strong bass, highs can be a tad scrapey, soundstage narrow.

Custom in-ears can be a major pain in terms of everyday use. And IMO, multiple-driver in-ears are still blown out of the water by dynamic headphones for sonic bang for the buck (and in terms of balanced-armature in-ears, you do *need* multiple drivers for them not to sound 'wrong'). I don't actually think the JH13's are stunning in absolutes for example, but it happens to be one of the better compromises when I'm travelling and I don't need to constantly take off / put on the phones. Lower-end customs? They're IMO better for long periods of travelling around over a headphone, but in terms of all-purpose use I think headphones of around the same price offers far better sound quality and better everyday tractability.

You could also look at generic in-ears, but still with the caveat above. I still think the Shure SE series has the best generic fit out there, and the SE535's can probably be found somewhere for something around your maximum budget. The same for the Westone 4 in terms of price. The Westones have a slightly cleaner sound than the Shure, so they are better to use if you're using the foam tips all the time (i.e. you have the maximum isolation). Foam tips however need regular replacement and can be a pain to have to roll up (especially if you have dirty hands) to insert in your ear. With the more normal-fitting silicone sleeves, I think the Shures with their stronger bass offer a better sound characteristic with the lower isolation offered by these sleeves, and I think they also fit better than the Westone, although this is a personal thing. I have both, but I tend to use the Shures far more often for the above reason as I don't use foam tips.

 

Hello, I found some nicely made aesthetic headphones from Head-Fi and Amazon.
They have great reviews and votes, give it a peek: V-MODA headphones
If you wear it outside you might look cool. All in 1 package, with box and extra cable'S' for iPod, phones, standard.


But for my vote, Ultrasone PRO 900/2900.

 

You guys are awesome!

At this point I definitely prefer an over-the-ear setup. They sound great and are very comfy. I have a big head and these A700's actually fit REAL well, I just want even better sound quality and a less "nerdy" look. I don't mind the obvious bulkiness of them but these are just too big in general when you add in the headrest setup. I can't even get my hoodie over my head with them on.

Vogelbung, great in-depth explanation and personal experience feedback. At this point the Ultrasone Pro 900's that have been mentioned are looking great. They can be folded up for travel and have that simplistic design that won't have people looking at me like I'm a dork is covering all bases. They're a little out of my price range I wanted to be at but I may just go for it anyway.

Thank you once again!

 

yeah, the flat aluminum name plate looks less geeky than the typical coconut shells you find most people wearing. Plus, you can do the kees mod on these for tighter bass.

 

I've never been a huge Ultrasone fan for music, though technically most of them are on my 'like' list, whatever their individual problems. Gaming - I like quite a lot, due to the odd sonics of the S-Logic. Personally, I'd go with the Sony's over the Ultrasones but some people swear by the Ultrasone sound.

 

The sound on all the AD's I've owned wasn't a "wow" for me. Where the ATH-AD series really score, as you've found out, is the comfort - the light weight and the wing system means they really float on your head. The closed ATH-A's also float, but it's immediately apparent that closing up the headphone and providing some isolation immediately makes the fit more constricting. And you are going to struggle to find anything closed which equals the ATH-AD series comfort.

The Bose AE2 is still the king of closed-phone comfort for me due to the light weight and relative lack of clampiness, but sonically they've lurched from one extreme to the other - whereas the Triport was a bit recessed and muddy sounding, now they've gone and jacked up the highs to the max. I still use the AE2 for the odd commute especially now in winter, but I have to use it with something that has an EQ that I can control the treble with. Apart from that they aren't actually that bad. However if you have a $400 budget... well, you can do *a lot* better than the AE2, unless you want it hanging around as an occasional-use phone like I do.