Looking for £200+ headphones with plenty of bass

admin_exported

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Hello all!

I've done a lot of looking but I still can't find anything that matches my needs!

I'm looking for decent headphones for at least £200 (no upper limit really) that aren't lacking in bass. I'll be using them in public so it'd help if they didn't leak much sound.

I was looking at the Beyerdynamic T50Ps but decided they looked too skinny (a little fragile perhaps?). I would have bought the Beyerdynamic T1s if I wasn't worried that someone would mug me for them and I'd be £800 down.

If anyone more in the know could point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I'm also completely new to headphone amps, so if you think I'd benefit from one then please tell me.

Thanks!
 

caesar44

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Hi there,

Dont you think the t1's are bulky for portable use? have you considered buying Iems? they provide nice isolation and there are models with good bass.

Let us know.
 

edplaysdrums42

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The B&W P5's are worth an audition. Good sound, plenty of bass, (a bit too much for

me) very portable and well made too. Other than that some Monster Beats Pro

are reported to have plenty of bass (i've not heard these). These maybe ideal to

your requirements.

Regards Ed
 
A

Anonymous

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You need not be worried about the fragility of the t50p's. I've had mine half a year and no concerns with the build quality.

Sound quality is fantastic - a very detailed and fast sound. Bass is fine, but more importantly tight (I'm not a fan of overblown and woolly bass).

With regards headphone amps, the t50p is a low ohm model well suited to the portable music market i.e. you can use it with your smartphone / mp3 player (of course with high bit rate and/or lossless music?). If you go down the T1 route be aware these high ohm headphones need a good headphone amp. Your standard smartphone/mp3 player can't drive them (I'm guessing that's what your using for a music source based on your 'using in public' comment').

Only other points I'd make is that this headphone does need a bit of a burn in time. Initially vocals sounded 'recessed' but that went away after a while.

Also I did try the b&w P5's. I found the P5's sound a bit too 'polite' for my tastes.
 
A

Anonymous

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Monster Beats Pro are definately the way forward, if you don't mind the 'in-your-face' styling (especially in white). The bass is ear shattering and they'll only leak at seriously high volume (the kind of volume you wouldn't play them at anyway; if you value your eardrums). I've got the limited edition Detox ones and their AWESOME!
 

duaplex

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Well it certainly is one opinion :)

Monster Beats are ok, but in thier price range you can get better headphones like the Grado SR80i or AKG 701 or Audio Technica A900, or Beyerdynamics DT880.... The list can really go on. But to make a sweaping statement such as "its the way forward" may be a little inaccurate lets just say :)
 

bemaniac

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the bass on the p5s has no extension it's quick and short a sort of thuddy but not big enough for me. I listened to the beats £350 par and they were really similar for almost twice the price. I'd recommend steering clear of anything made for ipod or designed for apple as I've not had the best value for money out of those headphones. For bass I think if you do look at some higher end denon phones you will be happy.
 

datay

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Ultrasone HFI-780, a German make not well known in the UK (never reviewed by What Hifi), are superb if you're after extra bass that isn't overblown. RRP is about £180 but you can get them for less. Closed back and they isolate pretty well without any additional circuitry. The company only makes headphones.

With an iPod, adding a FIiO E5 amp helps, though it's not strictly necessary for volume (they're 35 Ohm)..
 

6th.replicant

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Klipsch Image X10.

Heaps of deep and focussed bass - in all the right places, too - and no leakage.

Have a pair m'self, hooked up to an iPod Classic loaded with ALAC files. Bliss :grin:

Review and info here:

http://www.whathifi.com/review/klipsch-image-x10i
 

Jason36

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I can recommend Sennheiser IE6 for in ears...excellent noise isolation, dont leak sound and have good bass.....the IE8 have a bass control on them I believe so may also be a possibility.

If in ears aren't your thing..then I can also recommend Denon AH-D2000....I have just bought a pair of these closed back headphones and the bass is very good on them..in fact they are a cracking pair of headphones. However two things against them is that if you are using them out and about, they are not the smallest of headphones and quite bulky, also the cable is very long on them.

I have used the IE6 and Denons with an iPad and they both sound excellent and have no problems being driven.
 

dalethorn

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Pubah said:
Hello all!

I've done a lot of looking but I still can't find anything that matches my needs!

I'm looking for decent headphones for at least £200 (no upper limit really) that aren't lacking in bass. I'll be using them in public so it'd help if they didn't leak much sound.

I was looking at the Beyerdynamic T50Ps but decided they looked too skinny (a little fragile perhaps?). I would have bought the Beyerdynamic T1s if I wasn't worried that someone would mug me for them and I'd be £800 down.

If anyone more in the know could point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I'm also completely new to headphone amps, so if you think I'd benefit from one then please tell me.

Thanks!

The V-Moda M-80 (or V-80) are decent, have excellent and powerful bass, have a rave review at Innerfidelity - I own them and like them very much - they don't leak much as "closed" headphones don't usually. My only caveat is I use some treble boost with the M-80, which makes them sound better than anything I've tried for portable/outdoor use.
 

quadpatch

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Agree with dalethorn about the V-Moda M-80 as far as reviews for your bass needs and they do indeed look well built and pretty as hell! The only thing is you asked for £200+ and they are only £140.

Since you said no real upper limit I must give you my impressions of the Denon AH-D7000. I got them for £540 from 'Andvanced MP3 Players' yesterday. They have really amazing and insane bass! They are also closed backed, although not as much as some, they are somewhere in between open and closed in my opinion. I haven't had em long but enough to get ecstatic about them and write a small review... ah what the hell I will paste it in here...

Before I bought the Denon AH-D7000 my previous (owned) headphones were: Sennheiser HD565 (£150), HD25-1 II (£140) & Grado SR80i (£120). None of those were really in the same league as the Denon so I was expecting a big improvement, boy did I get one!

Instantly the most noticeable aspects of the Denon's are their powerful bass and the lack of fatigue from highs & high volume. The latter was rather surreal (compared to the above). There is much more power to music with these phones across the board, it makes music so exciting that it encourages you to push volume higher which I know can be dangerous but damn it's a lot of fun! The detail and clarity while rattling your head to bits with bass is really something to behold! Listening to: 'Drake-Still Fly' by Butch Clancy... Wow! *huge smile*.

Also noteworthy for headphones in this range is their ability to be driven from almost any source (volume wise), although I know this can be subjective. I am running the D7000's from my Samsung Galaxy S as I write this and it's pretty good! OK it's at maximum volume but it is loud and although I do wish I could push it higher it's only because of the lovely sound and not because I should. I also tried them with an iPhone (4) and a Cowon S9. Both provide a bit more headroom in the volume. The latter is noteworthy for it's supreme SQ (sound quality), the best from any un-amp'd portable in my opinion, Sony's are close though.

I should mention that although you can power the Denon's from almost anything you probably shouldn't. My main setup has them connected to a Fiio E7+E9 combo DAC/Amp (through a PC) and although it is ok I do get the impression something a bit more refined could push them in a better direction. Maybe one day I will pair them with something like a Burson HA-160DS which matches the Denon AH-D7000's price and according to Head-Fi'ers compliments the sonics too. If I do manage this I will update this review with my findings.

The characteristics of these headphones suit a variety of music. My favourite genres are: Soundtracks, Metal, Industrial, Rock, Classical, Electronic, Pop, Jazz etc. The Denon's have given me a massive boost for almost everything! It makes bass heavy music hit with such impact it's difficult to go back to anything else! Anything orchestral gets so much more weight on the low end without too much colouration that it has made most of my collection feel much more dynamic and engaging. Jazz is great for the same reason. Perhaps vocals (mids) get the least attention at this price point but that's not a huge complaint. They sound a little resessed so that they can that fun 'V' shaped response from the lows and highs. Perhaps if you consider the sound characteristics (glass shattering highs) from Grados to be perfect you may not like these headphones for their slightly non-linear response. However I do not want to suggest that the D7000's are all about bass, far from it. For me the D7000's are about fun, powerful sounds with a great deal of detail and control. The bass is lovable but not overcooked, it has texture and depth that you will not hear on lower end fun phones.

I should probably point out that although the D7000s are closed they're not very well closed, if you are looking for high performance in the isolation department you will be disapointed here. When you are enjoying music (loud listening) people next to you will hear that you're listening to something, they may even hear what you're listening to if your surroundings are quiet. Compared to an open pair of headphones there is a big difference but there are much better closed phones out there too, just not with this level of performance (possibly the Ultrasone Edition 8's?). There is a clear comprimise being made here.

Comfort?... yes! They are really comfy, for long periods too. They do not feel heavy and they clamp my head just hard enough to ensure they don't fall off to easily. For me (and this will be subjective) they are perfect!

Build quality is lovely and the wood / Aluminium makes it look and feel the asking price! Not quite my style I must say but they're not horrible. The headband and cups are real leather (although some say they are not, perhaps because they look the same as the AH-D5000 which are pleather). The cups also rotate to help get the best fit and isolation, this is a nice touch and it does indeed help!

If you are considering the Denon's but are concerned that headphones of this price should not be so much about bass... Firstly I highly recommend trying them out (from a good source and amp if you can), if that convinces you something more neutral is for you I would I suggest checking out some of these:

' Audeze LCD-2
' BeyerDynamic Tesla T1
' Ultrasone Edition 8
' Sennheiser HD800
' Hifiman HE-6

Be warned: The price shoots up from here and from what I have read you'll want to be pairing these with a similarly priced DAC/Amp to get the most out of them. Most of these are not as forgiving as the Denon's for volume but also for source quality and also amp pairing.

You could say that I settled for the Denon AH-D7000s looking at that list but I am not regretting my decision one bit, I really love the sound characteristics that these phones offer. Although I reserve the right to be tempted by others in the future I see the improvements heavily encroaching on the laws of diminishing returns at that point.

I read a lot before getting these, if you want a lot more info on these and what they compare to I highly recommend checking out the Head-Fi forums.
 

chrissy657

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eggontoast said:
OP wants

Pubah said:
I'm looking for decent headphones

Response

tafaraphillip said:
Monster Beats Pro are definately the way forward

Was I the only one who chuckled when reading this lol
.

I bought a pair of the new beats studio at Christmas when they were on sale for I think £120 and although there a major improvement over the older model I ended up taking them back due to a slight hiss due to the noise cancelling. I also found them a little to artificial in the treble. Great for dance music and plenty off bass for hip hop.

I ended buying some beyerdynamic custom ones and they have blew me away. Adjustable bass that I can alter depending on what I'm listening to, although I keep them on setting 3 most of the time. The level of detail and separation on them is great. I don't have much experience with headphones so there are probably better out there but I'm happy with them. I will say though that there not exactly portable as they are quite big

Also the sennheiser momentum get good reviews too.
 

Gregsta

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I know this is a lilttle below your budget. I have a pair sennheiser urbanite I paid £150 and they just sound amazing. Defianly would give them a listern if you go into a store.
 

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