New headphone to replace my akg k430

[Ch3m]

Hi guys,
Second post and first question.
I would like to replace my akg k430 with something better.
I was mainly looking to sealed HP since most of the listening will be outside but what matters more is quality so I am open to everything.
Price wise I will prefer to stay around 300$.
No go are headphones that require amplification since I will use a portable device (phone or player able to read flac).

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dalethorn]

Hi guys, Second post and first question. I would like to replace my akg k430 with something better. I was mainly looking to sealed HP since most of the listening will be outside but what matters more is quality so I am open to everything. Price wise I will prefer to stay around 300$. No go are headphones that require amplification since I will use a portable device (phone or player able to read flac).

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Sennheiser Momentum is a great headphone. Very well made, very comfy, looks good, very nice warm sound, not harsh.

 

[Ch3m]

I was looking for something more pro. I listen the momentum but I found them a bit unreal.
What about the akg q701?

 

[dalethorn]

I was looking for something more pro. I listen the momentum but I found them a bit unreal. What about the akg q701?

I had the K712, but the 701 is still a good example. The 700 series generally tends to have a smooth and accurate treble, while the Momentum treble is a little soft on the high end. The 700 AKG's tend to have a fairly accurate bass that's slightly shy by my evaluation, while the Momentum bass is emphasized in the upper bass slightly. I do believe that while the AKG's would give longer-term satisfaction for serious home listening, or listening elsewhere undistracted, the Momentum is nearly always better for portable listening.

 

[dalethorn]

I should add that my current preference for outside of the house listening is the $600 USD Beyer DT1770 Pro, because the response is more accurate than other headphones I've had at or below that price. Other than open-back headphones like some of the AKG's, I can't think of a reference sound around $300, except some that come fairly close, like the Yamaha MT220, the somewhat bright Shure SRH-940, or possibly the Senn HD380 Pro.

 

[Ch3m]

Thanks for your help Dalethorn. After 2 days of research and a listening test in a local hi-fi shop I rearrange my thinking. Open back and on the go doesn't match very well for me. So I was thinking to get 2 set of cans one open (in a future) and one close (now).
I tried out the akg k550. It relatively cheap 110£ and it sounds good, reading the review here I convinced myself that it would be a great choice. What do you think?

 

[rich51080]

Go for the AKG K550's.

You can buy them for under £100 and that is a bargain.

They compete with headphones costing £500 or more and they are really great sounding.

I have quite a few headphones some costing over £1000 and they K550's never fail to put a smile on my face whilst listening.

They are really comfortable too and do not leak too much sound. Bass is tight yet rhythmical and the treble is detailed yet non fatiguing.

The downside is they make poor recordings sound awful. then again with a reference pair of phones thats what you would expect.

 

[dalethorn]

Go for the AKG K550's.

You can buy them for under £100 and that is a bargain.

They compete with headphones costing £500 or more and they are really great sounding.

I have quite a few headphones some costing over £1000 and they K550's never fail to put a smile on my face whilst listening.

They are really comfortable too and do not leak too much sound. Bass is tight yet rhythmical and the treble is detailed yet non fatiguing.

The downside is they make poor recordings sound awful. then again with a reference pair of phones thats what you would expect.

I second this. I got the K553 from Massdrop, a real bargain, and I hear it's pretty much the same as the K550. I'd like to add that the 553 I had wasn't just "good for the price" - it was an audiophile headphone with near-neutral sound.

 

[Ch3m]

I will get them tomorrow then!

Should i get also a DAC to enjoy them at the maximum? I am currently using the sound board of the laptop.

 

[rich51080]

It all depends on your source.

I use an amplifier plugged into my naim pre amp. Sounds amazing. I use musical fidelity as they are highly regarded within the headphone world.

 

[Ch3m]

Got the AKG K550 MarkII this morning and since I was there I got also a bargain on a DAC. 129£ for a Teac UD-H01. At the moment it sounds good, hope after the burn-in they will be even better!