Which headphones?

[Imusicman]

Hi, can anyone offer me some advice. I want to invest in some new headphones. I have a budget of up to a max of approx £600. I listen to most of my music through my iphone 5 and all my music is apple lossless.

I am also interested in the possibility of upgrading my music device to being a dedicated music player such as the new Sony Walkman or Astell so I listen to higher quality music.

Will this be something I need to consider when choosing my new headphones.

Let me state now I am not an expert but just someone who would appreciate a quality listening experience.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

 

[dalethorn]

Hi, can anyone offer me some advice. I want to invest in some new headphones. I have a budget of up to a max of approx £600. I listen to most of my music through my iphone 5 and all my music is apple lossless. I am also interested in the possibility of upgrading my music device to being a dedicated music player such as the new Sony Walkman or Astell so I listen to higher quality music. Will this be something I need to consider when choosing my new headphones. Let me state now I am not an expert but just someone who would appreciate a quality listening experience. Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

The Astell 120 would be a good investment. Memory is the bugaboo of music players, since lossless consumes a lot of it - it's far worse with 96k than 44k CD-quality tracks. The Grado PS500 is a great headphone, but it's an open-back design. The Sennheiser HD600 and 650 are the most often recommended headphone. The B&O H6 is a great headphone, at least potentially. Planars are very popular today, but you need to research carefully.

 

[Imusicman]

Thanks for the reply. I do like the look/design of the B&O H6. I need to find somewhere near me that stocks it and will let you try before you buy.

 

[quadpatch]

I tried these at Selfridges and really enjoyed them, pretty light on bass compared to many these days, but realistically pretty close to neutral (will only offend bass heads), very detailed and good overall, especially for a closed headphone. Really not bad value for B&O and they are very small and light considering how comfy they are. The only reason I would say try them first is to make sure the tonality is what you like, I can't think much else about them will put anyone off. I'm not sure if any other stores have them availble to play with though, other than B&O's own stores of course.

If you fancy something a bit more weighty / lush sounding then the similarly priced B&W P7 is another favourite, this is where my listening tastes lean, but I really like them both and both sound pretty damn good straight out of an iPhone too

 

[Imusicman]

I think it will end up being a Toss up between the H6's and P7's. If I could listen to them side by side that would be perfect

 

[quadpatch]

The P7 is much easier to find in shops. I often see them in Apple stores. They did also have them in Selfridges so there you could try them side-by-side... well almost. Is it worth a try to London?

 

[Ryanr1987]

What are your music preferences?

If you are looking for a headphone that doesn everything decent and is efficent to the point it sounds as good as high end models then look into

Mad Dog 3.2 with fiio E11 - A bit too laid back but they do most things great, warn tone with a excellent midrange and decent Bass

Denon D600 with Fiio E5/E6 - Kind of warm and musical, Bassy with good quality Mids and a nice sparkly detailed treble with a big stage. Very effceient but becomes a monster in the Bass with an amp!

Beyerdynamic DT770 with Fiio E6/E5 or E11- Kind of a syrp sound to them, Musical and Bassy, decent midrange although can be a bit thin! Sparkly detailed treble and a Wide soundstage.

Just some thrown in there.

The B&O H6 that people have mentioned is a good headphone, I think it's a bit overpriced though for the sound but it's a classy product that sounds good. I put it in the same league as the DT770 and co but a bit different signature.

The B&W P7 is also a nice headphone again a bit overpriced to recommend for the sound you get but again it's a beautiful product so it depends how you look at it.

 

[Ryanr1987]

Double post

 

[Imusicman]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the B&W and the B&Q might be a tad overpriced. Maybe a bit more style than substance. I guess ultimately you could read reviews til your blue in the face and end up even more confused than when you started.

I think I will try to get in as many listening as possible before making my final decision.

once again thank you for your help/advice.

 

[bigboss]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the B&W and the B&Q might be a tad overpriced. Maybe a bit more style than substance.

You mean B&O, not B&Q!

I do not agree with the comment of "style over substance" when it comes to B&O. Yes, they are stylish, but are of high quality as well. Every component that goes in the manufacture are made by B&O themselves, so the quality is way above the competition. You should demo one first. Peter Tyson has an open box B&O H6 for sale at a lot cheaper price. Worth looking.

 

[dalethorn]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the B&W and the B&Q might be a tad overpriced. Maybe a bit more style than substance.

You mean B&O, not B&Q! I do not agree with the comment of "style over substance" when it comes to B&O. Yes, they are stylish, but are of high quality as well. Every component that goes in the manufacture are made by B&O themselves, so the quality is way above the competition. You should demo one first. Peter Tyson has an open box B&O H6 for sale at a lot cheaper price. Worth looking.

How true - the B&O H6 is good technically as well as sonically. Right now I'm trying to think of another headphone that's slim and relatively lightweight, looks really good, plays with full range audiophile quality (no rolloffs, suckouts, peakiness etc.), is very well constructed and durable, ..... ummm, just the H6. Now I can't say that the H6 beats the P7 on overall sound - both are very good - but the H6 ticks all the boxes I mentioned while the P7 gets close but not 100 percent. Comfort and portability are far better with the H6, while still sounding like a good home-stereo headphone.

 

[Ryanr1987]

Yeah just demo as many as possible to find the right sound for you. You will probably like the H6 but to me they sound quite ordinary. They are very inoffensive and smooth sounding that makes it's hard to dislike them at all. For me they where pretty "meh" but they are good headphones. It's very hard to recommend them at their current price though!

Buying headphones really is a pain in the arse, for me it took years of buying and selling and demos to find that sound I enjoy which is a Warm, Bassy, fun and lively sort of sound which lack in so many headphones these days I find! only a handful really get my juices flowing.

 

[dalethorn]

Yeah just demo as many as possible to find the right sound for you. You will probably like the H6 but to me they sound quite ordinary. They are very inoffensive and smooth sounding that makes it's hard to dislike them at all. For me they where pretty "meh" but they are good headphones. It's very hard to recommend them at their current price though! Buying headphones really is a pain in the arse, for me it took years of buying and selling and demos to find that sound I enjoy which is a Warm, Bassy, fun and lively sort of sound which lack in so many headphones these days I find! only a handful really get my juices flowing.

I have heard many good headphones, but when it comes to juices flowing, only one comes to mind: The FAD Pandora VI.

 

[quadpatch]

Yeah just demo as many as possible to find the right sound for you. You will probably like the H6 but to me they sound quite ordinary. They are very inoffensive and smooth sounding that makes it's hard to dislike them at all. For me they where pretty "meh" but they are good headphones. It's very hard to recommend them at their current price though!

Buying headphones really is a pain in the arse, for me it took years of buying and selling and demos to find that sound I enjoy which is a Warm, Bassy, fun and lively sort of sound which lack in so many headphones these days I find! only a handful really get my juices flowing.

My audio preference is very similar to yours, but I think the H6 deserves more credit and possibly the only reason you don't think it's worth the money is that it doesn't suit your prefered style. If people are looking more for clarity and balance then I think they will love it. As Dale says the H6 has a huge amount going for it! If you're looking for more warmth and bass however then do look elsewhere. That's why I usually mention the P7 at the same time. For me the most exciting sound has been the Hifiman HE-500, but that's a bit more expensive. I assume the HE-6 is better still, but I haven't listened to it for long enough to appreciate it properly.

 

[buzz_lightclick]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the B&W and the B&Q might be a tad overpriced. Maybe a bit more style than substance.

You mean B&O, not B&Q!

I do not agree with the comment of "style over substance" when it comes to B&O. Yes, they are stylish, but are of high quality as well. Every component that goes in the manufacture are made by B&O themselves, so the quality is way above the competition. You should demo one first. Peter Tyson has an open box B&O H6 for sale at a lot cheaper price. Worth looking.

They are much cheaper on Amazon.

 

[bigboss]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the B&W and the B&Q might be a tad overpriced. Maybe a bit more style than substance.

You mean B&O, not B&Q!

I do not agree with the comment of "style over substance" when it comes to B&O. Yes, they are stylish, but are of high quality as well. Every component that goes in the manufacture are made by B&O themselves, so the quality is way above the competition. You should demo one first. Peter Tyson has an open box B&O H6 for sale at a lot cheaper price. Worth looking.

They are much cheaper on Amazon.

Peter Tyson had one for £265 (cheaper than Amazon), but it's sold now.

 

[Ryanr1987]

It was partly because of that but also because of headphones like the Mad Dog that have similar strenghts to the H6 to my ears at a lower price. But with H6 you get a more polished headphone so that's also a factor.

I do think they are very good And also a safe bet due to not really having a weakness and doing everything well I just find them very expensive for what they provide personally but that's just me! They where priced at £329 at the time so they Mau have gone Down? Either way they should always be considered.

 

[buzz_lightclick]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that the B&W and the B&Q might be a tad overpriced. Maybe a bit more style than substance.

You mean B&O, not B&Q!

I do not agree with the comment of "style over substance" when it comes to B&O. Yes, they are stylish, but are of high quality as well. Every component that goes in the manufacture are made by B&O themselves, so the quality is way above the competition. You should demo one first.Peter Tyson has an open box B&O H6 for sale at a lot cheaper price. Worth looking.

They are much cheaper on Amazon.

Peter Tyson had one for £265 (cheaper than Amazon), but it's sold now.

Ok didn't see that one.

It was partly because of that but also because of headphones like the Mad Dog that have similar strenghts to the H6 to my ears at a lower price. But with H6 you get a more polished headphone so that's also a factor.

I do think they are very good And also a safe bet due to not really having a weakness and doing everything well I just find them very expensive for what they provide personally but that's just me! They where priced at £329 at the time so they Mau have gone Down? Either way they should always be considered.

£281.67 from Amazon today, or £274 from a third party seller via Amazon. An open box pair at Peter Tyson is currently £295 or a brand new pair for £296.10.

I am considering these headphones myself, a bit torn between the H6 and the B&W P7. I do like bassy dance music so that leans me towards the P7 though I like the idea of the H6 as more of a change from my current P5s.

 

[Ryanr1987]

Since you like Bass try the M100 and D600. I favor those to the P7. I received my M100 a few days ago and right out the box I find them awesome. The D600 are similar with a larger soundstage and a touch brighter with better comfort. Both do Bass great but both also do mids and highs great although a bit less forward mids.

The P7 are ok. I spent a while with the P7, UE9000 and Momentum and Beats Studio 2013. All where good I ranked them

UE9000

Momentum

Studio

P7

In terms of lively, fun sound.

All sounded good! So all that said for Bassy fun with good quality and not taking into account price check out

UE6000/9000

Studio 2013

P7

D600

M100

Out of them and all the 100s I've own I love the D600 and M100! They just sound do good. Lively, warm with heavy Bass that do Mids and highs brilliant! I own one of the first pairs of M100 and for some reason it sounded like crap! They where exactly how Edd Noble described it in his brilliant review. After buying another pair they sound totally different and how I expected them.

Sorry for the ramble haha I just love talking about headphones I'll shut up now

 

[Al ears]

If you are after a pair of closed-back design so as not to annoy anyone around you I would suggest you can do a lot worse than the P7's. Had a pair for Xmas and used with my Colorfly C4 they are the best I've heard so far for the money (design and portability are just a matter of taste).

If you are looking at upgrading to the A&K120 I would look at the Fiio X5 first and see it fits the bill. Save yourself a fortune and then the P7's become a reasonable price.

 

[Imusicman]

The X5 Definately looks promising. I've just got back from testing H6's at B&O Sheffield then went across the city to Apple at Meadowhall to test the P7's. They both sounded good but if I'm being honest I wasn't blown away. I was hoping I would be for +£300. Again it may be me as I've said before I am Definately no expert or sound aficionado but my wife's P3's which I had taken along with me as a bench mark more than held their own. I didn't expect that to happen. In my mind if the H6's or P7's blew me away today I'd be listening to them right now as a new proud owner.

I am now also considering the Focal Spirit Classic and the Nad Viso HP50's. Anyone got these or tried them? I would love to hear back.

 

[dalethorn]

I am now also considering the Focal Spirit Classic and the Nad Viso HP50's. Anyone got these or tried them? I would love to hear back.

I haven't heard the classic, but I'm about to post a rave review of the Focal Spirit Pro. It sounds so right, but a quick evaluation in a store won't be enough to get an appreciation for its magic. It's subtle.

 

[Al ears]

I am now also considering the Focal Spirit Classic and the Nad Viso HP50's. Anyone got these or tried them? I would love to hear back.

I haven't heard the classic, but I'm about to post a rave review of the Focal Spirit Pro. It sounds so right, but a quick evaluation in a store won't be enough to get an appreciation for its magic. It's subtle.

Most changes are subtle. What you need to look for are headphones you can live with day in / day out, that are reliable and suit your needs both with portable kit and at home.

If the OP was not too keen on the P7's might I point him towards the Sennheiser Momentums.

 

[rich51080]

I would go for these beauties.

http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/hifiman-he400-open-back-portable-orthodynamic-headphones-prodid-4284.html

HIfiman makes quality sounding headphones.