Headphones: ATH-M50 the one and only?

[realex]

I want to buy some decent headphones, primarily for usage on mobile devices but it could also turn out to become my number one option for desktop sound, at least at times when i cant use the system for whatever reason.

I have neither owned any high quality headphones before nor do i have the chance to try any out in a local store, that's why i have to almost entirely rely on reviews and opinions. As far as i can tell the headphones mentioned above seem to be what everyone is referring to as the best option there is in the 150 euro pricerange.

Can anyone maybe point out any alternatives, downsides or anything of interest regarding them? Speaking of alternatives, the only real criteria that have to be met are pricerange (100-150 euro) and closed built.

Thanks for any help in advance,

Alex

[Okeg]

Hmm, since you're looking for something used with a mobile device then you must use some "weak" (as in not reliant on a amp).
I do thus think that the m50s are quite the good bet. If you aren't too keen on their sound signature, check out the mdr v6's or the products from superlux.

[magullo]

m50s are very good, no amp needed, but if you can manage to listen to a pair of hd25 by Sennheiser, you could better compare which sound signature you like most.
I went for the second one, being more 'neutral' and general purpose. But it's only a matter of taste.

PS my first post in this forum is about headphones... sorry

[Peter]

Beyerdynamic DT 770 and AKG K271 are also great phones in that price-range,
but they are also big phones and less efficient, important for use with EU volume-capped devices .

[Spharx]

I srsly don't get the amp BS nowadays. What does an amp ?? It amplfies and thats it !!
I have a AKG k240 with 55 Ohms and if some one wants to say me that it is not lought enough, even on my mobile, than I call the person deaf.

[Compgeke]

The amp does make a difference, it's the reason that dollar store special portable AM\FM thing sounds worse than the cheapest home theatre systems using the same headphones. Wattage though is bullshit for the most part, you can market an amp as 1000W, but in reality it's probably nowhere near that, it'll probably generate a lot of heat and long before you hit max volume you're probably blown out your speakers and had the cops called on you.

[dirge]

Open or closed design? If your at your desk you could go open, but if your on public transport then closed. That would bring your choices down a bit.

[realex]

Yeah I'm looking at closed built headphones primarily. Thanks for all the info I'll check the mentioned headphones.

[davkol]

I think M50s are way too overpriced, especially in Europe. My recommendation is either HD25, or DT 770 Pro.

Don't worry about getting HD25s used (non-SP version often goes for 100–120 EUR used), they're extremely durable, and every part is easy to replace. Great for bass-heavy music. If you have a big head, you may dislike huge clamping force.

DT 770 Pro is more universal and comfortable, very solid as well... not so portable though.

Neither requires amplification.

[nathanscribe]

Be aware the Beyers come in different impedance-rated models. For a small portable device like a phone or mp3 player, you want low impedance headphones so they drive optimally. From memory, Beyer offer 80 Ohm versions that should work better with those than the studio type 250 Ohm rated models.

Lower impedances of around 25 Ohm are available from other manufacturers such as Sony and Sennheiser.

[realex]

thanks again for the replies. what do you guys think of the 'Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro'? Cause there is a somewhat decent deal going on these days for these in germany (160 Euros) and it has an impedance of only 16 ohm.

[davkol]

Impedance isn't the only thing that matters. In fact, you need to know two numbers: impedance and sensitivity. And also characteristics of your source.

If you eventually get an amp, low-impedance heaphones may sound wrong with it (usually issues with bass); on the other hand, most higher-impedance headphones just aren't very loud when powered directly from a portable device. Also, mentioned cans are rather easy to drive (I use even 600Ohm HD25s with my phone).

[Peter]

Regarding impedance (and a LOT of other useful headphone-related Hi-Fi information, backed by solid science ) :
http://nwavguy.blogspot.dk/2011/02/head ... dance.html
(Now you also know what hi-fi camp I'm in - No, silver-cables don't sound 'colder' or 'thinner' than copper (or gold )
but they DO make your wallet thinner)

One of the nice things about Beyers is the fact that you can buy spare-parts, if ever needed, but I really can't recommend
that you buy headphones without trying them first .. Maybe they sound good to you, but have an awful fit, or vice-versa .

[nathanscribe]

+1 for trying them. Last time I bought a pair, I spent a while comparing about 6 or so and settled on some Beyer DT250 (not for music so much, so I don't recommend them here). I didn't like the HD25, partly for the sound, partly comfort; KRK are making them now, but I thought they were a bit forward. I've got used to the Beyer 'sound' - I had some 770s briefly, and though I liked them for general purpose listening, they were more flattering than I wanted for recording so I got rid.

It's as much about personal preference as tech specs. So yes, try as many as you can.

[Peter]

+1 for trying them. Last time I bought a pair, I spent a while comparing about 6 or so and settled on some Beyer DT250 (not for music so much, so I don't recommend them here). I didn't like the HD25, partly for the sound, partly comfort; KRK are making them now, but I thought they were a bit forward. I've got used to the Beyer 'sound' - I had some 770s briefly, and though I liked them for general purpose listening, they were more flattering than I wanted for recording so I got rid.

It's as much about personal preference as tech specs. So yes, try as many as you can.

In this price-range the objective tech-specs (and build-quality) should be OK no matter the brand/model,
ignoring certain over- priced and -hyped brands.
But still, headphones do sound different, Beyer DT 770 sounds nothing like DT 880 and
AKG 271 have their own sound-signature, so when it comes to head-phones/speakers
personal preference is close to everything !

" Are you a bass-head " ? Then AKG is probably not for you ..
" Sweet midrange fan " ? Sennheiser 650 delivers that ..
Und so weiter und so weiter ...

You will probably and up with more than one pair of phones, like the rest of us headphone-geeks

[realex]

thanks for the link peter, was a good and informative read. i am still not 100% settled on the choice but i think i will order the ath m50 in order to get an impression of how good they are comfort-wise as this seems to be an aspect some people disagree on (some say they are like clamping on their heads).

As i am not too experienced in terms of rating the sound quality i think i will rely on the good reviews for now and get them while the deal is still up and maybe start from there in order to have sth. to compare headphones i get hands/ears on in the future to.

[pexon]

Have you looked into the HD 25s? They are closed and ideal for portable/ mobile device use. I use HD239 with a DAC/ AMP combo for my portable rig and dont really have any issues with them being open backed.

I can highly recomend the DT770s, but I have no experience with them on mobile devices, I had the 250 Ohm version.

[RWhite_25]

DT 770 Pro is the best. Pretty damn close to your budget. You may read reviews about headphones to ensure your choice.

[realex]

thanks again for all the replies. i decided to go with the M50s since i got an outstanding deal on them (99 euros shipped) and even though i keep hearing new headphones need a lot of playing hours before they develop their entire potential i already love them. they will definitely not be my last quality headphones, i just hope this doesn't turn out to become such a "got to have it" thing like keyboard stuff.

[Peter]

i decided to go with the M50s since i got an outstanding deal on them (99 euros shipped) and even though i keep hearing new headphones need a lot of playing hours before they develop their entire potential i already love them.

THAT really IS an outstanding deal !!
No, headphones do not need 'burn-in', no matter what you read on 'Hi-Fi'-sites .
Neither do cables btw, the molecules in the copper will NOT magically all 'turn the same way'
after a few hundred hours of 'burn-in' !
Strangely, manufacturer-recommended 'burn-in' time is ALWAYS stated as longer than any legal 'complaint-time' !!

[Ascaii]

Your dismissive tone is quite bothersome peter.

Personally, I have experienced a definite change in sound with my HD 598s after two weeks of use. For me, burn-in is not a fantasy.

As for cables...I agree. There is no sense in that; though I have never even read that anywhere.

[ne0phyte]

I have the ATH-M50, DT770 Pro and DT990 Pro here for testing and from those three the M50 is the most uncomfortable.
Both the 770 and 990 are the 250 Ohms version.

I am testing them with a Fiio e10 DAC/headphone amp.
The DT770 Pro sound really depends on how I wear them. It varies from no bass to a pretty massive sound and I don't like closed headphones but wanted to try them as everyone seems to recommend them.

The DT990 Pro is open but has a lot more bass and a bit less mids. For the music I am listening to the bass is a pro. I kept switching between the 990 and 770 and the 990 just sounded better to me.

The ATH-M50 has even more bass but also unpleasant highs (sibilance) and the build quality doesn't seem on par with the Beyerdynamic ones. The plastic of the folding mechanism feels kinda flimsy. For me the real no-go was the fit. The clamping force was quite high and the band is pretty uncomfortable with close to no cushion and became painful to wear after around an hour.

I will keep the DT990 Pro because it is open and the bass is more concise than the DT770.

Oh and I am by no means an audiophile, this is my rough comparison coming from a Sennheiser PC 51 headset