Kennykilla

Thanks for the input. Seems like the HD600 is a good all around headphone and I doubt I can really go wrong with it. From what I've read, it has a little less bass than the HD650s and overall excels in classical music. Not really something that would suit my taste much, but it should be able to fit in easily. Also thanks for the pointer, I was skeptical about cable changes, and I think that the general consensus is that it polishes up the sound of a headphone, and if anything, it should come at the very end of the chain of things to upgrade. I don't think I would ever do it, but that's just me. Yup, the Essence ST gives me the impression it can do a whole lot more after easily driving the MDR-7506s. Not that they're particularly hard to drive, but there's plenty of overhead if more amping is needed. It's good news to hear that it wasn't a complete waste buying the sound card, knowing that it can hold its own. I was under the impression that the Shure's were a bit bright, which is what I'm definitely trying to avoid after listening to my MDR-7506s for so long. I didn't know if this was true or not, so thanks for clearing it up. I was actually considering those 3 headphones, but I wasn't sure about how the M50s would stack up to the others. I am willing to pay a bit extra if the D2000s or HD650s are overall better headphones, even though price does not necessarily convert into quality. I had heard some poor opinions on the D2000s, and I guess I just ignored it after that, even though they do seem to be able to suit my needs pretty well. Well I'm not so sure that STAX really is for me, but I don't really know too much about their headphones. The HD650s, however, do seem to be a better choice than the HD600s according to what I'm looking for, but I never know. It's also really hard to find a decent price on the HD650s anywhere on ebay, or by using Google's shopping search engine, I can't seem to find any that are under $350 before shipping or taxes, and ship to Canada. Would bstock or refurbished be a viable choice? Do they impact the sound too much? I've heard some refurbished V6s that were bought at a Sony Store, and they do sound quite a bit different than my MDR-7506s, which should have the same driver. They sound muddier, and worse. I'm completely sure of it, it isn't just a placebo. Heh, I'm not a big hockey guy, but those would be some magical headphones. The Denon D2000s really did appeal to me after reading up. Nice bass, and a smooth mid/treble, from what I've read. I've heard they are fun to listen to, which is definitely a plus, but that depends on a person's opinion on what's fun to listen to. I've also read MarkL's writeup on his mod of the D5000s, and while I'm not really one to change things from stock, it seems to be really popular. I have read though, that on the stock D2000s that the quality of the bass isn't so good. Is this true? Well the Xonar Essence ST was by far the best sound card I had available for headphones, and especially for music when I bought it. It should have enough power to drive most headphones, unless there's something else you're getting at? I do have a Fischer X202B tube amp, and although it's in a bit of rough shape, it seems to be working fine. I don't know how well it would work as a headphone amp, but it sounds nice with my current headphones.

It's nice to see a little decency here. Thanks for the advice, both of you. If you must know, I was referring to the small list I made regarding what I would look for in an upgrade, but that's besides the point, it doesn't matter anymore. I guess back to the reviews and comparisons it is, as in Canada, it's a bit harder to get as good a price and a return policy as it is in the U.S.

Just one question, morphsci, if you don't mind. I've read a lot over here, mainly posts from boomana, that the D2000s are terrible headphones, overpriced, and are a FotM at Head-Fi which is why it is a favoured headphone over there. This quickly made me rethink my decision whether I would consider these or not. However, if kept stock, do you think the Denon D2000s possibly what I'm looking for? Sorry if double posting isn't allowed; I couldn't find a set list of rules.

Alright, sorry about that.

Lol? I'm no troll. Yes, I know I'm probably just another person asking for a headphone suggestion. I'm probably the 5th or so on the front page alone. I know I don't have any prior posts, but I do have an extent of knowledge of headphones. I was just hoping that a community with much more experience with headphones in this price range could easily help make a recommendation. Anyways, was I too specific with what I asked, was there something wrong? Which thread?

Hey guys. After spending too many hours searching for answers at Head-Fi and getting nowhere, I found HeadCase. Seems like the people here generally have more knowledge about headphones than Head-Fi, but thats just how it looks to me. On to the point, I hope you guys can come up with a better headphone or selection of headphones than what I've currently come up with. First off, about 3 or 4 years ago, I took my first real step into higher quality headphones by buying a Sony MDR-7506. Up to this point, they were great, easily driven, fairly clear sound quality, and they were miles ahead of what I've used in the past, and I preferred them to the Shure E3 IEMs that I would occasionally listen to. Now as I start to notice the things that bother me, such as the earpads seams tearing, the headphones getting a bit hot, and the sound quality that I find a bit unsatisfying, nothing bothers me more than the response. The mids seem to overpower the bass, and the trebles are a bit harsh and together with the mids, just completely wash out the bass. It makes it hard to hear the bass line at all in a song, you really have to search for it. It gets pretty tiring after a while, and sometimes I can barely go 30 minutes without the treble just hurting my ears. They do everything ok, but no better. The depth of the instruments is pretty good, the clarity, and detail aren't bad either, but I'm just looking for more. Bass impact isn't completely absent, but isn't noticeable until you get the right song at a high enough volume, and is lacking. The bass does feel fairly tight, and the tightness is definitely is a redeeming factor. Rather than giving a review of my headphones, I should just say what I'm looking for in an upgrade from these MDR-7506s. Moderate amount of bass impact, along with a tight, detailed bass Treble not to be harsh, harshness is discomforting and sounds bad Treble/mids to not overpower the bass, maybe even for it to be slightly on the darker side. Better detail/less muddiness, basically so that you can hear each part of the music easily and it doesn't sound all smeared together. Pretty much a headphone with these characteristics, and that will sound like a clear upgrade from the 7506s. I don't want to "upgrade" to a similar quality headphone with a different sound signature. The source (at best) would be FLACs or 320 kbps MP3s running through foobar2000's ASIO output, to an Asus Xonar Essence ST headphone amp, then the headphones. I've also got a bunch of speaker amps and receivers, but the Essence ST sounds the best overall. The music preference is mostly rock, but some trance, house, and hip-hop. The absolute budget max is $350, I don't want to spend too much on these. From what I've gathered, the Shure SRH840s, AKG K701/K702, and HD600s seem to be the best in that price range. I know they're not all in the same category, but just what I've been able to come up with. This is by no means a decision between these three, just some ideas. Feedback on these as well as other suggestions are completely welcome. I hope you guys can help. Thanks, a lot.