Headphone suggestions?
Discussion
Could I get some suggestions on a set of over-ear headphones that are suitable to use with a computer for music/video listening please?
I had some Beyerdynamic DT231's which are at work and they're comfy and sound great and must be 10 years old, I had a quick look on Amazon and got a bit confused with the various ohm ratings of some of the Beyerdynamics range.
I had some Beyerdynamic DT231's which are at work and they're comfy and sound great and must be 10 years old, I had a quick look on Amazon and got a bit confused with the various ohm ratings of some of the Beyerdynamics range.
What sort of budget are you thinking?
Say the Beyerdynamic DT 770s for example, you can get them in 32 ohm, which many headphones on the market are, and anything from a Smartphone to low-end onboard audio on a motherboard are able to drive. You might get away with up to about 50 ohms if the headphone is more sensitive, but it's hard to say. DT 770s also come in 80, and 250 ohm, which for PC use you may need to be running an external DAC/headphone amp to be able to drive, unless you have a decent soundcard or fairly high-end motherboard; on-board audio is generally very good these days despite some still repeating the old mantra. My MSI mobo onboard has direct power from the PSU, so can drive up to 600ohms.
I wouldn't take much notice of higher ohm choices if a model has them, unless you're looking at something that only comes in one, higher impedance. You can't go far wrong with impedance that most devices can drive as there are plenty of good cans to choose from. I have Audio-Technica MSR7s myself.
If you're looking under £50, AKG K72 or K92 could be worth a look, under £100 Audio-Technica M40.
Say the Beyerdynamic DT 770s for example, you can get them in 32 ohm, which many headphones on the market are, and anything from a Smartphone to low-end onboard audio on a motherboard are able to drive. You might get away with up to about 50 ohms if the headphone is more sensitive, but it's hard to say. DT 770s also come in 80, and 250 ohm, which for PC use you may need to be running an external DAC/headphone amp to be able to drive, unless you have a decent soundcard or fairly high-end motherboard; on-board audio is generally very good these days despite some still repeating the old mantra. My MSI mobo onboard has direct power from the PSU, so can drive up to 600ohms.
I wouldn't take much notice of higher ohm choices if a model has them, unless you're looking at something that only comes in one, higher impedance. You can't go far wrong with impedance that most devices can drive as there are plenty of good cans to choose from. I have Audio-Technica MSR7s myself.
If you're looking under £50, AKG K72 or K92 could be worth a look, under £100 Audio-Technica M40.
Edited by mizx on Sunday 18th June 20:34
Sorry, budget would have helped 
£100 or maybe a bit more if I felt I was getting something that would last as they could get a fair amount of use.
I mostly use a Macbook Pro, no idea where that sits in terms of what it can support/drive Ohm wise?
One perhaps daft thing is that I'm a little cautious of anything with plastic earmuffs as I can imagine them getting a bit uncomfortable after a while vs. fabric, or am I being daft?
DT770 was what I had my eye on at Amazon but the Ohm thing has confused me as some of the same model of headphone are cheaper or more expensive depending on the Ohm rating.
£100 or maybe a bit more if I felt I was getting something that would last as they could get a fair amount of use.I mostly use a Macbook Pro, no idea where that sits in terms of what it can support/drive Ohm wise?
One perhaps daft thing is that I'm a little cautious of anything with plastic earmuffs as I can imagine them getting a bit uncomfortable after a while vs. fabric, or am I being daft?
DT770 was what I had my eye on at Amazon but the Ohm thing has confused me as some of the same model of headphone are cheaper or more expensive depending on the Ohm rating.
Generally speaking, in laymans terms, lower ohm rating means they can go louder with less power. It's a little more complicated in reality, but in general terms, that is what it means.
The Beyerdynamic stuff is decent (I use DT990 Premiums as my main cans, but they are not easy to drive at all), but I have a pair of Yamaha HPH-MT220 which are stunning for closed headphones, provided you give them a good signal. A phone or tablet will easily drive them loud enough but getting the best quality is another matter. Depends what you will be using with it really. I've honestly no idea what the audio quality on a Macbook is like, but I'd like to think its (significantly) better than my iPad which is barely adequate in all honesty. They are slightly more than £100 but they are worth it.
The Beyerdynamic stuff is decent (I use DT990 Premiums as my main cans, but they are not easy to drive at all), but I have a pair of Yamaha HPH-MT220 which are stunning for closed headphones, provided you give them a good signal. A phone or tablet will easily drive them loud enough but getting the best quality is another matter. Depends what you will be using with it really. I've honestly no idea what the audio quality on a Macbook is like, but I'd like to think its (significantly) better than my iPad which is barely adequate in all honesty. They are slightly more than £100 but they are worth it.
I have the DT-770s, have had them for about 7 years now and they still sound great, a really full, balanced sound with good bass.
I have the 80 ohm version which work fine with both my mac book and smart phone but do sound best driven by a proper headphone amp.
I have the 80 ohm version which work fine with both my mac book and smart phone but do sound best driven by a proper headphone amp.
Edited by skahigh on Thursday 22 June 19:55
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: Thank you, certainly open to suggestions, just unfortunate that these things are seldom stocked locally and Youtube reviews of headphones are a bit.. well..
Yeah reviews aren't always helpful unless they can be very objective and free from emotive bias, which unfortunately is an affliction with any hifi product.I've owned a lot of headphones and the DT770 mentioned is what I'd call a headphone with a none neutral, V shaped frequency, that is to say the bass and treble are boosted in order to give thunderous bass and a sparkling top end, think of setting the bass and treble controls to their highest on your car stereo and you get the idea. This characteristic makes them very good for games, movies and certain music genres (ones which benefit from high amounts of bass).
On the other hand, the Yamaha I suggested are more neutral overall, so they favour no particular frequency and give a more balanced sound overall. They are ultimately better suited to music but can do justice to movies and games too. For music they will simply sound more detailed, faster, and clearer. Bass won't be as prominent but it will be "faster" and snappier.
Then there's the question of open versus closed. Open headphones are better, all things being equal, but if you need to drown out your environment they aren't the best choice, and likewise if you don't want other people in the room to be irritated by your music choice! The dt770 and Yamaha are both closed.
So basically, decide what you will listen to the most (music, movies or games?). If music, what type, and decide what kind of sound you like, you may like the V shaped response (plenty do) in which case the dt770 would do you fine in 80 ohm guise.
Bose Qc15, find a mint second hand pair.
The newer Qc25's have been criticised for one-note bass anyway, not sure if true or not but you'll not miss out by getting the older, cheaper 15.
You'll be surprised what a different switching off the background noise makes to the music, and the sound is very natural. Google for reviews, a lot of people like them.
The newer Qc25's have been criticised for one-note bass anyway, not sure if true or not but you'll not miss out by getting the older, cheaper 15.
You'll be surprised what a different switching off the background noise makes to the music, and the sound is very natural. Google for reviews, a lot of people like them.
http://grado.co.uk/headphones/prestige/sr80e
No experience of this model, but IME the Grado range is very good and these are around your budget and well regarded.
No experience of this model, but IME the Grado range is very good and these are around your budget and well regarded.
InductionRoar said:
http://grado.co.uk/headphones/prestige/sr80e
No experience of this model, but IME the Grado range is very good and these are around your budget and well regarded.
I've had two pairs of those. They give a clean, clear and lively sound with plenty of bite but are relatively light of bass and horribly uncomfortable, they also won't block out any external noise if that's important to the op.No experience of this model, but IME the Grado range is very good and these are around your budget and well regarded.
Thanks all, ended up ordering a set of Fostex headphones which are on Amazon @ £19.99
They're cheap but seem to get good reviews and I want to do a little homework on whether there's a greater benefit in a USB DAC + basic headphones vs. onboard audio and more expensive headphones.
For twenty quid if they sound OK it's sorted, if they don't they'll do for work.
They're cheap but seem to get good reviews and I want to do a little homework on whether there's a greater benefit in a USB DAC + basic headphones vs. onboard audio and more expensive headphones.
For twenty quid if they sound OK it's sorted, if they don't they'll do for work.
TameRacingDriver said:
I've had two pairs of those. They give a clean, clear and lively sound with plenty of bite but are relatively light of bass and horribly uncomfortable, they also won't block out any external noise if that's important to the op.
I think all Grados are horribly uncomfortable. That is part of their charm. 
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