Best over the ear headphones under $1000?

I currently use and absolutely love the Audio Technica ATH-M50 over the ear headphones. They are the highest overall rated headphones on Amazon, and I see many artists recording using these headphones. So, it got me to wondering what other great over the ears are out there under $1000. Thoughts?

Cheers!

 

I'd look / listen hard to the Alpha Prime...
I loved the sound of the Alpha Dog too.

 

There is an amazing market right now for over the ears headphones. Sennheiser produces the HD 600 and HD 650... Beyerdyanamic the DT-880... There's the NAD Viso HP50 if you want closed back... They're all great and they're under 500$!

 

So many choices ha! Thanks for the information, all. Appreciate it. I don't know about you guys, but I enjoy my music much more with over the ear headphones that isolate me from my environment (not necessarily noise cancelling, but I can't hear anything around me with music going through my AT headphones).

 

Hope more suggestions come in. I just read this:
http://www.whathifi.com/products/headphones
It would be nice to upgrade my Grado SR125, a pretty cheap set.

 

Dre Beats. Best there are. Just kidding. Those things are overrated rip offs.

I'll definitely recommend the Audio Technicas that I use. They're only a little over $100 and perform very well :http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technic...308&sr=8-2&keywords=audio+technica+headphones

 

A lot of what would make one headphone better than another depends on how you're going to use it, where you're going to use it, and what sort of amplification you're going to use. A lot of variables.

Seeing as how you're looking for closed headphones, here's some options:

Audeze EL-8 Closed Back ($699): https://www.audeze.com/products/el-8-collection/el-8-closed-back
Hasn't been released yet. Have to wait. Not really a portable headphone. Should be efficient enough to be used with a portable that has a good amp.

Oppo PM-3 ($399): https://www.oppodigital.com/headphones-pm-3/
Hasn't been released yet. Due to be released within a month. I'm considering these as a portable friendly headphone.

And there's a variety of closed headphones derived from (modded from) the Fostex T50RP. The T50RP is a planar orthodynamic headphone. These headphones are going to require a good amp to get them to do their thing and play the way they are designed to. Wimpy amps aren't going to do them justice.
Mr. Speakers: https://mrspeakers.com/
ZMF: http://www.zmfheadphones.com/
Enigma: http://enigmaticaudio.com/

The above headphones are all planar orthodynamic headphones. I like orthos.
There are of course some standard dynamic style closed headphones that might be worthy. But given my love of orthos I don't pay as much attention to those headphone offerings.

 

I heard the Fostex and the Audeze El8 at Bristol at the weekend. Much preferred the Fostex - but amps were different.

The better Audio Technica phones feel like they're falling off your head. The nicest ones were the ath-msr7, not expensive.

 

Thank you for taking the time to provide so much information! Appreciate it.

I didn't even know of that model. Thanks! I'll definitely look into it. I just need to find a way to test some of these out before investing in such expensive headphones...

 

I've got the Senn HD700's, B&W P5's, and Shure 840's. All very different and I like them all at different times. Total for all of them was just less than a grand. so many great cans out there, but if I was shopping, I would certainly budget for a headphone amp as well. Without a good amp you'll miss out on the true capability of the great cans out there.

 

Thanks! You're speaking of a headphone amp in addition to the amplifier/preamp that I'm already listening through? Or, do you mean a headphone amp for when I plug them into the computer, for example?

 

Depends on the amp/preamp you have. Most of them include a headphone amp as an afterthought, usually just an op amp. Others are excellent, and some tube preamps feed a true Class A output.
My little Peachtree had a great headphone output, yet my much better Rogue's was not nearly as good. I also find that with most onboard amps there is simply not enough volume for my listening habits.

 

Which Fostex headphone(s) did you hear? The Fostex TH600 and TH900 are neat. Both are on the "fun" side of the listening spectrum. I was going to mention the TH600 but couldn't bring myself to mentioning a standard dynamic amongst all the orthos. Someone going from a ATH-M50 would probably find the TH600 or TH900 more appealing than some of the others I mentioned. TH600 is around $600 street price. TH900 is around $1300 street price. For a while I was using a Denon D2000 which was a essentially a Fostex headphone with a Denon logo on it. The TH600 and TH900 are an evolution from the Denon D2000/D5000/D7000 design.

The older Audio Technica headphones that had the wing style headband were an strange and very loose fit. Move your head and the headphones want to fall off. It was a design that works better on paper than in actual practice.

The NAD VISO HP50 and the Focal Spirit Pro are also worthy mentions for closed headphones. Each different in flavor. Both are in the under $400 category.

My favorite under $1000 headphone is still the Audeze LCD-2.

 

I love my Sennheiser HD 25-1 II isolation phones... best headphone purchase I ever made... around 200 bucks.

 

I honestly don't know how the ATs compare to other ones, but I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of mine. I'm tempted to change to this one with the removable cord.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technic...r-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

 

I got a nice set of AKG 450's to start with, but have moved up to a pair of Audio Technica ATH-MSR7's off Fleabay for £85. Ace.

 

If the op is seriously into the heavier side of rock then a pair of Grado RS1s should be on an audition list. Still one of the best rock headphones and easy to drive from virtually any device although an inexpensive tube amp will allow some fun fine tuning via tube rolling. The Grados aren't to every ones taste and some people find them a bit shrill but IME that has a lot to do with source , music and delivery system. Rubbish in, rubbish out. I've owned my RS1s since 2002 and while they're not used a lot now they still have moments when nothing else will do.
Coming from another direction to the Grado is the Phillips Fidelio X2. I have the earlier X1 version, very well made and darker sounding than the RS1. The X2 has apparently addressed the complaints some people had and they're cheap enough to allow plenty of money left over to invest in a fair headphone amp as well.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/boss-philips-fidelio-x2

 

I think all conversations about headphones should begin with closed vs. open. If you need closed, the market shrinks quite a bit, and other then differences in "house sound" they feel more similar then different to me (at least in the price points I've heard).

A couple months ago I got some Senn HD600s and a Schiit Modi 2 Uber/Vali combo, I'm enjoying it a lot. The HD600s are basically weightless, I could wear them all day and then sleep in them. I'd love to try Audeze but the weight seems like an issue.

 

You do get used to the weight and after a couple of weeks it became a non issue for me. The Oppo PM-1 are lighter and more comfortable though.

 

Assuming you're heard both, how would you compare the sound of the PM-1's with say the LCD-2's? I have no experience with either but you can just look at pictures and tell the Oppos will be more comfortable.

 

I own both although my LCD-2 are an early pair so there are differences between them and current models.
The Audeze have more emphasis at the bottom end than the Oppo. The PM-1 with the updated pads have a more balanced sound right across the range and definitely more sparkle in the treble.
I dont feel that I miss any detail with the LCD-2, just that it's presented in a different way.
It's been some time since I've listened to them though and would have to go back and do a comparison through the same amp. At this time I'm using mainly the LCD-3 in my music room and the Oppo in a bedroom system so its a bit apples and oranges.
I do like the LCD-2 for rock music and find them the most crankable pair of headphones I have. That solid bass and rolled treble means they seem to handle a bit more volume without causing me any distress. Shame they're a bit heavy for any head banging.

 

I really like my new PSB M4U cans. They sound great, have inbuilt amplification, noise cancelling and passive mode. Great build quality and packaging too. I think they run about $300-400 US.

 

Good description, thanks for this. I think I'd definitely like to try both, but so much of the gear I own or have owned has rolled off treble, and while this definitely has a place I'm thinking I'd like a little more sparkle as you say in my headphones.

Would you describe one as warmer then the other? I admit I'm a sucker for such things.

 

I think very highly of the AT-M50s (especially for the price) and recommend you aim high to avoid feeling like you've side-graded instead of upgraded. Do you want to replace your ATs or supplement them with a different sound?

Staying strictly with closed cans, the Fostex TH600s would be a fun alternative that wouldn't necessarily require amping. I eagerly await the EL-8s to see what a "budget" Audez'e offering sounds like.

 

I am looking for an eventual upgrade. My ATH-M50s have served me very well, but I know that I'll eventually need to upgrade. Thanks for the recommendations. I see a lot of people raiving about the Audeze cans. I see that you can get open or closed back EL-8s. What's the difference between the two?

Cheers!