The DT1990’s have a slightly elevated high-end, which gives music a bit of ‘sparkle’ and energy. Although others might find them overly ‘bright’.
Having owned literally dozens of cans over the last few years, I can testify that their sound signature is a bit like Marmite, and very much open to personal preference.
But for me, at least, the DT1990’s ‘nail it’, at a reasonable price.
They are in the Pro series for listening in the studio I think hence the elevated top end. I like the sound of beyers they just don’t fit my monster head 
Be careful with the Drop (previously Massdrop) stuff. If you buy directly, you’ll be subject to customs and import duties
1 Like
Sony WH-1000MX3.
Takes care of your future Bluetooth needs with both AAC and LDAC compatibility, and when wired with a balanced cable into a HiBy R6 Pro, they give a very pleasing listening experience.
The sound signature is warmer than many of the models listed above, but for those of us sensitive to an overly bright top end, it fits nicely.
Very comfortable to wear with extremely good battery life. And when the battery dies, they are still usable in wired mode.
John Darko has said they are fantastic in previous videos. I get the impression my money would be better spent on “home use” headphones instead.
I originally looked at B&W PX (I believe they are called) but ruled them out for similar reasons.
I use the older MDR-1000X for mobile use on the train, BT AAC from my iPhone.
They’re outstanding mobile headphones, and the noise-cancelling is literally magic. With great sound to boot.
But I personally prefer wired headphones for home use.
I turn off the noise canceling and ambient sound when I listen to the 1000MX3s in wired mode, but I do have the power on. I think that’s the way to get the best performance from the drivers and least coloration of the sound by the DSP.
https://www.thecableco.com/the-cable-company-headphone-lending-library
I’m not sure if they ship to Europe, but they are a great resource in the States.
You just missed
https://canjamglobal.com/shows/london2019/
But there is always next year.
Enjoy and I’m sorry for your wallet.
Massdrop has the Sony wireless headphones plus the 6xx (Senn HD 650) for $400 on a combo deal. Will probably be sold out soon.
1 Like
From someone without experience the headphone market is crowded and frustrating.
1 Like
That is my experience too, have the same budget as you and there is so much in that area you can buy. After reading a lot of reviews I have made a shortlist and there are two I want to audition: Hifiman Sundara and the Beyerdynamic DT1990.
1 Like
And expensive. The high end has gotten out of control. Time was when £350 got you the top of the range sennheiser hd650. Now the 820 is £2000, never mind the £50,000 Orpheus.
1 Like
Yes. You need to take your time with Head-Fi. Experience counts in this hobby. You have to learn what you like, in addition to what’s out there.
The most important lesson is this: don’t read too much into reviews or listener impressions. I know I said this before, but 'phones are a very subjective experience. As you spend more time with them, your tastes will become more refined and will likely change. Be prepared to own more than one set of cans.
I started out with a pair of Grado RS2 and I only use them today with intimate acoustic music (for which they crush everything else I own). But for most music, the Grado signature is bright and grating.
For female vocals, nothing beats the HD-650 with an OTL tube amp. For EDM, I love the bass and colored signature of the higher-end Sony cans. For metal, Mr Speakers ETHER Open into a balanced, clean solid-state amp. For classic rock, I love the zero distortion sound and the accentuated upper-bass/lower-mids of the AudioQuest Nighthawks - again, with a clean solid state amp (but the signature on these cans will drive you crazy with some music, like classical piano). HD-800 is great with large-scale classical music (fantastic soundstage and astonishingly clear detail), but lacks warmth and, well, soul for some other genres of music (IMO).
You get the idea… I will re-iterate my earlier recommendation in your price range: HD-660S.
3 Likes
headphones.com has a very helpful site. Head-fi is a great place to research too. I have a headamp GSX-mini being assembled. Patience is a virtue with headamp gear, but will be worth the wait.
Like @Krutsch said different headphones for different applications. For example, I like my original version HD 800 headphones with tubed gear, and prefer the HD 800S with solid state. Each listener will have their own preferences. I also find comfort/fit to be key. If they’re not comfortable, get rid of them since you wont use them. If it’s warm, I use a smaller headphone, since the larger pads make your ears hot…
Not sure about the European market, but the US market has discounts that are plentiful. I’ve bought several sets of premium headphones at a good discount. You can find Audeze LCD series at deep discounts. I paid $999 for my LCD-X (B-Stock) and couldn’t see anything wrong them.
I’m a speaker guy as well (JBL ti250 Jubilee), but the first decent set of headphones I acquired 6 month ago was the QUAD ERA-1. To me they almost sound like speakers and I prefer the leather pads over the other set as they give quite a good comfort and just a little better sound IMHO. I’m using them together with an ifi nano iDSD (PCM/DSD DAC + headphone amp) at my computer desk and that combo give me sweet detailed music in all frequency ranges.
Cheers
@Paul_Whittaker Not sure what your price range is but the Oppo PM1 or PM2 would be an ideal starting point. I bought the PM1 a few years ago thinking I’d likely upgrade in the future. I didn’t. Even went so far as to get the Oppo HA1 headphone amp. Great combo.
Having said that I’ve used the PM1s with a range of sources and they never disappoint.
1 Like
If you know someone coming over from the Sates I’d suggest Sennheiser HD-6xx from Drop (massdrop) usually available from them over here. A bit firm clamp on the head, but otherwise comfortable. I like even better Audio-Technica ATH-M70x (pro audio) open back. Super flat an extremely comfortable. I don’t care for the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x suggested earlier. Very colored in the upper bass. (I’m a mixing engineer, so neutrality is most important to me.)
I have PM-2 and they are good but no longer in production and new pads for a 2nd hand set might be hard to find too. Mine are starting to deteriorate with flaking of the padding on the head band and original pads - I do have a new set of pads tho So that’s going top keep them in service at least a bit longer…but my daily driver now is the linsoul.com phantoms…cheaper and better IMHO.