ATHM50 Definitive Upgrade?

[Salt_Lamp]

Headphone Budget - Ideally something around $400 or less, max $600.

AMP Budget - TBD

Source - I primarily use a DAC that I have connected to my PC & a Denon AVR-1713 for other stuff.

Requirements for Isolation - I honestly don't know. I'd prefer as much sound isolation as possible, but I'm willing to sacrifice if it means getting something that sounds better

Past headphones - I've had the M50s for the last five years, or so. My previous headphones before that were just cheap crap I'd buy for $20-$50 from department stores like Best Buy. As a result, the M50s were my first pair of "real" headphones.

Gaming - I'd prefer some headphones that synergize well with gaming and give a nice sense of positional accuracy & "space", if possible. I game a lot and it's the number one thing I use headphones for, besides listening to music.

So I'm having a bit of issues with my M50s at the moment. The sound in the right speaker has been cutting out for me recently. I'd imagine it must be a loose wire in there, or something? Fortunately, I managed to "fix it" by moving the cup around a bit via the nearby hinge. Since then it's mostly been fine. The speaker stills conks out pretty frequently. If it's anything serious, like busted wires, or whatever, I'm completely screwed. There's not a chance in hell, that I could disassemble this thing and start soldering wires back together. I guess I could send it in somewhere to get repaired if need be, but I don't know where exactly that would be. Ultimately, I've had it in mind to get a better pair of headphones for a while anyway, so, with this recent crap happening, I suppose I might as well.

Having said all that, I'd like to make it clear that I'm not an audiophile in any way, shape or form whatsoever. As a result, I'm not sure what I can offer in terms of my "taste". Like I said before, the M50s were my first "real" headphones, so I have no frame of reference for anything else. Truthfully, I sorta just want a definitive, obvious upgrade from the M50s. In a lot of ways, I kinda wish headphones were like video cards, in the sense that a GTX 980 is obviously superior to a GTX 970, and so on. With headphones it seems to be more a matter of preference, which puts me at a pretty massive disadvantage given my lack of knowledge/experience. In the end, I don't have a clue which one would work best for me.

Be that as it may, I've got my eyes on either the DT880s, the AKG K 702s, or even the HD650s. They all seem like a nice step up, but, then again, I'm a complete bloody layman, so what the hell do I know? I'll also probably need an amp to drive whatever it is I end up getting, but I really have no idea what to look for in regards to that side of things. I just want something that sounds better than my M50s and is, ideally, more comfortable as well. I know it's all subjective what the "best" headphones are for each individual person, but I still need something definitive-ish, if possible.

 

[aajoe]

Welcome to the money sink that is professional audio!

So here's the low down on your various ideas, all of which are great headphones in their own right.

The DT880 is the less extreme version of the DT990 in terms of sound, but still going to be very "bright" sounding - Very sharp V signature with lots of treble. Crisp, clear, and something you'll either love or hate the sound of... and plenty of folks prefer the even stronger DT990 (in fact it is more popular as far as I know).

The 702 will be a warmer sound, probably better for long term use from the sound side (though I don't know about comfort, not much beats the DT line).

650s are ... well... twice the price They do sound great with a nice wide sound stage and awesome mids, which not only make them suitable for games that have a lot of subtle things going on (and dialogue), but also vocal music... among other uses. Are they worth the extra $150? That depends on what 150 bucks is worth to you! I'm a cheap bastard so I'd probably skimp out and grab the DT880s because I like that colorful sound signature when gaming. If 150 bucks is no big deal, they're totally worth the price.

Now, as for amp/dac setups. That depends on how you use them. If you're PC gaming the odds are you don't need an amp or dac for either of these... the answer is... MAYBE

Audio is about how well you can really hear subtle differences. But there's an easy solution and its called Amazon Return Policy.

Here's how you should do it.

Get your favorite from these three. Honestly you're not going wrong with any of them. Give them about a month of use so you can really get used to how they sound.

Do some research and get a decent amp/dac combo. Schiit Fulla is a good starting point, though I don't know about their return policy.

Then see if the amp/dac makes a big difference to you. Some people swear the 650s need an amp, others do not. (And yes, you don't need a combo, you could just get an amp and probably be ok).