Headphone advise / recommendations please

[Pfenning]

OK, so I've been reading through pages of info in headphones. I am planning to purchase a Crack amp, and I am looking for headphone information. My budget is $300 or less. I've read about Beyer Dynamic DT880, and Sennheiser HD600 and HD650. I listen to mostly classic rock (Pink Floyd, Rush, AC/DC, Tommy Bolin)  and blues(Joe Bonamassa, Popa Chubby, SRV), with some modern rock(Tool) and metal(Iron Maiden, Motorhead). I'm looking for a headphone that has enough low end to make these recording come alive, and a sweet mid and high range. I'm not looking for female voices to bring tears to my eyes, I just want a good solid sound top to bottom. I currently have Paramours with Foreplay 2 and a Seduction through Pi4 speakers. I love the Bottlehead gear, and hope to take it up a notch with Crack and some good cans. Here's some specific questions about a few I've been looking at. I'll take any a advise or recommendations on these or other headphones that you guys think would work for me.

Beyer Dynamic DT880 - What's the difference between the 600 ohm and the 250 ohm?

Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 - how much sound difference between these compared to the price difference?

What else should I be looking at?

Thanks, Pfenning   

 

[Armaegis]

The differences between the Beyer impedances is very little unless you're comparing them side by side, and even then it's extremely difficult to tell them apart aside from volume differences. I've owned both and powered both through my Crack. Personally, I liked the 250 over the 600 though I'll be hard pressed to pinpoint why.

The same can be said for the HD600/650. Very little difference between them, with the 650 feeling a bit more peaked in the treble to my ear (but I suspect I hear treble differently from other people). I would pick the 600 simply due to the large price difference (or better yet, a 580 if you can find it which is the same save for a different grill and cable).

My current favourite through the Crack is a vintage AKG K240 Sextett.

Any high impedance can does well through the Crack, though from my experiences I would say the Sennheisers are the best pairing.

 

[Laudanum]

We listen to a lot of the same music although my blues tastes are probably a little bit wider.  Most of my LP collection is classic metal and hard rock. 
That said, it doesnt make my preference in headphones the better choice for you.  Im a Beyer fan.  I own both the 990 and 880's, 250 ohm.  I think they give up a bit in the midrange to the Senns but I think they are great cans for metal, hard blues and rock.  The 990 and 880 are similiar but the 990 is stronger in the bass department by a pretty good margin.  I have read that the 880's and 990's actually use the same drivers with only the cup being different design (the 990 is more open).  I dont know it this is true but it would explain the similiar character.  Bass heavy stuff can be a bit too much with the 990
s and can override the lower midrange. The low end on the 880 is cleaner/tighter and I dont consider them bass light in their own right.  The 880's are the better balanced of the two.  I like the 990's on material alot of material and especially that which is light in the low end.  Overall, if I could only keep one it would probably be the 880's because they seem to cover more of the bases.  But where I do like the 990's I probably prefer them over the 880's if that makes sense.  Im glad I have them both.  I dont own the Senns but I have heard the 600's and also heard the Beyers (990's) before purchasing and I definitely prefered the Beyers but I would probably be in the minority.  And I havent had the Senns at home to live with for extensive so I can only go on impressions.  If you can, definitely audition as much as you can.  I also have AKG K601's (love em for a lot of live recordings),  old AKG K141's,  MB Quart 805 HS's (closed) and Fischer Audio FA-011's (not my favs). Also some lower imp. cans.

 

[TonyMc]

I love my 600ohm DT880 coupled to the Crack, but if you listen to mostly rock you may want to look into the DT770...

 

[Armaegis]

I love my 600ohm DT880 coupled to the Crack, but if you listen to mostly rock you may want to look into the DT770...

I would actually go the other way and pick the 990 for rock. It has a sharper high end to really bring out the cymbals.

 

[HF9]

I've always enjoyed the DT990, it's a groovy sounding headphone with a large amount of bass quantity and a very decent soundstage. I personally prefer the 600 ohm version to the 250 ohm version, the highs, which can be strident to sensitive ears, are notably smoother on the 600 ohm version. A Cardas recable can smooth things out even further. It's definitely more colored sounding than the DT880 to these ears, but I prefer it.

The Crack and Speedball upgrade are a great match with the 990.