£150-160 to spend on closed full size headphones

[chrisc]

I'm coming from a pair of Beyer DT231's and I really like them for what they are but I want more.

I'm looking at spending up to £160 for the right setup.

I play my music from a laptop 99% of the time and need something to work with that.

I listen to anything from dubstep to classical with quite a lot of acoustic stuff and jazz.

I'm considering paying either

£150-£160 for a pair of headphones

OR

purchase a Fiio E7 for £55 and then the rest on headphones.

What would you suggest?

Would the more expensive headphones beat the cheaper but well dac'd phones?

[dalethorn]

If it were me, I'd get the best possible headphone now, then maybe after a few months if I'm still satisfied with it, consider the E7 then, or even the new E17.

[RobinHiFi]

Hi ChrisC

It is an interesting question. Most people would say you should get the best headphones you can and then augment them afterwards. I think I tend to agree with this. A great pair of headphones will improve your listening pleasure and then you can always add smaller improvements like a DAC for extra fidelity. The headphones are the thing which mark out the maximum quality available so I think I probably agree with the approach of picking the headphones first. If you want a headphone which needs powering though you really need an amps as well.

Have you decided on open or closed back?

[chrisc]

closed back 101%

I am almost set on

Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO Closed Back Headphones (DT 770) - Professional Studio

purely because my Beyer DT231's are great

[ShaunG]

The DT770 is an excellent pair of headphones. Comfortable, precise and powerful - I have a soft spot for this very special pair of headphones. Sound isolation is very also very good (they were originally designed for studio monitoring).

The DT770 is standard issue at the BBC, which speaks volumes about their performance and durability.

Overall an excellent choice.