Best Headphones in $500 range for Leben 300X


Brand new to the headphone scene. The reality of apartment living has pushed me in this direction. Would love any suggestions on a headphone pairing for a Leben 300X. I listen mainly to viny on a Thorens TD-160. Hope to upgrade in about six months to a Rega P-5. I listen mainly to jazz.

Thanks a lot!
jedstein

Showing 3 responses by t_bone

This won't be what you are expecting but that sounds like a perfect amp for some AKG K1000 earspeakers, which you would use not with the headphone input but with the speaker terminals. Originally they retailed for about $1000, but Headroom (headphone.com) took out the remaining stock from AKG at one point and sold them for about $500 so there should some people who sell them around that price. They don't come around much and on balance, when they do, they usually are a bit higher in price.

They need about 10W (because they are so insensitive) but I think they are wonderful. To me, they are the best headphones I have ever used/heard (I have heard a few generations of top Sennheisers, the Beyerdynamics, the Stax phones up to the top end, the top Grados, and others and I have never found a pair I'd rather have than the K1000s. They are not completely quiet for the person sitting next to you on the sofa (because they are more open than open-ear cans) but they are fine for 'apartment living.'
Just after I posted, I looked and there was a pair for $950. Wonder if this new pair is coincidence... :^). While I think they are great, and I haven't followed recent used market prices, I think they can probably be had for less if you wait a bit.
Thanks Swampwalker, guess my price info was a few years out of date, and unfortunately, that puts them over-budget for the OP.

I think Hens' advice about the Head-fi site is a good one. As for good 'normal' headphones in that price range, my info is 'old' in that I think the Senn 650 is pretty good. I also like the Grado RS-1, but thought it was better as a walking-around-with-an-ipod headphone than as a sitting-down-on-the-sofa-in-an-otherwise-quiet-apt headphone (something of a warm-ish mid-bass hump if I remember). I have not listened to the AKG K702 but the K701 was a very good pair of headphones.