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Headphones for a Laptop

I need to get a pair of headphones for in home use on my laptop, portability is not necessary. I'm looking for the best sound and comfort for a budget of $200 to $400. I would prefer one of the Audeze models but I cannot currently afford them.
I mainly listen to rock (acoustic and electric), blues and jazz. I'd like a pair that excel in the midrange, have natural but textured bass that's not too boomy and a treble that is not too bright.
I've read many reviews and posts on several headphone sites and have narrowed my choices to two but have not heard either:

Audiotechnica ATH m-50
Phiaton ms400

So. I'm looking for feedback on:
1. The sound qualities of these headphones from owners or those that have heard them.

2. Suggestions of others to consider based on my preferences.

3. Suggestions on other things I can do to get the best sound quality from a laptop, such as headphone amps or external dacs.

Thanks
128x128noble100

Showing 3 responses by noble100

noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Maxmad,
You are correct, I prefer an easier to drive headphone that I can use directly into the laptop, without an amp needed. I'll add the Koss PortaPro to my list.

Thanks
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Thanks for all your helpful replies.

My wife is getting me the headphones as a xmas gift, so I had to let her know which ones to get. I opted for the Phiaton ms400s mainly based on their great reviews. I'll try to let you kow how they sound in January. BTW - she bought them from Amazon for only $149 (msrp is $249) with free shipping.But this was the red and black style. I prefer the new all black style but Amazon wanted $219 so I'm getting the red. I may add an amp or dac if needed, Thx again you guys n Merry Xmas.
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Just thought I'd wrap up this thread by giving my impressions of the Phiaton ms400 headphones I've been using since Xmas 2012.
Overall, I'm very pleased with these 'cans'. My impression is they're a little bumped up in the bass but still maintain good detail and texture from bottom to top. The all-important midrange I would describe as neutral to the source/recording but, at the same time, very smooth and natural. The treble sounds very good; extended highs with a smooth and natural quality. I've never seen a frequency response curve for these headphones but I suspect it would show a slight bump in the bass region with a slight attenuation in the upper treble region. The only reason I say the upper treble may be toned down a bit is because I've never experienced listening fatigue even after hours of listening. The build quality is impressive with the use of carbon fiber and they're very comfortable with soft leather on the ear cups and headband. I've bought several of the all black versions of these headphones as gifts and everyone has been very pleased with them. Highly recommended.
I'm using a HifimeDiy tiny dac ($35 from Eastern Audio) that attaches through the USB port and bypasses the laptop's internal dac. And I'm using J River's Media Center to manage high resolution lossless music downloads and ripped cds. So far, so good with computer audio.

Thanks,
Tim
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