Recommendations for Best headphones on the market (new and old)

[MikeAKGGuy]

I think this is the answer you need:
http://www.gizmology.net/batteries.htm

You're going to have to do some work wiring stuff up, but it shouldn't be that hard. Look at the manual of your wireless transmitter and figure out how much current you need (it shouldn't be very much). If you're in the same vicinity with voltage, you'll be okay as long as you can supply the required current.

[Lasse]

Originally Posted by carlo

hot diggitty, more lists.

grado sr-60: thick chocolate-y sound with excessive mid and lower bass warmth in a diffused presentation. extremely forgiving, with cheaper cd players the end result is completely colored but strangely enjoyable. a foot tapper, head bobber's headphone, great for grooving, beat based material, or "background" listening. i have no reservations at all with their portability, my favorite cans for on the go listening. in my experience adding an amplifier isn't a significant change in overall quality.

grado sr-125: think sr-60 trying harder. top end is a tad more extended in perceived response if not sweeter, tizzy and smeared inner detail, in many cases the nuances of the musicians are lost. vocals have a throaty quality, overall the sound is disjointed and jumbled. liked the cha47 as an amp.

grado sr-225: nice little home headphone that performs well with a lot of what i listen to. i like its effect on electric guitars, not audiophile level of reproduction by any stretch, but interesting to me nonetheless. resolves complicated passages better than the other grados i've used, i think its a great all around headphone. give them something with a beat and they'll sing, ask them to do anything subtle in scale and they give up. performs very well with the cha47 altoids and anthem 6922/ss headphone jack.

grado rs-2: surprisingly i think it sounds fantastic straight out of a headphone jack without an external amplifier. the only pair of grados i've used that sounded okay with the mg head dt, but still better with the cha47; i tried every tube set i had with my anthem and they still don't jive. i don't think it compares to the rest of the product line and is simply way past the peak of price/perfomance ratio. the pads took like 20 hours (not kidding) to conform to the shape of my ears, reasonably comfortable but need a five minute break for every hour of listening. decent depth, sometimes excellent tone, thats about it. at their best at extremely low playback volume, where their tipped extremes carry more balance and they still have some coherency, turn the volume up and the sound turns into mud. i've thrown at least 100 music titles at these things and maybe 6 were really good. biggest selling point is that they look cool and kinda retro.

senheiser hd580 - not sure how the msrp thing applies here, since there's no way anyone would pay $350 in the current market. to my ears, the top end lacks some sparkle and realism, double bass sounds exagerated, and there's a suckout with some strings in the midrange. other than that, they resolve information startingly well, have been responsive to changes upstream, and are excellent with vinyl.

i'm very impressed with the 580's ability to dig out detail, provide authority on dynamic swings, and the lack of smearing on notes. however, they took a lot to open up in my system and i just don't feel that they provide a believable soundstage compared to speakers (nor so any headphones i've used). regardless i think that the current market price makes them the best bargain in audio. definitely flawed, but livably so.

i've amplified them with a cha47, modded anthem preamp, mg head dt w/wing mod, cary slp-2002, cary sei300, and cary sli-80.

thanks for giving it a shot duncan,
carlo.

Hej Carlo

I got the grado SR 80 for portable use and the RS 1

[lightningfast35]

I'm very satisfied with my SR-60s as my first (but seemingly expensive and never-ending :600smile: ) adventure into the headphone world. Very good value @ $70.

[Otophonus]

Shure e4 for around two hundo or so $$..
Great pair for portable and home use ,specially for beginners.
Simply cannot go wrong...

[bkelly]

I agree on the Shure E-4's. It is kind of a shock how good they are especially for the money. Plus they are extremely small and they fit well. I only demo-ed them in the airport while waiting for a plane but I will definitley buy a pair soon.

Best
Brian

[binkgle]

ok, i listen to music on my computer (sb live! 5.1) and ipod, mainly classic and contemporary rock, but also classical, country, and a bit of pop. i (very) rarely game (as in i haven't played a game in four months), so sound positioning is by no means essential, but it would be nice if possible.

i'm looking for the best music quality i can get. i don't have / won't be able to get an amp.

i'm on a budget, and have narrowed down my choices to the grado sr-60 (i'd use the stock comfy pads, but i'd be willing to cut a hole in the pads if suggested), the senn hd485, 497, eh350, and px100. which phones would suit my music tastes best?

please don't suggest other phones, i've just finished narrowing down the many suggestions i've had to the above list.

thanks for your help!

[binkgle]

hello hello, i don't know why you say goodbye, i say hello

[3lusiv3]

Originally Posted by binkgle

hello hello, i don't know why you say goodbye, i say hello

This section isn't for asking questions.

[prepre]

http://www.victor.co.jp/accessory/he...000/index.html

street price $1,000- in Japan
sales 7/15

Closed Dynamic Driver Unit
Impedance : 64ohm
Sensitivity : 102dB
Power Capacity : 1500mW
Frequency Response : from 4 to 30000 Hz
Weight : 380g (without cable)
Cable : 7N OFC dual sides
Plug : Gold-Plated 1/4 inch
Pic's stand isn't included by default. (about $260).

[3lusiv3]

Wow! I started a new thread about the headphones above.

Welcome to head-fi, sorry about your wallet.