Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › What To Do? So many Choices! These threads should be STICKY's
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

What To Do? So many Choices! These threads should be STICKY's

post #1 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 

I'm going to keep this simple. I am looking to step it up to some real MAN Over-ear headphones under about 90$. Any earbud suggestions are welcome however...

 

I have owned:

HiFi Man RE0's (EXCELLENT)

Koss PortaPro's

Klipsch Image s4's

Shure se210 (terrible IMHO)

 

To be used for:

 

Music. I like:Played from my: iPod Touch 2g, Laptop  

Weezer, The Who, Nada Surf, Cage The Elephant, Third Eye Blind Rush, Yes, Green Day, The Eagles (rock?), Jay-Z, The Shins, Phantom Planet, Coldplay, etc.

Basically, everything except Heavy Death Metal Screamo, and crazy rap.

 

Some gaming. From my Xbox 360. Halo 3, NCAA Football, MW2.

 

Movies. (self explanatory?)

 

Price Range: Up to $100, Including any necessary accessories.

 

Currently eyeballing:

Grados sr60 on Amazon 79.99,

Sennheiser HD 448, Store down the street, http://www.worldofstereo.com/ 75.99 They have an ok selection.

A few DOZEN others.

 I would be happy to buy an excellent used pair off someone as well.

 

Any suggestions or comparisons at this price level (60-90-POSSIBLY110$) are VERY welcome, as well as any facts or opinions on ANYTHING in my price range. It would be nice to know about the comfort of the Grados, as I am leaning towards them at the moment...

 

Quick question, Is an amp a good investment for the Grados? Well, I know it is ALWAYS a great idea if I can afford it, but I want to know if they are necessary. Will my iPod be able to drive those headphones? 

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE :)

Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD448 Around the Ear Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Grado SR60 Headphones
post #2 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:09pm

An amp is not a good investment for Grados unless you have the extra cash, especially for the SR60 and I would probably go for the $99 MS1 instead. The AD700 and M50 are going to come up as suggestions, so do some research on those as well.

Reply
post #3 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:18pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks Slaughter, Who makes the MS1? I googled it and got about 379395345235 hits... I have been eyeing the ad700's too.

 

Any pro's/Cons of any mentioned cans are appreciated.

Reply
post #4 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:31pm

Alessandro branded but I believe grado makes it. http://www.alessandro-products.com/main.php?p=headphones

Reply
post #5 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:32pm

Also, do you need them to isolate well? Care about sound coming in/going out? If so, the Grados are very open, and everyone and their grandmother will hear what you're listening to.

 

I'll paste what I said earlier on another thread similar to yours...

 

In any case, the good sub $100 I know...

 

*ATH-AD700

*ATH-M50 (great isolation. probably the best $100 or less you'll spend...)

*ATH-ES7 (great isolation)

*Sony XB700 (great for bass heavy music)

Shure 440

Creative Aurvana Live! (same as Denon D1001)

Senn 555s (595 capable, but I hear it's a little bass light itself)

JVC HARX700

JVC HARX900

*Senn HD280 Pro (a muddy, uncomfortable pile of junk compared to the M50)

*JVC HA-S700 (Cheap, like $25-30 online, looks like the Bose Triports but with better build. They're uber comfy, and have good SQ for the price. They're a bit veiled without an amp. The E5 did the trick for me. Had I not bought the CAL! I would've bought these again as my night/relaxing headphone...they isolate extremely well)


Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 6/12/10 at 6:39pm
Reply
post #6 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:37pm
Thread Starter 

Some isolation is good. I would be willing to trade isolation for sound quality at a 2;1 ratio. If it sounds 2x better, but doesn't isolate, I'm okay with it. :D 

Reply
post #7 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:38pm

I just edited my last post. Look into those as well...

Reply
post #8 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 

Ad700's seem like a staple suggestion in these threads. so do the M50's. Do the 700's leak a lot more or sound better than the M50's?

 

ES-7's are maybe a little too much for me...

 

HARX900's for 56$... Great deal? http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HARX900-High-Grade-Full-Size-Headphone/dp/B0013P3ZOE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276393560&sr=1-2

 

I am just filled with questions. I wish someone would decide for me. If I gave Head-Fi about 75$, what would you spend it on, best bang for your buck? 


Edited by Mdraluck23 - 6/12/10 at 6:50pm
Reply
post #9 of 19
6/12/10 at 6:55pm

I'd probably spend it on the Creative Aurvana Live...as I just ordered them.

 

They're supposed to be REAL good, comfy, and stylish. ;)

 

The AD700s =/= M50. They can't be comparable, as they sound VERY different. If you want huge soundstage with impressive clarity, the AD700s are the ones. If you want to FEEL the music, with an overall good balance, slightly bassy can, the M50s are it. I speak for the ones that I have used...

Reply
post #10 of 19
6/12/10 at 7:04pm
Thread Starter 

Hm... m50's are more expensive.....

 

The creatives seem like their overall SQ is not as good as others in the range.. (Sorry thats just what I've been reading...) Do the ad700's "lack" bass compared to the m50's? or do the m50's just boast more? Which are more comfortable? Thanks for answering my questions.

Reply
post #11 of 19
6/12/10 at 7:06pm

if you can rate bass on a scale from 1-10:

 

AD700: 2

M50: 9

 

So yes, they lack bass.

 

Comfort: highly subjective, as the Ad700s are either god's gift to comfort, or a pain in the ass, as they are sooooo loose that they can't stay still with any head movement. Also, the M50s clamp hard at first, but if you bend the band a little, they can be a 9 in comfort.

 

The M50s are CLEAR. They just aren't as clear as the AD700s.

 

You can probably get the M50s for $90 if you look around.


Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 6/12/10 at 7:07pm
Reply
post #12 of 19
6/12/10 at 7:24pm
Thread Starter 

What type of plug does the M50 have? is it good for pocket use, or plugged into an ipod? (basically, is it HUGE?) I'm really leaning towards them right now, if I can find them cheap.

Reply
post #13 of 19
6/12/10 at 8:36pm
Thread Starter 

Currently narrowed my search to :

AT M50 http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50S-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B001CKAY1C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276395207&sr=1-1

Shure SRH440 http://www.amazon.com/Shure-Professional-Studio-Headphones-Black/dp/tech-data/B002DP1FTU/ref=de_a_smtd

Senn HD448 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-448-Headphones-ear-cup/dp/B002DGTGO0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276399842&sr=8-1

Senn 555 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD555-HD-555-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276400039&sr=1-1

 

I feel that for me, closed is the way to go. the 440's are CHEAP too! The 448's would be 75$ which also seems cheap.

Reply
post #14 of 19
6/12/10 at 8:58pm

Flip a coin between the SRH440 and the M50.

Reply
post #15 of 19
6/12/10 at 10:44pm
Thread Starter 

No 448? They are only 75$ and local... I'm leaning towards them... Any comparisons between the 448, 440, and M50? 

Best highs = ?

Most bass = ?

Biggest soundstage = ?

Overall clearest sound ?

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphones (full-size)

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD448 Around the Ear Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Grado SR60 Headphones
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › What To Do? So many Choices! These threads should be STICKY's