Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › Complimentary phones to the HD580?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Complimentary phones to the HD580?

post #1 of 26
12/16/03 at 3:15pm
Thread Starter 
Not sure if this is a sensible quesiton or not, but I'll ask. At many peoples recommendation, and KR's coupon lead, I've purchased the HD580s and have not been listening to anything else since getting them. They're great for just about everything but good old classic hard rock. In this genre they fall short for me.
I have Grado 225's that do very well for classic rock, but Sennheiser's attention to the users comfort have spoiled me. They're much more comfortable and don't require constant adjustment for ear burn, eyeglasses, headband, etc, etc.. The Senn's also have a much ligher cord which makes them much easier to wear without a constant tugging sensation (not to mention twisting). So the Grado cord is yet another irritation. I'm beginning to see others points that I've read here that compare the Grado's ergonomic design to ancient engineering. Sound wise, I can't complain at all.

So to my question.. finally. Other than the Grado's, what are a good pair of headphones, of modern comfortable design, which compliment the 580s, and play classic rock well? Can be amped or unamped.

Thanks much,
Reply
post #2 of 26
12/16/03 at 3:19pm
I'd go for the DT880s, although I'm slightly biased towards them since they're the only real phones I own. To me they sound superb on classic rock although you'll need a decent amp to get rid of any sibilance.
Reply
post #3 of 26
12/16/03 at 3:26pm
don't you mean "complement"??
Reply
post #4 of 26
12/16/03 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by kugino
don't you mean "complement"??
You are indeed correct. Please forgive me.
Reply
post #5 of 26
12/16/03 at 4:24pm
I swear we've covered this one before.. Audio Technica ATH-A900....

Reply
post #6 of 26
12/16/03 at 4:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by lindrone
I swear we've covered this one before.. Audio Technica ATH-A900....
So the A900 are complimentary to the HD580s? When I was asking before it was for headphones that were complementary to the SR225's. I though the A900s were much like the 580s and not like the 225's. I guess I'll go read again.
Sorry for the bother.
Reply
post #7 of 26
12/16/03 at 7:10pm
LOL.. no reason to apologize at all... Most people would suggest the Grados and Sennheisers on either end of the spectrum, because those are probably the most used/suggested headphone on Head-Fi. Sennheiser is laid back, Grados is forward, Sennheiser is clear and calm, Grados is exciting and punchy.. so on, so forth.

However, since you've already had Grados, so that's a moot point. Other headphones that has really a different sound quality to them and are good for rock are either the Beyerdynamic or the Audio Technica or Sony's.

Beyerdynamic sounds like taking some of the best part of Sennheiser and Grado and sort of throwing them into one headphone.. it's quite unique, but I don't think it stresses either characteristic enough. I didn't like them *that* much, even though they're very good.

Audio Technica and Sony has the same sound signature... and they are very, very different from all the aboved mentioned headphones. So if you want a sound signature that complements what you've got and still good for rock, but different, those are the logical suggestions for me.

However, I can't recommend any Sony's other than CD3000 and R10, quite, quite expensive. The same sound signature exists in Audio Technica headphones, and for the under $200 range, the A900 is as good as it gets.
Reply
post #8 of 26
12/16/03 at 7:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by lindrone
....
Audio Technica and Sony has the same sound signature... and they are very, very different from all the aboved mentioned headphones. So if you want a sound signature that complements what you've got and still good for rock, but different, those are the logical suggestions for me.

However, I can't recommend any Sony's other than CD3000 and R10, quite, quite expensive. The same sound signature exists in Audio Technica headphones, and for the under $200 range, the A900 is as good as it gets.
Lindrone, thanks for taking the time to reply again. I did go back and re-read but didn't get what you just wrote out of it, so thanks! Although I did see several notions of the A900 being a "little CD3000" but that the CD3000 was a good rock phone didn't sink in. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get a CD3000 and be done... maybe.

Maybe a used unit is the way to go. Used CD3000 that is as I've never seen a used A900.
Reply
post #9 of 26
12/16/03 at 7:35pm
I would be inclined to recommend SR-225s, SR-325s, and so on, but you have apparently worn them and found them uncomfortable, so that rules them out.

A good option might be to try the beyer DT880, which is sonically speaking probably about as good as the HD580 or slightly better (I think the HD600 beats it out in imaging and articulation, and the 580 is pretty close to the 600). The DT880 sounds very similar to the sennheiser below about 2khz, but has a more intimate or boosted upper midrange and treble. This match you may find to be ideal. Both headphones are hard to drive, require several thousand dollars in associated equipment to sound truly special but they won't sound all that bad on cheaper equipment, and both are pretty open and comfortable. The beyer isn't as comfortable as the HD580 but its kind of a tradeoff, I find the DT880 to have less pressure on the earcups and slightly more pressure on the headband.

I really like both of these headphones.

Cheers,
Geek
Reply
post #10 of 26
12/16/03 at 7:39pm
I would actually suggest trying out A900 before you get the CD3000.. because it'll give you a pretty good idea of what the sound signature is like before you pluck down the $380~$450 for the CD3000.

Not only that, CD3000 is also known for being very revealing, meaning that your current set-up's weakness can be exposed. Bad sources with CD3000 is not a good idea, in fact, bad recordings shows up like a bad sore with the CD3000.

A900 is much more forgiving... If you get the A900, love the sound, and decide to get CD3000, you can always sell A900... it'll be much easier than selling CD3000... at least the % of loss is much smaller.

If you pay $200 for A900, selling it for $180 or so shouldn't be hard... if you paid $450 for CD3000, you'd probably have to bring it down to about $400 or so before someone will bite on it.
Reply
post #11 of 26
12/16/03 at 10:27pm
Have you tried the Senn 414 or flat pads to go on your 225?
Reply
post #12 of 26
12/16/03 at 10:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by Geek
I would be inclined to recommend SR-225s, SR-325s, and so on, but you have apparently worn them and found them uncomfortable, so that rules them out.

A good option might be to try the beyer DT880, ......

Cheers,
Geek
Thanks for the post. I have ordered the vwap pads for the 225 and maybe that mod will turn me around, but I doubt it. Dispite their great sound, they're not designed (ergonomically) very well.
I've been eyeing the 880 and have talked to my local dealer who has been trying to sell 131s and 931s with zero luck (only 2 beyer he sells). I told him to try selling the 880s as they seem to have broader audiophile acceptance (at least here). Last I heard he was sending the 931s back to his distributor. So maybe I'll get a chance to hear them shortly.
Reply
post #13 of 26
12/16/03 at 11:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by lindrone
I would actually suggest trying out A900 before you get the CD3000.. ..
Thanks again. The A900 is one pretty piece of gear. if only it came in red
Reply
post #14 of 26
12/16/03 at 11:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by psyco1
Have you tried the Senn 414 or flat pads to go on your 225?
Never tried the senn 414 (have to look it up) and I have vwap pads ordered (should be here in a couple).. So, as I've commented before, maybe this will turn the tide for me on the Grado's but the more I use them (and not so much right now with the 580s in hand) the more I notice just how poor the ergonomics are.
Reply
post #15 of 26
12/16/03 at 11:49pm
I couldn't wear the 125's for more than 20 minutes or so with the bowls. With the senn's on, I forget they're on.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphones (full-size)
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › Complimentary phones to the HD580?