[jpelg]

Forget your listed choices and look here. These Basic Stax are one the best sounding setups I can recommend under $400. This comes with headphones and amp, so you are set. When you are ready to upgrade the amp to a KGSS or something, the headphones will still work with it.

Alternatively, on the dynamic side, i'd recommend a pair of Grado SR225's and a DIY CHA47 amp. I know you said try to go 'ampless', but with this you'd still be way under budget. These have a more up-front, punchy presentation, which may appeal to you more. When you are ready for an upgrade, get a Gilmore v2, or a Melos, and keep the SR225's going strong.

Those would be my two rec's.

The A900's are nice, and easily drive alone. But I view those a dead-end street as far as upgradability, and in terms of familiy sound (they don't sound like upper-end wood A-T's).

 

[waffenschmidt]

Well, Grados are one of the usual recommendations for punchy bass, but they're certainly not renowned for their comfort.

I had and sold a pair of SR80s. I liked the sound but just couldn't deal with the comfort issue, at least with the bowl pads. I'm sure the 225s are a major step up sound-wise, but for me it wouldn't matter what they sounded like. Maybe with the flats or some other alternate pad they'd be OK, but I can't see how anything would put them into the same comfort category with the Senns and AKGs.

Still, I see where you're coming from jpelg. I wouldn't describe the bass on either the AKGs or the Senns as punchy. Don't know about the A900s or the Stax. I didn't think electrostatics were particularly known for punchy bass, but I've never heard them so I wouldn't know.

Guess I've turned into the official wet blanket of this thread.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

SR80s. I liked the sound but just couldn't deal with the comfort issue, at least with the bowl pads

An inexpensive pair of yellow Sennheiser pads takes care of that, lickety-split!

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

I didn't think electrostatics were particularly known for punchy bass

The 2020 system is surprisingly warm in tone. Not what I would have expected from an electrostatic setup. Is it 'punchy' - no. That is why I recommended the Grado's if that was a priority. But the overall tone of the Stax are more even-handed across the entire spectrum than the Senns, with no 'hump' anywhere.

 

[slunk007]

Thanks, but I already bought the A900's.

From what I have read (not auditioned, however), the Grado's sound isn't for me. Plus I have heard that comfort is not something that Grado is known for. To me, comfort is a BIG issue. I will spend all day on the weekends listening to tunes and typing on forums like this... so they gotta be comfy.

As for the Stax... too rich for my blood ATM. I take it that is $380 USD? Even if the guy is from Canada, I'm sure that is in American funds. Which works out to be approx. $500 CDN. I'm not prepared to drop that much cash at the moment. I'm not a fanatic... yet anyway

.

Keep in mind, that I'm quite new to all of this, and I'm not even sure if it will become a hobby for me. If it doesn't, then dead-end roads don't bother me much at all, in terms of upgrading. On the other hand, if I do decide to make this a hobby of mine (an expensive one at that!) then there's always the Buy/Sell here, right?

Thanks for the input!