[Elastine]

Hi Guys. I have been using ~$10 panasonic in-ear buds nearly all my life. I want to upgrade to a new headset, for all around use. My main area of interest is listening to classical music. I have about $40 to spend on this. Do you think the Audio-Technica ATH-M30 is a good headphone for this purpose?
 
Some of the reviews I read said it sounded too "industrial". Is that a bad thing when it comes to everyday use?
 
Thanks!

 

[novusordo76]

I wouldn't get closed cans if you're mainly into classical. Open cans usually have a bigger soundstage. I used M30 for DJing a long time ago and all I can remember is that I was thoroughly unimpressed. They were quite harsh and muddy compared to my Grado SR60s. I wouldn't recommend SR60s for classical, though. $40 isn't going to buy you much, I can say that. All headphones at that level are significantly flawed out of the box. You could look for used HD555s -- very bright but lacking bass, 5 star comfortability though. A good NEW can at that price point would be Superlux 661B / Samson SR850. Big drivers, big bass, big sound, clear, moddable, reasonably comfortable esp when you drop in AKG velour pads. Picked up my Samson for $46 and I've seen people scoop them for $20.

 

[Elastine]

OK a few questions. Sorry I am completely new to all of this.
 
What does it mean for a headphones to have harsh sound? And secondly, does an "open" headphone mean it will sound around the room vs just to me?

 

[Supertoaster]

Quote:

OK a few questions. Sorry I am completely new to all of this.
 
What does it mean for a headphones to have harsh sound? And secondly, does an "open" headphone mean it will sound around the room vs just to me?

This might help http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
 
I recommend the Samson. Nice big soundstage, not lacking in bass (though not a basshead can). Very detailed and easy to drive. It has a bit too much in the high frequency (treble) but you can easily EQ this iTunes/ winamp,etc.
 
If the Samson is too much (sometimes its really cheap, other times it can go up to $60) the cheapest you could get is the Superlux HD681. It has deeper bass but a slightly smaller soundstage, slightly less detail, and it is much more aggressive and in your face with deeper bass. It's normally around $30. I recommend getting some new pads for it though.