[wind016]

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Everything is sub par compared to electrostatics. You can get a Stax O2 system for about $2500 and it will match or beat any other system out there.
 
The problem is finding the equipment at a good price, but with the new Stax 009 coming out, I expect the used market will have more 007s popping up for sale at good prices. I got my O2 MK1 for $1600. I'm still waiting on my DIY KGSS amp which I paid $1250 which is probably the most difficult part of getting an O2 system.

IMO a 404LE is a far better choice for rock and metal than the O2. I love the O2's smoothness, but metal does need the "grunt" that the 404LE does better than O2.
 

I didn't get to try any Stax other than the O2s. I'm sure the lower end Stax will still kick the competition. The Stax 404 and 507 seem to be highly regarded for rock and at a MUCH lower cost than the O2s for a complete system.
 


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Ultrasone Edition8 are top contender for Rock/Metal and are not amp dependent as other headphones.

I may get an Ultrasone ED8 eventually, but the $1600 price of those new and $1100 new is ridiculous. Not worth that price tag for it's small sound stage. IMO at least though they are still great headphone.
 

 

[Forward7]

So I've removed Stax out of my listing.
 
Grado headphones appear to be a good choice and not so pricey.

 

[Ra97oR]

You might want to look into Audio Technica AD2000 and A2000X or even W1000X, they are very fun to listen to on rock and metal. Grados are nice, but even PS-1 doesn't sound any special.

 

[Forward7]

So much Grado owner around here no recommendation for a Grado model?

 

[wind016]

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So much Grado owner around here no recommendation for a Grado model?

What is your real budget because I think Stax would still be the best bargain for those prices. At $2500, you shouldn't be looking at genre specific headphones because you can get into headphones that can do it all very well. You don't have as much compromises as with low end headphones.
 
Grados have a strong treble and upper mids spike. Whether you like that for rock is preference. Personally, I hate it. Rock instruments are bright enough as it is.
 
 

 

[Forward7]

I think I don't want to spend too much money for headphones anymore because of further acquirements in the near future (fridge, car tires). 2.500 $ are at the moment too much, so I lower the budget to 1.000 $.
 
Stax headphones will be bought when I am retired can spend much money in headphones.
 
So I think headphones up to 1.000 $ (or a little bit more) should deliver me a very good listening expierence.

 

[ubitwarr]

RS-1i and a decent amp/dac. Actually anything within the Grado line except for the Statement and Professional series or so I've been told.
 
Personally I own the sr-225i and love them to death.

 

[pcf]

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Thanks men!
 
Which which of the following Grados would be recommendable??
 
- SR225i
 
- SR325is
 
- RS2i
 
- RS1i
 
- GS1000i
 
- PS1000

PS1000 for me out of this list.
 
 

 

[Forward7]

How about other brands? AKG, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser or Denon.
 
Are Grados the only ones which play Metal und Rock music very well?

 

[MacedonianHero]

I didn't get to try any Stax other than the O2s. I'm sure the lower end Stax will still kick the competition. The Stax 404 and 507 seem to be highly regarded for rock and at a MUCH lower cost than the O2s for a complete system.
 



I may get an Ultrasone ED8 eventually, but the $1600 price of those new and $1100 new is ridiculous. Not worth that price tag for it's small sound stage. IMO at least though they are still great headphone.
 

Have you heard the Ed8s? Of all closed headphones, they have the best soundstaging I've heard by a country mile. But these are still closed headphones in the end. You are absolutely right...they are pricey...from $1500 - $2000 depending on the model, but they are my favourite closed headphones to date and they do work VERY WELL with rock/metal and play extremely well from a portable amp (like my iBasso D4).

To answer the OP's question about which headphone for rock, metal...yes Grados can be fabulous with headbanging music (but I would stay away from the SR325is, GS1000i and PS1000...not my favourites). In the end, the LCD-2s are still the better "rock / metal" headphone solution IMHO.

 

[Markj]

But there is realy
no need for amp with Edition8 that makes it better value.

 

[MacedonianHero]

But there is realy need for amp with Edition8 that makes it better value.

Absolutely, the Ed.8s to respond very well to what's upstream (amp/dac). Yes they can sound good out of an iPhone, but they do improve with better setups.

 

[Ra97oR]

Ed8 great speed is just awesome for rock and metal but also electronics and dance music too. The soundstage on it is rather good, but not as good as W5000 or A1000X (but they are like two times bigger), better ES10 for sure though. IMO the only thing letting them down is their price.

 

[wind016]

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I didn't get to try any Stax other than the O2s. I'm sure the lower end Stax will still kick the competition. The Stax 404 and 507 seem to be highly regarded for rock and at a MUCH lower cost than the O2s for a complete system.
 



I may get an Ultrasone ED8 eventually, but the $1600 price of those new and $1100 new is ridiculous. Not worth that price tag for it's small sound stage. IMO at least though they are still great headphone.
 

Have you heard the Ed8s? Of all closed headphones, they have the best soundstaging I've heard by a country mile. But these are still closed headphones in the end. You are absolutely right...they are pricey...from $1500 - $2000 depending on the model, but they are my favourite closed headphones to date and they do work VERY WELL with rock/metal and play extremely well from a portable amp (like my iBasso D4).

To answer the OP's question about which headphone for rock, metal...yes Grados can be fabulous with headbanging music (but I would stay away from the SR325is, GS1000i and PS1000...not my favourites). In the end, the LCD-2s are still the better "rock / metal" headphone solution IMHO.

I have heard the ED8s. They sound great. I can't fault it much except for the rather small soundstage and price. There are headphones with more powerful bass and headphones with bigger soundstage, but the ED8 has a rather refined detailed sound for its size. I can imagine it would be a great headphone to take to the office or to trips without looking like an audio geek. However, if portability isn't a concern, $1600 is getting into decent electrostatic systems or excellent flagship headphones like the HD800, LCD2.

 

[Ra97oR]

To be brutally honest, the HD800 nor the LCD2 are excellent in my opinion, the HD800 is too thin sounding to be great on rock/metal, the LCD2 have close to zero soundstage, where even small closed portable can sound even more open.