Lurkumaural
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2011
- Posts
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I just bought my wife some HD 25-1 that are in the mail right now. In the meantime, I was supposed to pick out some cans for bday/Father's Day gift, and got stuck reading head-fi threads instead. What I've realized is that I could use some input, even clearly biased input, from some of the proponents, fanboys, and critics of some of these models.
The goal is to judiciously pick one pair for the year. I mean, I can probably have a few if I want, but I'm trying not to become one of you people. I kid, I kid. I feel like restraint is part of the torturous fun of this hobby.
I like all kinds of music (cliche, I know, but it happens to be true) but do the most listening to hip hop (relatively bass-light, oddly), soul, jazz, and OSTs (John Williams type stuff, Elfman, Schifrin, Morricone, and I love Goblin). My prefs are all over the map in terms of what I want to listen to, where, how, etc. I actually figured I'd let the headphones guide me in how I'll use them. They're not gonna be the last pair, after all.
I've been reading threads and reviews for about a month now. I made a list of what I like, shortened it, and put it here.
Here's what I was thinking of getting, so you can see the spectrum of technology and price. A lot of eBay involved. I tend to assign greater utility value to items that come farther below MSRP/MAP/whatever.
• Pro 900 for $370 from Adorama (or else eBay) ...any other Ultrasones fine, but if they're not 900, hopefully they can go unamped.
• AH-D2000 (probably on a path to upgraded cups)
• AH-D5000 for $360-$500 depending on where
• SRH940 for as far under $300 as I can go.There's an OB on electronics-expo for less than $200 I think. (Don't buy it!) Someone bought it.
• Q701 for $300 on Headroom, maybe less elsewhere. K702 or 701, in that order, otherwise.
• ATH-AD900 from eBay for like $220
•ATH-AD700 even. (I've read the hype.)
•ATH-AD1000 for $400-$450 on eBay (unless someone can recommend a retailer)
•ATH-AD1000PRM? I had read a bit about them here and on Headfonia, but not enough.
•ATH-AD2000 gotta be under $500 or else amp budget goes to $0
•AH-D7000 same as AD2k
•Q460 mainly because of the 3-button remote. I haven't gotten great intel on head-fi about these.
•SR60/80/MS-1 (because I could mod these to kingdom come, right?)
•T#0RP (will mod unless I really really like them as is; damping notwithstanding)
•HD 25 I can't wear wife's on the train if she really does want me to make it pink and sparkly. Late night movies, though, sure. (She really does want them pink and sparkly.)
•HD 555/558, suggested by aRRR.
What I don't want:
• HD 6#0 because I heard them and they're nice and I like them, but I'm not full of want. Maybe Father's Day next year? Or someone convince me?
• ATH-M50 for the same reason.
• Grado above SR80. For the same reason. I want to know that I'm into the house sound first.
• vintage. I have some. I will have more. I buy those as I find them. Recommendations welcome anyway.
• IEMs. I mean, I really really want UE10, 11, or RM, but it's not gonna happen any time soon.
Of these, I've heard the Grado (hi and low end, but not middle), D7k, HD 25, HD 600 and 650, and ATH-M50 at meets and informal encounters. So, not much. My friends and family are not audiophiles and I only really started the hobby this year, despite having an intense pro audio hobby many years ago.
I gravitate toward large closed cans. I do own some open, and I really like the spatial difference, so I'm looking at better opens than I have. With material (music or movies) that's not bassy, I tend to want gear that will provide the bottom end. I'm willing to have my mind changed about that.
As far as amps: I use my trusty (old!) Presonus Firebox out of my MBP most of the time I wanna amp, or else unamped out of my iPhone 4 or MBP. I have a CMoy that I don't really use at this time. I am looking at an E9, Sparrow, CKKIII, Crack, others, it's wide open. This may help inform my headphone decision, but I don't care if it does because I know I can drive anything dynamic now and decide on an amp later.
I think my problem has been that the more I read, the more cans I think I want, even for the purpose of this thread's "pick one" concept. Reading about amps just made me dizzy. So I stopped reading to post today.
Input?
The goal is to judiciously pick one pair for the year. I mean, I can probably have a few if I want, but I'm trying not to become one of you people. I kid, I kid. I feel like restraint is part of the torturous fun of this hobby.
I like all kinds of music (cliche, I know, but it happens to be true) but do the most listening to hip hop (relatively bass-light, oddly), soul, jazz, and OSTs (John Williams type stuff, Elfman, Schifrin, Morricone, and I love Goblin). My prefs are all over the map in terms of what I want to listen to, where, how, etc. I actually figured I'd let the headphones guide me in how I'll use them. They're not gonna be the last pair, after all.
I've been reading threads and reviews for about a month now. I made a list of what I like, shortened it, and put it here.
Here's what I was thinking of getting, so you can see the spectrum of technology and price. A lot of eBay involved. I tend to assign greater utility value to items that come farther below MSRP/MAP/whatever.
• Pro 900 for $370 from Adorama (or else eBay) ...any other Ultrasones fine, but if they're not 900, hopefully they can go unamped.
• AH-D2000 (probably on a path to upgraded cups)
• AH-D5000 for $360-$500 depending on where
• SRH940 for as far under $300 as I can go.
• Q701 for $300 on Headroom, maybe less elsewhere. K702 or 701, in that order, otherwise.
• ATH-AD900 from eBay for like $220
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What I don't want:
• HD 6#0 because I heard them and they're nice and I like them, but I'm not full of want. Maybe Father's Day next year? Or someone convince me?
• ATH-M50 for the same reason.
• Grado above SR80. For the same reason. I want to know that I'm into the house sound first.
• vintage. I have some. I will have more. I buy those as I find them. Recommendations welcome anyway.
• IEMs. I mean, I really really want UE10, 11, or RM, but it's not gonna happen any time soon.
Of these, I've heard the Grado (hi and low end, but not middle), D7k, HD 25, HD 600 and 650, and ATH-M50 at meets and informal encounters. So, not much. My friends and family are not audiophiles and I only really started the hobby this year, despite having an intense pro audio hobby many years ago.
I gravitate toward large closed cans. I do own some open, and I really like the spatial difference, so I'm looking at better opens than I have. With material (music or movies) that's not bassy, I tend to want gear that will provide the bottom end. I'm willing to have my mind changed about that.
As far as amps: I use my trusty (old!) Presonus Firebox out of my MBP most of the time I wanna amp, or else unamped out of my iPhone 4 or MBP. I have a CMoy that I don't really use at this time. I am looking at an E9, Sparrow, CKKIII, Crack, others, it's wide open. This may help inform my headphone decision, but I don't care if it does because I know I can drive anything dynamic now and decide on an amp later.
I think my problem has been that the more I read, the more cans I think I want, even for the purpose of this thread's "pick one" concept. Reading about amps just made me dizzy. So I stopped reading to post today.
Input?