[SemperMalum]

 
I'm in need of some advice for expanding out.
 
I was originally debating between a Sennheiser PXC 450 and the Bose QC15, and didn't really get much for suggestions beyond those two. So, with the great financing deal through Bose.com, (51 down, 24 a month), I purchased a pair of QC15s for an upcoming job that will require a LOT of flight/travel. The noise cancellation sealed it.
 
I've been looking beyond just the ANC set, and I'm thinking of purchasing at least two more phones... One for more everyday use and another for more of the audiophile experience.
 
That being said, I do like my bass... I'd probably be more of a basshead, even though I don't listen to any electronica/techno/etc. I think the closest to anything similar to those genre would be the Gorillaz which I listen to often.
 
So far, for my everyday use, I've narrowed it down to the Grado SR80is. I listen to a lot of rock with Rolling Stones, Beatles, Franz Ferdinand, Bob Dylan, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, ACDC, etc. as well as OSTs from games/movies like The Rock (Harry Gregson Williams), Lord of the Rings (Howard Shore), John Williams, Nobuo Uematsu, Hans Zimmer, etc. etc.
 
Would the Grados work out well for me? I really like the look, have read they don't need an amp (I might get one eventually but have no aspirations to get one ASAP) so I can use my Samsung Vibrant as my main player. I use Slacker Radio, which has typical quality at 256/320 kbps, which is usual for my normal music collection. I've also got a lot of FLAC tracks for most of my OSTs.

For my other headphones, I was reading the Ultrasone Pro 900 appreciation thread as well as other reviews on it, and I'm sold on those for the audophile/basshead experience. Would those be the best ~500 for that purpose? Are there any others I should look at as well? Do those require being amped? Edit: I've also read into the Bowers & Wilkins P5 and those have had great reviews as well. How do those compare to the Ultrasone?
 
I've got several other questions, but I can't really think of them now. Any feedback would be welcome. I had originally posted in the "Post Here" but, no offense to anybody, didn't really get as good feedback as I've seen standalone threads get.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
The Grados SR80's are not a basshead phone. They're an excellent mid-treble phone. But bass response will likely be lacking if you really want to hear some deep throbbing bass for some of that music you mentioned.
 
I have Ultrasone Pro 900's. They're beasts in the bass department. Very low, tight, mean. Pretty good sound stage too. They swivel on the cups so they're even good for portable phones (yet they're circumaural) and pretty easy to drive, no big amp requirement (though I still amp them and like it). It's definitely a basshead can. The mids are a bit recessed, but I find this true with nearly all basshead cans.
 
I would say start with what you liked, the Grados. Get them from Amazon, make sure the seller is actually Amazon and not a store under Amazon. This way you get the Amazon return policy (which is a full refund, including shipping, no matter the reason on those headphones). Get them. Listen. Don't like them send them back for a full refund with a few clicks of the mouse and try another headphone.
 
Very best,

 

[crinacle]

The Grados work very well for rock music, which is pretty much what you listed. Your current selection is pretty good as it is; the Bose offers very good noise-cancelling abilities, the Grados meld well with your preferred genre of music while the Pro900 shall satisfy any bass cravings you may have in the long run.

 

[SemperMalum]

 
Awesome, thanks for the feedback. I'm definitely going to grab the Grados SR80i, I actually live near a Licensed Dealer (An self appointed Audiophile store. They call themselves one, anyways) for them, listed off the Grado website. See if I can give them a listen first before I buy them. I mean, as much of a basshead as I like to be, I'd still like one set that would offer more of the scope of the music then just the bass.
 
I'm definitely looking forward to grabbing the Pro 900's, too, though I was also reading up on the Bowers & Wilkins P5 as having a good amount of bass. Do they compare with the Pro 900s?

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
I haven't listened to the B&W P5. But I can say at least from a comfort point of view, the B&W P5 will give you sweaty ears and get warm compared to the Ultrasones which won't touch and use cloth pad in the cup instead of a non-cloth material (sheep leather I think I read?). Personally I simply can't use any headphone for any period of time that isn't cloth pad--I don't like the sweaty feeling I get from leather/plastic touching my skin around my ears.
 
Very best,

 

[SemperMalum]

Thanks for the input, MalVeauX. I ended up checking out some other sites, and they reported the sound as being muddy on occasion. Probably not going to risk it, and just stick with the Ultrasones Pro 900. From everything said about them, I'd probably be the happiest with them.

I actually had a chance to test out the SR60i. (SR80i wasn't in stock) Definitely has a good amount of clarity that was different from what I typically hear.
 
Are there any amps I should look for with the SR80i or the Ultrasones Pro 900?

 

[SemperMalum]

 
So, I received my Grado SR80i from Amazon ($110 after shipping. Did 2-day since it was only 5 bucks more) and I've been listening to my music collection from 11:45pm PST to... What time is it now? 6:43 am PST. Needless to say, I'm very happy with my purchase. My mind is blown. These phones are definitely amazing for rock music, with noticeably weak bass. That said, the bass isn't as bad as I was expecting and I can most likely fix that with the Fiio E5 that I just purchased, (I'm looking at the Fiio E11 as a future amp investment... Or the Fiio E7. Or the cmoy.) I could probably even fix it, through my Samsung Vibrant, by getting some of the apps that I've seen recommended on here.
 
So far, though... Just listening to my collection, it's like I've never heard any of the songs before. When I was playing "God Knows" (J-rock Song from an anime), I had what I can only describe as an audiogasm. Playing "Last Dinosaur" from the Pillows, it was the first time I'd ever heard that song with so much clarity (Save for hearing it live when they performed in LA/SF). I eagerly await what the sound will be like once it's matured. I've read up on people doing burn ins, and while I'm tempted, hopefully just having normal/regular use (Which they will) will mirror a similar effect. If it is real.
 
Anyways, just thought I'd share some of my experience with them so far. I've been beyond happy with them, and yet, at the same time, very sad about how my wallet is going to hate me.

Thanks for the feedback on the Grados, I really appreciate it. I look forward to my next purchase of the Ultrasones in the future.

 

[crinacle]

. 
So, I received my Grado SR80i from Amazon ($110 after shipping. Did 2-day since it was only 5 bucks more) and I've been listening to my music collection from 11:45pm PST to... What time is it now? 6:43 am PST. Needless to say, I'm very happy with my purchase. My mind is blown. These phones are definitely amazing for rock music, with noticeably weak bass. That said, the bass isn't as bad as I was expecting and I can most likely fix that with the Fiio E5 that I just purchased, (I'm looking at the Fiio E11 as a future amp investment... Or the Fiio E7. Or the cmoy.) I could probably even fix it, through my Samsung Vibrant, by getting some of the apps that I've seen recommended on here.
 
So far, though... Just listening to my collection, it's like I've never heard any of the songs before. When I was playing "God Knows" (J-rock Song from an anime), I had what I can only describe as an audiogasm. Playing "Last Dinosaur" from the Pillows, it was the first time I'd ever heard that song with so much clarity (Save for hearing it live when they performed in LA/SF). I eagerly await what the sound will be like once it's matured. I've read up on people doing burn ins, and while I'm tempted, hopefully just having normal/regular use (Which they will) will mirror a similar effect. If it is real.
 
Anyways, just thought I'd share some of my experience with them so far. I've been beyond happy with them, and yet, at the same time, very sad about how my wallet is going to hate me.

Thanks for the feedback on the Grados, I really appreciate it. I look forward to my next purchase of the Ultrasones in the future.

Well, Grados may not be a good basshead 'phone, but they sure are the undisputed kings of rock. Congrats on the purchase; nice to know that one more will be able to listen music much better.

Remember, if you ever get the urge to upgrade, Head-Fi will always be here... to make it worse

 

[SemperMalum]

Quote:

Well, Grados may not be a good basshead 'phone, but they sure are the undisputed kings of rock. Congrats on the purchase; nice to know that one more will be able to listen music much better.

Remember, if you ever get the urge to upgrade, Head-Fi will always be here... to make it worse

Your words bring me both happiness and such deep sorrow. Such DEEP sorrow. D:

 

[tomb]

 
Quote:

Your words bring me both happiness and such deep sorrow. Such DEEP sorrow. D:

I don't know where SR80's gained a reputation for not needing an amp - they do!  They just so happen to be bass-shy without an amp.  That's the essential difference between an SR80 and SR60: with a good amp, there's thumping bass, whereas the SR60 sounds pretty much the same.  This was even back in the day when the SR80's were furnished with the regular Grado cup pads, not the flat pads I think are used today.
 
If you go that route, look for an amp that can deliver current, not voltage.  Pairing an SR80 with a classic high-voltage tube amp is not going to do much (unless it's a Dsavitsk/ECP-design), but most anything solid state with a good output buffer, mosfets or the like will make a whale of a difference. 
 
 

 

[ZARIM]

These cans(Pro900, SR80i)are amazing for these genres and if you need more isolation than closed headphones with best possible soundquality then Custom IEMs are the way to go for travel use. But for home use i will recommend to try higher end Grado headphones(SR325i or RS1i) and hook them with good desktop AMPs, this setup will amaze you as well. BTW i will recommend few more closed headphones like ATH_ES10,ESW10, Z1000.

 

[SemperMalum]

Quote:

 

I don't know where SR80's gained a reputation for not needing an amp - they do!  They just so happen to be bass-shy without an amp.  That's the essential difference between an SR80 and SR60: with a good amp, there's thumping bass, whereas the SR60 sounds pretty much the same.  This was even back in the day when the SR80's were furnished with the regular Grado cup pads, not the flat pads I think are used today.
 
If you go that route, look for an amp that can deliver current, not voltage.  Pairing an SR80 with a classic high-voltage tube amp is not going to do much (unless it's a Dsavitsk/ECP-design), but most anything solid state with a good output buffer, mosfets or the like will make a whale of a difference. 
 
 

 
I have just bought the Fiio E5 which should be arriving today in the mail. Are those decent enough? I really didn't do too much research into them because I saw that a lot of people had purchased the SR80i, E5 and a LOD typically in a bundle. Plus, they were cheaply priced and brief reviews stated that they do a good job of providing a substantial boost to bass.

 
Quote:

These cans(Pro900, SR80i)are amazing for these genres and if you need more isolation than closed headphones with best possible soundquality then Custom IEMs are the way to go for travel use. But for home use i will recommend to try higher end Grado headphones(SR325i or RS1i) and hook them with good desktop AMPs, this setup will amaze you as well. BTW i will recommend few more closed headphones like ATH_ES10,ESW10, Z1000.

 
I actually own some Etytomic ER4P, and while I love them to death as a pair of working out IEM, they just feel uncomfortable to me. It's probably because I have weirdly shaped ears, I just can't use them for a prolonged amount of time.

I did look at the other higher end Grados, and might eventually upgrade to those as well. The amount of praise that the M50's received almost made me purchase those instead, but I've been very happy with my SR80i's. I have to say, too, that I love the look of the Grados which is partially my own biased reason for sticking with them.
 
 

 

[SemperMalum]

 
Another update: I got my E5, and BASSSSSSSSSSSS. It's not overpowering, -at all-, but it's more relevant to the exact point that I wanted. I can't even notice any loss of clarity in the mids/highs and everything sounds amazing. I'm sure it would be even better with a better amp, too. I can only imagine.
 
I think I had another audiogasm.

 

[roark37]

 
Quote:

I would say start with what you liked, the Grados. Get them from Amazon, make sure the seller is actually Amazon and not a store under Amazon. This way you get the Amazon return policy (which is a full refund, including shipping, no matter the reason on those headphones). Get them. Listen. Don't like them send them back for a full refund with a few clicks of the mouse and try another headphone.

 
Hi, this is my first post as I just joined.  I went on Amazon but did not see the Grados listed directly by Amazon.  There only seemed options that say "fulfilled by Amazon" is that what you mean and do those qualify for Amazon refund policy?  And is the no questions asked return policy for all headphones purchased from Amazon with no restocking fees?  I did not think that is what their policy says but maybe in practice is what they do as I have heard they have great customer service.  I have used Amazon for other stuff but never had to return anything and I am interested as for most of the headphones I can't demo them in a store beforehand.
 
Thanks.
 
roark37

 

[SemperMalum]

Quote:

 
 
Hi, this is my first post as I just joined.  I went on Amazon but did not see the Grados listed directly by Amazon.  There only seemed options that say "fulfilled by Amazon" is that what you mean and do those qualify for Amazon refund policy?  And is the no questions asked return policy for all headphones purchased from Amazon with no restocking fees?  I did not think that is what their policy says but maybe in practice is what they do as I have heard they have great customer service.  I have used Amazon for other stuff but never had to return anything and I am interested as for most of the headphones I can't demo them in a store beforehand.
 
Thanks.
 
roark37

Sorry for a late response; I'm pretty sure any products purchased through Amazon qualifies for their refund policy, but I believe there might be a restocking fee for them. However, I will say this: Even though it was "Fulfilled by Amazon" product, I bought a set of Sandros Moscolini dress shoes from Amazon.com last year, and found out they were half an inch too big. When I contacted the actual seller, they told me I had to do it through Amazon.com, and once I did, it was a quick process to have it sent back/refunded back to me. If anything, the restocking fee might be 15% which seems pretty standard.
 
You might be better off asking them, though.