[goober-george]

I find my head-fi journey a bit frustrating so far. It's not that I haven't listened to good headphones, but nothing has made my jaw drop yet, or made me truly impressed. A lot of this is due to the fact that my headphone experience is quite limited, so I've sold all my headphones so that it can go toward one really nice headphone and I'm hoping it gets much, much better then what I've listened to so far.

The headphones I've owned are Grado SR-60s, JVC HA-RX 900s, and Sennheiser HD-595.

The Grado SR-60s I liked, for its engaging sound signature but at times found it a slightly too forward. JVC HA-RX 900s I liked quite a bit but, sounded a little resonant, and I missed the airy quality of the Grados. Sennheiser HD-595s, sounded a little thin and empty, but had a decent neutral sound.

Here are the stand out qualities I am looking for in a headphone.
Airy
Resolving
Engaging/Fun
Mids
Highs

Headphones I am considering (prefer an open headphone) Budget:$250
Beyerdynamic DT-880/990
Grado SR-225/325i
AKG K240 (Sextetts)
Sennheiser HD-580/600
Denon D-2000
ATH A-700
Stax?? Orthos??

Music I enjoy listening to:
Tom Petty
John Frusciante
Fugazi
The Mars Volta
Portugal the Man
Glassjaw
Talking Heads
Modest Mouse
Neutral Milk Hotel
Minus the Bear
Hot Hot Heat
A bit of random hip-hop/rap/jazz/techno (15% of my listening experience)

At the moment the source will be a Sony D-15, and in the future will buy a Starving Student amp. So yeah, sorry for this long post, but I'm hoping for this headphone to last me a long time.

 

[doping panda]

Okay, I think you should scratch off the Sextetts off your list. I love mine, but I don't think they're very airy especially since the other cans I have on my head most of the time are K500s. The highs on Sextetts do not extend far and do not have that much sparkle.

The Sennheiser HD580/HD600 are very good and pretty neutral. It's fairly airy, but not as much as my K500 or my RS1. Their highs are a bit rolled off, but I find that makes them a non-fatiguing can that I can listen to for long periods of time. However, I'm very sensitive to lower treble myself.

I think a Grado would do you some good. The only Grado I have experience with is the RS1 and that's a bit out of your price range, but I find it to sound exactly like what you're looking for. It's airy, engaging, and fun and it has nice mids and highs. However, I find them a bit too fatiguing because of the bit of lower treble emphasis.

I can't comment on any of the other ones since I haven't listened to them. However, it might be worth looking into the Audio-technica AD700 or the AD900. From the impressions of other members, they sound like they would fit your criteria.

 

[cbk9811]

Northern light & sound has a used gear section and great deals to be had.
Good luck!!!!

 

[lutwey]

go with the senns or the metalic grados. these are the cans that assured me my cash went somewhere.

 

[nullstring]

This is all from what I've read... but:

I think the DT880's would suit you well... hitting all of the elements on your list

The HD580/600's are a good choice.. but they are also laid back..

It might be a good idea to consider the getting a really cheap and used HD580 from the FS forum.

 

[shirtaspants]

Airy, resolving, mids, and highs describes lower-end Stax well I think, based on my brief flirtation with them. If you poke around you may find recommendations for good vintage, used Stax in your price range. It would certainly present the greatest divergence from your experience so far.

 

[doping panda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nullstring /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is all from what I've read... but: I think the DT880's would suit you well... hitting all of the elements on your list The HD580/600's are a good choice.. but they are also laid back.. It might be a good idea to consider the getting a really cheap and used HD580 from the FS forum.

Going used is a smart option money wise. You can find some really great deals on used gear. If you choose to get an AD700, used HD580, or used SR225, you can a little money left over to get an amp or a source upgrade.

 

[moonboy403]

If you already have a speaker amp/receiver, you definitely wanna go with Stax SR-Lambda and adaptor for around $300.

The price/performance ratio of that combo is off the chart.

 

[charliex]

Go for a used Senn HD580 and put some dollars to a good amp such as the LD MK 111 (which you may also find used here on head-fi)

 

[rottencupcakes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by doping panda /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think a Grado would do you some good. The only Grado I have experience with is the RS1 and that's a bit out of your price range, but I find it to sound exactly like what you're looking for. It's airy, engaging, and fun and it has nice mids and highs. However, I find them a bit too fatiguing because of the bit of lower treble emphasis.

I completely agree. Based on what music you're listening to and your interest in engaging/fun headphones with solid mids, a set of the Grado's is exactly what you want.

First post, btw.

 

[glac1er]

Based on that list, DT880 will be my top recommendation, it has the most if not all the characteristics you want and will do very well with your music.

HD580/600 is good too, but unamped they might sound too close to your HD595. Try something other than Grado, if SR60 is too forward for you, SR225/325i might very well be. D2000 isn't particularly airy or resolving. A700 is simply not in the same level as others, AD700 is good but I personally rank it lower to some other cans in your list. Stax is good but is hard to come by cheap (the SR202 sounds excellent to my ears). Haven't tried the Sextetts and Orthos.

 

[insyte]

Quote:

Airy Resolving Engaging/Fun Mids Highs

Sounds like a Grado

 

[elnero]

I'd suggest looking at the Alessandro MS2i's.

 

[Zorander]

Ditto on the DT-880 recommendation (though I wouldn't scratch the Sextett off the list just yet).

 

[goober-george]

This description of the DT-990 seemed interesting to me. However, I'm a bit scared of what I've been reading. I've read that the DT-990s sound like headphones with trebled EQed all the way up.

"The reduced weight of the diaphragm and moving coil result in a similar pulse characteristic as electrostatic headphones, and in combination with a carefully tailored frequency response offer a natural and balanced sound. "