[Uncle Erik]

You're making things too difficult on yourself, OP.

Just go ahead and buy one of the better loved models and give it a shot. Preferably, buy used. That way you'll get your money back out if you decide to sell.

The models I recommend are the Grado SR-60 and the Sennheiser HD-600. Both are very well known by members and loved by a great many. Simply get the one tha appeals to you and listen. There's no way to know in advance whether you will like it, no matter how many reviews you read or opinions you get.

If you love them, great. If not, sell and try something else. All experienced members have heard or owned the SR-60 and HD-600, so if you liked X on one and want more, you'll get great recommendations. If you think Y is lacking, you'll get great recommendations.

Keep in mind that people don't usually stick with their first pair of headphones. They always branch out, try other stuff, their tastes change, and they end up somewhere they don't expect. I don't have my first good pair any longer and you probably won't either a few years on. Which is OK, that's part of the process.

So stop fretting and get busy ordering. There's a lot of music you need to listen to.

 

[Palpatine]

Second the recommendation to buy used from a nice head-fier.
enjoy the ride.

 

[catscratch]

If you can't make up your mind about headphones, how are you going to make up your mind about things where the consequences really matter?

Just buy something, and if you like it, great, if you don't like it, sell it and move on. If you buy used, you end up losing little if anything in the long run, as long as you treat your gear well, sell responsibly and don't buy from shady people.

It really doesn't have to be that complicated.

Also, you do have to understand that most high-end headphones are not meant to stand alone - you're not going to buy a very resolving, hard-to-drive headphone and just plug it into anything. High-end gear is meant to be used as part of a high-end system, and as much as we like to debate about it all being a matter of opinion the science behind that need is sound. Integraded soundcards have neither the power nor the quality that these kinds of headphones need. So getting something that absolutely needs an amp and then not getting the amp or expecting it to perform at its fullest unamped is wishful thinking. But you do have a lot of pretty solid choices that can do well with modest sources, and you can start out with these and then move on to something that needs power when you're ready.

Enjoy the ride, and the journey is just as important as the destination (that uses up my cliche quota for the day I think). It takes a while to know your sonic preferences, and often you end up preferring gear that's quite different from what you liked when you started out. So, don't be afraid to go through the whole process of owning and swapping lots of gear. It's neither hard nor complicated, and in the end you'll appreciate music more and learn a bit about yourself, too.

 

[grawk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head-Head /img/forum/go_quote.gif So why own four pair of phones when its only minutia between them & even that's blown out of proportion?

I own way more than 4 pairs...

The grados I own because they're matched serial numbers, so I should sell them as a set, and no one has made me an offer yet.

I own 3 pairs of iems, mostly because it's not worth the trouble to sell them.

I own the JH13s, because they're wonderful.

I own the MDR-V6s because they were how I got started

But just because it's minutia doesn't mean it's not worth doing, it's just not worth stressing over. If you like it, and can afford it, buy it. If not, just pick something and don't worry about it. If you end up not liking it, sell it and try again.

You don't end up a moderator on one headphone forum and admin on another by being rational.

 

[Head-Head]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif But just because it's minutia doesn't mean it's not worth doing, it's just not worth stressing over. If you like it, and can afford it, buy it. If not, just pick something and don't worry about it. If you end up not liking it, sell it and try again.

That post, ^^^, should be helpful too the OP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif You don't end up a moderator on one headphone forum and admin on another by being rational.

You said it; not me!

Great forum hear (ha, ha); just got my system (minus upgrade cancable) singing yesterday!
Sure enjoyed the experience w/the help from this very "heads" up forum.

 

[Ypoknons]

Some really good stuff in this thread, there's a lot of new people coming in with the preconceptions that:

1) That there is "one true headphone" that is "right for me" that can be found through research on the internet without auditioning a variety of 'phones and setups, and/or

2) Headphones should be portable, and I want "the best" (as compared to a Dr. Dre or Bose) so I will get a HD650 and hook them to a laptop or iPod.

2 is dealt with by the FAQ; 1 not so much. Quite problematic, I see a lot of such threads.

 

[charliex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head-Head /img/forum/go_quote.gif So why own four pair of phones when its only minutia between them & even that's blown out of proportion?

I just wish I had a stable of concubines to match my caboodle of cans.

 

[Mad Max]

I thought:

"That there is [possibly] 'one [or more] headphone(s)' [that are more or less] 'right for me' that can be found through research on the internet without auditioning a variety of 'phones and setups..."

I'd say I wasn't that far off. A few mild disappointments, a few wonderful surprises, very wonderful.

 

[swbf2cheater]

Its so hard because nobody has yet to make a perfect set that is affordable and sounds great. There is ALWAYS something missing.


Hi-fi headphones should NEVER have long cords. Grado and sennheiser need to shape up and start thinking more about their headphones. There is no reason for a headphone that isnt a monitor set to have such a long non replaceable cord. They should all come with an adapter so you can then use another cord to reach your equipment.

Some headphones have large cans, some are lacking bass. Small range in frenquency response doesnt mean that its lacking bass. My Grado 225i has a 20-22k or something like that, but its got very nice bass. It doesnt mean what people think it does. But yes I agree there is always something missing and something lacking on every set. Something to gripe about that others dont like but you may enjoy or vice versa

ohhhh if i had a few million to invest in R&D for my own headphone brand, Id outsell sennheiser and Grado 100:1

 

[NoobAudio]

Thank you for your replies and opinions, in my area we don't have any 'meets' i live in the UK so i don't think i will be able to try that.

My previous headphones were IEM's, these included Sennheiser IE8, Ultimate ears triple fi 10 they were fitment issues so i though full size headphones would give me a better fit.

I have taken the plunge to buying the Ultrasone 2500 hows that for difference lol

 

[pistolsnipe]

the reason that you think finding a headphone is hard is because you are under the false illusion that you will only be buying one

 

[Deep Funk]

You need at least two, the rest follows as you acquire a taste for the sound of music.

 

[rds]

nothing is perfect

 

[gav007]

because everyone is different

 

[earerror]

There are not perfect cans...and every head is a world...so you will always see differences between.