I find the noise isolation on these to be pretty good. Not great, but certainly good enough to use in the office.   When I first started listening to the P7, something about the midrange didn't sound quite right. But the more I listen, the more I think these are really fantastic headphones...

I've done some reading on here about possible amps for the Pro 750, as I have them also and am looking for a good amp. The Predator from Ray Samuels Audio got high marks. Of course, it's a pretty pricey amp. I think there is a thread on here somewhere comparing the Pico to the Predator, and the...

I'm just going to be doing 2 channel from the computer. I have an older Onkyo receiver (Integra TX-870) paired with some even older Ohm L series speakers. I also have a Yamaha home theater receiver (HTR-5860) for multichannel with Athena floorstanders, bookshelves, center channel and a Hsu sub...

Could I use a portable dac/amp to feed my home rig? I have a MacBook that I want to use with a dac to play through my home amp and speakers. Would a portable dac with a line out, such as the ibasso d10, work with this setup? I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone by purchasing something...

When I've done comparisons to see if I can tell the difference, I can't. But sometimes I'll be listening to something lossy and I'll be unhappy with the sound, and because I know it's lossy, I think that lossless would sound better. In fact, it's probably just a combination of the recording and...

I use it sometimes. Most of their stuff is encoded at 192. It's a nice way to get a lot of music relatively cheaply, but in terms of sound quality, you're definitely paying the price. I just use it to keep up with what's new.

I'll admit, I didn't give the 780s enough burn in time. I'd love to hear how they sound properly burned in with a recable.

I also prefer closed cans so as to not wake the kids or bother the wife while she's watching TV. I have a pair of ATH-A900s. They're definitely not bright, but not terribly warm either. They're super comfortable, but also huge and not terribly involving. I just upgraded to ULtrasone Pro 750s. I...

"Me and Mr. Jones" and Tears Dry on Their Own" are both brilliant songs on the Winehouse album. I guess we can look forward to a slew of unreleased demos and live tracks when she's dead in a couple of years. You know somebody is holding onto that stuff in a heavily fortified warehouse somewhere...

It's a shame the Amy Winehouse album is mastered so poorly. There are some really great tunes on it, and she is (was) a huge talent. But that album is impossible to listen to for more than three or four songs. I'll second recommendations for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings--they record using...

While this is all good advice, if I were you, I would start with just the headphones and worry about DACs and amps later. Figure out what kind of sound signature you like, settle on the cans, and go from there. Like you, I don't have that much experience with all this, but different headphones...

Thanks to everybody for the advice. That gives me a few more things to research and a little more direction. Isn't it fun shopping for yourself around the holidays?

I'm planning on going digital with my home rig. I am about to buy a laptop and will be using my old PC for music via SB3 and iTunes or Foobar. I plan on getting a 500gb external hard drive. Any recommendations? Seagate apparently runs quiet. But their 500g model uses USB 2.0, which my...

I travel with mine occasionally, so they get tossed into my luggage. The only problem I've had is that one of the little clips that presses down on your head keeps coming off. It snaps back on fairly easily, but it's a pain when I have to keep rummaging through my bag to find it. Amazing I...

Quote: Originally Posted by Assorted For less than $100, I think a DAP is more suited for your purpose. Yeah, I'm starting to think about trying a new DAP like the Zune or Sony A818. Maybe I can score an old Sony CDP on the cheap from craigslist or a friend who has one sitting in...

Quote: Originally Posted by jcx seems unlikely that a sub $100 portable CD player will get close to any iPod DAC technical performance and portable CD players usually have much worse s/n and jitter Are you referring to an offboard DAC? While I don't doubt that would transcend a...

I've been using a 4G ipod for several years now, and I've always been relatively happy with it. But now that I've invested in some Grado SR225s, I'm interested in improving my portable source. I've looked at other DAPs, but I think for my purposes a portable CD player would work well. That's...

There are so many variables at play in this debate: the quality of the recording, the source, storage capacity, your cans, amp, cables, etc. If I'm spending big bucks on really nice equipment, I'm probably going to go lossless as much as possible. But at my current modest levels of spending...

You would think so, but they don't. I believe all the models below the 225 in the product line do come with an adapter. I guess they figure anybody spending $200 or more on cans would never use a portable device.

If you buy the Grado adapter it will add more length to your cable. Their adapter has about 6 inches of cable on it. But it doesn't make it any bulkier.

You would need to get an 1/8" adapter as the 225s don't come with one. You either go the Radio Shack route for about $5 or buy the Grado adapter. If you plan on amping them get the Grado. Their adapter casing is slimmer and works better when you're dealing with small portable amps where the...

I have a pair of Audio Technica A900s. They're far from portable, as they're quite large. But they are closed and sound very good in my opinion. They don't require an amp, nor will they benefit much at all from one. I find them extremely comfortable. The aren't bass heavy, so it sounds like they...

I agree. 225s sound amazing. Just recently got a pair, and even though they're very fatiguing I'm addicted to the sound. Trying to burn mine in and listen at lower volumes and hopefully my ears will adjust. Sounds like a lot of work, but it's worth it. I'm hooked on the Grado signature. And...

I just got a pair of the 595s, and I was very disappointed. I was looking for something less harsh than my Grado 225s, but after Grados, the 595s sound muddy and veiled. Although I've never heard them, I've read a lot of posts here that say the 555s are better, especially given that they're...