[Meyvn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure Yeah, trying out different headphones/making side-steps would be the wisest thing to do at this stage, IMO. It's most important to find the type of sound you like first, then you can focus on actually upgrading. I'm a big electronica buff as well. What's your budget? I was pleasantly surprised at how well the SAx000 series and my STAX handled electronica. Note that these 2 headphones won't have nearly as much visceral bass impact/sludge as your Senns, and you'll probably find the SAx000 series too bright with your source (The D2C is rather bright; SA5k + D2C = VERY FATIGUING!). If I was in your situation I'd try the following: 1. Grados 2. SAx000 series or some electrostats (STAX) 3. Maybe some Beyers (DT880?) or Audio-Technicas (A900(LTD)? ADx000?)? I think something like this would you give you a decent footing into different sound signatures and would give you enough info to point you in the right direction as far as what kind of sound you're really looking for. Note, however, that you are using a rather bright source (So take that into consideration when sampling other headphones. For example, if you find the SAx000 series too bright, you may consider if they'd be better if you used a warmer amp/source, such as a tube-based device).

If he considers the KSC75's highs harsh, he shouldn't even CONSIDER any of the Grado or SAx000 series Sonys. Stax-wise, the Omega II maybe. With tubes. I can't personally imagine finding the KSC75's highs remotely harsh, but if I were the OP, I'd go for the HD650, and one of those Eddie Current amps.

 

[Zenja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0matic Hmm, would I be correct in assuming that pairing a bright source with a brighter headphone is usually not a good idea? I defintely want to give some Grado's a shot, but it feels that I may need a new source before spring for a pair. This may be the case too with electrostatics. That said, Audio Technica's or some Beyerdynamic's may be something I'd be interested in, while sticking with my Zhaolu source. Cyrilix, I see you have a Zhaolu as well. Does it synergize well with the A900 LTD's? What does the Zhaolu's brightness do to cans like these? I am under the impression that the A900 and Beyerdynamic DT-770/880 have a bit more bass emphasis than, say the 595's. Would the 2 brands (A900 & DT-770/880) be comparable in any sense? Or what would be the major differences between them? I'm looking to spend in the same vicinity that I spent on my 595's ($160 shipped) but looking at a few prices for these headphones, that may not be enough . Regardless I suppose it's good to look at things in advance, so I could do additional research and what not.

If you're not afraid of equalizing then I don't think it's such a bad idea. I'm using a D2A with SA5000 and after equalizing it's perfectly fine. If you could get something less bright without sacrificing other things, then it could be a good idea, but personally I don't think if it's a big deal as equalizers can fix things like this. I don't know how you really feel about "brightness" but if you don't like it then I'd be more worried about not picking bright headphones. Also I don't think spending $160 again is a good idea. Wait until you can afford to spend about $300. And don't underestimate the Zhaolu and its amp to drive headphones in that range.

 

[scottiebabie]

a possible cheap but huge upgrade would be to do a recabling with a good budget cable IMO. i had a wonderfull experience upgrading to the mogami neglex. the HD600 improve substantially everywhich way. should be a fairly cheap proposition if u DIY.

 

[El Condor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottiebabie the 4DC output caps. huge improvement in sound. i oso rolled my opamps from 2604 to opa2107s. toned the highs juz a tad and extended the bottom end.

Cool! I'll keep this in mind. I'm planning on getting the Zhaolu 2.5C with discrete amp upgrade soon. ifiaudio is out of the amp upgrade. They should be getting some next week. Gotta wait doh!!!!

 

[scottiebabie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Condor Cool! I'll keep this in mind. I'm planning on getting the Zhaolu 2.5C with discrete amp upgrade soon. ifiaudio is out of the amp upgrade. They should be getting some next week. Gotta wait doh!!!!

good for u! Zhaolu's discrete headamp upgrade's gotta be the best bang for the buck in headfidom IMO. it can drive most cans (dont know about the K1k

) and drive em very decently2. im sure u'l love them.

ps:i read in a thread (dont quite remember by whom) that zhaolu discrete is equivalent to the corda headfive/aria atleast. not bad for a lousy 50 buckaroos!

 

[El Condor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottiebabie good for u! Zhaolu's discrete headamp upgrade's gotta be the best bang for the buck in headfidom IMO. it can drive most cans (dont know about the K1k ) and drive em very decently2. im sure u'l love them. ps:i read in a thread (dont quite remember by whom) that zhaolu discrete is equivalent to the corda headfive/aria atleast. not bad for a lousy 50 buckaroos!

Sweet! I can't wait to get it! Have to wait a week. (too long)

 

[s0matic]

It's been a little bit over 2 months since I posted this topic, that I almost forgot about it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you are content, I don't see any reason to change. The old saying really is true. You know which one

Hehe, I definitely felt this way for the past months...that is, until Christmas rolled around...
Now I have slightly more pocket money to spend

Quote:

Originally Posted by fwojciec /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you removed the output caps in your Zhaolu yet? If you haven't then this should be no.1 item on your "what's next?" list. It significantly improves the sound of Zhaolu - not a subtle change at all.

Not yet unfortunately. I don't trust my skill with a soldering iron enough to do it myself, though. Possibly I could get a friend to do it, or someone close with some electronics experience.


Quote:

Originally Posted by scottiebabie /img/forum/go_quote.gif ps:the cheapie ksc75 sounds insane on my D2 discrete amp. try bending the ear clips to fit as close to your ears as possible. for me, this simple mod improved bass quality and toned down the highs without muffling details

Wow, you are right. It definitely makes a big difference. The KSC-75 is no longer harsh, and its liveliness is even more apparent.


Quote:

Originally Posted by facelvega /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think what makes sense now would be not necessarily to upgrade to electrostats, but to try some very different sound signatures to better learn where your preferences lie. Now is a good time to do that, with K501s on fire sale for $99. I'm sure you've read on the forums some accounts of what they sound like. To get something on the other side of the spectrum, how about a Koss A250 or Grado SR-225: punchy, bright, fast, and foot-tapping headphones.

Now that I have discovered the secret to the KSC-75, I think I may actually not mind trying out the SR-225. If I'm not mistaken, they grasp the ears quite firmly right? I'm guessing this is how it copes with the harshness in someway. The only thing holding me back from trying them would be their comfort-level, since they are known for being not the most comfortable headphones around.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Meyvn /img/forum/go_quote.gif If he considers the KSC75's highs harsh, he shouldn't even CONSIDER any of the Grado or SAx000 series Sonys. Stax-wise, the Omega II maybe. With tubes. I can't personally imagine finding the KSC75's highs remotely harsh, but if I were the OP, I'd go for the HD650, and one of those Eddie Current amps.

The 650 are probably the pair of cans that would satisfy my ultimate need in the bass department, so I'm hoping that's the end of the roadmap for that spectrum of sound (warm/dark?)

 

[Davesrose]

Wow! I've really tried a lot of stuff since this old thread! I can now say with authority that Grado would suck the big one for any trance or electronica genres. They're great for hard rock or something that you need detail with metal strings or drums....but something with natural bass slam....that's Sennheiser. And yes, the HD650 definitely has more bass slam then the 595. If you're running it out of a Zhaolu, I think it may have enough detail to be enjoyable.

 

[s0matic]

If my Zhaolu can drive the 650 well, I may well and just forgo the 580's and jump ship directly

So I guess it's just a decision between the HD-650 and the SR-225 now...

 

[Davesrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by s0matic /img/forum/go_quote.gif If my Zhaolu can drive the 650 well, I may well and just forgo the 580's and jump ship directly So I guess it's just a decision between the HD-650 and the SR-225 now...

Well since you like the 595, I think the 650 is a bigger change then the 580....since it's the one with more bass. Especially if your preferences are electronica, definitely chose it over the SR225.....if you were into hard rock or metal, then I'd say try the 225. But the 225 is more transparent and bass light then the 595, so you might find it too bright with the Zhaolu.

 

[s0matic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davesrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well since you like the 595, I think the 650 is a bigger change then the 580....since it's the one with more bass. Especially if your preferences are electronica, definitely chose it over the SR225.....if you were into hard rock or metal, then I'd say try the 225. But the 225 is more transparent and bass light then the 595, so you might find it too bright with the Zhaolu.

I actually switch around the genre's quite a bit. It seems though that I find myself enjoying my Drum and bass more since the 595 can reproduce it fairly well, rather than spending more time on the rock/metal library I have.

I'm currently listening to a Drum and bass mix by Rawtekk quite a bit as of late (and a very good one at that.) The mix is freely downloadable off his official site.
There's a bassline that kicks in at around 2 minutes of the first track. Straight out of the 595's, it sounds well balanced.
Assuming that the 650's handle it with more definite impact, yet without making the bass too muddy, nor overpowering, I think I would DEFINITELY not give the 650's another shred of a doubt.

Also, I've read around that the SR-225's treble is less pronounced than the 325i, making it less "harsh." Therefore the SR-225's forte is centered around the mid-range, making it well suited to guitars especially with distortion. So I'm hoping that particular can would be a good enough transition for me into "Grado" territory.

I just wish I had audiophile friends that I could demo a pair of Grados from

 

[Davesrose]

I've got the 325i because it's the most unlike the HD650. But now that I have an expensive setup with the 650, it has enough impact for metal even!!! I may not be sensitive to treble the way it seems that some head-fiers are. I actually don't find the 325i too harsh. It seems that it has extra mid treble detail: so if I want something extremely fast or analytical it's good to have. But yep, Grado in general is bad for bass drum slam. In your case, HD650 seems like the headphone to shoot for....especially on a bright, fast system....it's not going to get muddy.

One thing that I noticed when working on my system was that the 595 can get pretty fast and aggressive too. It really is a good general all rounder for rock.