[pevsfreedom]

i'm looking to buy some headphones for just sitting on the couch listening to my classic rock vinyl records
an example of what i like :
hendrix
pink floyd
led zeppelin
blues rock (albert king/bb king)
 
pretty much everything from 1967 thru 1973.
 
what viable choices am I looking at for that?
 
i've read that the grado 225's are pretty nice for this type of music.
but i've also heard about the HD598's and HD600's as well - although I've nearly heard they are "good headphones" and havn't heard much about how they sound with classic rock.
 
I want something decently comfortable which is why I'm a little worried about the grado's. I'd only really be listening for 2 hours at max however. I like loud screaming guitar and decent bass. I love listening to the bass line from Lemon Song if that's a good example of what I'm talking about.
 
which would you humble folks recommend? my budget's about $180-250, which the two headphones in the title fall under.
 
-> also, with the 600's, I'm assuming I'd need a headphone amp? what about the 598's? That would probably push me over my budget. Would my Onkyo A/V home receiver act as an amplifier in this instance if I just plugged my headphone cable into the front of it? I think the 225's would be my best bet, but I don't want something terribly itchy to my ears.
 
I'm by no means an audiophile, I just want some good headphones to appreciate my classic vinyls with.
 
thanks

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Your Onkyo would be sufficient for most headphones, so you're good to go there if you're using it with your turn table.
 
Headphones I'd suggest for classic rock and vinyls:
 
Beyer DT880 250ohm (may be a little on the analytical/bright side for a vinyl, so unless you have a very good turn table there may be some clicks & popes from your needle that are annoying)
Audio Technica AD900 (mids, mids, mids, great for what you're after, very comfortable and light, but an ugly color if that matters)
AKG Q701 (amazing sound stage, great mids, warmish, fantastic for your use, and sexy black, white or some ugly green color, your choice, highly recommended for what you're after)
Sennheiser HD650 (dim treble, actually makes listening to vinyls great because it takes the edge of the wear of a needle and reduces fatigue from the popping of flawed records and aging needles, great for your genres)
Denon D2000 (comfortable, great for everything, a smooth listen, with a little sparkle, closed back for a little privacy)
 
Overall, I'd probably go Q701 or HD650 on this one.
 
Very best,
 

 

[pevsfreedom]

it's just a stock audio technica turntable
i'm planning on upgrading the cartridge and stulyus in due time however!
 
no opinion of the 225's?
i'm checking all of your choices out now, thanks

 

[lejaz]

Can't go wrong with the hd600....the way they do the Beatles is close to perfection, imo. I think you can get an O2 amp built for under $150. Without the amp you supposedly can get close to the hd600 sound with the Fischer 003/Brainwavz hm5 which are easy to drive....and way less money as well, FWIR.

 

[pevsfreedom]

the akg 701's look decent
650's definitely a little pricey.

 

[pevsfreedom]

i understand what you mean about the beatles
but my true love lies in hendrix and pink floyd
the louder the guitar solo's in Time and Money
the better.
the beatles are kinda quiet compared to what I'm looking for I guess
but I still love them

 

[lejaz]

I listen to mostly vocal oriented rock.... can't comment on them with blues rock even though I used to be a blues fanatic when I was young.  IMO the hd580(same drivers as 600) does classic rock much better than the k70X....haven't heard the 'Q' version. If you like good bass and a bit of warmth in your music the senns are the way to go, imo. 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

it's just a stock audio technica turntable
i'm planning on upgrading the cartridge and stulyus in due time however!
 
no opinion of the 225's?
i'm checking all of your choices out now, thanks

I have three Grados. They sound great. But they're a pain in the ear to wear for very long. I can muster an hour or two, but eventually it just hurts, especially with my glasses on. The pain is from it pushing on my ear lobes onto the rim of my glasses. The sound is great through, plenty of attack, all the mids you can handle, very bright and forward.
 
I too have an Audio Technica turntable, a base model, very inexpensive, going to my Onkyo receiver as well. I found it to be difficult to listen to on headphones personally because all I could focus on was hearing the stylus scratching around, popping of the record, etc, and the headphones just brought that flaw out so well that it was part of the music and I really didn't like it. Some people love that. I didn't. Through speakers, I don't hear that, but on headphones, I definitely do. So keep that in mind if you've not listened to records on a headphone before. It may not be the experience you're looking for.
 

 
And on the subject of the AKG, look at the Q701 over the K701. They're different.
 
Very best,
 

 

[pevsfreedom]

intersting what you say about listening on headphone vs speaker
i can definitely hear the popping/whatever on speakers
i like it
but i don't know how much the headphones would 'amplify' that.
thanks for the comments about the grados

 

[pevsfreedom]

yeah i have the same turntable

 

[pevsfreedom]

so right now im in a tossup between the akgs grados and hd6's

 

[prayer86]

This is not personal experience (so take this with a grain of salt), but my friend has the 225i and LOVES pairing it with vinyl. Grados in general do rock very well (I have the 60s and can attest to that), so if the records are clean it should be a great pairing.

 

[dunpeal]

Haha i have the same turntable and i do that at least one night a week, sit right next to my records with a single malt. It used to be the HD 600 until i traded them for some woodie sr225i, i dont think you'll go wrong with either. The senns were more comfortable but i  think i prefer the grados.

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

Grado's sound amazing with vinyl. I have the 225i's, and they bring music to life!
With that said, their in-your-face-energy does get quite fatiguing for me after some time, and I often find myself switching to a different set of cans after a while.
I enjoy them as a complementary headphone, but I couldn't deal with them if they were my only set (but I have headphones on my head for 5-6 hours each day, so....)
 
Also, the stock pads are painful to me. I used to get a sharp pain on the top part of my ear after 20 minutes or so, to the point where I had to remove them.
There are several alternative pads you can use (which do change the Grado sound, however), one of the most popular being the HD 414 yellow pads, with a hole cut in them reversed (search 'reverse quarter mod'). I didn't care to much for these and ended up buying 'headphile c-pads' (which are Beyer DT990 pads customized to fit) for an extra ~$100 used. Now they are pretty comfortable, and no pain. So there are some options if you want to go 225i.
 
 
On the other hand, I also have the HD 600's, and they are my favorite headphone. I always come back to these, and usually end my nights with them on my head. They are comfortable, and so easy to listen to. I could leave them on for hours and hours, they don't become fatiguing to me at all. They are an excellent all rounder. Yet, I don't know where you could find them between $180-250 (unless used).
 
If you only listen to vinyl, I honestly couldn't suggest any other set of cans than the Grado's, but you might be itching to get a more relaxing pair as well - sooner rather than later.
If you can get the HD 600 at a good price, then consider Grado 80i's @ $100 and have them both...... best thing to do is to demo these options, and see for yourself.

 

[pevsfreedom]

anyone have experience on the AKG's?
i was looking at the hd600's and found them 240 used
now they're gone (haha) 290 is cheapest i can find now