[josh files]

Hello,

I'm about to come into some money soon, and with that money I would like to upgrade my headphones & related gear. What I have at the moment is an iPod 4th gen, thats all, no amp nor headphones. On my iPod, I will be listening to Trance, Metal, Rock and Hip Hop. Should I spend my $250 on an Amp + Headphones? Just some headphones? This will be my 1st good pair of headphones, and I don't want to make a bad choice. Thanks, Head-Fi!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Get yourself a nice pair of Grado SR-225s. They run around $200 new, and Todd (TTVJ) will give you a $10 coupon for your first purchase. If you haven't heard good headphones before, these should blow the socks off your feet.

For the remaining $50, you could get a decent CMOY, PA2V2, or similar portable amp. At the least, get the headphones and try them out first. If you want more power, get an amp.

 

[josh files]

The problem is that I don't believe you can ship Grados out of the country, and Grados are terribly overpriced here in New Zealand, running at $300 US For a 225. Plus I was looking for something a bit more comfortable than the Grados.

 

[nabwong]

Buy used then. Wait for the right one to come along. This should save you even more for a good amp.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Audio Technica's A900 is among the best of unamped, mid-priced headphones. And they're buttloads more comfortable than any Grado.

 

[sigmatron]

koss pro4aat or sony sa1000 or senn hd280pro

 

[josh files]

Hmm. Prehaps I should of been a bit more descriptive in my original post. On Trademe, a New Zealands biggest 2nd hand good site (1/4 of NZ's population has membership on it) theres only been 1 2nd hand Grado sold in the last 2 months. And I am going to wear these headphones everywhere, that includes outside, so I think the A900s are a bit too big. I haven't heard of any of the headphones in sigmatrons post, would you mind to expand on them sigmatron?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Josh- you belong to a much better place to find used Grados: Head-Fi. Keep your eye on the For Sale forum and you'll get what you want. It might also help to post a WTB message there, as well. Someone might contact you with a nice pair.

If not here, keep an eye on eBay and Audiogon. In fact, there's a SR-225 pair going for $135 right now.

As for Grado comfort, there's much you can do. Simply washing the bowls with soap and water makes a huge difference. I held back on buying a pair fearing discomfort. But the bowls weren't bad at all. After washing, they dramatically improved, too. If that doesn't do the trick, you can always buy the flats or comfies. Most seem happy with those.

Still, I think you'd be best off with a Grado. They seem like they would fit your music profile better.