[ferday]

i have grado sr80i, RS1i and HE400
 
for trance style EDM (not dubstep stuff with extreme sub bass) the grado are actually very nice with an excellent punchy mid-bass...but the HE400 are just amazing in the bass from sub to upper. the HE400 sounds a little recessed in the midrange (especially compared to the grados which are famously forward in the midrange) which can make it "distant sounding" on certain recordings.
 
long story short, for hip hop and EDM i almost always use my HE400...but i've never heard a headphone that (for me) sounds as good with rock and metal than the grado.  they are both great headphones but nothing at all like each other, which is why for me they make a great combination to have

 

[element23]

maybe grado's would be easier to drive??

 

[rodweb]

  Rodweb: Basically both have their plus & minus. However, could you please describe "distant sounding" on HE400? Thank you! 

 
I mean they don't feel like you're listening on the front row of a show or on the stage like a Grado. They're less energetic, treble is not in your face like a Grado.
 

  maybe grado's would be easier to drive??

 
Grado's are very easy to drive.

 

[TMRaven]

HE-400 has very energetic upper treble, but is the polar opposite of a grado in regards to upper midrange.  Grados are famous/infamous for their very forward upper midrange, which makes it seem like you're right in the front row of an orchestral performance, while the HE-400 has very laid-back upper midrange which makes it seem like you're quite a ways away from a performance in a large hall.  

 

[sragoowanshi]

Thank you all for the suggestions! 
 
I've ordered the HE400 after a lot of consideration..and now I cant afford anything else  
 
a DX50, B&W P3 (portable use) & HE400 = break the bank! 

 

[rodweb]

  Thank you all for the suggestions! 
 
I've ordered the HE400 after a lot of consideration..and now I cant afford anything else  
 
a DX50, B&W P3 (portable use) & HE400 = break the bank! 

They're not kidding when they say "Welcome to Head-Fi, Sorry about your wallet!" 

 

 

[PETEREK]

  They're not kidding when they say "Welcome to Head-Fi, Sorry about your wallet!" 

 

Definitely not.

 

[sragoowanshi]

haha, thankfully i cant yet tell the difference between dx50 & other more expensive / a few cheaper DAPs/DACs. I imagine this gets more expensive from here! 

 

[PhonicFidelity]

Ughh.. this is a perfect exemplification as to why sound is incredibly subjective.. I own a lot of headphones, VModa M100s, Fidelio X2s, M Audi oQ 40s, Sony XB 950BTs, Sony XB 500s, all bass heavy headphones. And, believe it or not, my $100 Grados are by far my absolute favorite to listen to trance with.. yet people say constantly that they "wouldn't recommend Grados for EDM or dance music because the low end is weak." I find that when equalized and amped, the Grados produce a fantastic mid-bass and putting on ANY of my bass-heavy headphones for my favorite trance tracks and podcasts after listening with my Grado SR80es is a no go, I can't deal with the clarity and soundstage loss, I don't care how much more bass I'm getting. So, in the end my experience directly contradicts what everyone says about Grado headphones, they are my FAVORITE for trance music over my bassiest of headphones.. what do you know? Sound is SUBJECTIVE