A good/affordable "heavy-metal" headphone?
Jul 8, 2020 at 4:21 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 22
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headpmaniac

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Hi all!

I bought on sale a Marshall Major III headphones (wired). They sound good (to me), but I was wondering the following...

I listen to a lot o metal, mainly late 80s/early 90s thrash metal (width that scooped palm muted guitar riffs - think Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, etc.), death metal, doom metal, etc.

The Marshall's are doing great but I have not compared them with others so I don't now what I'm missing, if anything..., and I was wondering if there's a more satisfiing good/affordable (below 200€) headphones that are considered good for "metal", better than the Major III's.

I've read somewhere that Grado SR-60e or the 80 would be a good headphone and I also read about the Sennheiser HD25 are good for "metal".

Considering the Marshall Major III I have, do you think any of these mentioned would be a considerable upgrade for "metal" or are the Major III's already a good match for this style? If not, any other alternatives?

They may be over-ears, on-ears, open/closed back, everything except IEMs.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Jul 8, 2020 at 11:16 AM Post #2 of 22
I love the SR-80 for metal, but it's horribly uncomfortable. Don't go down the rabbit hole of higher-end Grados. They all use the same drivers and measure virtually the same. The SR-60/80 use the comfort pads which provide better bass response. There are yellow pads out there that provide a little more bass than the comfort pads too.

Metal is a difficult genre for headphones because the music is so pact full of resonances and business that it can easily overwhelm the eardrum. That is why I recommend a semi-open headphone or an open headphone. It allows some of the pressure build up to leak out and alleviates your ear of excess pressure.

The HD25 is a great entry-level headphone, but it too suffers from comfort issues because it is an on-ear headphone. It isolates really well and the sound is fun for most genres of music.

Do you need these headphones to be portable?

Are they for a dedicated desk setup?

What is your budget please?
 
Jul 8, 2020 at 11:32 AM Post #3 of 22
NA Blur said:
I love the SR-80 for metal, but it's horribly uncomfortable. Don't go down the rabbit hole of higher-end Grados. They all use the same drivers and measure virtually the same. The SR-60/80 use the comfort pads which provide better bass response. There are yellow pads out there that provide a little more bass than the comfort pads too.

Metal is a difficult genre for headphones because the music is so pact full of resonances and business that it can easily overwhelm the eardrum. That is why I recommend a semi-open headphone or an open headphone. It allows some of the pressure build up to leak out and alleviates your ear of excess pressure.

The HD25 is a great entry-level headphone, but it too suffers from comfort issues because it is an on-ear headphone. It isolates really well and the sound is fun for most genres of music.

Do you need these headphones to be portable?

Are they for a dedicated desk setup?

What is your budget please?
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the all the info!

About the Grado's, are there any other pads that make it more comfortable, while retaining the sound?

Regarding your questions:
- Do you need these headphones to be portable?
No, they will be used exclusively at home.

- Are they for a dedicated desk setup?
99% of the time, yes, PC -> DAC/AMP (iFi Zen DAC) -> Headphones

- What is your budget please?
Around 150€, may stretch a bit but I would like to not spend more this...

Thanks!
 
Jul 8, 2020 at 11:39 AM Post #4 of 22
Standby for Heresy!! When I'm travelling, I use a pair of sony WH-1000XM3 wireless - they are a wee bit over your budget, but they do sound remarkably good for metal - they manage to deliver good low-end detail, even with heavily layered stuff - and they have enough dynamic ability to stop the whole mix descending into a muddy mess. Worth a try. alternatively, have you looked at IEMs? Any of the Shure SE series do well with metal, and with a bit of fiddling/experimenting with eartips, they are very comfortable.
 
Jul 10, 2020 at 6:59 PM Post #6 of 22
This didn’t got many replies, and actually I’m also interested in this.

Are the Marshall Major III (wired or wireless), with to the Marshall rock pedigree, be a good bet for metal?

And the Grado SR60 and Sennheiser HD25 (read somewhere that these will “melt your face” for metal music...)?
 
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Jul 12, 2020 at 4:02 AM Post #9 of 22
For rock/HM I think narrow soundstage headphones are preferable although I'm sure many people listen to these genres with more fashionable modern headphones. Sennheiser's older HD580/600/650 have a sublime midrange that's ideal for rock music. The HD650 has elevated bass/reduced treble and a slow tube like response. I also quite like the Beyerdynamic DT 880 for this type of music although it has a bit wider soundstage and is a little analytical/bright. Sennheiser's HD5xx range of lower impedance headphones should also fit the bill, although not as high quality as their higher impedance older models. I remember the HD555 being well balanced neutral headphones with Sennheiser's midrange.
 
Jul 12, 2020 at 4:25 AM Post #10 of 22
I’ve honestly never understood why Grados get recommended whenever someone is looking for a metal/rock headphone. Maybe it’s because those genres contain heavy guitar riffs and generally feels like electric horses galloping wildly out through one’s speakers/headphones....yet that part of the equation is already ‘baked-in’ within the music. Adding a headphone that extrapolates on these frequencies like Grados often tend to do can be a risky business, most especially if you’re listening to old school metal imho. To my ears it’s a 50/50 chance you get nails on a chalkboard depending on the recording. Grados are AGGRESSIVE...but if you wanna go down that route I recommend never going past the SR60. The more you pay for Grados the brighter they get.
I think an HD58X or a K712 fit the genre way better and also act far more as a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ within the vast umbrella that is metal. They both do bass way better than any Grado on the market, and that includes both quality and extension. You also get to have a genuine soundstage compared to a Grado. Plus they will play old school black, impeccably recorded experimental metal, trash metal, Death as well as the always brilliant klezmer variant incredibly well and more importantly without trying to drill a hole inside your brain in the process.
What more? Oh yes they’re actually comfortable:p

Edith: Sorry I missed the price criteria. In that case: the K612 Pro:)
I own it myself and it will certainly give you all of the above trades pertaining to the K712 including a whiff of the Grado-forwardness. It’s not as warm as it’s pricier big brother but as an upside sounds more ‘clear’ and ‘punchy’.
 
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Aug 18, 2020 at 5:50 PM Post #14 of 22
Grab an AKG K240 Sextett and dont look back. The Sextett can be had for around $100.00 used. They were my go to metal headphone for many,many years. Preferring them over $1000.00 headphones for metal. It required me to pickup a $2400.00 headphone to finally render them to the dust collecting department.

Theyre fast,with absolutely stunning mids. Only drawback is theyre 600 ohms with a fairly low sensitivity,so I dont know if your rig is up to the challenge or not.
 
Aug 20, 2020 at 3:54 PM Post #15 of 22
HD 25 is straight in your face if you like that sort of thing. It does indeed rock, but rather uncomfortable. If you can use an open back, the Sennheiser 58X is the way to go imo.
 
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