[Bloodflowerz]

Morning all,
 
I'm looking to buy either the Grado SR325is, Grado SR225i or the Beyerdynamic DT880. The pricing and frequency range is detailed below:
 
Grado SR325is @ £315
 
Frequency Range: 18Hz - 24kHz
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 @ £250
 
Frequency Range: 5 Hz - 35 kHz
 
Grado SR225i @ £217

 
Frequency Range: 20Hz - 20kHz
 
Looking at the above specs, the Beyerdynamic covers a much broader frequency range. My question is, does this translate to better soundstage, better bass and better sound quality? Or do other things such as the drivers etc affect the overall sound quality too? I'm looking to buy for Metal music but have very fatiguing ears so was leaning towards the SR225i or the DT880.
 
Any opinions, advice is much appreciated.
 
Thank you.

 

[joelpearce]

Frequency range is one of the most useless stats for modern headphones, especially decent ones.  We can only hear down to 20Hz at the bottom, and most of us run out by 18-20kHz at the top, if not before that.  Headphones may play frequencies out of that range, but recordings don't include them, and you can't hear them.
 
That said, there's no question that the DT880 will have a better soundstage, deeper bass, and a more refined sound quality.
 
You said you listen to metal, though, and there's no question that the Grados have an exceptional sound for your genre--the airy qualities of the DT-880 aren't normally what you're looking for.  In the Beyerdynamic range, the DT-990s might be a better choice for rock.
 
Are you set on these headphones?  Open headphones?  If not, you can probably find headphones that will be non-fatiguing like the Beyers but more aggressive like the Grados in the same price range.  Some UK sellers have the Beyer DT-150s for quite cheap, and I suspect there are others.

 

[Mr Joboto]

Lol, forget about frequency range, unless you're intending on buying these for your dog. Alessandro's MS-2 is a more neutral 325i btw.

 

[Bloodflowerz]

Quote:

Frequency range is one of the most useless stats for modern headphones, especially decent ones.  We can only hear down to 20Hz at the bottom, and most of us run out by 18-20kHz at the top, if not before that.  Headphones may play frequencies out of that range, but recordings don't include them, and you can't hear them.
 
That said, there's no question that the DT880 will have a better soundstage, deeper bass, and a more refined sound quality.
 
You said you listen to metal, though, and there's no question that the Grados have an exceptional sound for your genre--the airy qualities of the DT-880 aren't normally what you're looking for.  In the Beyerdynamic range, the DT-990s might be a better choice for rock.
 
Are you set on these headphones?  Open headphones?  If not, you can probably find headphones that will be non-fatiguing like the Beyers but more aggressive like the Grados in the same price range.  Some UK sellers have the Beyer DT-150s for quite cheap, and I suspect there are others.

Thanks for the clarification, Joel. I guess advertising frequency range is as useless as advertising the wattage on a PSU, it's only done to attract and deceive potential buyers....
 
I'm particularly looking for open ended headphones and do like the look of the Grados as I feel I can wear them outside without looking like a muppet lol.
 


 
Quote:

Lol, forget about frequency range, unless you're intending on buying these for your dog. Alessandro's MS-2 is a more neutral 325i btw.

LOL! Fair play. That's a good way of putting it I can't find the Alessandro's MS-2 here in the UK, unfortunately and I would rather not import due to cost.

 

[Ypoknons]

Stop looking at frequency range and look into frequency response 

 

[terradrive]

And after that audition is a must before buying. Terms like "neutral" and "balanced" varies greatly on different people. Same goes for how a particular headphone is great for rock or other genres, it varies greatly on different people. I got myself Audio Technica AD300 and grado SR60. While grado always hailed as the headphone for rock, AD300 sounds superior in rock to me and sold the SR60 afterwards. After that a friend bought DT770 pro 250ohm and it's even better for rock to me.