[BootsandPants]

Hello Head-Fi! Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been browsing this site for a while and reading as much as I can with hopes to be able to put together a decent setup that would be a good intro into the world of hi-fi. This site is an awesome source of info on tech and gear, but admittedly it's a bit overwhelming trying to find opinions on setups. Here's what I'm looking to do with it;
 
- Source will mainly be a computer/laptop playing 320kbps MP3s and FLAC files. Occasionally would like to use with an MP3 player (ipad/android phone/sansa+ player). Mostly desktop applications, but portability would be nice for the occasional long road trip/flight.
- I listen to a wide variety of music, but mostly acoustic and electric rock, with some jazz/blues, classic rock, and celtic thrown in there.
- Budget is around $500 unless there's a great reason to break it. Winter is upon us after all, and getting out into the mountains ain't cheep anymore
 
I've been looking around and have been to a few stores in the Seattle area to try out some cans in order to get a feel for what I may like. So far I've tried Senn 598s, AKG Q701s and Beyer DT880s (not sure what impedance version and they guy at the shop had no clue). My initial impressions out of the three was that all had very different sounds. The Senns seemed warmer and more laid back while the Q701s sounded very crisp and very "in your face" and the Beyers were somewhere in the middle. The music selection that these places had were not very reflective of my particular tastes, so I don't want to have formed biased opinions and rule something out that I may like given what I will be listening to. I also don't know what (if any) amp they might have been hooked up to (neither did the salespeople, I tried asking). From what I've read and my limited understanding, the amp/DAC and headphone pair can have an effect on the sound.
 
So, given my source, music types and intended use, what cans+DAC would you recommend to start out that would be a good foundation to build on in the future?
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[Arleus]

If I were in your position, I would personally be looking at getting a cheapish DAC/amp combo - something like the E7, and then investing in the best Grados I could afford with the remaining budget (maybe a 325 or a used RS2 or something). I'm sure many people will come on here and say that the E7 won't do the Grados justice, but it is my opinion that they really don't need much by the way of amping to sound great. I love them even out of my Sansa Fuze. Now, Grados are no good for flights - they block exactly zero outside sound, and everyone around you will hear your music too. If your travelling is occasional, perhaps a pair of cheapish IEMs will be enough for you to survive those trips without being bored to death.
 
The Senn 598 you mentioned are also fine headphones, and very versatile. I also love my 702s (same as the Q701 essentially), but you will probably need to look at beefier amps to get the best out of those. Not good for plugging into a portable player. 
 
Edit: I forgot to add that you should really audition a pair of Grados before you settle on buying one. They sound very different to all other headphones, so you'll have to make up your mind if you like them before investing.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Denon D2000 if you want closed.
Fischer Audio FA-002 if you want open.
 
Pair either with an iBasso Zero (or equivalent like Fiio E7, etc).
 
Very best,

 

[BootsandPants]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the input!
 
Just to clarify the portability comment; I'll mainly be using these in the office and at home, so 99% of their use will be at a desk. Portability, while nice, is definitely not required and would rather get better sound than sacrifice it for portability. I'll probably just end up with some IMEs to use when traveling.
 
I was able to try out a pair of Grado 325s yesterday, and while they were nice and a pleasure to listen to, there was something about the sound I didn't like. It felt like the definition wasn't there, if that makes any sense. Also they were the most uncomfortable pair out of the 4 that I've tried. I was only wearing them for 30 minutes and the foam started hurting my hears, so they're probably out based on this alone.
 
I'd like to stick to open headphones as my office is generally quite quiet so isolation isn't needed and I felt that the sound quality is better out of the open cans I've tried. Out of all of them, so far I like the DT880s the best. I'd love to audition the 990s to compare as well as the Fischer 002, but selection in Seattle is limited (unless I'm looking in the wrong places) and I'd like to avoid buying something without giving it a proper listen.

 

[Hifianddrumming]

 With those prefernces, I would say get a nice little cheap DAC/Amp (not too cheap mind you, maybe something from iBasso) and some Grado RS2is. Also, what source were you trying the 325is from? Sometimes that can severely impact first impressions. If you tried them in a store, I would recommend spending some more time with them, because they grow on you. And for your genres, nothing really suits better than Grados.

 

[Arleus]

Bending the headband a bit on a pair of Grados does help the comfort a lot, but they'll still never be as comfortable as the other headphones you've tried so far. You could also put different pads on the Grados, but that will affect the sound - not necessarily in a bad way, but it'll certainly be different. If these headphones are something you're going to have on your head for several hours a day, serving as background music for some of those, perhaps Grados aren't really the right direction to go in. I treat mine as, well, a treat - used for maybe an hour every couple of days, when I want to devote my whole attention to a single album.
 
For what it's worth, when I was looking for a pair of open office headphones, I settled on the Senn 558s (I couldn't find a pair of DT880s to audition, and I couldn't find a pair of used K501s at the time, which would have been my other choice). To me, they sounded very similar to the 598s, without looking so ridiculous. If I'd preferred the looks, and had more money to spend, I probably would have gone for the 598s myself. It's not advice, but you said you were looking for opinions : )

 

[NinjaSquirt]

Your music genres are kind of distant as far as sound characteristics go, if it is more acoustic or jazz you listen to, either the Q701 or the DT880 with a E7 + E9 combo tacked on will be perfect but for the electric rock and classic rock, you have to give the Grados another shot.

 

[BootsandPants]

Thanks for the input guys. I was able to take my own samples to test out some cans this weekend and after giving them much more listening time, I do really like the Grado sound for the majority of my music, so I'll probably go with those.
I know they run pretty well un-amped, but hear that they really shine while amped. What DAC/amp would work best?
 
Thanks again for your help!