[RepublicanJew]

Howdy, head-fiers--first time poster here.

I'm a aspiring audiophile that is still very much in newbie status, who currently has Grado SR-60s with an iPod with most of the music ripped to Apple Lossless format. An overwhelming majority of my music collection is pop/rock music with alot of harmony vocals (beatles/beach boys/queen/elo/fleetwood mac/etc), and those harmony vocals are huge part of why I love the music that I love. Are there any other harmony rock aficionados out there who can give a headphone recommendation to someone with my music tastes who is looking graduate up to the headphone big-leagues?

Also, I listen to music in a work environment and the openness (hope that's the right term) of my SR-60s is sometimes a major drawback, since i can hear people talking next to me as loud as I can hear my music. Are any sealed cans out there worth a damn? Are most "open" cans actually less open than the SR-60s?

Many thanks for any help you can give!

-RJ

 

[captian73]

try any of the the Ultrasone Proline's. they might fit the bill.

 

[003]

Hmm maybe try the RP-21

 

[SysteX]

Denon D2000?

 

[tbonner1]

RJ
What is your budget? Do you prefer closed cans that do not leak sound?

 

[RepublicanJew]

My hope was to keep both phones and an amp (maybe axe the amp based on the input I get here) for a total of $300, but I could go up to $400 if the right set of equipment emerges.

My SR-60s main drawback right now is that issue with being able to hear my coworkers. That led me to research some cans with better outside insulation. Unfortunately, I found myself drawn to the reviews of cans that also aren't sealed. I was closest to buying a Beyerdynamic DT 880 with a Headroom Total Airhead when I took stock and realized how little I know about any of this stuff, and that I originally started looking because of how open my SR-60s are, and you have the picture of analysis paralysis.

Many thanks for any experiences you guys can share.

-RJ

 

[senns&nonsense]

IEMs might be an answer for the isolation issue. I listen to quite a bit of similar music and really like the Ety ER4 for that music because of their resolution. If in-ear is objectionable, perhaps the Senn HD-25. I recently sold a pair (for other reasons) and they have good isolation and lots of resolution as well as thumping bass (that I didn't like but most people do).

Your sound quality will improve with a line-out dock and an amp at the cost of more money and some inconvenience. I think the above cans with the ER4P (not ER4S) or the HD-25 with an after-market cable will fit your bill.

 

[RepublicanJew]

The HD-25 reviews I've found sound very promising. Right now I have a Grado SR-60--if you have heard both, how can I expect the sound to differ? The Grados being such a good price for the (albeit unsealed) sound quality makes it difficult to try to draw comparisons, because the cost-benefit of the SR-60 appears off the charts by most accounts. Will the HD-25 sound WAY better or just a tad better in addition to the benefit of being sealed?

-RJ

 

[threEchelon]

New or used 325i or used RS-2's. Grado's have some of the best separation and tone I have ever heard. Too bad you're not looking for an open phone, though. :/

If you're using an iPod as a source, you'd probably want to get an amp unless it's a Shuffle, in which case it already sounds incredible.

 

[RepublicanJew]

I probably /would/ consider an open set of cans, but I'd prefer to know how the various open cans compare to each other in terms of environmental insulation. It could, for example, be entirely possible the the beyerdynamic dt 880, tho open, shields my coworkers phone conversations from me way better my current cans. I just don't know. There appears to be SO MANY highly rated cans out there, my choice will probably just come down to whim, darnitall. I keep finding myself coming back to the beyerdynamic 770 and 880, with me teetering between them based on how important isolation really is. I'm not at all into head-thumping base, but the 770 really appears to isolate wel. ANALYSIS PARALYSIS. Any ideas on an amp? I've been thinking Headroom Total Airhead for awhile--any competitors to that worth investigating (including others from Headroom's line)?