[NorthWolfeCND]

Hello to everybody.
 
First, a little back-ground, and a better description of what I am looking for.
 
I usually listen to this kind of music in Churches in the NYC region. I have suffered a racing accident in Portugal, and am currently, and for the next month, or so, tied to a bed, healing various fractions to the lower limbs (legs). My questions:
- Phones that best reproduce the sound of a good Quartet, playing inside a church.
 
The source will be a MacBook Pro 17, and an Apple iPod Classic 160/6th generation.
 
Only prejudices: No Senn's please, there is some incompatibility between me, and Sennheiser.
 
Thanks so much for your attention, and learned recommendations.
 
PS » Please stick only to material easily bought online, for obvious reasons.
 
Again, thanks so much for your attention.
 

 

[VanCitySound]

[size=medium]I wish you a speedy recovery.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The source you are using (mac and ipod), without amplification will not produce optimal sound or provide you with the best manner in which to drive certain quality head phones. You will thus not be able to achieve optimal sound from most headphones.[/size]
 
[size=medium]From the headphones that I have heard, and given the limitations of the sources you are using, the Shure SHR840 may be a reasonable choice. [/size]

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
You didn't mention a budget. So, LCD-2 comes to mind.
 
AKG K701, SRH940, DT880, Ultrasone 2400, Hifiman HE-300 perhaps.
 
Amp may be necessary too. Again you didn't mention budget.
 
Very best,

 

[bbophead]

Quote:

Hello to everybody.
 
First, a little back-ground, and a better description of what I am looking for.
 
I usually listen to this kind of music in Churches in the NYC region. I have suffered a racing accident in Portugal, and am currently, and for the next month, or so, tied to a bed, healing various fractions to the lower limbs (legs). My questions:
- Phones that best reproduce the sound of a good Quartet, playing inside a church.
 
The source will be a MacBook Pro 17, and an Apple iPod Classic 160/6th generation.
 
Only prejudices: No Senn's please, there is some incompatibility between me, and Sennheiser.
 
Thanks so much for your attention, and learned recommendations.
 
PS » Please stick only to material easily bought online, for obvious reasons.
 
Again, thanks so much for your attention.
 

There are a number of good quartet recordings not recorded in a church, but anyway .....
 
I guess it doesn't matter if they're open or close back(?).
 
I've been enjoying the complete Haydn Quartets by the Buchberger (Brilliant Classics, ie: cheap).  And, yes, recorded in a church.  I thought the Grado SR-325is sounded good but some folks think they are too bright.  Regardless, just about anything will drive the Grados to a proper level.
 
Yours for a swift and complete recovery.  
 
 

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

Hello to everybody.
 
First, a little back-ground, and a better description of what I am looking for.
 
I usually listen to this kind of music in Churches in the NYC region. I have suffered a racing accident in Portugal, and am currently, and for the next month, or so, tied to a bed, healing various fractions to the lower limbs (legs). My questions:
- Phones that best reproduce the sound of a good Quartet, playing inside a church.
 
The source will be a MacBook Pro 17, and an Apple iPod Classic 160/6th generation.
 
Only prejudices: No Senn's please, there is some incompatibility between me, and Sennheiser.
 
Thanks so much for your attention, and learned recommendations.
 
PS » Please stick only to material easily bought online, for obvious reasons.
 
Again, thanks so much for your attention.
 

I'm a huge fan of chamber/small room classical. It's my favorite, in fact regarding classical music ... I like symphonies too ... larger performances ... but the intimacy, texture and personal nature/detail that comes through in chamber is just toe curling ...
 
That said ...
 
I've not heard any headphone better at said genre (mind you, this is highly objective, of course) than the Grado GS1000 (properly sourced/powered, of course) ... uncanny detail and imaging ... cellos have never sounded more organic and gorgeous. The Grado "house sound," as it's called has often been described as like sitting on stage with the performers and I've found this to be fairly accurate ... and especially excellent when combined with intimate chamber works.
 
I also really enjoy the Grado RS1 with the same sort of music, though perhaps a bit less simply due to the soundstage of the RS1 being quite a bit more centralized than the GS1000 ...
 
But those are both fairly expensive headphones and, honestly, really need a system to be built *around* them to sound there best ... this last point more so with the GS1000's than the RS1's as I think the latter can is a bit more adaptable than the (admittedly) sort of weird, but also very excellent GS1000 ...
 
On a budget? Then I'm really not sure ... I know my roommates AKG 701's are also fairly amazing with small room quartet recordings ... but just a little too clinically neutral for me (you might like that though) ... they can be had for fairly decent prices here and there.
 
But regarding my personal take? No way would I chose any other headphone for chamber/quartet than my GS1000's ... I've modded them slightly to get a bit more midrange in the mix but they are mostly stock.
 
Oh yeah ... one last thought ... though I mention properly amping/sourcing the Grado cans ... I should also say that they generally sound very good unamped as they are quite easy to drive (even with an Ipod or the like, though they will scale with more juice and better components) ...
 
Good luck on your search ....
 
best.
 
.j
 

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

First, I would like to thank you all, for responding.
I would also like to apologise, I booked the weekend at the Hospital, since they had to x-ray me, and I wanted to let my cousin, who is taking care of me, have a few days off.
Now, I will attempt to answer your kind posts. Sorry for any errors, and omissions. In spite of me refusing to use pain-killers, haven't had any pain yet, I do feel a bit "Dazed And Confused", maybe from having to be lying down, in bed, with my legs lifted.
 
Again, I thank you all, for your attention, and support.

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

Thanks for your support.
 
I forgot to say that I have a Headstage Arrow...unfortunately the best phones are a Razor headset...that aren't as bad as I thought.
 
As for Shure, I love them for Rock. I use the SRH750DJ, and really like them. I have also been looking on Amazon.co.uk, Shure's are so cheap that I will probably be buying them, specially the SRH840 (50% of discount). How are they, and the new SRH940, when compared to the 750DJ's?
 
I will also be sound-editing a movie, so Shure are one of my prime options...but are they any good at Chamber Music?

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

Thanks. I don't have budget limitations, even though I am not a big fan of over spending, for the "bling" factor, or branding.
I own many of the cans you recommended, and will definitely be buying one of Shure's offers, great bang-for-your-buck monitoring headphones.
 
What would you recommend for Chamber Music?
I'm also thinking about the Fiio E7/E9 combination, again because it's cheap at Amazon. Is it any good?
Budget is not a consideration, availability is.
 
PS » A friend is lending me a tower, with an ASUS Xonar STX sound-card, so driving most cans will be no problem.

 

[kiteki]

I recommend the Audio Technica A2000X.
 
One Japanese review called it "the vibrating string" and I tend to agree!
 
It's also one of the high-end headphones that are easily driven, so it works nicely out of a sound-card imho!

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

Thanks, for the reply, and your well wishes.
 
Sorry if my post mislead you. I don't care where the recording was made. I was saying that I am used to going to live performances, generally in the many magnificent churches of NYC, and Sintra. I was wondering which can's can best replicate those live performances, that I'm used to.
 
Currently listening, or going to listen to:
- Takács Sting Quartet/ Emerson Sting Quartet / Hollywood Sting Quartet, and the Hausmusik collection (specially for their great Mendelssohn)...among many contemporary productions.
 
As for the Grado's, I own a couple, and, sorry to all fans, I hate them all. Always sounded like a very artificially "lively" can, besides being very uncomfortable...maybe I never gave them a fair chance...

 

[kiteki]

I hate Grado and Sennheiser too.
 
 
Read the impressions of user "Artmon" here http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/394223/audio-technica-ath-a2000x

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

Thank you for your kind words, and recommendations.
 
Strange it being a Grado, since, before reading your post, I sort of bashed Grado. Then again, the ones I own, the SR80i, and the SR225i, are the "cheap" models. Like I said, I bought them, tried them a couple of time, and just ignored them (didn't even burn them in properly)...
 
A couple of questions, since now I am truly curious:
- Are these Grados comfortable for long listening sections?
- Like I said I have an Arrow at hand, and the Asus sound-card, that will arrive in a couple of hours. I am also thinking of the E7/E9 combination, since I want to place my order today, to receive it Wednesday. Do you think any of the above would be able to properly drive the Grado's you recommend?
- I see that Amazon has the Grado RA1 amplifier. Do you know if that is any good?
 
Thanks for your feedback, and your kind words. 

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

Hello,
 
Audio Technica have some of my favorite cans. Unfortunately the model you recommend is only available thru direct Japanese Import, that would just take to long. I have the AD700, and the M50, in Long Island, How do they compare?
 
These are actually very cheaply priced cans...was surprised about that. I night just put in a separate other for them (since they take 6 to 11 days to arrive). Should I go for the X, or for the AD2000?

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

Thanks for that very interesting link. I am now very keen on getting these cans, and the 5000. I found a very good, reliable, and cheap, Japanese Importer (Aoyama & Co.), and am preparing a separate order, with more Japanese hardware I'm interested in, specially from Stax. They take 3 to 7 working days for delivery into Europe, and only ~10$ as delivery fee.

 

[wind016]

 
Quote:

 
Strange it being a Grado, since, before reading your post, I sort of bashed Grado. Then again, the ones I own, the SR80i, and the SR225i, are the "cheap" models. Like I said, I bought them, tried them a couple of time, and just ignored them (didn't even burn them in properly)...
 

Don't bother with the higher end Grados if you didn't like the 80 or 225i. Those are the more humane sounding models.
 
What's your budget exactly and what Stax are you looking at?