[earthless]

Hi, head-fi community. It's my first thread here. I'm looking for good headphones and surfing through other threads I stumbled on these models:
 
Grado SR125/225/325i
Grado SR60/80i
Alessandro MS1/2i
Audio Technica ATH-AD900
Denon AH-D2000
Sennheiser HD 650/750
Beyerdynamic DT 770/880/990
 
Testing them isn't possible in my country cause local stores aren't working with these companies. So basically I'm looking for rock-oriented ones with deep groovy bass and juicy intense guitar.
 
I will give you few examples of music I listen. It's mostly heavy psychedelic blues and space rock jamming ala Ozric Tentacles:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMJHTu7Qygw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2k32DcDdmc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHrXnPwUlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsr9mnSHIpA
 
Would be much appreciated if you could recommend me best one from list for such music or maybe another models. Thanks!

 

[proglife]

Hey, I'm really happy with Sennheiser HD 580/600's for this type of stuff, but my experience with different headphones is limited. I like my Grado SR-125's a lot, but I'd choose the Senn's over them anytime. They are a bit richer...a tad more "chocolatey", for lack of a better word, but they still have detail and sizzle. They definitely respond well to upgrades upstream. 
 
Good luck!

 

[proglife]

An aside, I saw J Mascis sit in with Earthless at SXSW a few years back. HOLY LOUD

 

[KT66]

start with some SR60s, you will love them, then you have a steady upgrade path if you need it.

 

[earthless]

thanks in advance. now I think to buy whether Grado SR60/80i or Alessandro MS1i. people say Alessandro has more warmer, balanced and less harsh sound. if that means they sound more organic with loud heavy rock guitar n bass which is important for me then I'll choose them. what do you think? which ones have live, surround feel?

 

[KT66]

Not heard the Alessandro, but can't really fault the SR60s, I paid £90 for them and they are still the one that most people I play them to prefer.

 

[KT66]

Quote:

thanks in advance. now I think to buy whether Grado SR60/80i or Alessandro MS1i. people say Alessandro has more warmer, balanced and less harsh sound. if that means they sound more organic with loud heavy rock guitar n bass which is important for me then I'll choose them. what do you think? which ones have live, surround feel?

 I don' think the SR60s are harsh, just accurate, most CDs these days are compressed and bright, and the SR60s tell you how it is, warts n all.
 
What you really need is the best pressings and masterings of your favourite music, don't use Headphones as EQ, get the source right in the first place.
have a look at Steve Hoffman forum

 

[earthless]

Thanks to all. I'm getting Grado SR80i. I think they're best headphones for punchy pass and intense rock guitar for price under 100$.

 

[MegaMushroom]

Great choice.  Think I've found a new band to look into.  The Grados seem perfect for this kinda of music.  I'm sure you won't be disappointed. 

 

[earthless]

I finally got my Grado SR80i with additional cushions. All I can say is WOW... massive dissapointment. Supposed to be rock headphones I expected to enjoy loud heavy music but volume is decent and very low even on max(listened through notebook and computer). Thus didn't notice any "live" or "in my face" sound - more like laid and background. Instrument separation(may I say mess) is sub-par especially applying to bass and guitar. Guitar isn't juicy, bass isn't punchy or tight, vocal is synthetic and drums often sound like cans. What? Sure audio quality still better than cheap 10-15$ headphones but difference is subtle to my ears: I'm comparing them to my previous A4Tech(pretty distorted on max volume) and S-tek(have no noticeable distortion at all on max volume). Maybe things will change with amp like Fiio E6 idk but I'm skeptical now to Grado products. Anyone know good headphones that don't need to be amped or have volume control at least? I just wanted to hear music at highest volume possible with little to no distortion, damn.
 
BTW build quality is pretty cheap and everything is creaking thanks to plastic body. No big deal to mee but needed to be mentioned.

 

[talisman42]

Quote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHrXnPwUlc

 
Whoa - didn't expect to like this, but I do very much. The genre is a huge departure from what I've been listening to recently (classical) but brings back good memories. I tend to like the Senn HD650 over the grado for this particular recording on youtube. If most your recordings sound as treble oriented as this you may want to look into EQ strategies as well.

 

[Audius]

Quote:

I finally got my Grado SR80i with additional cushions. All I can say is WOW... massive dissapointment. Supposed to be rock headphones I expected to enjoy loud heavy music but volume is decent and very low even on max(listened through notebook and computer). Thus didn't notice any "live" or "in my face" sound - more like laid and background. Instrument separation(may I say mess) is sub-par especially applying to bass and guitar. Guitar isn't juicy, bass isn't punchy or tight, vocal is synthetic and drums often sound like cans. What? Sure audio quality still better than cheap 10-15$ headphones but difference is subtle to my ears: I'm comparing them to my previous A4Tech(pretty distorted on max volume) and S-tek(have no noticeable distortion at all on max volume). Maybe things will change with amp like Fiio E6 idk but I'm skeptical now to Grado products. Anyone know good headphones that don't need to be amped or have volume control at least? I just wanted to hear music at highest volume possible with little to no distortion, damn.
 
BTW build quality is pretty cheap and everything is creaking thanks to plastic body. No big deal to mee but needed to be mentioned.

Well, what recordings are you listening to? The fact is the grado sr80i's are going to make mincemeat of any bad recording, so if you're listening to a .mp3 youtube recording of Robert Johnson through a laptop, you're gonna have a bad time. The sr80i's do not need to be amped, and volume control makes no difference whatsoever. If your laptop can't drive a pair of sr80i's, you need an amp/dac combination or a new laptop that can drive something beyond earbuds, or you need to find you computer's volume control and use that. A headphone volume control is actually going to make the cans quieter if anything because it's one more circuit the signal has to pass through, you won't get a magically +40db because your headphones have volume control. You get a magical +40db by purchasing an amplifier, but the sr80i's shouldn't need one.

 

[wolfetan44]

Quote:

I finally got my Grado SR80i with additional cushions. All I can say is WOW... massive dissapointment. Supposed to be rock headphones I expected to enjoy loud heavy music but volume is decent and very low even on max(listened through  notebook and computer). Thus didn't notice any "live" or "in my face" sound - more like laid and background. Instrument separation(may I say mess) is sub-par especially applying to bass and guitar. Guitar isn't juicy, bass isn't punchy or tight, vocal is synthetic and drums often sound like cans. What? Sure audio quality still better than cheap 10-15$ headphones but difference is subtle to my ears: I'm comparing them to my previous A4Tech(pretty distorted on max volume) and S-tek(have no noticeable distortion at all on max volume). Maybe things will change with amp like Fiio E6 idk but I'm skeptical now to Grado products. Anyone know good headphones that don't need to be amped or have volume control at least? I just wanted to hear music at highest volume possible with little to no distortion, damn.
 
BTW build quality is pretty cheap and everything is creaking thanks to plastic body. No big deal to mee but needed to be mentioned.

Really?? I would recommend getting a FiiO E10 and getting 320kbp or FLAC music files. Also, I feel that they are very well made. I have one and have had no problems with it at all. You have to remember that they are $100 headphones; not going to get the best you can get. 

 

[earthless]

Quote:

Well, what recordings are you listening to? The fact is the grado sr80i's are going to make mincemeat of any bad recording, so if you're listening to a .mp3 youtube recording of Robert Johnson through a laptop, you're gonna have a bad time. The sr80i's do not need to be amped, and volume control makes no difference whatsoever. If your laptop can't drive a pair of sr80i's, you need an amp/dac combination or a new laptop that can drive something beyond earbuds, or you need to find you computer's volume control and use that. A headphone volume control is actually going to make the cans quieter if anything because it's one more circuit the signal has to pass through, you won't get a magically +40db because your headphones have volume control. You get a magical +40db by purchasing an amplifier, but the sr80i's shouldn't need one.

I tested Grado on 320kbps mp3 and flac files. Other headphones with volume control produce much(2x) louder volume without any amplification on same notebook.

 

[Audius]

Really?? I would recommend getting a FiiO E10 and getting 320kbp or FLAC music files. Also, I feel that they are very well made. I have one and have had no problems with it at all. You have to remember that they are $100 headphones; not going to get the best you can get. 

 
I got the FiioE10 and the Sr80i, and I honestly don't notice much of a difference between my android and the amp. It's there but it's not like night and day difference. However my android has a very good DAC and amp built into it (still better than most newer models), so I can't say entirely if using an ipod or something would lead to difference results. I think this guy just doesn't like the sound signature of the cans, IMO. He's complaining about everything they do well. Maybe he got a bad pair, or he doesn't like the signature. I mean if he wanted bass, Grado aren't exactly the place to look. He also took the sr80i over the sr60i so many recommended him, and in some respects I think the sr60i sound better than the sr80i, so that's his fault lol.