[porkfish]

Hey my first post here. However I have been reading on here for some time. I bought my VModa Vibes for my ipod based on recommendations from here - nice choice! So I am making another purchase and have tried to find some specific answers through the search, but didn't find quite what I wanted. So here is what I am hoping you guys can help me find. I'm looking for the best sounding headphones around the $150usd range that can satisfy the following:

- used mostly for listening to rock music (led zep, janes addiction, rage atm, chili peps, etc) on computer
- will also be plugged into my guitar amp when playing guitar (so need nice midrange)
- comfortable for long periods of wear
- leaks very little or no sound
- clean highs and mids, nice bass

in addition:
- also like to listen to blues, electronic, some hip hop
- I like bass that is tight and punchy just not cloudy and muddled - i don't need an 808 in my head but i do like some bass

The top five items above are must haves. The additional items, if incorporated into the sound of the cans, would just be a plus - ie. I've read where you can get great rock phones but some don't sound well with electronic.

I've seen the MS-1, RP-21, grados, etc. I am hoping someone can sum it all up for me...thanks!!

 

[Jahn]

That's a tough one. Guitar amps usually have really crappy headphone outs, so pretty much any can should do. That said, all my Grados sounded good, even when pushed by a bratty Fender MiniTwin sucking on one 9Volt. A DT770 will also do the trick, and the bonus is isolation, good bass, good for electronica too, but the downside is you'll need a dedicated headphone amp to really get the best out of it (it does push air without one of course!) Guitar Center offers the DT770/80 Ohm Pro, so you don't even have to make another stop if you're out getting a spare pair of strings.

 

[holland]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=246184

You can search the headphones you mentioned in the thread and you listed. There's much discussion about them in just the first few pages of the forum.

 

[porkfish]

I didn't realize guitar amps were so bad. I'll do some research on the DT770s.

I've read that thread holland but everything suggested seems to be lacking in the comfort area and not much isolation. How "open" are the open cans? How much sound is leaking? Conversation level, whisper? I might can get away with these. I just need something that doesn't disturb anyone in a 10 foot radius...
Can I replace the earpads for comfort improvement?

 

[goldenratiophi]

MS-1 satisfies most of those conditions, but it'll leak a LOT of sound, so if that's really important, then steer clear of them.

 

[holland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by porkfish /img/forum/go_quote.gif How "open" are the open cans? How much sound is leaking? Conversation level, whisper?

That's hard to quantify. It really depends on how loud you listen to stuff and how sensitive the people around you are. If you can audition some at a store, and check the volume outside it may or may not be good for you. I can listen to open at work and not have it bother anyone, I can even take my headphones off, put it on the table and not have it be audible to me when I stand 2 or 3 ft away. If you're one who cranks it up to 90+dB all day long, it probably won't work for you.

Also check out the Denon D1000 (closed circumaural). There's not much in terms of reviews now, but it seems to be fairly close to the RP-21 (closed/semi-open circumaural) but with better extension and a bit cleaner. I'm looking to replace my K81DJ (closed supra-aural) work headphones and relegate that to travel only, so I'm looking for larger headphones for longer usage. I've been paying close attention to everything posted about D1000 and RP-21. It seems the D1000 may have the edge, but it's hard to say right now as there aren't enough reviews.

 

[porkfish]

ok based on more research, the closed cans are not nearly as good sounding as the open types. So forgetting the isolation aspect, what are the best sounding phones, that are comfortable for long periods, in the $150-$200 usd area??

 

[ChickenGod]

erm the Audio Technica A900 are comfortable for some and they are closed. they have great sound. The Equation Audio RP-21's get great reviews around here and they go for around $100.

 

[grndslm]

Closed cans, eh?? My recommendations are...

Unamped: RP-21 ($100) & MDR-V6 ($70). IMO, everyone's first closed can should be the V6 because of its durability & versatility, oh yea... and the detailed, neutral sound. . .sounds good across all frequency ranges.

Amped: DT-770... For $200 on top of the $145, you can turn these cans into Darth Beyers which are pretty much THE closed can). Beware, tho... when you start getting into amplifying your cans, you are going to be spending hundreds of dollars on something that prolly can't be justified in terms of value. But a musician would easily find the extra money well spent. . . just depends on the person.

And for the heck of it, get some the KSC75 which can be had for $15... It leaks sound but it sounds soooo good for the price. It'll give you a hint at how great an MS-1 or MS-2 could sound.

 

[holland]

Quote:

Originally Posted by porkfish /img/forum/go_quote.gif ok based on more research, the closed cans are not nearly as good sounding as the open types. So forgetting the isolation aspect, what are the best sounding phones, that are comfortable for long periods, in the $150-$200 usd area??

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=246184

Some people find grado comfortable.

 

[kramer5150]

A lot of headphone circuits on guitar combos... suck. I don't like using that word but frankly theres no other way to put it. They sound anemic, stale, brittle and devoid of depth and resonance. Adding reverb and stomp boxes only makes things worse, like using a band-aid to stop a bleeding bullet hole.

IMHO it really depends on what kind of headphone output your combo has. If its just a line out, in the form of a headphone jack (most of which sound stale and anemic as I describe above).... I think you would want something super-warm and not very aggressive sounding. Like the K240s or portapro.

If however.... your combo has a cabinet simulator built in.... then IMHO a used SR225, SR80 or MS1 is your best bet.

IMHO many cab simluators have very good sounding headphone outputs. Korg Pandora, Behringer (that blue thing whos name I forget), and Line6 POD (My preference). You cna pick up a used POD for under $100. IMHO it has a very good Marshall JCM simulation. The mesa and Soldano sims are too compressed and congested (IMHO).

Anyhoot...

What kind of combo amp are you using?

 

[grndslm]

People within a 10ft radius of you will definitely be disturbed if they're trying to watch a movie or read or something... anything that requires concentration requires closed cans... so look at my recommendations above!

 

[troymadison]

hd650

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's a tough one. Guitar amps usually have really crappy headphone outs, so pretty much any can should do. That said, all my Grados sounded good, even when pushed by a bratty Fender MiniTwin sucking on one 9Volt. A DT770 will also do the trick, and the bonus is isolation, good bass, good for electronica too, but the downside is you'll need a dedicated headphone amp to really get the best out of it (it does push air without one of course!) Guitar Center offers the DT770/80 Ohm Pro, so you don't even have to make another stop if you're out getting a spare pair of strings.

I may be dating myself here; but my 1965 Acetone tube powered guitar amp had a pretty good sounding phone out. My Gretsch Country Gentleman sounded great through it! For my own best interests I did most of my practicing using a set of Pioneer headphones of questionable history. Of course the five little watts the amp put out was a bit anemic, so I spliced in a 20 watt power amp after the preamp stage. Not bad in those days; not bad at all!

 

[judas391]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChickenGod /img/forum/go_quote.gif erm the Audio Technica A900 are comfortable for some and they are closed. they have great sound. The Equation Audio RP-21's get great reviews around here and they go for around $100.