[pyrrhus]

Wow. Thanks for all the replies. Before I get into this, does anyone know of anywhere around Charleston or maybe even Columbia, SC, that carries high end headphones and such?

I'm assuming that the Audio Technica phones HAVE to be ordered? That kinda scares me since there's NO guarentee and NO way to return them if I don't like the sound.

I have read some really good things about the Etymotics, but canalphones have never worked well for me. I'm not questioning the sound quality or the isolation - it's the comfort that gets to me. After 10 minutes of wearing a pair, I'm ready to claw them out of my ears. Unless the Etymotics are significantly more comfortable than say... Koss Plugs, I don't think they'll work well for me. Comfort being relative, I guess I'd never be sure about them unless I tried a pair.

If isolation ends up being that important, I'd much rather prefer a set of closed headphones. If not, I'm really leaning towards Senns (580 or 600) or AKGs (401 or 501). Since none of those phones work very well without an amp, I really need to determine the cost of an amp.

Anyone know how much I can expect to pay for a decently equipped Meta42? I noticed that Tangent isn't taking any more orders, so who else builds them? I don't think I could build one on my own. Would one of these be able to drive most phones well?

Once again, thanks for all the help and suggestions.

 

[RMSzero]

The one thing I learned at the Headroom tour is that everyone likes different headphones. This point was driven home as my friends and I found that one of us loved grados, one loved the K501, and I loved the Beyer 250-80 -- almost exclusively. (That is, of course, excluding the balanced blockhead & HD600s and the Orpheus)

While I thought the W100 sounded fantastic, I'd recommend purchasing from a vendor that takes returns if you're buying something you've never heard before.

 

[ray4jc]

hi pyrrhus

i'm a college student and having lived in a dorm isn't neccesarily loud....but....it could get that way....

the benefit of open cans is that if you need to hear someone yelling your name you can.....but..the benefit of closed cans is that you wont here the guy/girl across the hall way makin those wierd noises (yes this really happened)....

i can definitely recommend sennheisers....even the koss ksc35s...they aren't magical they slip around your ear....they are not closed at all but for $20 bucks..they sound good.....

oh..and the reason i replied....i dunno if you guys in SC have a Tweeter or Hi-Fi Buys but they should have some Sennheisers and maybe the sony V6.....but beware...they usually aren't hooked up to proper amplification...

and if you want a basic meta42....i would *think* the price shouldn't be more than 150.....it just depends....

and...a cmoy isn't all that bad..i mean..for beginners...its great.

ray

 

[hokiefritz]

pyrrhus wrote: "Anyone know how much I can expect to pay for a decently equipped Meta42? I noticed that Tangent isn't taking any more orders, so who else builds them? "

I suggest sending a Private Message(PM) on the boards here to either JMT or eric343 for a quote. Both make amps for folks, including the Meta42. I think JMT goes out of town often so you need a little patience in getting a response from him. I bought a CMoy amp from him a while ago and I'm quite pleased with it and the price. I use it everyday at work.

Based strictly on the rave reviews by everyone that has one, the Meta42 would drive any of the cans you're considering. Be sure to let whoever builds an amp for you know what kind of headphone you'll be using so they can adjust the gain in order for the amp to deliver enough volume.

 

[kelly]

On a $400 budget...

Meier-Audio carries a headphone by Beyerdynamic called the DT931. This is a semi-open headphone that Meier carries for $175 shipped. This headphone can err on the bright side when plugged into a normal 0ohm jack, but Meier can include a 120 ohm adapter that will balance the sound better. Ask him about this.

Next, contact JMT, Eric343 or Tangent and ask what they can do for you on the remaining $225. My guess is that you can squease a META42 and shipping into this budget though it might not have every bell and whistle.

I doubt you could do better than this on $400. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that this combination would upset a lot of headphone enthusiasts who paid quite a bit more for their systems. But... this is just what I'd do.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

pyrrhus, Yep! I went to college, and I'm here to tell you that I would go with a closed set of headphones. Believe me my friend, there will be times you will thank me for this recommendation.
The Etymotic canalphones are killer for isolation, but taking them off, and on is a big pain in the ass.
I also agree that in your price range you are probably better off with a Meta42, and set of Beyers that are closed. Meier Audio is a good place to buy if your on a budget, but you will have to wait a while to get them. Check out the DT-770 pros, DT-250s, or DT 831s. Good luck!