[Marquis]

Although I'm not gonna get rid of them, I'm looking to upgrade from my Grado SR80s to some other open headphone, for use at home. Comfort's a priority, and portability is irrelevant. I have small ears.

I picked up the HD-590s, but although they feel great, the sound is really not doing it for me.

I have an altoids MINT amp, but I'd prefer to have something that doesn't require it.

What I'm looking for:

1. $100-200
2. comfy
3. circumaural [corrected thanks to Helter Skelter]
4. open
5. big sound-stage
6. a little more laid-back than the Grados/PortaPros

The headphones I already own: Grado SR-80s, PortaPros/KSC75s, Senn HD280s.

What I listen to: folk and rock (most often), also hip-hop and classical.

Thank-you head-fiers!

 

[Helter Skelter]

What about the sound isn't "doing it" for you? Personally, I like making blind recommendations for the HD555/595, because they're comfy and they seem to do a pretty good job pleasing most people.

You mention you want supra-aural, did you mean circumaural? Supra-aural is what your current Grados are, they rest on the ear. Circumaural the pads go around the ears and are generally speaking much more comfortable.

 

[Marquis]

Oh, thanks for that, HelterSkelter.

I did mean circumaural. (I thought the Grados were "super", and the Senns were "supra"... Oops.) I'll edit accordingly.

I'm actually surprised at how bad the HD590s sound to my ears. It's possible that they're too analytical and are defeated by my (high bitrate) mp3s, but more likely that it's just the sound that doesn't appeal to me. There's something really grating about the mids/highs, and things don't - i dunno, - glitter as much as I'd like. This didn't change when I plugged them into my amp.

I'm looking for something with the breadth, balance and sparkle of Sennheiser (or at least the Sennheiser I understand from the PX200s and the HD280s), and these just have way too much attack or somethin'. Architecture in Helsinki and Sigur Ros both sounded awful.

 

[Arainach]

Did you like the sound of the Grados? Because I'd reccomend the HD580/HD600 - Incredibly Comfortable, Great Sound, but they might as well be the Anti-Grado.

 

[NightWoundsTime]

HD-580/600 almost definitely require an amp. Look at AKG-271, Any of the lower end Beyers, etc. www.headphone.com has a lot of reviews and points out the ones that really shine without an amp.

 

[Marquis]

Thanks for those suggestions. Unfortunately the AKG, and Headroom's favourite Beyers, are all closed. As there's no need for these to be sealed, I'd have thought I could get more audio bang for my buck by going with open phones...

 

[acs236]

It's at the top of your budget, but I think the Beyer 880 gets closed to $200 used. I could be wrong, though. Very comfortable and excellent soundstage. More laid back than the Grados, but not as much as the Senns.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acs236 It's at the top of your budget, but I think the Beyer 880 gets closed to $200 used. I could be wrong, though. Very comfortable and excellent soundstage. More laid back than the Grados, but not as much as the Senns.

Will need an amp.

My suggestion: A900. Non portable, extremely comfy, no need for amp, jack of all trades for music. Sealed though...

Strangely enough, almost all open phones require an amp.

 

[Arainach]

"Needs an Amp" is always subjective, however. I've listened to a pair of HD600s (300Ohm Resistance!) unamped, and while they definatley could improve with amping, they Still sounded better than HD280s or Alessandro MS-1s unamped. It's not like they sound poor without an amp, just that they don't reach their full potential.

 

[flamingantichimp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veniogenesis My suggestion: A900. Non portable, extremely comfy, no need for amp, jack of all trades for music. Sealed though...

I second this suggestion.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arainach "Needs an Amp" is always subjective, however. I've listened to a pair of HD600s (300Ohm Resistance!) unamped, and while they definatley could improve with amping, they Still sounded better than HD280s or Alessandro MS-1s unamped. It's not like they sound poor without an amp, just that they don't reach their full potential.

You're right!

But nonetheless, in my past listening experiences, I thought that an unamped A900 is better than an unamped HD600.

 

[catscratch]

A900's are definitely worth a look unamped. As far as the HD590 sounding terrible, it really needs burn-in. Badly. After about 50 hours the highs settle down and the midrange comes out. Still, if your preference is rock, then they're not all that good for it. Also, they do need an amp, or at least a source with a stronger output - portables won't hack them and most computer sound cards won't, either. Lastly, yes, your mp3's could be your undoing; anything encoded under 192k is going to sound like it should - meaning terrible.

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch A900's are definitely worth a look unamped. As far as the HD590 sounding terrible, it really needs burn-in. Badly. After about 50 hours the highs settle down and the midrange comes out. Still, if your preference is rock, then they're not all that good for it. Also, they do need an amp, or at least a source with a stronger output - portables won't hack them and most computer sound cards won't, either. Lastly, yes, your mp3's could be your undoing; anything encoded under 192k is going to sound like it should - meaning terrible.

going to second the A900s or the HD595s

 

[Nomad]

Comfy? Unamped?

595


A900 is another good option although pleater is not good in hot environments.

 

[DevilDog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad Comfy? Unamped? 595

Yep, that's what you're looking for. Big soundstage and just a bit more laid back.