[PomPWNius]

SO I got my sennheiser HD25 1-II's, about 3 weeks ago because apparently they were great for metal, which is all I listen to. I really like them, but I almost always prefer my Etymotic HF5. This is because when any sound at all leaks in, it sounds much worse for me. Also, I feel like the vocals are very far away for many bands, and I end up turning the volume really high so I can hear the vocals, my favorite part. I feel like I am going to go deaf because it is so loud. I also want to be able to hear drums though. The HD25's beat the HF5 in many ways, but I don;t know... I was thinking about exchanging for the Grado SR 225, because of the up front ness. But I have a question, does anyone else think that the vocals from the HD25 sound far back? The volume thing is my biggest issue. Will the Grados do better? Any other headphones I should consider?

 

[NA Blur]

Just out of curiosity what tracks to you sound like the vocals are too laid back?  I will take a listen with a variety of headphones and report back with my findings.  It may be possible that the vocals are laid back in the track and that the HD-25 you have are just replicating this more than another headphone because the HD-25 may have better imaging / soundstage.
 
Grado headphones are very up-front sounding but they suffer from two major issues.
 
1.)  Discomfort
I have tried almost every Grado and none of them I like as far as comfort goes.  The SR-60 / 80 with the Comfy pads are the most comfortable, while the bowl pads remain terribly damaging.
 
2.)  The highs on the Grado are quite bright and listening to different music is really going to show this.  They tend to be a bit harsh in the treble at times and I find them fatiguing to listen to.  My ear simply becomes tired.
 
To find a good headphone for vocals and rock look for a headphone with a nice round bump up in the frequency response in the mid-range.

 

[PomPWNius]

Just out of curiosity what tracks to you sound like the vocals are too laid back?  I will take a listen with a variety of headphones and report back with my findings.  It may be possible that the vocals are laid back in the track and that the HD-25 you have are just replicating this more than another headphone because the HD-25 may have better imaging / soundstage.

Grado headphones are very up-front sounding but they suffer from two major issues.

1.)  Discomfort
I have tried almost every Grado and none of them I like as far as comfort goes.  The SR-60 / 80 with the Comfy pads are the most comfortable, while the bowl pads remain terribly damaging.

2.)  The highs on the Grado are quite bright and listening to different music is really going to show this.  They tend to be a bit harsh in the treble at times and I find them fatiguing to listen to.  My ear simply becomes tired.

To find a good headphone for vocals and rock look for a headphone with a nice round bump up in the frequency response in the mid-range.

Thanks. Lately I have really been getting into Wintersun. Literally that is all I have been listening to for the last 6 weeks haha, their only 8 songs, over and over again. Never getting boring. It is probably the recording but I would like my headphones to make just wintersun sound the best possible. . Try listening to "Battle Against Time". I feel like the "oOOooOOOooowoo"'s at the beggining are back a lot. Also, I don't care much about comfort, as long as it doesn't hurt. I don't mind discomfort. As far as sharp and fatiguing high's, I am not really sure what that means, and what makes headphones fatiguing, but I like to be able to hear nice cymbals in the background.

 

[killmurer]

IMO SR-60i does vocals better than hd 25. But then those are open. I prefer the grado midrange to the senns.

 

[StiffTacos]

Guys, he said that he hates it when any sound leaks in. Grados are out of the question.

 

[jaqueh]

if you listen to metal you don't want the mids to be too aggressive because it will create a lot of sibilance and fatigue if u listen to tracks for a long time. the srh440s are pretty good full sizes that you should try out. also if u like the hf5s u should check out the tf10s

 

[NA Blur]

I did listen to Wintersun's Battle Against Time and there is no doubt that the vocals are almost non-existent.
 
Try listening to this and tell me that the vocals are not up-front sounding.
 
Tantric
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxRG7uoFDo4

 

[shadow419]

It's the recording, but all is not lost.  EQ can be your friend.  I boosted 500 Hz and 1 kHz a little bit and cut 125 Hz a little (on HD 25-1 II). It helped bring the voices a little more forward.   The mid bass hump added to the mastering of the recording kills the vocals on that track.

 

[PomPWNius]

I understand that I can EQ and everything. I understand that putting vocals deeper in the track is common of the metal genre, so that you can more easily hear all instruments. I like that, but I am craving more vocals. My HF5's do that, but for some reason it sounds hollow to me, like the instruments aren't all filling up my ears or something. It is hard to explain, but it just doesn't sound like all the instruments are playing at the same time, even though they are, and I can hear them all fine. Is it known that the HD25's have recessed mids?

 

[NA Blur]

The HD-25 is known to have up-front mids and is one of the main reasons to buy them.  They lose a little on the tail ends of the spectrum, but the mids should ring true.  I am starting to think it is the music you are listening to rather than the headphone, but there certainly could be something else at work.
 
Did you listen to my suggested track?

 

[mastershake2393]

It's the recording that's causing this...
 
Try listening to "Mirror Mirror" by Blind Guardian and tell me if the mids are far away

 

[PomPWNius]

I listened to your suggested track. I also have listened to mastershakes track in the past, it is one of my favorite songs . I understand that it is the recording. My question is, are there any headphones that will make WINTERSUN's vocals more up front?

 

[jaqueh]

Quote:

I listened to your suggested track. I also have listened to mastershakes track in the past, it is one of my favorite songs

. I understand that it is the recording. My question is, are there any headphones that will make WINTERSUN's vocals more up front?

probably if you told your local am radio station to play the song and listened to the hd25s over the radio