[LeafyVegetable]

Hi, I need a good headphone exclusively for anime around the $80-145 range. Currently, unless I can find a better offering from Sony, I intend to get the Grado SR-80i.
It needs to play vocals really well, with decent mids. I'm not so big about bass, but I do listen almost exclusively to upbeat, fluffy music like these:
https://soundcloud.com/leafyvegetable/kokoro-connect-kokoro-no-kara
https://soundcloud.com/leafyvegetable/01-100-chugakusei
 
Been recommended the SR-80i by my fansubbing colleagues as it is an easy 'all size fits all' for entry level audiophiles, but considering Sony's range as well. Unless really necessary, think I will stick to these brands for now, though I'm more inclined towards sony, just that their massive range has me in a daze and I have no idea what to get. I kinda like Sony's aesthetics (like the simplistic feel), as well as because sony products have lasted quite long for me.
 
I just want something to work great indoors right out of the pack without mods, in quite a quiet environment. Actually prefer something WITHOUT noise cancelling because I need to hear my housemates scream, though that isn't really that big a deciding factor for me. Not yet an audiophile but that's set to change. Just don't wanna mod anything right now.
 
For anyone feeling extra helpful, do my shopping for me

: http://www.stereo.com.sg/store/nav.php?cPath=208_269
Anything round 100-150 of my dollars will work.
 
Any help appreciated, thanks much.

 

[jump3r]

i liked the song on my sennheiser hd25 ii.. clean mids and highs..lows r good too..but i can understand what she is saying..

.
grado is better than sony in every aspect. go for grado sr 80i lacks in balance somewhat (that i feel). go for sennheiser if you want balanced sound. my friend have xb 600.bass overpower so overall bal of headphone is somewhat disturbed( i will not suggest to buy sony's). good headphones are those which flat and with the help of equalizer u can change the overall balance to over power low,mids,highs whatever u want.. i will suggest u sennheiser for this range.

 

[Golila3]

what anime is the second song from?

Anyways, I would also recommend the hd25 and I listen to tons of anime op/Ed.

The grado is also really good. I've only heard a few songs through the sr80 though. They are fast, so you don't really need to worry about it being muddy or anything even though they have a strong bass.

I would recommend the hd25 more for its clarity and it's super clean and sexy mid-bass! The mids for the hd25 is slightly recessed though, so if you listen to lots of really slow female vocals, this might not be your can, but if its just anime, I simply cannot recommend it more!


(I am currently listening to the Little busters Anime ed with a grado ps500 which sounds like the sr80, just clearer and much better treble.)

 

[blessedangel]

Dude man im listening to it on my Shure srh-440's and the voices are crystal clear and a tad bit of bass. I think you might like. Price range is around 90 bucks...
 
http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH440-Professional-Studio-Headphones/dp/B002DP1FTU

 

[streetdragon]

the sennheiser HD598 has excellent vocals and its not fatiguing to wear for long periods of time.
but for its price the SR80i is a good buy

 

[TwinQY]

Indoor usage? Not saying that the sr80is were bad with anime stuff, but for all those mods I tried on them, they could never come close to the HD580 for that particular genre. The HD558/598 mentioned above are even more upper-midrangey, very sweet sounding for female vocals, they'd be a solid choice since you don't need the isolation. (Relatively) easy to power as well with the typical soundcard. If you've got housemates, keep in mind that they do leak out like any other open-back. Better than the typical HiFiMAN or Grado leakage, that's for sure. A900X is another easy one to recommend for J-Pop, asian female vocals in general. 

 

[LeafyVegetable]

2nd ED is 100% middle schooler from Yuru Yuri season 2, which I personally subbed (Tondemonai)

 
Well sennheiser hd25 seems to be a good choice. Problem is, it's much more expensive than the sr80i and I can't afford to go above $150. That's 400ish, lol huge difference. If you know anything better than the sr80i for bout the same price, I'm keen though.
 
Right now looking up your recommendations HD558/598
EDIT: well, 2.5x the price of the 80i, and outta my budget...
And digging up more info on Shure srh-440, which at $170 is just a little over budget... but doubt I could get away with it...
 
Wish I could afford the hd25ii but lol 4x over my range.
 
Maybe if they aren't terrible, I might very well have to settle for the sr80i, which I hope won't be too leaky...
But still, if anyone knows anything better for that price +/-10, I'm interested. Sorry but cash is tight right now.
 
I guess a better question would be SRH240 vs SR80i.
 
Or more like Grado SR80i vs Shure SRH240 vs Sennheiser HD-429/229/200master and have absolutely no idea what the numbers mean

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

2nd ED is 100% middle schooler from Yuru Yuri season 2, which I personally subbed (Tondemonai)

 
Well sennheiser hd25 seems to be a good choice. Problem is, it's much more expensive than the sr80i and I can't afford to go above $150. That's 400ish, lol huge difference. If you know anything better than the sr80i for bout the same price, I'm keen though.

 
HD25-1s isolate a lot. More for portable use than anything. IMO the treble is a bit metallic and strident, especially for some JPop/the badly mastered stuff.
 
You guys were slow with Yuri Yuri. Decent translations, so I stuck with you guys for a while. As long as you're here, take a gander at the Anime thread.

 

[streetdragon]

Quote:

2nd ED is 100% middle schooler from Yuru Yuri season 2, which I personally subbed (Tondemonai)

 
Well sennheiser hd25 seems to be a good choice. Problem is, it's much more expensive than the sr80i and I can't afford to go above $150. That's 400ish, lol huge difference. If you know anything better than the sr80i for bout the same price, I'm keen though.

not sure how much better other than the SR60i,SR80i and MS1i at this price range, since these 3 have really good values

 

[KolonelK]

Quote:

what anime is the second song from?

ED from the second season of YuruYuri
 
OP, you'll be fine with either brand. The Grados will be a bit uncomfortable if you wear them for a long time, and if you turn up the volume, it might wear you out a little. I'm not familiar with open-backed Sony headphones, but I will recommend Sennheiser's HD 5xx series headphones. They meet your criteria, but I'm not sure what they cost where you live.

 

[jump3r]

[size=10pt]try sennheiser HD 518[/size] .. crisp highs and blasting lows.mids are clear too. overall one of the  best headphones in the market  $200 range.search streets u can get it for 150 or so .well with 2 years warranty u can not go wrong about durability.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2409401,00.asp
 
or
u can go for shure SRH550DJ if u want to save mny for ur self
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2396882,00.asp

 

[xjaynine]

I'd recommend getting a used pair of MDR-EX600s. Very natural and spacious presentation of the vocals without being overly sweet or bright.