[heartofwinter]

Hey everyone,
 
I'm looking to purchase a nice pair of full size headphones for home-use. My girlfriend has been asking me to pick up a pair for a long time. She'll probably be listening to a lot of indie rock, rock/pop, blues, and probably a little bit of metal.
 
I think the plan is that she would like a full-size pair that she can hang out in the living room, chill out on the sofa and listen to jams, reading, that kinda thing. So I'm definitely in the market for a comfortable pair that can be worn for a while.
 
My budget is $300 and under. We have a Sony receiver with a turntable hooked up to it.
 
Here is my list of potentials:
 

1. Grado SR325is
2. AKG K701
3. Beyerdynamic DT880

 
What do you guys think? Any recommendations?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[ramzes235]

hey 
here is a comparaison between the dt 880 / akg k701/ and the hd 650 maybe an answer
http://www.headfonia.com/old-school-trio-akg-k701-beyer-dt880-sennheiser-hd650/
edit forget the link --'

 

[Croozer]

Check out the Denon AH-D2000.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
DT880's. Sheer comfort. Great for those genres. Energetic and alive headphone.
 
Grados are questionable when it comes to comfort. And the K701's while a very good headphone and comfy, are also less energetic, more analyzing, almost too spaced out, and well, I want to say "robotic" it seems. If you do lean towards the K701, look more at the Q701 maybe.
 
Very best,

 

[Graphicism]

Hi, welcome to head-fi!
 
Of the potential headphones you have listed;
 
Grado SR325is - Brilliant for rock, indie, metal however they're a bit bright with pop, blues and other genres. Easy to power but a very genre specific headphone, like all Grados. Also can be a bit uncomfortable for long listening periods.
 
AKG K701 - Not one of my favorites. Huge soundstage, detailed sound, but almost always sounds a bit thin, not much bass to speak of. Also can be very picky with amping.
 
Beyerdynamic DT880 - My headphone of choice. A great all-rounder and very confortable. There are multiple versions of the 880 to choose from; 600Ohm would require a dedicated headphone amp so look more towards the 80/200Ohm version.
 
Other recommendations;
 
Sennhesier HD600 - Another great all-rounder, a little more set back than the DT880.
 
Sennhesier HD650 - Similar to the HD600 with a warmer, bassier sound.

 

[ramzes235]

i forgot the link in the first post it is edited

 

[heartofwinter]

Thanks for all of the info guys! I know I would probably love each and every one of these. So if I'm going to simply be using a "standard" Sony home stereo receiver these guys will sound decent?
 
I'm also kinda interested in the Fostex T50RP...
 
Has anyone checked these guys out?
 
 
 
 

 

[Graphicism]

There has been a lot mentioned on head-fi regarding the Fostex T50RP, moreso modding to turn them into something really special. However if you're not willing to spend hours experimenting with Dynamet and other dampening solutions inside the headphone driver unit I wouldn't suggest them over a Beyerdynamic DT880 or Sennheiser HD600, but then again they cost a lot less.

 

[michaelmoon]

+1 for ah-d2000

 

[heartofwinter]

Quote:

There has been a lot mentioned on head-fi regarding the Fostex T50RP, moreso modding to turn them into something really special. However if you're not willing to spend hours experimenting with Dynamet and other dampening solutions inside the headphone driver unit I wouldn't suggest them over a Beyerdynamic DT880 or Sennheiser HD600, but then again they cost a lot less.

 
Do you think the Fostex T50RP will sound good out of the box? I'm not really looking to get into modding and whatnot.. and they DO cost a lot less..

 

[heartofwinter]

I should have mentioned in my original post, that my girlfriend is an artist, so a set of headphones that are aesthetically pleasing would be perfect.
 
She would totally be into the style of the Stax headphones but I can't really afford $1,000+ headphones right now along with all of the gear that they'd require.
 
I guess this is why I was kinda drawn to both the Fostex T50RP, Grado SR325is and AKG K701...
 
Are there any excellent full size headphones out there that rock the vintage look? Anyone know where I could score a Stax Earspeaker for under $300?

 

[ramzes235]

i find all the hedphone mention here very nice looking i had the akg and they are huge ! 
 

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Do you think the Fostex T50RP will sound good out of the box? I'm not really looking to get into modding and whatnot.. and they DO cost a lot less..

They sound okay, very hot treble. I modded mine somewhat with dampening to calm down the shrill treble, which resonates inside the plastic cups. I don't listen to them at all really, with the DT880s they are made redundant.
 

Quote:

I should have mentioned in my original post, that my girlfriend is an artist, so a set of headphones that are aesthetically pleasing would be perfect.
 
She would totally be into the style of the Stax headphones but I can't really afford $1,000+ headphones right now along with all of the gear that they'd require.
 
I guess this is why I was kinda drawn to both the Fostex T50RP, Grado SR325is and AKG K701...
 
Are there any excellent full size headphones out there that rock the vintage look? Anyone know where I could score a Stax Earspeaker for under $300?

The cheapest Stax combo would be a Stax SR-303 with SRM-313 for around $500, there is one for sale in the forum. It's almost double your budget but you will not only be over the moon with the sound, if you look after them you can always resell without loosing money.

 

[Jae304]

another vote for AH-D2000

 

[Nick01]

The Grado 325is is very heavy so for long listening sessions is a no no.