[Narako]

Quote:

I don't know that those 2 will be all that similar. For one thing, they're built for different purposes; the Porta-pros are obviously meant to be portable, while the Alessandros are more for home use. Also, the Porta-Pros tend to be fun and have a mid-bass hump, which I guess is good to get you pumped up for exercise and such, while the Alessandros tend towards a Grado sound (from what I've heard), and will probably emphasize treble a bit more. I don't know that either will be particularly good with movies, but for anything more specific you'll have to read some reviews and comparisons. That being said, I've never really seen any direct comparisons, given that they're in different price brackets and categories of headphone. Maybe look at ljokerl's portables review thread, which I think includes both headphones.
 

so what would be better to play movie soundtracks?
I think having something with a wide sound stage would help? am i correct?
what about the out of head experience?
is there any headphones which do well in this area?
 
and btw i cant state my price range because i am not from the US. maybe you guys can just suggest me a few headphones and i will check them out
 
tq

 

[jjanuary]

Quote:

I don't know that those 2 will be all that similar. For one thing, they're built for different purposes; the Porta-pros are obviously meant to be portable, while the Alessandros are more for home use. Also, the Porta-Pros tend to be fun and have a mid-bass hump, which I guess is good to get you pumped up for exercise and such, while the Alessandros tend towards a Grado sound (from what I've heard), and will probably emphasize treble a bit more. I don't know that either will be particularly good with movies, but for anything more specific you'll have to read some reviews and comparisons. That being said, I've never really seen any direct comparisons, given that they're in different price brackets and categories of headphone. Maybe look at ljokerl's portables review thread, which I think includes both headphones.
 

Perhaps the Brainwavz HM5, Shure SRH840, etc for closed, AD700 for open? You didn't specify open or closed btw.
 

I'm not totally sure on if I should go open or closed to be honest.  I do a lot of listening at work and I guess for that purpose I guess closed would be best.  But best over all sound would be my biggest goal here.
 

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

hey guys is there much difference between koss porta pro aand alessandro ms1i?
 
based on the ranking here they are quite similar
 
which is best for playing movie soundtracks?
 
and i like that out of head experience. so which would perform better at that?

I can only comment truthfully on the Portapros as I own it, but I can give some little info on the aleesandro from my countless reading on this forum; though I advice you to take it with a grain of salt. Both of them have quite the opposite sound signatures. By experience, I can tell you that the portapro are more "fun" sounding, V-shape headphones, that focuses on the bass and treble. But in its case it has more bass then treble. For its price (<$40) it is by far the best bargain IMO. It does have a little bit of a bloated bass, but that's mostly a non issue when you're walking around outside. To have the treble sound more balanced, you can do a simple mod to the earpads. Go and look for my review on it if you're curious about it. 
 
As for the Alessandro, I can only offer you what I read, so please don't take this too seriously, and I recommend you do some more reading on it. So, the ms1i is more like a grado can, with a very upfront and agressive sound signature, and just enough bass as to not sound missing. From my reading, it is a tiny bit tamer on the treble side compared to grados, though you should read/ask around more on that. The alessandro are a more accessible grado for international buyers, because as far as I can tell, Grado really controls its own distribution of its headphones, and partnered with Alessandro to bring it outside the US, with a little bit of its own tuning. Again I advise you to ask someone more intimate with this headphone/company though
 
But the common thing that both of them have is their open backed nature; this means that both of them will let in outside noise in, and let your music outside. As I said before, I can't comment much on the ms1i as I never owned it, but from my reading, the leak in and out is mostly equal. But for the protapros, I can assure you that if you play your music at less than moderate volume, only the closest person to you would hear some indistinct noise coming from it. 
 


Quote:

Quote:

Any advice for a fella trying to move away from bass heavy headphones?  I'm a bass head and only own headphones built for bass.  I would like to pick up a pair of phones in the $75- $125 range that have a crisp and clear sound, some bass, but more balanced.

Perhaps the Brainwavz HM5, Shure SRH840, etc for closed, AD700 for open? You didn't specify open or closed btw.
 

IMO going for the AD700 is too much of a change for a basshead, judging from the reviews on it. Mind though that I haven't own it, and I myself am looking at its bigger brother, AD900. @jjanuary, it would be more helpful if you state what headphones you currently have.
 

 
Quote:

I'm not totally sure on if I should go open or closed to be honest.  I do a lot of listening at work and I guess for that purpose I guess closed would be best.  But best over all sound would be my biggest goal here.
 

The safer bet would be to go for closed headphones, but if your work depends on you having to hear incoming calls or something like that, an open would be more preferable. Not all open headphones leaks out the same amount of noise. From my experience the Sennheiser HD558/598 doesn't leak out much at low to low-medium volume.
 

 

[jjanuary]

Quote:

I can only comment truthfully on the Portapros as I own it, but I can give some little info on the aleesandro from my countless reading on this forum; though I advice you to take it with a grain of salt. Both of them have quite the opposite sound signatures. By experience, I can tell you that the portapro are more "fun" sounding, V-shape headphones, that focuses on the bass and treble. But in its case it has more bass then treble. For its price (<$40) it is by far the best bargain IMO. It does have a little bit of a bloated bass, but that's mostly a non issue when you're walking around outside. To have the treble sound more balanced, you can do a simple mod to the earpads. Go and look for my review on it if you're curious about it. 
 
As for the Alessandro, I can only offer you what I read, so please don't take this too seriously, and I recommend you do some more reading on it. So, the ms1i is more like a grado can, with a very upfront and agressive sound signature, and just enough bass as to not sound missing. From my reading, it is a tiny bit tamer on the treble side compared to grados, though you should read/ask around more on that. The alessandro are a more accessible grado for international buyers, because as far as I can tell, Grado really controls its own distribution of its headphones, and partnered with Alessandro to bring it outside the US, with a little bit of its own tuning. Again I advise you to ask someone more intimate with this headphone/company though
 
But the common thing that both of them have is their open backed nature; this means that both of them will let in outside noise in, and let your music outside. As I said before, I can't comment much on the ms1i as I never owned it, but from my reading, the leak in and out is mostly equal. But for the protapros, I can assure you that if you play your music at less than moderate volume, only the closest person to you would hear some indistinct noise coming from it. 
 

IMO going for the AD700 is too much of a change for a basshead, judging from the reviews on it. Mind though that I haven't own it, and I myself am looking at its bigger brother, AD900. @jjanuary, it would be more helpful if you state what headphones you currently have.
 

 

The safer bet would be to go for closed headphones, but if your work depends on you having to hear incoming calls or something like that, an open would be more preferable. Not all open headphones leaks out the same amount of noise. From my experience the Sennheiser HD558/598 doesn't leak out much at low to low-medium volume.
 

did a little research on the AD700, I must say I'm intrigued.  What else do you know about these???
 

 

[Topplayer]

Hey guys, Old member coming out of retirement. I have been out of the audio game for a few years after I sold most of my equipment to fund other hobbies. my past equipment(HD 600,650 zu mobius cable RSA raptor, modded XFi sound card). I have been primarily using my UE10's but I am looking to get a set of somewhat portable cans. My music ranges from acid jazz (medeski martin wood, john schofeild, ect) hip hop ( afu rah, jurassic 5, ect), Phish, Rock. alittle of everything. My price range is around 300-500. I can not decide what to get. I know I dont want any portible amp that I have to charge and worry about all the time, and I want to drive it directly from my galaxy nexus or my ipod. Right now I am looking at  DT990( Always wanted theses do they need an amp?) , HD558, ATH m50, beats mixr, and beats studio.
 
any advice. I want to jump back in slow but right!

 

[Purikuri88]

Quote:

Well, if you'll be wearing them on public transportation, libraries, etc, open headphones will both leak noise out, which can disturb others, and allow ambient noise in, which can interfere with your listening experience, so they're not really recommended for that kind of use. Does that change anything for you?
 

 
No I would mostly be wearing them in my room, so that doesn't make any difference for me 
 

 

[jjanuary]

Quote:

Hey guys, Old member coming out of retirement. I have been out of the audio game for a few years after I sold most of my equipment to fund other hobbies. my past equipment(HD 600,650 zu mobius cable RSA raptor, modded XFi sound card). I have been primarily using my UE10's but I am looking to get a set of somewhat portable cans. My music ranges from acid jazz (medeski martin wood, john schofeild, ect) hip hop ( afu rah, jurassic 5, ect), Phish, Rock. alittle of everything. My price range is around 300-500. I can not decide what to get. I know I dont want any portible amp that I have to charge and worry about all the time, and I want to drive it directly from my galaxy nexus or my ipod. Right now I am looking at  DT990( Always wanted theses do they need an amp?) , HD558, ATH m50, beats mixr, and beats studio.
 
any advice. I want to jump back in slow but right!

have you visited the thread about the V-Moda M-100?  There is a good amount of buzz about these, and I think they launch in April.
 
 
 

 

[Topplayer]

^ I would consider those in april. I want to get something sooner than that like NOW lol

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

did a little research on the AD700, I must say I'm intrigued.  What else do you know about these???
 

Other than what has always been said about it: impressive soundstge for its price, very airy and sparkly treble, yet not sibilant or painfully piercing, comfortable and bass shy to some people. As a reminder, I don't have them, and never heard them, these are just observations made from reading here. On the other hand, judging from the not so many reviews and impressions, its bigger brother, the ad900, has more improvements to the ad700 (either slightly or significant seems to vary from people to the next): even more airier treble, more soundstage, more forward mids, just a tad more bass to make it less bass shy.
 
Only I think the ad700/900 would be too much of a departure for a basshead who're looking to slowly try and listen to less bass heavy headphones.
 
Quote:

Hey guys, Old member coming out of retirement. I have been out of the audio game for a few years after I sold most of my equipment to fund other hobbies. my past equipment(HD 600,650 zu mobius cable RSA raptor, modded XFi sound card). I have been primarily using my UE10's but I am looking to get a set of somewhat portable cans. My music ranges from acid jazz (medeski martin wood, john schofeild, ect) hip hop ( afu rah, jurassic 5, ect), Phish, Rock. alittle of everything. My price range is around 300-500. I can not decide what to get. I know I dont want any portible amp that I have to charge and worry about all the time, and I want to drive it directly from my galaxy nexus or my ipod. Right now I am looking at  DT990( Always wanted theses do they need an amp?) , HD558, ATH m50, beats mixr, and beats studio.
 
any advice. I want to jump back in slow but right!

From my reading around, the DT990 requires an amp to even sound acceptable, and they are pretty much home cans. And they are open. The HD558 are also similarly open and more for home use, but not as power hungry as the DT990. They output more than acceptable (at least to me) volume from my phone.
 
Can't say too much about the ATH-M50, as I don't own or have listened to them, but there a lot of hype and impressions on that, so it's there. From my brief reading of it (as I'm not interested in it much) they are a V-shape DJ headphones that had a good priceerformance ratio, but not so much now. At it's current $150 price, I see lots of other, cheaper, and arguably better competition for it. Some that pops up a lot are Shure 580, 780 (although this is coming straight from my memory, and I myself doesn't trust it ). They are considered portable in a sense that they can collapse to a smaller form, but they are pretty much still a over-ear 'phones.
 
About the beats studio: IMVHO, they are okay. I've borrowed my friend's pair, and other than a very forward and bloated bass, there's nothing to write home about. Mids are mediocre, IMO, and the highs are recessed. This is pretty much fart cannons. But for the price, there are better alternatives, no even at cheaper there are better alternatives. As I don't like bassy 'phones much I didn't put too much effort in looking for them though. Nothing on the beats mixr, but if dr dre keeps following his trend, it would be some more bad priceerformance ratio 'phones that are mostly for the looks and brand name.
 
I can't reliably give you recommendations, but what I can do is point you towards ljokerl's portable cans review. It's stickied in both the full-sized and portable subforums, IIRC.

 

[Miniscream]

Hello everyone. Regular stay-at-home college goer here. I've been rockin' the D7000's/MixAmp combo for a little over a month now. D7000's are amazing for music, but for gaming I feel they could be better. Sound positioning is "a breeze" to pick up I heard, that's true most of the time, but sometimes I find myself turning the opposite way on MW3 or can't hear foot steps til they're close to me. My friends with the cheaper versions of Turtle Beaches hear Stealth Bombers before I can and I'm confused on that note lol
 
So a couple questions if anyone can answer them please.
1. How should I position the D7000s on my ears/head for the best results? I'm finding the band just a little to the front from halfway on my head, and my ears trying to hug the back of the cans.
 
2. A new gaming headset is out of the question after recently purchasing the D7000s... As I mentioned before I go to college. Waiting inbetween classes I use a pair of cheap Skullcandy buds. I want to upgrade my portable headgear. I'm into the whole D7000 sound, but wanting a little more bass to kick in if anyone could recommend any in-ears to do that. I've never searched anything on them yet so Idk the price ranges. My budget is $120 if that's doable.
 
Thanks

 

[jgray91]

Quote:

Hello everyone. Regular stay-at-home college goer here. I've been rockin' the D7000's/MixAmp combo for a little over a month now. D7000's are amazing for music, but for gaming I feel they could be better. Sound positioning is "a breeze" to pick up I heard, that's true most of the time, but sometimes I find myself turning the opposite way on MW3 or can't hear foot steps til they're close to me. My friends with the cheaper versions of Turtle Beaches hear Stealth Bombers before I can and I'm confused on that note lol
 
So a couple questions if anyone can answer them please.
1. How should I position the D7000s on my ears/head for the best results? I'm finding the band just a little to the front from halfway on my head, and my ears trying to hug the back of the cans.
 
2. A new gaming headset is out of the question after recently purchasing the D7000s... As I mentioned before I go to college. Waiting inbetween classes I use a pair of cheap Skullcandy buds. I want to upgrade my portable headgear. I'm into the whole D7000 sound, but wanting a little more bass to kick in if anyone could recommend any in-ears to do that. I've never searched anything on them yet so Idk the price ranges. My budget is $120 if that's doable.
 
Thanks

Can't answer for your first question, but can somewhat for your 2nd. $120 is certainly doable, but all I can do personally is point out here.
 

 

[Purikuri88]

What do people think about Bayer DT990 250ohm ? Been reading so a lot, and I think they maybe right for me. Can anyone tell me more about them?

 

[Headphonefred]

Hi im looking for a DAC and amplifier for my grado so i can get the best out of my measly ipod. Ive heard the Fiio E7 is good, but does it have negatives to it like loss in quality? Im new to amps etc and i dont know any of the specs or names. Thanks

 

[bixby]

Quote:

Any advice for a fella trying to move away from bass heavy headphones?  I'm a bass head and only own headphones built for bass.  I would like to pick up a pair of phones in the $75- $125 range that have a crisp and clear sound, some bass, but more balanced.

Shure 840s used.

 

[Ora M]

Quote:

Hi im looking for a DAC and amplifier for my grado so i can get the best out of my measly ipod. Ive heard the Fiio E7 is good, but does it have negatives to it like loss in quality? Im new to amps etc and i dont know any of the specs or names. Thanks

Might want to head over to the amplifier sub-forums. This is a much better place to ask about home and portable amps.